WPM Finals vs Adelaide United | Fri 5th May | 9:45pm |

theprof

With a couple of decent mifielders who can string more than one pass together and just maybe find the strikers we actually might have a decent chance next season. Assuming whoever is in goal can manage the defensive group into some sort of order.

What do you mean by 'strikers'? Zawada is only one man.

Selling Waine - and not replacing him - is an often missed point of when this season went downhill.

maybe you're right and I shouldn't be so harsh on Sutton, given that talay let him rot on the bench for half the season so we could develop the jets' player for them. Cheers ufuk. Good luck getting a good job now after that dogshark finish to the season. In fact the only good finish to a season we achieved under ufuk was the season we missed the playoffs. When it came to the crunch talay was found wanting 3 out of 3 times

dunnix

imanixsupporter

Well after that I don't care if Elliott stays. I thought the sky was the limit for him in the months before he left for Greece but I don't think he has reached that level again. He went so far backwards in his year in Greece. He can't defend. Hopefully we get two new fullbacks over the summer, Sutton has gone back this season too. 

 Sutton has gone back? He's been dealing with so much injury bollocks it's impossible to gauge where he's at this season. Same with Old tbh. Hopefully it doesn't impact their development too much

I hope the decision to have Payne taking free kicks is Ufuk rather than the new coach.

Not only do they never look threatning, but Adelaides second goal was a direct result of a counter due to him not hitting it over the first man.

They’ve got a better squad. They’ve got Goodwin. 
But more importantly they’ve got depth. If we could bring on Ibatsuki and Irakunda at 1-0 down then we’ve got a game. 
Instead we’ve got very little pace. The width has to be provided by Elliot and Mauragis who’re covering the counter too, because our DMs are too slow or hopeless to do it. 

No Jaushy or Reno. No Waino. 
Zawada, Ball, Kosta aren’t quick. Sasse isn’t a striker. Van Hattum hasn’t provided much. We haven’t got a good enough squad to expect to win these matches. Very different to the Hemed/Davila/Taylor days. 

Missing a fit Old a lot and we were threadbare when we had him.

martinb

They’ve got a better squad. They’ve got Goodwin. 
But more importantly they’ve got depth. If we could bring on Ibatsuki and Irakunda at 1-0 down then we’ve got a game. 
Instead we’ve got very little pace. The width has to be provided by Elliot and Mauragis who’re covering the counter too, because our DMs are too slow or hopeless to do it. 

No Jaushy or Reno. No Waino. 
Zawada, Ball, Kosta aren’t quick. Sasse isn’t a striker. Van Hattum hasn’t provided much. We haven’t got a good enough squad to expect to win these matches. Very different to the Hemed/Davila/Taylor days. 

Missing a fit Old a lot and we were threadbare when we had him.

 Kosta's main selling point used to be his pace, so when fans casually mention he isn't quick it's a concern.

dunnix

imanixsupporter

Well after that I don't care if Elliott stays. I thought the sky was the limit for him in the months before he left for Greece but I don't think he has reached that level again. He went so far backwards in his year in Greece. He can't defend. Hopefully we get two new fullbacks over the summer, Sutton has gone back this season too. 

 Sutton has gone back? He's been dealing with so much injury bollocks it's impossible to gauge where he's at this season. Same with Old tbh. Hopefully it doesn't impact their development too much

I'd actually love to see Sutton on the left side of midfield for next campaign. He's got a bit about him on the attacking side of things, but to me it just seems he's wasted bombing up the flank and then doubling back to defend. I'm pretty sure it was never his original position in his early footballing career, or even with the WeeNix. Just seems one of those players whose got more to give going forward than he does at the back.

I can't be too harsh on Callan. He had a poor game tonight, but over the course of this season he's been one of our better players, and his form only really tailed off when our team performances started going down the sharkter as a whole.

YoungHeartHM

dunnix

imanixsupporter

Well after that I don't care if Elliott stays. I thought the sky was the limit for him in the months before he left for Greece but I don't think he has reached that level again. He went so far backwards in his year in Greece. He can't defend. Hopefully we get two new fullbacks over the summer, Sutton has gone back this season too. 

 Sutton has gone back? He's been dealing with so much injury bollocks it's impossible to gauge where he's at this season. Same with Old tbh. Hopefully it doesn't impact their development too much

I'd actually love to see Sutton on the left side of midfield for next campaign. He's got a bit about him on the attacking side of things, but to me it just seems he's wasted bombing up the flank and then doubling back to defend. I'm pretty sure it was never his original position in his early footballing career, or even with the WeeNix. Just seems one of those players whose got more to give going forward than he does at the back.

I can't be too harsh on Callan. He had a poor game tonight, but over the course of this season he's been one of our better players, and his form only really tailed off when our team performances started going down the sharkter as a whole.

Your comments on Sutton could almost apply to Elliot too. Adelaides first goal was partly due to his height (making it harder to deal with the clearing header) and he isn't going to get taller at 23. Seems too short to ever be a really good defender.

YoungHeartHM

We've just not been threatening enough to open teams up, it's all just harmless stuff that teams have cottoned on to throughout this season - especially the back end of it. When we're in possession teams will happily let us play it around because we're either playing it across the back, playing flat low tempo footy, or playing it backwards. It's not breaking anything up, it's not making teams sweat especially through the middle because by way of a 4-2-2-2 formation we just simply don't have enough bodies to win any 2nd phase ball. When we get found out tactically, we have no backup plan or alternative formation to counter with - zilch, zip, f u c k all.

Just wish we had an effective #10 who will sit centrally and just pull all the strings and direct play through the lines as well as generating a lot more creative play. Can only hope next season we go to a 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-1-4-1 setup which I feel would give us more of a foothold in the middle of the park. I won't hold my breath. It's more just a hope to bloody Jesus that we move away from this 4-2-2-2 nonsense. Please!!?

Anyway, well played Adelaide. Far better team on the night, we barely fired a shot and we just didn't have the smarts to get ourselves a stake in the game. Still, I think CCM will batter ya's. See you red bastards next season.

Yeah I think out of Uffies tenure the first two seasons with Davila the attack was so much better. That man was like magic and he’d always score a couple worldies. I think also Devlin was a massive loss as well comparing the years without him. 

I've supported the nix since 2015 and maybe I'm saying this because its fresh in my mind but never have I been so disappointed. Yes we've been much worse in the past but at least we knew they were shark those seasons when they finished 9th or worse.

This season we had a good team on paper and we looked good on the park some days. Other days we looked great in the first half and then shat the bed in the second. We've looked fantastic in attack and then also shark in attack especially later in the season. Our defence has looked shaky all season and was never up to the task.

I think the most glaring fact is the amount of points we've lost from winning positions - I bet that must be the most we've ever lost in 1 season. Really makes you wonder if we'll be winning anything anytime soon.....

Next season still can't come soon enough though.

Disappointed. Proud. Frustrated. Proud. Concerned. Proud

We were second best tonight but over the course of the season we were better than half the other clubs. I’m really hoping the club will analyse some repeated weak points and that chiefy will add some fresh ideas, but we’re establishing ourselves as regulars in the playoffs, which is what the goal was for a long time. 

Now we need to take the next step and challenge for top 4 / semifinals. That’s surely the goal for next season, but if you think back to the start of the season and what we expected, we landed pretty much where we thought we would.

I’m disappointed to miss out on top 2, top 4 and going further in the playoffs but I’m going to wear my other Phoenix top tomorrow and be fudgeing proud, cos I’m Phoenix til I die 

WanderingSheep

WhoStoleMySock

Heading into the Adelaide CBD now, the nerves and PTSD from previous matches at Hindmarsh/Coopers are very much kicking in. 

Arguably the biggest game in Talay's reign, if we bow out, let's at least go out kicking and screaming 🙏💛

Hope you enjoy the game, COYN!

Thank you! Gotta love live football 🙂

The performance? Well, it was just the same old performance that this Adelaide-based supporter has grown accustomed to. I guess I should consider myself lucky enough to see a Tyler Boyd-sealed win on NYE and Davila's matchwinning penalty, but that's it.

Credit to the boys, they never gave up, but I can sympathise with some on here that feel like the Nix may not ever win anything. Is it a small club mentality? Because I would definitely consider Adelaide a small club compared to most of the East coast, yet they still manage to overachieve and win all kinds of silverware.

Hopefully the fresh faces that get brought in help, including coach, but, yeah. I'm just flat.

theprof

With a couple of decent mifielders who can string more than one pass together and just maybe find the strikers we actually might have a decent chance next season. Assuming whoever is in goal can manage the defensive group into some sort of order.

That's very optimistic. It will be very difficult to find and bring in those 2 midfielders. Then we have a weak leaky defense. Need a new keeper and on top of that an inexperienced coach.

It ain't looking good if you ask me. But hopefully they can make something happen. I'm just not that optimistic personally. Also, where's the local talent? It's not coming through anymore 

InsulinMachine

theprof

With a couple of decent mifielders who can string more than one pass together and just maybe find the strikers we actually might have a decent chance next season. Assuming whoever is in goal can manage the defensive group into some sort of order.

That's very optimistic. It will be very difficult to find and bring in those 2 midfielders. Then we have a weak leaky defense. Need a new keeper and on top of that an inexperienced coach.

It ain't looking good if you ask me. But hopefully they can make something happen. I'm just not that optimistic personally. Also, where's the local talent? It's not coming through anymore 

you are as pessimistic as I am optimistic.

We arent gonna get the clean out of playes that some are asking for. Ithink we have 4 imports spots filled for next season? Sasse's ends this season. So securing decent, experienced midfielders to replace Ugarkovic and Lewis is key. If your #6 is doing his job then the back 4 have it easier, if your #8 and #10's are doing their jobs then scorig goals is easier too. That's where the quality recruitment has to be.

People are pretty quick to forget that the season was mostly successful. The team were front runners at one point. Pretty stupid idea to have a cleanout when there's clearly a lot of potential.

theprof

InsulinMachine

Well, in all our finals appearances - not once - have we seriously looked like winning it. So disappointing 

this is our 8th appearance, we have won two. In recent history we have not looked like winning any.

We have won two and advanced from three

Still sort of pondering over how I feel about this game.
We lost, and deservedly so against a better team. But I was at least satisfied to see some fight from the team.
That is up to the 70th minute or so when we started seeing a bit more possession, and yet a 2-0 in an elimination final no one seemed willing to take any risks, take a man on or deliver a first time ball into an area. 

Across the back, to the fullback, fullback advances up the sideline, turns back, passes to centre back, one-two with CM 5 yards away, back to full back.

Last night particularly in comparison to gauci I think highlighted a lot of Oli's shortcomings. The high unchallenged cross on the edge of the 6 yard box for the first goal should be a comfortable claim for a good keeper

Ryan

People are pretty quick to forget that the season was mostly successful. The team were front runners at one point. Pretty stupid idea to have a cleanout when there's clearly a lot of potential.

So if we play a game and we’re leading at one point though we end up losing 3-1, it’s a mostly successful game? 

In what world was it mostly successful when we lost more then we win, conceded more then we scored and finished 6th?

Ryan

People are pretty quick to forget that the season was mostly successful. The team were front runners at one point. Pretty stupid idea to have a cleanout when there's clearly a lot of potential.

Somewhat glad the pain is over for this season. Sadly though not looking forward to the next. Really thought we could start fresh and get rid of current crop and the aura around the place...yet club appoints this guy chiefy. But yeah just glad Talays gone he couldn't give a faaaaaaaaaak once he didnt get the all whites job that he was never going to get. Unprofessional asf. Players could've done better but in fairness entitled to new sign deals elsewhere. Clubs a bit of a mess...personally not sure there's enough football brains in there making football decisions, although appreciate the time and money they put in but its a bit mickey mouse at times. Not sure if we will ever win a title but i hope us fans set our bar higher than mid table year every year.

Showtime Nixie

Somewhat glad the pain is over for this season. Sadly though not looking forward to the next. Really thought we could start fresh and get rid of current crop and the aura around the place...yet club appoints this guy chiefy. But yeah just glad Talays gone he couldn't give a faaaaaaaaaak once he didnt get the all whites job that he was never going to get. Unprofessional asf. Players could've done better but in fairness entitled to new sign deals elsewhere. Clubs a bit of a mess...personally not sure there's enough football brains in there making football decisions, although appreciate the time and money they put in but its a bit mickey mouse at times. Not sure if we will ever win a title but i hope us fans set our bar higher than mid table year every year.

Yea I tend to agree. The club seems to lack ambition at times. I mean look at Rufer who has signed on for another 3 seasons but hasn't managed to score a single goal. What does that say about the club? Happy to accept and reward mediocrity? He'd be shown the door a long time ago elsewhere.

Then appoint the assistant coach who has no experience as head coach. The same happened with the womens team.

In saying that though, running an ALM club is anything but lucrative and you gotta save where you can. I believe they're making the best out of what they have available. Not sure it'll ever lead to silverware but I'd rather have a local club than none.

Showtime Nixie

Somewhat glad the pain is over for this season. Sadly though not looking forward to the next. Really thought we could start fresh and get rid of current crop and the aura around the place...yet club appoints this guy chiefy. But yeah just glad Talays gone he couldn't give a faaaaaaaaaak once he didnt get the all whites job that he was never going to get. Unprofessional asf. Players could've done better but in fairness entitled to new sign deals elsewhere. Clubs a bit of a mess...personally not sure there's enough football brains in there making football decisions, although appreciate the time and money they put in but its a bit mickey mouse at times. Not sure if we will ever win a title but i hope us fans set our bar higher than mid table year every year.

I don't even know why I'm biting on what is clearly bait (or else a fudgeing brain dead take), but to say Uffie stopped caring and was unprofessional is ridiculous and quite frankly disrespectful. Everyone in and around the club has always spoken about his integrity and loyalty to the club. Even if you took a cynical view of it, there's no way he would "give up" during his first managerial stint while trying to get a gig in Europe. No, this was either a painfully dumb opinion or just plain nasty.

martinb

Ryan

People are pretty quick to forget that the season was mostly successful. The team were front runners at one point. Pretty stupid idea to have a cleanout when there's clearly a lot of potential.

So if we play a game and we’re leading at one point though we end up losing 3-1, it’s a mostly successful game? 

it's a false equivalency, but if we were the better team for most of the game then lost, then yes, it's mostly successful and is a foundation to build on 

InsulinMachine

Showtime Nixie

Somewhat glad the pain is over for this season. Sadly though not looking forward to the next. Really thought we could start fresh and get rid of current crop and the aura around the place...yet club appoints this guy chiefy. But yeah just glad Talays gone he couldn't give a faaaaaaaaaak once he didnt get the all whites job that he was never going to get. Unprofessional asf. Players could've done better but in fairness entitled to new sign deals elsewhere. Clubs a bit of a mess...personally not sure there's enough football brains in there making football decisions, although appreciate the time and money they put in but its a bit mickey mouse at times. Not sure if we will ever win a title but i hope us fans set our bar higher than mid table year every year.

Yea I tend to agree. The club seems to lack ambition at times. I mean look at Rufer who has signed on for another 3 seasons but hasn't managed to score a single goal. What does that say about the club? Happy to accept and reward mediocrity? He'd be shown the door a long time ago elsewhere.

Then appoint the assistant coach who has no experience as head coach. The same happened with the womens team.

In saying that though, running an ALM club is anything but lucrative and you gotta save where you can. I believe they're making the best out of what they have available. Not sure it'll ever lead to silverware but I'd rather have a local club than none.

Rufers job isn't to score goals, and he's scored two.

Ryan

InsulinMachine

Showtime Nixie

Somewhat glad the pain is over for this season. Sadly though not looking forward to the next. Really thought we could start fresh and get rid of current crop and the aura around the place...yet club appoints this guy chiefy. But yeah just glad Talays gone he couldn't give a faaaaaaaaaak once he didnt get the all whites job that he was never going to get. Unprofessional asf. Players could've done better but in fairness entitled to new sign deals elsewhere. Clubs a bit of a mess...personally not sure there's enough football brains in there making football decisions, although appreciate the time and money they put in but its a bit mickey mouse at times. Not sure if we will ever win a title but i hope us fans set our bar higher than mid table year every year.

Yea I tend to agree. The club seems to lack ambition at times. I mean look at Rufer who has signed on for another 3 seasons but hasn't managed to score a single goal. What does that say about the club? Happy to accept and reward mediocrity? He'd be shown the door a long time ago elsewhere.

Then appoint the assistant coach who has no experience as head coach. The same happened with the womens team.

In saying that though, running an ALM club is anything but lucrative and you gotta save where you can. I believe they're making the best out of what they have available. Not sure it'll ever lead to silverware but I'd rather have a local club than none.

Rufers job isn't to score goals, and he's scored two.

Yeh, why were people sad Oli Sail is leaving, he hasn't scored any goals

Slag off Rufer all you like but let guys like Lewis and Ugarkovic off the hook - two guys who are supposedly top tier a-league midfielders

Ryan

martinb

Ryan

People are pretty quick to forget that the season was mostly successful. The team were front runners at one point. Pretty stupid idea to have a cleanout when there's clearly a lot of potential.

So if we play a game and we’re leading at one point though we end up losing 3-1, it’s a mostly successful game? 

it's a false equivalency, but if we were the better team for most of the game then lost, then yes, it's mostly successful and is a foundation to build on 

You told me at length how important the finals were. The team has had a pattern of failing late in the season. We’ve scraped into the finals series. On the one occasion we finished strong we faceplanted in the finals. 

Success is judged on table position and finals results. Not at all false equivalency. Unless we finish top two next year and the foundation comes through- but it hasn’t time and again. Success is not the possibility of some future pie in the sky, it is success that season. 

Success is finishing above our budget. The only way we can win the comp (and I want to win all three trophies), without unneathing hidden gems, is to build a squad over multiple seasons. We're not in a position to pay for the championship, we have to build towards it.

I was hopeful we'd win it this year, because of the relative squad stability, so obviously it's disappointing we didn't but there is still a foundation to build on and still more stability than we normally have.

Khalil Media

Ryan

InsulinMachine

Showtime Nixie

Somewhat glad the pain is over for this season. Sadly though not looking forward to the next. Really thought we could start fresh and get rid of current crop and the aura around the place...yet club appoints this guy chiefy. But yeah just glad Talays gone he couldn't give a faaaaaaaaaak once he didnt get the all whites job that he was never going to get. Unprofessional asf. Players could've done better but in fairness entitled to new sign deals elsewhere. Clubs a bit of a mess...personally not sure there's enough football brains in there making football decisions, although appreciate the time and money they put in but its a bit mickey mouse at times. Not sure if we will ever win a title but i hope us fans set our bar higher than mid table year every year.

Yea I tend to agree. The club seems to lack ambition at times. I mean look at Rufer who has signed on for another 3 seasons but hasn't managed to score a single goal. What does that say about the club? Happy to accept and reward mediocrity? He'd be shown the door a long time ago elsewhere.

Then appoint the assistant coach who has no experience as head coach. The same happened with the womens team.

In saying that though, running an ALM club is anything but lucrative and you gotta save where you can. I believe they're making the best out of what they have available. Not sure it'll ever lead to silverware but I'd rather have a local club than none.

Rufers job isn't to score goals, and he's scored two.

Yeh, why were people sad Oli Sail is leaving, he hasn't scored any goals

ufuk tally hasn't scored many for the nix either

Ryan

Success is finishing above our budget. The only way we can win the comp (and I want to win all three trophies), without unneathing hidden gems, is to build a squad over multiple seasons. We're not in a position to pay for the championship, we have to build towards it.

I was hopeful we'd win it this year, because of the relative squad stability, so obviously it's disappointing we didn't but there is still a foundation to build on and still more stability than we normally have.

Maybe you are both right? You, because as you say success for a club like the Nix can be defined by it staying a viable proposition way into the future, constantly developing, constantly unearthing new talent for the benefit of the club and NZ football in general. Personally I never take the existence of the Nix for granted, whether we are having a good season or a bad season, and I'd gladly swap the knowledge that we will be around in 20 years time for winning a title any day of the week. (Well maybe just one title...)

But Martinb is also right: no matter what circumstances there are for your season ending disappointingly, eg, on/off field issues, injuries, plain bad luck etc, at the end of the day excuses won't wash and the table doesn't lie. It's hard to look back over this season and declare it's been a good one when you've been in a strong position to finish second, then barely limped into the finals.

In fact I would say this has been perhaps the strangest season I can think of. You could fairly describe it as being both a qualified success and a qualified failure.

I mean if you all pay your money, like I believe many did through the pandemic, as a donation to a charity to support NZ footballers. Then for you this is a qualified success.

I watch a football club and so want results in the football game. It’s a salary capped league. This difference is not so great that this can be the reason. Bournemouth or Brighton maybe. It’s been a fun rollercoaster watch, but not a successful season of association football. 

Nixieboys222

In what world was it mostly successful when we lost more then we win, conceded more then we scored and finished 6th?

Ryan

People are pretty quick to forget that the season was mostly successful. The team were front runners at one point. Pretty stupid idea to have a cleanout when there's clearly a lot of potential.

I actually agree with Ryan that the season was not all that terrible. It was disappointing to lose to Adelaide 2:0 and see it confirmed in plain sight as to how average we really are.   
But a terrible season? No.  No worse than the season of the Jets or the Bulls. And a better season than that of Victory whose fans have the right to expect more than the team dished up for them this season.
Like all, I would like to see a radical change, but chances are than any changes will be minor.  I am not expecting a new Davila to arrive, but do hope that Kraev will rediscover his form. He showed huge potential early on, so we know he is capable.  Hope Zawada stays fit and healthy.

If someone has the data, and interest / patience, I would like to see a graph with one axis being the season round (= time), and the other axis team points (for each club).  I would be curious to see the rise and drop in our performance compared to other teams.

Although a shame to finish the season on a disappointing note, there were some real highlights throughout. The biggest of course being all of Zawada's goals.

I've put together of a compilation of all 39 of our goals this season, personally agree with Dale that free kicks don't count and that Yan's team goal was the best of the season (or Rufer's first, for the sheer novelty value).

There’s a big difference between not terrible and mostly successful. 

Bad, but not terrible =40-45%
Not great, but mostly successful = 65-70% 

I’m confused- did we enter in the goals per dollar spent Cup? Is there a premiership given for points v owners wealth and spending power? Are the media going to be praising us for winning the most sustainable or long suffering ownership model? 

The closeness for second and the finals series qualification shows how tight the league is due to the cap. 

I can agree there were some bright moments, but this season was not a successful one on the pitch. We threw away points and table position and produced a poor showing as the weakest qualifier to the finals series. 

To argue, particularly in the last year of our coach, that we were successful because we have some continuity is odd. Every year important figures come and go. This year we may lose 5 key figures, depending on Elliot’s decision and a well performed left back in Mauragis. That’s half our starting team and our coach. 

I’ve enjoyed the season as entertainment, but it hasn’t been a successful one on any football metric I can think of that we could have been expecting of the team.

Edit: maybe the last part is the difference. My expectations for this team were much greater than sneak into the finals. If we wanna compare them with the end of Merrick/Ricki or Darje then maybe this was successful. But we were a strong team with a good preseason. We were in the running for second and a return of home finals. We had every reason to expect a silverware challenge even with Waine and Old gone or limited. 

Successful is in the eye of the beholder.  But we've had so many seasons attempting to avoid the wooden spoon that this season seems relatively successful. 

I think we can be dissapointed because at one stage we were pressing for top two. But, I think, ultimately teams worked out our weaknesses. If they attacked our defence at pace, particularly when catching a FB and DM+CM upfield, we were extremely vulnerable. And our set piece was vertically challenged with the added weakness of a GK who was reluctant to dominate his box in the air. 

I'd suggest that's both how we ended up 6th and how we gave up so many leads during the season. 

I think we finished about right for a slowish side overall, that was also slow at the defensive end, plus not physically dominating in defence also, aka short.  We were well organised, fairly skilful and mostly patient and disciplined, and had Zawada, but that only gets you so far. A solid enough side that lacked physicality and enough magic. And lacked pace. 

Forgot how many Kraev scored early on.

A successful season is finishing above our budget, but Success is winning it. The club underperforms because it is the only club that has not won any silverware, we've come agonisingly close a couple of times, but have never quite got there.

But, there is realism: which is it has to be a special season for us to win it and it's something we have to build towards with everything coming together at the same time.

And, there's pragmatism: which is if the team is competitive but is just lacking a little but then you don't sack everyone and rebuild, you tweak and upgrade with the goal of having everything come together next season to win it.

If we came last or were never competitive in the season then sure, sack the team, but we were a top team until the wheels fell off, so the question is "why did the wheels fall off, and what can we do to rectify it for next season"

I think everyone, including the club, expected more and at one point we where on track for home finals, just a win or two…
Remember start of the season everyone was pumped, solid team, good coach, new training facilities, home games! Everything was in place, no more excuses. Still somehow in the second half of the season the team lost the plot on how to play, a bit lackluster. It’s a mystery to me.

The Phoenix are never going to win this comp sitting back a lot like they have... If Italiano has good insight as the head coach for next season it's crucial he gets the team playing more positively throughout & also showing more urgency.

adidasbloke

The Phoenix are never going to win this comp sitting back a lot like they have... If Italiano has good insight as the head coach for next season it's crucial he gets the team playing more positively throughout & also showing more urgency.

 eh not really true Western did that last year and won and I'm sure there have been some other teams other the years too. You just gotta have a lot more solid defence than we had and a couple of forwards who are clinical. But I agree I'd rather us play more positive football.