vs Sydney FC, 7.30pm Sat

quite a few friendly people in town today. People smiling/laughing as they drive past me. Then I remembered i have a phoenix car sticker on the rear bumper *sigh* Well can't wait til we improve, looking forward to the thumbs up. take the good with the bad.    

This.

Can't believe there are people talking about not going next week.  It's exactly the week you should go.  Get in the zone bring an urge for self-deprecation and enjoy being a Phoenix fan.  You know it can't get much worse so go for a giggle.

I'm looking forward to it.

 Right, I have had the night to recover and think about it this morning, I'm still depressed about last night, however the sun is shining and today's another day.

There definitely needs to be a mental shift at the club, the players haven't become crap overnight so they need to pick themselves up go back to the drawing board and start again.

We all know that the midfield is a big part of the issue so that's the first thing that needs to be sorted, we need to shore up the middle, better communication is needed between them and the defence, next we need to make sure we put away chances (the amount of goals we miss is criminal). There's a lot of work to do but it's not impossible.

I'm sure the boys are hurting today but they are our team so we at least have to show some support for them. Yes I'm unhappy with the way they played but we all know they are better than that so in reality we need to get as many people along to the next home game to show them that they are still our team and we support them through thick and thin.

I know that the A League has moved on and some of our players are off the pace but they are all we have so lets give them support while they are still playing for us (same goes with the coach).

No I'm not looking through rose coloured glasses I know we were crap last night but let hope they learn from it and move on

 Just about to head out loud and proud in my season 1 strip.Hope people dont laugh to much.

I've stowed the YF tees for thie rest of the weekend. I've suffered enough ridicule for one weekend.

Boxall and Moss in next week please, just because we need something different. I assume Ifill will start too.

I have a season ticket, so will be there. If I didnt, there may be other things for me to be doing

"Will Ricki see the funny side if I start up a chant of 8-7, we're going to win 8-7, we're going to win 8-7"

I'm heading up from Timaru next weekend. I'm still looking forward to it. COYN.

Wellington Phoenix announce new shirt sponsor for 2013/14

You forgot to add 'how about doing some training on corners?'. It's got to the point where I don't really view a corner for us any differently to a goal kick for them because the end result will be the same - the ball ends up around the halfway line very quickly. The best result we've had from corners recently is another corner! In fact, 99% of our set pieces are a complete waste of time.

Same thing about throwins......

That was woeful. Just laughable. Had a feeling we were due a beating like that, didn't think it would be a the hands of Sydney though. Gotta be changes for the next match.
Moss In Paston Out
Boxall In Sigmund Out
Ifill In (take your pick out of the front 3) Out
Hogg In Lochhead Out
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First 3 posts on this thread cursed us.

I couldn't watch the game last night but I knew the result before I got home and jumped on to read the forum and get a feel for a few things. With this in mind, and also notepad, I watched the game on mysky and could pause to make notes.

Basically the back 6 have become very dysfunctional. Forget the attack, the goals for a moment. The back 6 is dysfunctional. Leo was not sharp last night and got exposed with his positioning. On ADPs 3rd, why not force him outside onto his left foot, his weaker one rather than across goal to give him a full view and easier angle? Sigmund is woefully out of form. People said 'well he scored'. And???? How many has he been responsible for conceding - his primary role? He got caught ball watching on the first 1st goal and Griffiths was gone to goal side in 2 steps. He then gets up and rags on the guys up field... what? Also leaves the line far too often and causes us to lose shape (which everyone is guilty of). Durante was pants last night. I have been an avid supporter but I could not defend him. Was ADP his assignment cause on the the 1st ADP goal, he was marking thin air and Sigmund had to come across. How the hell does a ball bounce through the box and get to the far side for a mirror image of the the Victory goal (Culina's). Lochhead got left for dead a few times. The 2 in front of that, Lia and Smith.... Did Smith actually play? I know Lia was there because he had to conceded a yellow (as did Brockie for the same reason) because we did not transition back from corners and got caught out 4 times (Culinas goal and both Brockie and Lias cards along with 1 other that we scrambled). We played with concrete boots and a severe lack of communication in talking to each other. Our transition from attack to defend was pedestrian and Farina must have picked up on that because the clearances got moved extremely quickly up field. That is poor coaching on the part of Ricki. He still has not fixed the issue of Sigmund leaving the line so is he just coaching attacking 'total football' only at training?

The reason why we have become so soft is because of a back 6 that are dysfunctional and don't play as a unit, for each other, for the team. Is there a solution? Boxall and Hogg for a start. Are they going to be better? Most likely not. Are they likely to be playing with a crisis of confidence in their own performance either? Bertos has had 1 poor game so he keeps his spot and Durante is the captain and in marginally better form than Sigmund. At the very least, while the replacements may not be better, it says to the incumbents 'YOU HAVE TO BE BETTER AND START FUCKING PERFORMING IF YOU WANT TO PLAY AGAIN'. To not make a change means Ricki endorses the status quo. They said it hurt after the WSW game and they have done some hard work and soul searching. Thats not changing whats happening on the field. Personnel changed need to be made, even for players that may not perform better than the current lot. If only to put people on notice that you cannot consistently deliver this performance. The Black Caps do that and continue to do that because no player plays in fear of their position.

I think there are 4 parts to a game. you get lose possession and you 1: track back and 2: defend. I've covered that shambles up above. You then regain possession and 3: build an attack and 4: finish.

When we had time on the ball last night, our attacking build was actually not that bad. In some respects, the total football thing they are trying to achieve is there a little and I didn't mind us going forward. Its been mentioned a few times that our wide men need to tuck in a bit (on defense I agree) but its obvious they have been given instructions to hug the touch lines in possession because when we moved the ball across the pitch from left to right, Bertos found acres of space because he lived out there in that space. We got numerous chances and it took a workman CB to actually finish one. Stein is our best but it he is playing too high up the field and does not have the pace for a foot race. He has lovely touches and can bring others into the game nicely, but he sits too high to do so. Sanchez appeared in patches, I know Brockie got a yellow and not much else which brings me to Boyd. I did read last night that he was thought to have played well and I have to ask having watched the game: 'What did he do?' Yeah he ran around lots but was that it? How many fouls did he give away, how many of those were against Fabio? 60th min, ball falls to him, he is on an angle, open look at goal, a touch maybe and a left foot strike. NO he drags it back onto his right (cause he does not have a left) and now the open path to the goal is gone. This kid needs a lot of coaching in jockeying a man, getting his head up, choosing the right options and kicking a ball with his left foot. Fenton is much the same (although has a left foot) but I think Fenton is better and next week, I want to see Fenton for Boyd. Does this mean Boyd played badly? No, I just don't see how he got kudos for a performance where he did nothing that was of any significance other than run around. We did get shots on goal, and they were just poorly executed (a return to last year). Ifill came on and showed he still has touches but for how long and how much is the magic question.

This is our season lads. Its not getting any better. Players are woefully out of form across the park and playing very dysfunctionally. Whats the solution? Well you tell me how long a piece of random string is (twice the distance from the middle to the end) and I'll tell you how to fix the Phoenix. At the very least next week, rightly or wrongly, Sigmund and Lochhead need a rest for Boxall and Hogg, Lia will swap for Manny, Smith should change for Ifill and Boyd for Fenton and play a standard 4-4-2. Why? Because the ones that are there need a wake up call. It may be worse next week but players need to learn that accountability for performance costs you your position.I do feel sorry for one person and thats Paston because no one in front of him played for him last night and it was like his back 4 were pissed off at him. I endorse a change of his position too but not because he is playing poorly. Perhaps just a change of voice behind the back 4 may work. Could there be a difference in organisation? I don't know. Moss is a quality keeper too but a different voice may make a difference. It is actually endorsing change for the sake of change which I never do but at some point, something has to give.

Speaking of difference voices, how long until Ricki calls up BT...

The good news (hopefully) is even blind Herbert should now see Lia and Smith are not up to it.  So we get one import spot back and one guy to the bench/squad player for next season.  

Manny back, Ifill told he needs to play at the top of the mid-field, cause he's the only player we have with the capacity to do the job, and Sanchez with a bit more quality around him could make a big difference next week.  Not sure Herbert has the wit to try it.

Playing in front of Paston wouldn't exactly instill me with confidence. The players must know that he's not gonna dive for anything, can't be a great feeling for the defenders. For me, Moss needs to be in. Paston is past it (pardon the pun)

It would be nice to see Moss in goal this week, couldnt do any worse and hes a better keeper with a bigger future anyway. But will Ricki make the move? Probably not.

agree with what you have said Jeff (yes I did actually read all that for some reason)

Jeff, Agree with almost everything you said there, you are pretty much spot on.  

Playing Hogg also has the added advantage of giving us the opportunity to see whether or not he is going to be able to replace Lochhead next season or not.  I have my doubts, but he needs that opportunity.  Agree especially with the bolded bits here

Would playing a sweeper be a bad idea? Either have a back 3 or 4 plus sweeper. But at least we have someone who can clear up any loose balls. I know it is the exact opposite to total football but at least its an option for sorting out our defense. Plus its one more idea then Ricki has ever thought of for sorting it out 

I dont know if there is a team in the a league that wouldnt have been beaten by 4+ last night. Sydney were awesome. Sure, we could have done better, our midfield was a disgrace and did we completely forget ADP was playing and decide to let him run rampant? But because our midfield was no where to be found, defence and attack were rendered effectively useless trying to cover.

Was not a lot of fun carrying the banners out of the stadium last night. We were basically laughed at. Genuine sympathy shown as we looked pathetic huddling in a group for safety as we waited as long as possible before moving towards the exits. After a good turnout, it will be hard to motivate the first timers I dragged along last night to come to another game. Pity.

 He's been the one bright spark for many weeks now.  The fact that he is our only line of defence means we're fucked before the pressure is on him.

I'd also add that i thought Dura was as bad or worse than Siggy last night and Sanchez's impact made it look we only had ten (a very poor ten) on the field.

Well that was a tough watch. Went to the game half expecting we'd struggle, but that was really something.

Was chatting to a Sydney FC fan on the cycle home and, strangely, he empathised, referring to the 7-2 pasting SFC got from the Mariners earlier this season. Although considering SFC are second-last and CCM were/are top and we're playing up there in a couple of weeks, that's not actually much comfort at all...

As a bizarre aside when you consider the score, from where I was standing I thought we created quite a few chances - I actually wouldn't be surprised if we had as many, if not more, than Sydney. Think we hit the exact same bit of side netting three times in the first half, shot very weakly several other times and had one off the crossbar? Not that I think it would've made much difference to the result - we did ship 7 after all - but it's something I'll cling to in utter desperation.

My only other consolation would be that (a) we've got Newcastle at home next week who are to us as we are to Victory and (b) our fans are awesome, even in defeat.

 I believe the shots were 26-15 in our favour.