about 1 month ago· edited about 1 month ago· History
hard to tell, WSW have been decidedly average all season yet the drew with city 1-1 last week. We've been up and down all season, but also drew with city recently.
the only difficulty for us with this game is that its away, other than that we should not be worried about the ex-nix crew at WSW
unless we are expecting the typical refinding of form when playing us.
This Friday night at @CommBankStadium, the Western Sydney Wanderers will go head-to-head with Wellington Phoenix with more than just three points up for grabs – the Sister Cities Shield will also be on the line: https://t.co/2vTal61XDR#WSW#WSWvWEL
about 1 month ago· edited about 1 month ago· History
valeo
If we lose to these blokes we may as well fold the club
Never underestimate Kraev, Barbarouses, or for that matter Ugarkovic. They all have an ex-Nix pedigree. Seriously though, Ibusuki and Thurgate are likely to be dangerous if they take the field.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Win we get the Sister City Shield. Lose we get the Wooden Spoon.
Almost impossible to pick this one. Both sides have been erratic all season. On paper they look quite good. But if we lose we will be at least six points off top six.
aah, but there is so much more to it than that! It's a thrilling multi cultural round...
"The men’s team will be joined by the Women’s team, who kick off the evening as part of a thrilling double-header celebrating Multicultural Round – a perfect complement to the values embodied by the Sister Cities Shield.
Fans attending will not only witness top-flight football but also a celebration of community, culture, and shared history between Western Sydney and Wellington"
It's a tight competition on shared culture. I would say Western Sydney has way better sewage infrastructure. But Wellington has better beaches, when they are accessible.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Does anyone know what the situation with Dan Edwards is? If we switch to a back 4 to play Armiento, Sander and Singh behind Eze I’d rather Edwards play LB than LKH.
about 1 month ago· edited about 1 month ago· History
wilbaker
Does anyone know what the situation with Dan Edwards is? If we switch to a back 4 to play Armiento, Sander and Singh behind Eze I’d rather Edwards play LB than LKH.
But that would mean dropping either Hughes (playing very well), James (visa player & senior pro) or Tuiloma (senior pro, AW) to the bench??
Would be an odd call to do that for Edwards, basically a Victorian NPL player and if he's lucky a possible A League journeyman for the next few seasons. He's also unlikely to be fully match fit for awhile, after more than a month out injured now.
Doubt Chiefy is going to switch away from a back 3/5 now. It's a bit moot anyway as Armiento is often positioned way forward on attack, ie basically a back 4. LKH is likely to play out the season as a bench player.
about 1 month ago· edited about 1 month ago· History
coochiee
wilbaker
Does anyone know what the situation with Dan Edwards is? If we switch to a back 4 to play Armiento, Sander and Singh behind Eze I’d rather Edwards play LB than LKH.
But that would mean dropping either Hughes (playing very well), James (visa player & senior pro) or Tuiloma (senior pro, AW) to the bench??
Would be an odd call to do that for Edwards, basically a Victorian NPL player and if he's lucky a possible A League journeyman for the next few seasons. He's also unlikely to be fully match fit for awhile, after more than a month out injured now.
Doubt Chiefy is going to switch away from a back 3/5 now. It's a bit moot anyway as Armiento is often positioned way forward on attack, ie basically a back 4. LKH is likely to play out the season as a bench player.
I'd probably be a terrible coach, but I'd replace James with Edwards. If that's not this week, it's next week if this week is another poor performance. Who cares if he's a VISA player and seasoned pro? He certainly isn't playing like it, and we need form players in the team. Some of those "efforts" I saw last week were ROUGH.
James is the most wildly inconsistent defender I think I've ever seen, but Edwards isn't even an A-League level player and continues our long tradition of panic signing defenders from the state leagues in Aus and then never playing them
I don't think we've ever been the favourite in any match this season.
I would absolutely love us to trash someone this season. Why can't it be against WSW? If CCM can dismantle Adelaide at Coopers, anything is possible. imanixsupporter
We aren't favourites going into this game. They have 4 points in their last 3 games, we have 1, and they're at home.
I don't think we've ever been the favourite in any match this season.
I would absolutely love us to trash someone this season. Why can't it be against WSW? If CCM can dismantle Adelaide at Coopers, anything is possible. imanixsupporter
We aren't favourites going into this game. They have 4 points in their last 3 games, we have 1, and they're at home.
Or if 10 man Nix can beat Brisbane 3-0 away. The same Roar who until that point may not have conceded a goal in Australia.
about 1 month ago· edited about 1 month ago· History
Think Edwards did alright in that one game he started. Edwards isn’t playing, let’s be clear, because he’s had a long injury lay off. Similarly harsh on James- the A league has plenty of inconsistency on offer and we’ve been better for him, up to last week.
If Edwards was fit, it’s hard to say if he’d be a more reliable defender than LKH at LB, but he would offer a left foot going forward to link with Armiento or anyone further forward…Sheridan could keep possession and make his way down the line, but then definitely had no left foot which hampered our attack. I think Edwards being available more would have made us more competitive and even meant more points.
I don’t know if he’s able to grow into the role or be a reliable injury/ bench option or not. He looked good on attack, but some posters questioned his defense?
This is a weird game.
The teams could potentially be three and four with different injury records or coaching choices. Or a bit of derby luck. Both are handy squads. But they’re last and second last.
Wouldnt surprise me if the club is unwilling to invest a lot in LBS's development (i.e. give him lots of minutes) if right now he is unwilling to sign a contract extension with his contract running out at the end of next season.
I said before this season that the club needed him to have breakout season this season so they could sell him in this coming offseason, because LBS would probably be advised to not sign an extension so he could go for free* at the end of next season.
He hasn't had a breakout season. Now, the club may be using the only leverage it has: either sign a contract now or we will give you very limited minutes over tne next 18 months which will stall your development
*even if we get no transfer fee we might get some sort of FIFA mandated development fee from a club that picked him up for free
about 1 month ago· edited about 1 month ago· History
Procrastinixing
LBS being omitted is sad. Also what the heck has happened to Anaru Cassidy? Been MIA for months
The first thing is odd. Better not be some money trigger after a certain number of match day squads. He’s had a strong impact for us on several occasions. There’s at least two players he should be there ahead of. Maybe an attempt by Chief to motivate him? Mileusnic has worked hard when he’s had minutes. We know Sloane-Rodrigues is more highly rated than we’ve seen so far, and we won’t see all 3 of these guys get game time. Especially with Piper also unlikely to start based on the last few weeks.
Cassidy? Just not quite ready imo.
Edit: strong competition now across the squad and the incentive not to waste any game time you get.
about 1 month ago· edited about 1 month ago· History
brookem
Actually true I will admit completely forgot about Anaru Cassidy. From what I remember he did quite well when he played earlier in the season(?)
Just quick question players on scholarship contracts aren't usually on the squad on the nix website right? Procrastinixing
LBS being omitted is sad. Also what the heck has happened to Anaru Cassidy? Been MIA for months
Guys like Cassidy would benefit from playing in the OFC Pro League, and a consistent run of pro football games. Hopefully the Nix can get a team in that league as soon as next season.
But overall most fans wanted the squad strengthened, ie not play the kids so much.
I mean who would folks omit for LBS? I guess GSR is the obvious one. He must be showing more at training than Pounds?
All a bit moot as GSR will likely be omitted come game day anyway.
Attackers on the bench Mileusnic, Piper and Najjarine. Singh to start alongside Eze, and Kartum.
It’s interesting to leave out a proven performer in a must win game. But on the other hand we have plenty of talent available and every game for the next ten is basically a must win now!
If cooling your heels now produces some fire and brimstone from LBS in the run in, that’s great. If it’s something else that’s a bit stink. Unless it’s that GSR has been training at super intensity and looks ready to super saiyan/gear 5 when unleashed.
Im not surprised about LBS. Hes only 17 so he has lots of time. He didnt have a great time in his last hit out with some sloppy control. I think hes at his best in an open game when the game structure has broken down a bit. That suits his pace and athleticism. He still a work in progress . We now have a bunch of experianced attackers who should he prefered. If we had known we would sign Singh, Kartum and get Muselic back then in an ideal world loaning LBS to South Island United would have helped his development. He needs lots of game time and it doesnt look like he will get much at the Nix this season.
The A League pod panel when reviewing this game said its probably last chance saloon for these two sides. The loser could well find themselves 7 points off 6th place by the end of the round.
about 1 month ago· edited about 1 month ago· History
The LBS situation kind of reminds me a little of the Kosta early days. Showed some great promise even getting a MOTM but never for what ever reason being able to demand a regular spot. Then moves on and for seasons torments us as he shows what he can do. What is it part of 4 title winning teams.
Wouldnt surprise me if the club is unwilling to invest a lot in LBS's development (i.e. give him lots of minutes) if right now he is unwilling to sign a contract extension with his contract running out at the end of next season.
I said before this season that the club needed him to have breakout season this season so they could sell him in this coming offseason, because LBS would probably be advised to not sign an extension so he could go for free* at the end of next season.
He hasn't had a breakout season. Now, the club may be using the only leverage it has: either sign a contract now or we will give you very limited minutes over tne next 18 months which will stall your development
*even if we get no transfer fee we might get some sort of FIFA mandated development fee from a club that picked him up for free
He’s only played 280 minutes with no starts, he hasn’t even had the chance to break out
The LBS situation kind reminds of me a little of the Kosta early days. Showed some great promise even getting a MOTM but never for what ever reason being able to demand a regular spot. Then moves on and for seasons torments us as he shows what he can do. What is it part of 4 title winning teams.
I love this kind of story - in sport, life. The guy who was overlooked, given a chance elsewhere, and completely dominates and proves everyone wrong.
The LBS situation kind reminds of me a little of the Kosta early days. Showed some great promise even getting a MOTM but never for what ever reason being able to demand a regular spot. Then moves on and for seasons torments us as he shows what he can do. What is it part of 4 title winning teams.
I love this kind of story - in sport, life. The guy who was overlooked, given a chance elsewhere, and completely dominates and proves everyone wrong.
yeah, we should've benched the likes of Bertos, Daniel, Smeltz, Ifill, Greenacre etc.
It particularly sucked for Kosta as we didn't have a NYL team in Aus or reserves here in NZ. We did loan him to Macarthur to get minutes during an off-season.
Its a shame the change in structure in NZ Football, changing from NZFC to the National League has meant less games and not running concurrently with the AL. Missing out on the OFC league is also an issue here. But he is still 17, many players that have done well in the league competing for young player of the year have been 5, 6, 7 years older than LBS is now.
The LBS situation kind reminds of me a little of the Kosta early days. Showed some great promise even getting a MOTM but never for what ever reason being able to demand a regular spot. Then moves on and for seasons torments us as he shows what he can do. What is it part of 4 title winning teams.
I love this kind of story - in sport, life. The guy who was overlooked, given a chance elsewhere, and completely dominates and proves everyone wrong.
I mean Kosta got some chances here. There was no second team to see how he was tracking and give him other game time. He was behind a lot of good footballers. The league was quite nasty and there wasn’t the same emphasis on youth. Ricki’s system didn’t suit him as much as Ange’s would at Brisbane. More could have been done perhaps, but the support wasn’t there to risk youth players the way it is today.
He was also unhappy at not going to the World Cup. But who do you drop? Bertos? McGlinchey? Wood?
At the Nix he was behind Ifill, Greenie, Daniel, Caceres, Diego, Bertos and Eugene Dadi.
We came 4th and had our best ever run in the finals series coming 3rd.
It’s great he used the story to motivate him, but he was a smallish 19 year old kid in a league with Muscat and Tiatto. Hindsight is 20/20, but I don’t think Kosta was hard done by. Caceres was a decent player for Victory and CC and Diego had come from Adelaide.
I think we all loved having this talented young homegrown player getting game time, but few of us were Ange and saw him starting and scoring 12 goals in his first full campaign. Ange changed the game. Was it false 9 at Brisbane? Defo for Marco at Victory it was.
Allsop, Djite, Simon, Archie these were the forwards. Smeltz and Coveny. McBreen and Dmac. Big strong guys.
Don’t think you can blame Ricki for not being Ange.
I’m just grateful he had his last good spell here and we got a fair view of his talent in from of his home crowds. Pity he didn’t win anything here, though that part wasn’t his fault tbf.
But certainly up there with Smeltzy as an A league great.
