WPM R18 vs Auckland FC | Sat 21st Feb | 5:00pm | RoF / SS1 / Sky Open

My family NEVER watch the sports news the bastards are all watching tonite. 🤣

Rubbish crowd for a derby. TBH The team relfects the city right now. Wellington feels in the duldrums, finger pointing, going through the motions conpared to auckland who are self starters and have a winning mentality. 

Is the Derby dead?
If not its on serious life support. Despite the hype you are not going to get people buying into such a one sided event.
Same thing happened here in France. Historically the Classique between PSG and Marseille was the game that stopped the nation. Now PSG is a mega club and Marseille never won a home derby for seven years. The media try and beat it up but for the fans its a non event. Interest has completely collapsed

Already starting to see the signs. Obviously Auckland players were encouraged to play the bastard card in the build up by Sky in an attempt to keep interest.

Tough to ask a Wellington player to play that game at the moment.

austin111

Is the Derby dead?
If not its on serious life support. Despite the hype you are not going to get people buying into such a one sided event.
Same thing happened here in France. Historically the Classique between PSG and Marseille was the game that stopped the nation. Now PSG is a mega club and Marseille never won a home derby for seven years. The media try and beat it up but for the fans its a non event. Interest has completely collapsed

Next year hopefully that will change. The Jaffas will have their budget cut commensurate with all the other A League Clubs so they will lose players. They will also have to start playing some of their academy boys.

Hopefully The Nix will recruit well and hire a much better coach.

austin111

Is the Derby dead?
If not its on serious life support. Despite the hype you are not going to get people buying into such a one sided event.
Same thing happened here in France. Historically the Classique between PSG and Marseille was the game that stopped the nation. Now PSG is a mega club and Marseille never won a home derby for seven years. The media try and beat it up but for the fans its a non event. Interest has completely collapsed

But do PSG and Marseille play in a salary-capped league? If not, then it is not a good guide on our situation here. The ALM was designed with an inbuilt control on player salaries. 
I would expect to see the ups-and-downs of NZ derby fortunes from season to season same as they happen between WSW and Syd FC, or for that matter the F3 derby.   Same happened in Melbourne (less often). If it doesn't, after the cap comes in for Auckland, then we are doing something wrong as a club. 

It may take a very, very long time to repair the reputational damage that has been done to the derby. You only get one chance at a first impression

We just need some positive thinking for flips sake.  Geez…coming to this thread makes me want to jump into the ocean.  Next derby match, I’m confident…

The more I look at this situation leading up to the 4th goal, I'm amazed.

We have 9 players in a very small area,treading on each other's toes.

Yet the two advanced Auckland players are free.

Absolute shambles.

Screenshot_20260222_010111_Gallery.jpg 56.72 KB

Banzai!...AIEEE!!!

We just need some positive thinking for flips sake.  Geez…coming to this thread makes me want to jump into the ocean.  Next derby match, I’m confident…

It’s mostly 3-4 dudes. This is like Christmas for them.

A humorous, almost fatalistic take from a Nix fan.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2026/02/23/failing-infrastructure-a-sewage-problem-and-a-painful-day-at-sky-stadium/

accurate

Fenix

The more I look at this situation leading up to the 4th goal, I'm amazed.

We have 9 players in a very small area,treading on each other's toes.

Yet the two advanced Auckland players are free.

Absolute shambles.

Screenshot_20260222_010111_Gallery.jpg 56.72 KB

Remember me and my mates were saying pick him up, pick him up (as we did for all the goals).. Could not understand the shape or attempt at marking. It's slander to even call it school boy level.

WanderingSheep

Fenix

The more I look at this situation leading up to the 4th goal, I'm amazed.

We have 9 players in a very small area,treading on each other's toes.

Yet the two advanced Auckland players are free.

Absolute shambles.

Screenshot_20260222_010111_Gallery.jpg 56.72 KB

Remember me and my mates were saying pick him up, pick him up (as we did for all the goals).. Could not understand the shape or attempt at marking. It's slander to even call it school boy level.

its the kind of error when you've tried to ingrain a style of play and then change it. It's like one player was trying to play an offside line when the other was really deep.

it's simple there was no attempt at marking for 4 of the goals.
You look at that image and its quite clear that Hughes at LB is way too advanced and has drifted inside and Armiento has lost the winger. Centrally James is hanging back and I think it's Sheridan who has lost the front man and appears to be giving up the chase. No idea where Bill is in that image.

The worse one was the second goal if you watch the replay. Throw in to Randall and there are absolutely no Phoenix defenders in the frame trying to close him down until it's too late. This was right in front of me where I was sitting and I couldn't believe how much time he had.
As for the first goal, I had a cousin from England message me yesterday asking if I went to the game and then mentioned the first goal. :(

The…second goal where the guy hits the byline with one target and 5 defenders in the box is bad. 

And the one where a Randall shot, not into the corner or bending terribly beats Hughes, than James and then Josh. 

Just putting it out there, but why is Josh in goal?  He should be at the receiving ends of headers with that accuracy. 

martinb

The…second goal where the guy hits the byline with one target and 5 defenders in the box is bad. 

And the one where a Randall shot, not into the corner or bending terribly beats Hughes, than James and then Josh. 

Yep.  Auckland were quick, organized and incisive. They knew what they were doing.

Our guys might as well have been sitting in the stands.

Bananas

Just putting it out there, but why is Josh in goal?  He should be at the receiving ends of headers with that accuracy. 

 try him up front. pump long balls to him for the flick on for others to run on to or for him to have a header at goal

dick le roc returns

Bananas

Just putting it out there, but why is Josh in goal?  He should be at the receiving ends of headers with that accuracy. 

 try him up front. pump long balls to him for the flick on for others to run on to or for him to have a header at goal

That's what Corban Piper is for.

Thats ferkin brillant!

Gross using that pedophile scum to represent us.  One day the joy will turn to ashes in their mouths.  They don't deserve any good things.  Call me dramatic all you like but their fan base is nasty. 

austin111

Thats ferkin brillant!

I hate to admit it, but it really is.

Edit: To be clear, I mean the facial expression and the Photoshop job (or is everything done with AI these days? I’m old and out of touch). Still agree with everything Procrastinixing said though.

wibbler

Procrastinixing

Do we know who the ref is? Please not Kersey..

Windy again today, could be a factor tomorrow.  

Referee | Lachlan Keevers | Fourth Official | Tom Dale
Assistant Referee 1 | Isaac Trevis | VAR | Adam Kersey
Assistant Referee 2 | Adam Powers | AVAR | Tim Danaskos

https://footballaustralia.com.au/news/match-official-appointments-isuzu-ute-a-league-202526-round-18

The Porn Star Moustache ref and Kersey - We were never going to get anything from these two. 

Banzai!...AIEEE!!!

IMG_3995.jpeg 208.67 KB

 Funny with the look of shock/horror except we are not Nonces.

LG

wibbler

Procrastinixing

Do we know who the ref is? Please not Kersey..

Windy again today, could be a factor tomorrow.  

Referee | Lachlan Keevers | Fourth Official | Tom Dale
Assistant Referee 1 | Isaac Trevis | VAR | Adam Kersey
Assistant Referee 2 | Adam Powers | AVAR | Tim Danaskos

https://footballaustralia.com.au/news/match-official-appointments-isuzu-ute-a-league-202526-round-18

The Porn Star Moustache ref and Kersey - We were never going to get anything from these two. 

Kersey quietly disappeared from the line up.

As did our resolve! We probably needed him to distract us from Auckland and Spursy boy.

theprof

it's simple there was no attempt at marking for 4 of the goals.
You look at that image and its quite clear that Hughes at LB is way too advanced and has drifted inside and Armiento has lost the winger. Centrally James is hanging back and I think it's Sheridan who has lost the front man and appears to be giving up the chase. No idea where Bill is in that image.

Bill has been more or less what I expected when he signed. Really didn't understand the fanfare on here about him after a pretty mixed career in the states and looking very average every time he's pulled on the all whites jersey too

LG

Banzai!...AIEEE!!!

IMG_3995.jpeg 208.67 KB

 Funny with the look of shock/horror except we are not Nonces.

2315.jpg 6.76 KB

An "anyone but Woud" AFC supporter when they hear FC has signed Oluwayemi as back up keeper to Woud