WPM R10 vs Sydney FC | Fri 29th Dec | 9:45pm | SkySport 4

number8

Yeah, a bit of a strange game. I liked the energy, both team wanted to win. Sydney a bit dirty with a lot of shirt pulls to destroy the attack, I’m all for more yellows and 5min sin bins for this kind of crap.
We should have a plan B in the first half to kill their pressing. But you can’t really mad at anyone, everyone worked hard and Old is just amazing to watch, I’ll enjoy as long as it lasts.

TBH there is not much that could have been done about that press.  Overall we were better working upfield on the right because of the speed and physicality of Payne, but that was only visible in the second half. 
In the first half they shut down Rufer and Pennington which made our own passing game nearly impossible.   It would be interesting what lessons from this game will be taken to Adelaide on Thursday night.

kwlap

We had the ball in THEIR third then passed it back to our third to give it away. Ffs. 

We do that way way way too often. Deserve to lose being so negative

Paulsen has always been a show pony growing up. Has a great game in him and has howlers too. He will make a pen save or a great save one week for some to forget or forgive his mistakes. Needs to mature quick. Agree with someone saying he needs a rocket from the senior pros/old boys. Wouldn't do him any harm.

Interesting game i thought for long periods we were just as good as Sydney and we had hope of getting all three. Poor last 10 mins cost us and agree with earlier post about how we went into a negative mindset with out passing...sydney jumped all over that. I said we looked the fittest team this season but dare i say it we looked a little tired late.

Wasn't the worst away performance seen worse. Just a speedbump on the road to playoffs.

The reason I said Adamantium Phoenix is that nothing is easy for the opposition. I expected us to form the shield wall at 1-1 and Sydney not to have a hope of another goal. 

I don’t think it’s worth getting raw with Paulsen or the defense. 

We need to be planning the assault on Hindmarsh or Coopers or whatever they call it. Different name, same graveyard of dreams. If we can get something there, I’ll really begin to believe…

Showtime Nixie

Paulsen has always been a show pony growing up. Has a great game in him and has howlers too. He will make a pen save or a great save one week for some to forget or forgive his mistakes. Needs to mature quick. Agree with someone saying he needs a rocket from the senior pros/old boys. Wouldn't do him any harm.

Interesting game i thought for long periods we were just as good as Sydney and we had hope of getting all three. Poor last 10 mins cost us and agree with earlier post about how we went into a negative mindset with out passing...sydney jumped all over that. I said we looked the fittest team this season but dare i say it we looked a little tired late.

Wasn't the worst away performance seen worse. Just a speedbump on the road to playoffs.

I think you're talking bollocks again. I don't think AP is a show pony, nor that he "needs" to mature quickly. I think he's incredibly talented and equally assured in his own ability. Sure he made a mistake, but we know those will happen eventually. He made the mistake doing what he has otherwise been incredible at. It's got nothing to do with maturity or the style of his game - that's literally what makes him great.

Showtime Nixie

Paulsen has always been a show pony growing up. Has a great game in him and has howlers too. He will make a pen save or a great save one week for some to forget or forgive his mistakes. Needs to mature quick. Agree with someone saying he needs a rocket from the senior pros/old boys. Wouldn't do him any harm.

Interesting game i thought for long periods we were just as good as Sydney and we had hope of getting all three. Poor last 10 mins cost us and agree with earlier post about how we went into a negative mindset with out passing...sydney jumped all over that. I said we looked the fittest team this season but dare i say it we looked a little tired late.

Wasn't the worst away performance seen worse. Just a speedbump on the road to playoffs.

First paragraph is absolute clown-speak, I'm sorry.

Don't be sorry. Nail & head.

But on Paulsen, he's still sooooo young & in his first season as a starting pro. He should do at least 2 seasons in the ALM, before looking to head offshore. Mistakes like last night, his team mates & coaches who know him well, will support him plus offer any informed criticism in need. And of course Nix fans are pussycats compared to many fans at European clubs.

Paulsen makes the same costly error on debut for Bristol Rovers, Norwich or whoever and it could go the way of a one & done like Marinovic & Michael Theo. AP will learn from his error last night, need to get over it mentally, and still retain the confidence to continue to play out from the back. All valuable experience to bank away for the day he does head north to more ruthless cut throat club environments.
 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/301033654/wellington-phoenix-coach-backs-goalkeeper-alex-paulsen-after-costly-error

Despite the error, Italiano said he wanted Paulsen, who is usually so good with the ball at his feet, to continue being brave and play out from the back, even if it invited trouble.

“My expectation is that it’s been working for us for so long and it’s going to continue like that.

“Could he potentially improve the timing or weight of the pass? Yes, but he’s still a young kid as well and to expect anyone to be faultless is not reasonable.”

Paulsen has been excellent this season - exceeded all of my expectations, by far. 

Credit where credit is due.

coochiee

Don't be sorry. Nail & head.

But on Paulsen, he's still sooooo young & in his first season as a starting pro. He should do at least 2 seasons in the ALM, before looking to head offshore. Mistakes like last night, his team mates & coaches who know him well, will support him plus offer any informed criticism in need. And of course Nix fans are pussycats compared to many fans at European clubs.

Paulsen makes the same costly error on debut for Bristol Rovers, Norwich or whoever and it could go the way of a one & done like Marinovic & Michael Theo. AP will learn from his error last night, need to get over it mentally, and still retain the confidence to continue to play out from the back. All valuable experience to bank away for the day he does head north to more ruthless cut throat club environments.
 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/301033654/wellington-phoenix-coach-backs-goalkeeper-alex-paulsen-after-costly-error

Despite the error, Italiano said he wanted Paulsen, who is usually so good with the ball at his feet, to continue being brave and play out from the back, even if it invited trouble.

“My expectation is that it’s been working for us for so long and it’s going to continue like that.

“Could he potentially improve the timing or weight of the pass? Yes, but he’s still a young kid as well and to expect anyone to be faultless is not reasonable.”

unsurprisingly, some wise words from the chief. Paulsen will be fine, and I’ve no doubt under this setup he’ll continue to learn a great deal. 

What happens if we keep having poo the pants moments in front of goal trying to play out because the oppo press hard in the next game, and the one after that…?
Pivot/ adapt or keep the same mantra? 

WanderingSheep

coochiee

Don't be sorry. Nail & head.

But on Paulsen, he's still sooooo young & in his first season as a starting pro. He should do at least 2 seasons in the ALM, before looking to head offshore. Mistakes like last night, his team mates & coaches who know him well, will support him plus offer any informed criticism in need. And of course Nix fans are pussycats compared to many fans at European clubs.

Paulsen makes the same costly error on debut for Bristol Rovers, Norwich or whoever and it could go the way of a one & done like Marinovic & Michael Theo. AP will learn from his error last night, need to get over it mentally, and still retain the confidence to continue to play out from the back. All valuable experience to bank away for the day he does head north to more ruthless cut throat club environments.
 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/301033654/wellington-phoenix-coach-backs-goalkeeper-alex-paulsen-after-costly-error

Despite the error, Italiano said he wanted Paulsen, who is usually so good with the ball at his feet, to continue being brave and play out from the back, even if it invited trouble.

“My expectation is that it’s been working for us for so long and it’s going to continue like that.

“Could he potentially improve the timing or weight of the pass? Yes, but he’s still a young kid as well and to expect anyone to be faultless is not reasonable.”

 unsurprisingly, some wise words for the chief. Paulsen will be fine, and I’ve no doubt under this setup he’ll continue to learn a great deal. 

A mistake by an outfield player may not lead to an opposition goal but a goalie mistake usually does, so it becomes memorable.   
It reminds me of a very, very old joke about a lawyer complaining to a physician friend that "doctor's errors are hidden a metre below ground" while the lawyer's errors "are well visible dangling a metre above ground". 

Feverish

What happens if we keep having poo the pants moments in front of goal trying to play out because the oppo press hard in the next game, and the one after that…?
Pivot/ adapt or keep the same mantra? 

We work on it until we stop having poo the pants moments.

WhoStoleMySock

Feverish

What happens if we keep having poo the pants moments in front of goal trying to play out because the oppo press hard in the next game, and the one after that…?
Pivot/ adapt or keep the same mantra? 

We work on it until we stop having poo the pants moments.

We are in our best position on the table for some time. If we’re ever gunna play like this, it will be with Paulsen. Far and away the best keeper with his feet we’ve ever had. 

We’ve had a couple of setbacks, but not enough to bin the approach given its previous success and let’s be honest, near success in this game. 

WhoStoleMySock

Feverish

What happens if we keep having poo the pants moments in front of goal trying to play out because the oppo press hard in the next game, and the one after that…?
Pivot/ adapt or keep the same mantra? 

We work on it until we stop having poo the pants moments.

The ironic thing is the mistake happened late on when SFC's press was not as suffocating

A bit late, but I thought Old was absolutely electric. 

His ability to turn out of tight spaces and accelerate with pace past defenders was great to watch. I have always rated Old, but based on his performance yesterday I'm starting to think his ceiling is a fair bit higher than I initially thought.

Good business by us to lock him in to a new multi-year contract. Especially with Auckland coming into the fold.

I can't resist. I have to throw my 2 pence worth in.

I don't think that it was Paulsen's fault at all. 100%.
The goals from Sydney were coming anyway. IMHO this is the first time this season that Chiefy has got it wrong tactically.

We'd shifted to a very attacking 10. A lot of young players. In my view when the goal came for us, we needed to shut up shop. 1-1 would have been an excellent result.
I think that this is the first match that we've really missed Zawada. We could have come in at half time 1-1 or even 2-1 up with his clinical finishing. 

I'm not criticising any of the players. We are an excellent team. I totally believe that we'll win the league.

Agree on everything said about Ben Old. A genuine surprise. A little genius.

Even the best players in the world make mistakes - its called being human. 

Paulsen will learn, but he will make errors in the future. Look at Pickford - his poor pass last week cost Everton a goal and he's Englands number 1.

I think maybe the Sydney player was out of Paulsen's view. Hidden behind another player or something, because the pass seemed to be accurately heading for Payne.

What we saw happen against Sydney is exactly how we can be beaten and we almost got through it unscathed. We older folk always have our hearts in our mouths when Paulsen and co play out from the back and the wayward pass was actually the result of a tonne of pressure from Sydney. As the commentators said around half time, this could go one of 2 ways for Sydney, could they keep up the press? They didn’t quite and we got back into the game and a draw ,might have been our reward on a better day. More experience against an unrelenting press, like we suffered, will help us improve. Using the press against us is not rocket science, you have actually got to beat us though and you have to do well to achieve that at present.

WhoStoleMySock

Feverish

What happens if we keep having poo the pants moments in front of goal trying to play out because the oppo press hard in the next game, and the one after that…?
Pivot/ adapt or keep the same mantra? 

We work on it until we stop having poo the pants moments.

It's the whole point, isn't it. We're inviting the press to create space and allow our fast counters. If we fuss about the odd error we've got to offset that with the benefits it has been bringing. 
We either successfully execute or get beaten by a better team. 
Sydney were better for much of the game. And that's the first time a side has really closely pressed us. And pushed the laws to the extent of six yellows to do it.
Yet we could easily have got the result the other way around. We'll be better for it. 
We'll need to be, because that's what is coming with full intensity when the finals knock out games come around. 
In the past we've upset good sides mid season only to have them comfortably beat us when it counted. Up to us to make this a case of the opposite, if we're good enough.