WPM R12 vs Melbourne City | Fri 3rd Jan | 7:00pm | Sky Sport 3

Rock Hopper

We need to do some shopping this window. Matthew Garbett's been given the chop from NAC Breda. Wonder if we could sell him on getting out of a cold and potentially clubless European winter and come home to Un-Zud for a 6 month sint to bolster our midfield and score some goals?

He shouldn’t come, but the kind of player we need.

martinb

Rock Hopper

We need to do some shopping this window. Matthew Garbett's been given the chop from NAC Breda. Wonder if we could sell him on getting out of a cold and potentially clubless European winter and come home to Un-Zud for a 6 month sint to bolster our midfield and score some goals?

He shouldn’t come, but the kind of player we need.

I don’t think his conspiracy theory ex-coach allows him to play for us. What’s that guy up to these days?

Just a thought but If hold up play is something the team needs, monty patterson was outstanding in national league for this very attribute. 

Rufus geronimo

Just a thought but If hold up play is something the team needs, monty patterson was outstanding in national league for this very attribute. 

He'd link up nicely with Corban Piper. If the Matterhorn was still a music venue I'd suggest a deal could be done with Joey Champness.

Physicality is not the magic bullet for the Nix however physical conditioning is a given in pro football. Its not about pumping iron for bulk but for strength and explosivity. When Ben Old turned up at Saint Etienne the first comments were about how scrawny he was. Preseason in the gym completely changed him from scrawny to looking like an athlete. Didnt seem to lose his speed but certainly helped him in contact situations. 

Ball is a 45 minute player and he will give you his everything for the cause. Bringing him on with 30 mins to go could really help.

LG

Ball is a 45 minute player and he will give you his everything for the cause. Bringing him on with 30 mins to go could really help.

We’re going to be a patchwork team without a first 11, unless we recruit extremely well in this window. 

Ball should be in the equation somewhere and frankly the professional coaches should have considered better ways to use his abilities. The Fever have been talking about converting him into a deeper midfield player for some time. 

With two players long term injured and now with any main player- Rufer, Payne, god forbid Kosta having a niggle really damages us. We need to recruit creative aggressive midfielders who are still in their prime to play Chief’s game. 

It’s a threadbare squad or perhaps it’s wafer thin, but we are deservedly barreling down the table. 

We simply can’t change so many things and blood so many new players successfully. Particularly if none of them are as good as the players they are replacing. 

kwlap

If David Ball is the answer, then we are asking the wrong question. His performance in the first game showed that. 

Iike you I thought Ball was done at the start of the season (last one too TBH) but watching the last 2 or 3 games, I think we really need him as most of the players being used this season just aren't good enough or fit enough (eg have we already seen Rojas play his last Nix game?).

Some touched on Sutton above not kicking on. I completely agree with this statement. I think he's Fenton mk.2. 

He will prove to be a great club servant but like Fenton, just doesn't quite have that X factor to get sold on or to pick up a top overseas gig.

Marto

Some touched on Sutton above not kicking on. I completely agree with this statement. I think he's Fenton mk.2. 

He will prove to be a great club servant but like Fenton, just doesn't quite have that X factor to get sold on or to pick up a top overseas gig.

Really? He’s been left holding the cheque, again imo.

Not sure Libby or de Vries or anyone looks like much in that formation. Look at how much a couple of little changes affected Auckland- Sakai to CB. Our team without Rufs (and Marco ) isn’t providing him much support. 

I thought he’d been one of our best, was frequently getting 3 players around him and certainly wasn’t getting the ball deep in the opposition half…

I was hoping he might have a break out season. He’s already scored one. He also had a good combo with Waine back in the day.

I think Sutton is better than Fenton, and Louis was never asked to do what Sutts was in that game. 

I think Sutton is better than Fenton, honestly.  One of the first names on the team sheet. There aren't many good full backs in this league. He's no Cacace but he's better than any of our other options. A solid A-League player.

According to Chiefy, Rojas is out until Round 17/18 (!) and Rufer could be out for a month (!). Must be a very nasty illness for Rufer and a serious ankle problem for Rojas - he's completely cooked at this point and the season is basically done without these two

austin111

Physicality is not the magic bullet for the Nix however physical conditioning is a given in pro football. Its not about pumping iron for bulk but for strength and explosivity. When Ben Old turned up at Saint Etienne the first comments were about how scrawny he was. Preseason in the gym completely changed him from scrawny to looking like an athlete. Didnt seem to lose his speed but certainly helped him in contact situations. 

Think it had more to do with him maturing and getting older tbh

Monto

number8

I can’t believe that some people here ask for bulkier players! 99% of football is passing the ball around before anyone comes close to touch you, it is awareness and positioning and technique with the ball. I’m pretty sure all our players are strong, but not they don’t need the big kind of heavy muscles. They have lean muscles. I’m also pretty sure you can pump up muscles in a few months with the right workout and diet, but learn to being good in football takes like 10 years. The only players who actually beat a player in one in one situation is Sutton and Brook-Smith.
I think our issue is the coache team because non of the playing guys, except a few more seniors, don’t play to their potential. They literally can’t play a single vertical pass, it’s all in their head.

Have you seen the size of our lads vs top pros? It's night and day.

This isn't an either or situation either, out players could be more muscular, more athletic and still be just as technical. Again, the existence of the elite pros proves this.

No one is suggesting that the reason things aren't working is because of the physical aspect though it may have some baring. Just look at our midfield.

Coach does need to work a lot better with what he's got however, I totally agree that the issues are more there rather than if Sutton has solid enough quadricep development.

I do agree we lack someone to hold up the ball/play bump passes off of but our 5ft7in attack and midfield is not going to provide that. These guys are pretty well built for their size but are all smaller, height and therefore weight, than their City counterparts. I also reckon our kit, both colour and fit, compared with City gives you the impression that City are ripped and our guys are not. 

To the above point, we have both Ishige and Nagasawa in our starting team. These guys were selected for their agility and skills not necessarily for their physicality.  Whether City players are ripped or not, someone like Ishige may not be able to withstand the physical pressure they were putting him under.  Not the first game that this was visible.   This does not mean the game was lost because of that; others have commented on other key reasons already and no need for me to repeat that.

Ishige seems to have coped better than Nagasawa with the physical nature of the leagues defences. Defenders in the aleague tend to engage strikers more, ie they make the tackle rather than showing an attacker to the sideline or waiting until a mistake is made. Nagasawa goes down way too easily and doesnt get the whistle he wants.

Jessie Merino

Rufus geronimo

Just a thought but If hold up play is something the team needs, monty patterson was outstanding in national league for this very attribute. 

He'd link up nicely with Corban Piper. If the Matterhorn was still a music venue I'd suggest a deal could be done with Joey Champness.

He’s unlikely to be picked up but Patterson was a standout in domestic club season.

Myer Bevan another low budget local option.

Sounds like Oscar Faulds is not returning to NZ

If it's new players we need we are limited in our options, money is tight. We have an import not even making the squad. So unless Ball's contact is changed to a back office one and we get an amazing import in what's left of the window the only additions will be local, but who is around in the aussie/nz scene that is really gonna help our team create goals and not leak them?

Why’s money so tight? We sold 3 players last season. We’ve hardly reinvested it. 

Plus we’ve got two potential long term injuries at the least we’re entitled to injury replacement signings. I believe? 

We should try to get Garbett. Not amazing for him. But starring in the A league might be better than fighting with the coach in the Eredivisie. And he’s exactly what we desperately need. Short term marquee or something. 

If 11K becomes 7K turns to 5 k turns to 4 are we just cutting both costs and revenue in order to play worse football? That’s match day revenue that could have potentially kept Kraev. 

If money’s tight we’ve overvalued our new imports and negotiated poorly with an often injured Marco. 

money is always tight, remember we got half the funds from the league this year and effectively lost millions each year up until last - where we recouped some cash.

martinb

Why’s money so tight? We sold 3 players last season. We’ve hardly reinvested it. 

Plus we’ve got two potential long term injuries at the least we’re entitled to injury replacement signings. I believe? 

We should try to get Garbett. Not amazing for him. But starring in the A league might be better than fighting with the coach in the Eredivisie. And he’s exactly what we desperately need. Short term marquee or something. 

If 11K becomes 7K turns to 5 k turns to 4 are we just cutting both costs and revenue in order to play worse football? That’s match day revenue that could have potentially kept Kraev. 

If money’s tight we’ve overvalued our new imports and negotiated poorly with an often injured Marco. 

Salary bill has gone up due to hiring the imports and marco. Young players are cheap. Players with experience and a decent CV cost more.

Don't forget the annual APL disbursement money was slashed. Previously this was the major source of club revenue for the Nix.

Maybe Welnix and Chiefy hoped the overall league standard would drop a bit as all clubs with the lower disbursement were forced to sign lower quality imports. So they thought blooding the next batch of Weenix grads, with the new imports would still be successful.

Undoubtedly Chief thought the highly experienced of trimuvate Rojas, Nagasawa and Retre would be major players for him this season. The minimal impact of all 3, a big big factor in the current rut. In recent weeks you can also add in Rufer, as it seems he's been battling glandular fever.

Edit - Wootton excepted this would at the moment have to be one of the most average grouping of import players the Nix have ever had.

But we got rid of all our most expensive players, except Wootton and Ball, have had a sell out game which we’re told would fund a season and brought in several million in transfers last season. 

If Retre, Ishige and Nagasawa are on the same as Kraev, Zawada, Old, Paulsen and Surman combined that’s some terrible management. If Marco doesn’t have an appearance clause in his contract or the club Insurance for injuries that’s worse. 

Money shouldn’t be ridiculously tight. 

If Becker can manage 1.54 billion sponsors, Rob can run to James Cameron or his other Happy Wellies buddies and find a few sponsors fit a team which has been repping Wellington for years through thick and thin…

If this squad is all we can afford we should shut up shop now. There has to be money there. The inclination to spend it might not be.

Nix got 26K for the ROF derby. Not a sell out.

I think Paulsen, Old & Surman all have incentive add ons in their contracts. So it's not automatically 'several million' to the club.

But yeah you'd hope that Welnix, will open the purse a bit for Chief this window. Rojas was to be the fulcrum of this team, but it's clear now he's hardly going to play this season.

Bit depressing reading Auckland are likely to strengthen their squad even further with an ex Olyroo winger.

Though I think there is a higher chance of the season being turned around by Chiefy tweaking tactics, and the existing squad just playing better - than any new non visa Aus or Kiwi signing coming in and being an instant hero.

We DIDNT get rid of them,  their contracts expired and as happens with footballers they got better offers elsewhere. So would you want them to have refused the money offered on the younger players and waited till their contracts expire so we get nothing. You  can't expect young guys to stay in Wellington when they are offered overseas contracts.
The Nix have been pretty open about how expensive it is to operate the club. Yet constantly people seem to think they can just pull money out of nowhere or they are flush from transfers.
Not all the money for the transfers was paid up front a lot depends on add ons.
FFS shut up shop forget it think there are a few of us who despite results still enjoy having a Wellington A League Club.  You feel that way why dont you just jump North they have plenty of money.

ballane

We DIDNT get rid of them,  their contracts expired and as happens with footballers they got better offers elsewhere. So would you want them to have refused the money offered on the younger players and waited till their contracts expire so we get nothing. You  can't expect young guys to stay in Wellington when they are offered overseas contracts.
The Nix have been pretty open about how expensive it is to operate the club. Yet constantly people seem to think they can just pull money out of nowhere or they are flush from transfers.
Not all the money for the transfers was paid up front a lot depends on add ons.
FFS shut up shop forget it think there are a few of us who despite results still enjoy having a Wellington A League Club.  You feel that way why dont you just jump North they have plenty of money.

Yes. An A-League club was a major factor in my retirement to Wellington. I do enjoy having the Nix in the town.
I hope that we can find a formula for more success. Perth and Brisbane both need total overhauling. We're currently 2nd from bottom of what I would consider the professional standard teams.

Ballane is bang on here, we've had the club for the better part of 18 years. All bar one the owners will have lost money. Welnix have been around for a decade or more. Dome has stated many times that the club loses millions a season without selling players. We've only successfully done that last season with Old, Paulsen and Surman - totalling somehting around $10m in reported dollars. There could be add ons etc. That amount didnt come anywhere near the hundreds of millions the owners have invested. 
Cheif was given free range within budget to find new players to replace those that we sold and left. He chose a couple of Japanese players who he spent plenty of time scouting, one has made a small impact, the other not so much. WE then broguht in an older Rojas, who hadnt reaslly played any football in ages - massive risk and it has now shown to be a bad deal. Colacovski was a similar risk but a lot yhounger - also a questionable decision based on performances.
The rest have been players from within NZ or the Nix system.

The point I was trying to make before is it is false economy. 

We can run out the academy side, lose a bunch and get 4K. 

Invest a little and get 7-8K, play some football and get the derby and late season bumps, and make some money. 

The TV revenue is down, but their other revenue is up. 

If we’re here to play football, let’s play it. 

We don’t have to go Uffie crazy, but surely we get some insurance money from injuries ? One or two more good signings could make us a competitive team. 

insurance money from injuries covers the cost of the injury - it's not an income source.

Don't really know why we're worried about bringing in new players. That's not the issue, the problem is tactical. Can't believe that there are people here that act like we're hard done by when you look at the injuries City are dealing with, far worse than us and they still completely spanked us. Outplayed almost everywhere.

If anything it shows how unambitious Chiefy is that he even set the team up like that with the circumstances around City.

Our players are OK, not the best in the league sure but fully capable of much more.

Monto

Don't really know why we're worried about bringing in new players. That's not the issue, the problem is tactical. Can't believe that there are people here that act like we're hard done by when you look at the injuries City are dealing with, far worse than us and they still completely spanked us. Outplayed almost everywhere.

If anything it shows how unambitious Chiefy is that he even set the team up like that with the circumstances around City.

Our players are OK, not the best in the league sure but fully capable of much more.

 
Oh come on man. Who’s driving our creative play with no Rufer and no Rojas and a hobbling Payne? 

We’re worse against last year’s team and we’re worse against most teams in the league as we stood for that game. City have been fairly crap too. But we’re worse.

Which other A league teams do Piper, Brooke-Smith and Walker start for or make the squad for? 

The problem is imports still adjusting to the league if they can, Retre perhaps isn’t up to pace and a lack of cover or what would have been bench impact. 

Shirt fabric is okay, but if you take out the stitches it’s not guna do much of a job. We need something to hold us together…

theprof

insurance money from injuries covers the cost of the injury - it's not an income source.

If it’s car insurance it insures against immobility, surely there’s some insurance which insures against no players in squad ? 

At the very least we get an injury replacement who doesn’t count towards the cap.

Chiefy has made some interesting calls this year off the park - saying Payne is injured, only for him to play 90 mins the next day, to saying Conchie is out with a Hammy when he's been training at 100% for the past two weeks?

It's odd.

I think he is struggling under the pressure he has put himself under to be successful, and has effectively backed himself into a corner with his selections to his tactics.

Sutton was the only way we went forward with intent in that game. Well done Sutts. We need others to follow suit please.

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Sutton was the only way we went forward with intent in that game. Well done Sutts. We need others to follow suit please.

I agree with that too. He's been hammered with injuries in the last couple of seasons. That's the reason we still have him . We're blessed with that. He's a very good player.
If he stays injury free there'll be other teams after him.

The Nix management need to change the way they do things at coaching and boardroom levels.

Gone are the days when the Nix were the nation's only professional club so all kiwi footie fans would get behind them. 

If you don't live in Wellington why would you support a team who can't even make a single shot at goal when the other option (AFC) is top of the league? 

Wellington has had it good for 17 odd years with the very unique position of being the only club in a fairly populous country, but those days are gone and things need to change and quickly, especially if a team from Christchurch happens too.

Not really the Welnix  group have done a pretty good job of making the Phoenix viable and think people under estimate what they have spent to do this. Not the first time things havnt gone the Phoenix's way no reason at all to panic.
Not as if Auckland are going to maintain their current performance we all know that just dosnt happen in football. Hope like hell when it happens things dont go the way the last two went thats not what NZ Football needs.
We havnt even reached the halfway point of their first season and their easy start continues with their soft trip to Perth with a decent break between games

Marto

The Nix management need to change the way they do things at coaching and boardroom levels.

Gone are the days when the Nix were the nation's only professional club so all kiwi footie fans would get behind them. 

If you don't live in Wellington why would you support a team who can't even make a single shot at goal when the other option (AFC) is top of the league? 

Wellington has had it good for 17 odd years with the very unique position of being the only club in a fairly populous country, but those days are gone and things need to change and quickly, especially if a team from Christchurch happens too.

I wouldn't say they've had it good when the FFA & the Fox arse kissing commentators were doing their best to get the Nix kicked out with ridiculous expectations from Gallop & co. 

LG

Marto

The Nix management need to change the way they do things at coaching and boardroom levels.

Gone are the days when the Nix were the nation's only professional club so all kiwi footie fans would get behind them. 

If you don't live in Wellington why would you support a team who can't even make a single shot at goal when the other option (AFC) is top of the league? 

Wellington has had it good for 17 odd years with the very unique position of being the only club in a fairly populous country, but those days are gone and things need to change and quickly, especially if a team from Christchurch happens too.

I wouldn't say they've had it good when the FFA & the Fox arse kissing commentators were doing their best to get the Nix kicked out with ridiculous expectations from Gallop & co. 

Conversely, that was a good cause to rally against, and not just here (thanks CCM).

I dont think this is a club issue, nor is it a lack of players issue. As I've said earlier Cheif has the players he wants at his disposal. Besides Rojas and Colacovski - who are recent injuries. Two injuries to two supposedly influencial players on the pitch(?) should not derail a manager's plans. 
This down turn is totally tactical! Cheif changes things up to a style more of his own liking, he talked about it pre-season and many times in the early interviews. I can see what he is trying to do, but from a playing perspective it is very difficult and totally different to what most teams would be asking.  I'm hoping he and the squad spend the next week working out a style of play they can all agree on and manage to put put out on the pitch. Cos at the moment the fluid shape and no structure is not working for anyone.
We have Adelaide on Saturday and then Sydney on Wednesday at home, with Macarthur on monday 20th away. All tough but winnable games. First two are must win to restore some faith from the fans that bother to show up.

I have always gone out of my way to watch NIX games, but I am so unenthusiastic to watch them currently.

And let's not forget last week's win was also a terrible performance. Our worst win ever was followed by arguably our worst loss!!