WPM R2 vs Brisbane Roar | Sun 26th Oct | 3:00pm | RoF / SS2 | Kids Go Free

When was the last time they didn’t announce the crowd size at the home ground and what does that mean for the pax of 11k plus?

4K are season members or brought tickets but chose to get out of Wellington for the weekend?

Agree completely with the attitude after the first goal by Nagasawa - grabbing the ball and sprinting back.

Couldn’t see that happening after a goal taking the side to one all, last year.

So great to see. 

YoungHeartHM

Bananas

I watched the Eze moment on TV just now and none of the zooms showed what actually happened.  He was swinging the arms and made contact but bugger me I wish there was a slow mo zoomed in to see what co tasted and where.

Still, dumb of him to overreact. 

Man this thread is a journey.  From sack Cheify to begrudging acceptance to winning joy.  

They are playing new strategies so I expect us to leak a few goals as they bed in, but we seem to be getting better.

Armiento was massive.  A lot of shots and crosses that looked dangerous.   The shot from outside the box was excellent.   You need to defenders to have to worry about shots like that as if we always go up the side and cross it they know how to defend easier.  Plus shots on target have the chance for deflections that can turn into goals.

One of the things I loved was after Nagasawa scores the goal he grabs the ball and sprints back to halfway.  Not content with celebrating tying the game up.   Thats a winning mentality!

Banger of a game.  Can't turn the game off this year as we can pull anything out.  Twice fans have been rewarded now for sticking games out.

Never saw what the attendance was though.

I can't see an official release via media or the club, but the number floating around for attendance today was 6890.

Confirmed by Austadiums. 6890 
All teams now played one home game, average 9014. Auck top with their 14k plus. Nix 8th. Above Brisb, Newcastle, & Melb C,  all in the low 6k's.

I watched this game in a hotel room in Belgium. Set the alarm for 3am. After 60 mins i wished i stayed asleep however after that it was all fun.
Ok, this is not the greatest team in the world but theres lots to like about them. No1 would be their attitude. Two games now fighting back from going behind and taking 4 points. Would never happened last year. Chiefy said the team spirit was very high and Armiento mentioned it was the best group he had ever been with.
As a fan you know there will be losses but if the team fights and battles all match you accept it.
Huge huge loss with Paynes injury. Our squad is a bit thin and hes one of our best and most experianced players. Hope its not too bad

I first noticed him in the 1st half v Perth when he had a coupl3 of attempts down the left to pass a player and cross and failed or had the cross blocked. Just thought “well we haven’t unearthed anything special there”. Didn’t take any further notice until his goal and showing a bit of mongrel in a couple of confrontations. Made me think “maybe I was too hasty in my assessment”, he showed that little spark we lacked last year. Didn’t see the first half v Roar but he did fine from what I saw.  I back him to take the shot that Piper moaned about not getting a pass from. Thats what you want in a goalscorer, someone else mentioned that last year we faffed around in and near the box looking for the last pass and…..no goals. Not from him, he has shown he can (and will) score in those situations and defenses will react accordingly, creating opportunities for others. I’m giving him more than a pass mark so far with a feeling he will be one of our favourites.

ballane

Really dont get the negativity from some about Armiento. Did you even bother to look at how well taken todays goal was. For years we have moaned about someone having a go. We finaly get someone who has a rocket of a left foot and we get moans. As for Piscopo think someone may have forgotton how fragile he was and didnt deliver on his promise.

The one thing we have all missed is the fact LKH won some headers!!

I see on BBC Football the attendance was 6890. Oops I see this has already been noted.

coochiee

Yeah I think it was Elder playing advantage for the earlier foul on Eze, that saved the Nigerian being sent off when he retaliated. Elder gave him some leniency as he'd let play continue, rather than penalise the Roar player.

If Eze had been playing for the Roar we would mostly have been outraged he didn't get a red. Remember this game when over the season the Nix get the inevitable bad controversial call.

ALM seems to be getting more & more physical. But Eze needs to calm down. Teams & opposition crowds are going to target him for sure.

If it gets really bad, Chiefy may have to consider starting Piper alongside Ifeanyi,  just to share the physical contact targeting by other teams.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360866648/there-no-var-roar-coach-fumes-after-wellington-phoenix-striker-ifeanyi-eze-avoids-red-card

I still think this is a wrong read. He doesn't retaliate, it is a different player from the guy who immediately before had taken him out and which clash we had advantage for. And that rugby tackle looked like a body check and holding to stop him and put him on the ground. I don't think if it is fair to say he went down too easy in that contact we had advantage for.

If "it" had happened to us our player wouldn't have gone down clutching his face. So no, we'd have not been calling for a red because our guy wouldn't have simulated a strike to the face.

After getting rugby tackled Eze stood up to the next guy who ran accross from wider to body check him and he man handled that guy to get him off his body and to stay upright and maintain his running line.

I find it hard that he is criticized for going down too easy in what looked to me like a full rugby tackle with arms, but when he wrestles with the next guy body checking him you want to give him a red.  

Elder had set a standard out there. I agree it is not a standard I like and that the A League is overly physical. But we have to let our players match up. 

He just needs to get a bit more deliberate and calm in what he does to match up. But we can't tie our guys arms behind their backs while they are getting taken out by some pretty cynical and overly physical play that the refs are otherwise letting go. We want him to be a forward Siggie who dishes as much as he gets. Whatever the ref is allowing he should play to if that's what it takes to hold his runs and not be taken out.

And Chief should be backing his man and calling out what he is having to stand up to and the standard of play the refs are allowing.

The refs are never going to call this stuff to keep control of games if we passively accept what is being dished at us.

Disagree that we dont have players who go down both Eze and Armiento have shown they will go down with minimal contact and make more of it than there is.
I love the way they both play and in this instance you may be correct. But its wrong to suggest we dont have players who make more of contact than there is.

mjp2

coochiee

Yeah I think it was Elder playing advantage for the earlier foul on Eze, that saved the Nigerian being sent off when he retaliated. Elder gave him some leniency as he'd let play continue, rather than penalise the Roar player.

If Eze had been playing for the Roar we would mostly have been outraged he didn't get a red. Remember this game when over the season the Nix get the inevitable bad controversial call.

ALM seems to be getting more & more physical. But Eze needs to calm down. Teams & opposition crowds are going to target him for sure.

If it gets really bad, Chiefy may have to consider starting Piper alongside Ifeanyi,  just to share the physical contact targeting by other teams.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360866648/there-no-var-roar-coach-fumes-after-wellington-phoenix-striker-ifeanyi-eze-avoids-red-card

I still think this is a wrong read. He doesn't retaliate, it is a different player from the guy who immediately before had taken him out and which clash we had advantage for. And that rugby tackle looked like a body check and holding to stop him and put him on the ground. I don't think if it is fair to say he went down too easy in that contact we had advantage for.

If "it" had happened to us our player wouldn't have gone down clutching his face. So no, we'd have not been calling for a red because our guy wouldn't have simulated a strike to the face.

After getting rugby tackled Eze stood up to the next guy who ran accross from wider to body check him and he man handled that guy to get him off his body and to stay upright and maintain his running line.

I find it hard that he is criticized for going down too easy in what looked to me like a full rugby tackle with arms, but when he wrestles with the next guy body checking him you want to give him a red.  

Elder had set a standard out there. I agree it is not a standard I like and that the A League is overly physical. But we have to let our players match up. 

He just needs to get a bit more deliberate and calm in what he does to match up. But we can't tie our guys arms behind their backs while they are getting taken out by some pretty cynical and overly physical play that the refs are otherwise letting go. We want him to be a forward Siggie who dishes as much as he gets. Whatever the ref is allowing he should play to if that's what it takes to hold his runs and not be taken out.

And Chief should be backing his man and calling out what he is having to stand up to and the standard of play the refs are allowing.

The refs are never going to call this stuff to keep control of games if we passively accept what is being dished at us.

This is pretty much how I saw it, but I’ll preface that by the fact I haven’t watched the replays back. But in the ground, I thought he was trying to get past his man and the roar were up to their usual dirty tricks that they’d been up to all game. Their player blocked him. Was good seeing james and chiefy calming him though. 

Nix fans can be bloody miserable sometimes. We get our first win at home in almost a year and most of the talk is around how we apparently didn't deserve it, despite again dominating possession, shots on target, pass accuracy etc. 

Maybe half the reason we have never fudgeing won anything is because we're too nicey nice all the time. Every other team gets away with murder v us, so okay, we got away with one - who cares! It doesn't require a dissertation. That's just football.

Eze was being fouled off the call all game. Eventually it boils over. This is not the first time and not the last time this will be seen. 

ballane

Really dont get the negativity from some about Armiento. Did you even bother to look at how well taken todays goal was. For years we have moaned about someone having a go. We finaly get someone who has a rocket of a left foot and we get moans. As for Piscopo think someone may have forgotton how fragile he was and didnt deliver on his promise.

All I can say on this is - how would Piscopo go at wing back? 

I rest my case 

When i first saw the bench i was worried. LbS and Piper were killer. Really managed the physicality well- a great sign for LbB as he kicks on in senior football. 

Josh O and Michael Woud are going to keep this season interesting - almost guaranteed a howler every game. 

Nix look good with the fast ball speed amd will be better when hughes returns. 

Really concerned about rufer though- he was well below his best. 

Loved the passion from chiefy! 

JasperNix

When i first saw the bench i was worried. LbS and Piper were killer. Really managed the physicality well- a great sign for LbB as he kicks on in senior football. 

Josh O and Michael Woud are going to keep this season interesting - almost guaranteed a howler every game. 

Nix look good with the fast ball speed amd will be better when hughes returns. 

Really concerned about rufer though- he was well below his best. 

Loved the passion from chiefy! 

Must have watched a different game as along with others thought Rufer is getting back to be the player he was before his illness. Still some work to do but well below his best a big NO to that.

JasperNix

When i first saw the bench i was worried. LbS and Piper were killer. Really managed the physicality well- a great sign for LbB as he kicks on in senior football. 

Josh O and Michael Woud are going to keep this season interesting - almost guaranteed a howler every game. 

Nix look good with the fast ball speed amd will be better when hughes returns. 

Really concerned about rufer though- he was well below his best. 

Loved the passion from chiefy! 

Can't really say that about Woud at the moment.

Maybe Eze was a bit lucky not to get a red card but in general I am much happier to see the officials interpreting foul play and hand ball rules in a more lenient light over the last few seasons. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was getting fed up with refs blowing the whistle for every tiny bit of contact or the merest suspicion of a handball, often followed by tedious VAR over-analysis which resulted in comically illogical decisions (the infamous Rufer send off being one of so, so many).

I like to watch a more muscular, flowing game of football which preferences the players and the spectators, not the official with the whistle or sitting in front a bank of tvs scanning for every tiny breach of the rules. It's still not perfect, can't ever be, but it's a lot better in my opinion.

Buffon II

JasperNix

When i first saw the bench i was worried. LbS and Piper were killer. Really managed the physicality well- a great sign for LbB as he kicks on in senior football. 

Josh O and Michael Woud are going to keep this season interesting - almost guaranteed a howler every game. 

Nix look good with the fast ball speed amd will be better when hughes returns. 

Really concerned about rufer though- he was well below his best. 

Loved the passion from chiefy! 

Can't really say that about Woud at the moment.

Think he got away with it in the last game! 

That pass striaght to opposition on edge of box? 

Buffon II

JasperNix

When i first saw the bench i was worried. LbS and Piper were killer. Really managed the physicality well- a great sign for LbB as he kicks on in senior football. 

Josh O and Michael Woud are going to keep this season interesting - almost guaranteed a howler every game. 

Nix look good with the fast ball speed amd will be better when hughes returns. 

Really concerned about rufer though- he was well below his best. 

Loved the passion from chiefy! 

Can't really say that about Woud at the moment.

Love this. Hoping I can post it a few more times this season!

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How do you think the powers that be will feel about this number? Could be 1 or 2k too  low considering the nice weather (windy but ya know). What do you think? 

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

I see on BBC Football the attendance was 6890. Oops I see this has already been noted.

Steph1000

How do you think the powers that be will feel about this number? Could be 1 or 2k too  low considering the nice weather (windy but ya know). What do you think? 

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

I see on BBC Football the attendance was 6890. Oops I see this has already been noted.

Well, middle of the long weekend means you can't get out from town. Hopefully many watched outside Welly.

Ninja

Start Piper.

Just because LBS and Piper were effective is not a reason to start them. They are relatively young and need limited minutes least we lose them for the season.
For my money it is best to bring them on against tiring teams when we have already seen the opposition gameplan.

Mainland FC

Ninja

Start Piper.

Just because LBS and Piper were effective is not a reason to start them. They are relatively young and need limited minutes least we lose them for the season.
For my money it is best to bring them on against tiring teams when we have already seen the opposition gameplan.

Both are perfect players to come off the bench but also both aren't great in structure (yet). The ball often bounces off Piper and LBS struggles positionally 

I note the players who have played in the front 3 for us this season other than Eze (Najjarine, Roa Conchie, Ishige) have been reasonably ineffectual. Giving somebody a run as an out and out #10 behind a front 2 of Eze & Piper is definitely worth a try in my opinion 

ballane

Disagree that we dont have players who go down both Eze and Armiento have shown they will go down with minimal contact and make more of it than there is.
I love the way they both play and in this instance you may be correct. But its wrong to suggest we dont have players who make more of contact than there is.

From memory near the end of the game, Armineto gets the ball thrown into his midriff then flops to the ground holding his face. It may have been a piss take dig at Salas I don't know, but it's naive to think we are completly clean of guys who will not try milk a pen or card.

And to me Eze clearly strikes Salas around the neck/head area. You just can't do that and not expect a red.

If he can calm down the red mist moments, Eze is going to be a bloody useful asset to the Nix this season. But for now I'd say he will be sent off in a game before Christmas, unless he adjusts to ALM reffing.

imanixsupporter

I note the players who have played in the front 3 for us this season other than Eze (Najjarine, Roa Conchie, Ishige) have been reasonably ineffectual. Giving somebody a run as an out and out #10 behind a front 2 of Eze & Piper is definitely worth a try in my opinion 

I don't think Roa Conchie was exactly playing on the wing, he was super deep v Perth and was trying to be the link man v Brisbane

Did I hear a nickname there for Loke in the Armiento interview? 

I think he was calling him ‘Swing’ as in Swing Loke, sweet chariot. Would make a good chant too, if it isn’t already! …or it could be Piper’s nickname and a different reference! Dan Bern, for those who remember…

Yeah I watched it and had to go back and re listen to it as at first I thought it was more just Armiento mispronouncing his name but I do think maybe it was/is a nickname

martinb

Did I hear a nickname there for Loke in the Armiento interview? 

I think he was calling him ‘Swing’ as in Swing Loke, sweet chariot. Would make a good chant too, if it isn’t already! …or it could be Piper’s nickname and a different reference! Dan Bern, for those who remember…

martinb

Did I hear a nickname there for Loke in the Armiento interview? 

I think he was calling him ‘Swing’ as in Swing Loke, sweet chariot. Would make a good chant too, if it isn’t already! …or it could be Piper’s nickname and a different reference! Dan Bern, for those who remember…

It's how Xuan is pronounced - close to "shwan" if you anglicanise it. Song would work for sure. Think Carlo was just butchering it a little.

Still not as bad as Keegan "Jelasick" though.

One thing I will note about yesterday is we were either set up far, far less ambitiously than against Perth. Our wingbacks were behaving much more like wingbacks, at Perth it seemed they were all out wingers. Seems to me like Chiefy calibrated somewhat which was probably needed. 

Rufer was effective without the ball but very sloppy with it. He's not saying to Baze - "pick me".

These last two weeks have shown the gulf between the All Whites playing offshore and those locally. 

ballane

JasperNix

When i first saw the bench i was worried. LbS and Piper were killer. Really managed the physicality well- a great sign for LbB as he kicks on in senior football. 

Josh O and Michael Woud are going to keep this season interesting - almost guaranteed a howler every game. 

Nix look good with the fast ball speed amd will be better when hughes returns. 

Really concerned about rufer though- he was well below his best. 

Loved the passion from chiefy! 

Must have watched a different game as along with others thought Rufer is getting back to be the player he was before his illness. Still some work to do but well below his best a big NO to that.

Nelfoos

martinb

Did I hear a nickname there for Loke in the Armiento interview? 

I think he was calling him ‘Swing’ as in Swing Loke, sweet chariot. Would make a good chant too, if it isn’t already! …or it could be Piper’s nickname and a different reference! Dan Bern, for those who remember…

It's how Xuan is pronounced - close to "shwan" if you anglicanise it. Song would work for sure. Think Carlo was just butchering it a little.

Still not as bad as Keegan "Jelasick" though.

I remember when one game, out of nowhere, Piney and Fred De Jong started calling Marco Rojas, "Rockas". It was like they were trying to make a point, they must have said "Rockas" like 10 times.

Then a week later they went back to saying "Rojas" as if nothing ever happened. There was no explanation either. Very random.

I think I recall him being asked how it was pronounced around that time and he said Rockas. I think my memory is correct.

Check out the very first few seconds of Marco's Unused Subs podcast appearance from last season. He introduces himself and there is a very subtle k sound in there. 

Rock-arse now maybe ... but wasn't he christened Bambi by the disenchanted Stuttgart supporters?

Nelfoos

martinb

Did I hear a nickname there for Loke in the Armiento interview? 

I think he was calling him ‘Swing’ as in Swing Loke, sweet chariot. Would make a good chant too, if it isn’t already! …or it could be Piper’s nickname and a different reference! Dan Bern, for those who remember…

It's how Xuan is pronounced - close to "shwan" if you anglicanise it. Song would work for sure. Think Carlo was just butchering it a little.

Still not as bad as Keegan "Jelasick" though.

It almost rhymes with Ben (so can maybe understand the swing)
Nix pronunciation guide for the season:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1144369364456532

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Attack momentum above, first yellow arrow is LBS, 61, then Piper, 66.
On 'impact players' IMO, generally, players who make this much difference should start.  A kid comes on in the 60th minute and he scores a hattrick. Starter or impact player?
LBS is a strong skillful player with good vision and should start ahead of Conchie, who's strong and improving,  but lacks awareness, of threats, of offside, struggles to see or execute a defence splitting pass, score, or beat a man. Not a 10.
Piper? Might turn out to be an impact player, useful in bad conditions, rough pitch, wind and rain, dirty opponents, less so in good conditions when a quick passing game is the plan.
But I'd start him too, at least for a few games, as a traditional 9, but behind Eze.
Which funnily enough is where he played for Birkenhead. 
Maybe the question of Piper's best position has been answered.

It'd only be fair to include arrows for the three Brisbane substitutes at 66mins, too, of course – it's equally likely to have impacted the flow of the match.

For me i like the momentum the two of them gave when they came on. Not so sure there are two other players  on the bench who could do the same job if they started. Baring injury would like to see it stay the same for the next few games.

Piper coming on gave us a point to focus our attack thru & let Eze move out wider and away from the Roar CBs who were being very physical with him.

Not sure I want Piper played as a Striker each week tho. I still think the RCB role is where he is best suited but that spot is Sheridan's for the moment, who isn't doing anything wrong.

Seeing how much better a target man up front made us look, I really do hope we look into getting Max Mata for a more polished option to play up front if required.

nixin

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Attack momentum above, first yellow arrow is LBS, 61, then Piper, 66.
On 'impact players' IMO, generally, players who make this much difference should start.  A kid comes on in the 60th minute and he scores a hattrick. Starter or impact player?
LBS is a strong skillful player with good vision and should start ahead of Conchie, who's strong and improving,  but lacks awareness, of threats, of offside, struggles to see or execute a defence splitting pass, score, or beat a man. Not a 10.
Piper? Might turn out to be an impact player, useful in bad conditions, rough pitch, wind and rain, dirty opponents, less so in good conditions when a quick passing game is the plan.
But I'd start him too, at least for a few games, as a traditional 9, but behind Eze.
Which funnily enough is where he played for Birkenhead. 
Maybe the question of Piper's best position has been answered.

Always thought Ten Hag’s biggest mistake was starting Garnacho!