WPM R22 vs Melbourne Victory | Sat 1st April | 3:00pm | SS7

What a load of rubbish. Yes Izzo pulled off a couple of great saves but they gave us a goal and we handed them two in return.

It's entirely possible that we collapse and miss the finals altogether now. 

Give Uffie a job as scout at the end of the season and get a new manager in. This is painful. 

Now we have to go back to 'magical' AAMI Park.

We lost some composure when Laws got injured.

We always have to do it the frigging hard way. 

Outpost

What a load of rubbish. Yes Izzo pulled off a couple of great saves but they gave us a goal and we handed them two in return.

It's entirely possible that we collapse and miss the finals altogether now. 

And also Izzo was positioned closer to the near post. The attempts went where he was hoping for them. 

martinb

We lost some composure when Laws got injured.

Was that definitely an injury? I missed them saying it was. He certainly looked pissed off when he was subbed.

I'm fudgeing disgusted we lost to those useless bastards again.no excuse not to be smashing these guys.

So that ends the games at the ROF? 
3 games in Aussie & 1 at Eden Park to go in the regular season.

To make it worse i had wooten in my fantasy team over de silva 😞  26 points on mh bench 😞 

Outpost

martinb

We lost some composure when Laws got injured.

Was that definitely an injury? I missed them saying it was. He certainly looked pissed off when he was subbed.

Oh! I thought it looked like he’d tweaked something. 

martinb

Outpost

martinb

We lost some composure when Laws got injured.

Was that definitely an injury? I missed them saying it was. He certainly looked pissed off when he was subbed.

Oh! I thought it looked like he’d tweaked something. 

Nah he was just pissed.

They played with no urgency to win and subs had no impact. Was this really the last home game? With more  performances like this we can scrap home finals. What a shark show.

nufc_nz

martinb

Outpost

martinb

We lost some composure when Laws got injured.

Was that definitely an injury? I missed them saying it was. He certainly looked pissed off when he was subbed.

Oh! I thought it looked like he’d tweaked something. 

Nah he was just pissed.

Yep, if anything was tweaked it was his ego. Must be looking back at the two goals scored after he was subbed with mixed feelings.

Well that fudgeing sucked.

After the first goal we just seemed to lose our spark.  To be fair their goalie made a couple of great saves but fudge this should have been the chance to bang on 5 and make a stamp to show we are gonna kill this finals.

But fudge.  The instinct to slow after a lead has come back.

That Welly fans may be it for the season.
Melbourne City (A), Brisbane Roar (Eden Park), Western Sydney Wanderers (A) & Macarthur (A)

2 very tough away games, a very winnable Auckland game spitting them & lastly a game against MAC who may or may not have anything to play for.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/300844671/wellington-phoenixs-topfour-hopes-take-a-hit-after-21-loss-to-melbourne-victory

Crowd: 7,032

Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay is refusing to give up on the prospect of hosting finals football in Wellington.That is despite their top-four hopes taking a hit, after they gave up an early lead to suffer another shock loss to the lowly Melbourne Victory.

In their final regular season outing at Sky Stadium, the Phoenix went ahead through Oskar Zawada’s 13th goal of the campaign, but crumbled to lose 2-1 after conceding twice from second-half corners.

They won’t play in Wellington again unless they can finish inside the top four and secure a home playoff.

Left after their second pathetic goal went in, boys had well and truly had enough, was surprised to last that long. 

Warning bells were there for all to see and we didn’t seem to have any urgency. All too often made the wrong pass in the final third. I had a sneaky feeling we’d live to regret that zawada miss, and boy did we. 

They were sharke, just like our subs, wrong people at the wrong time. There seemed to be zero cohesion down our left hand side. Sure didn’t  play like a team trying to play for the finals. Big shame. 

Also, tried to get a couple of flags for my boys but no one knew how to get one and then there were a whole load by the corporate entrance but couldn’t take a couple. Apparently the stadium staff hand them out?

No way there was 7k there lol

Lucky to get more than 5k tbh.

nufc_nz

No way there was 7k there lol

Lucky to get more than 5k tbh.

Felt like it was a comfortable 6k, so not surprised to see 7k announced.

This era of the Nix is already over. No more league games at Sky. Not likely to get top 4 for another. Writing's on the wall for Uffie, we heard from Domey that the only way Ufuk stays is if he doesn't find a better job elsewhere. He's clearly checked out. Lewis & Sail already gone.

We are going to make the playoffs but even if we got a home playoff game I'd have zero belief we could go all the way. We never look like we're dominating another team, or that we are likely to win. All our wins this season bar about 2 have been anxious affairs. This general vibe, plus the Nix's general playoffs history, and I'm not excited about the playoffs in the slightest. If crowds this season are anything to go by there wouldn't even be a good bandwagon crowd for a home playoff match.

I just want the season to be over. Thank Uffie for his efforts but it's time he left. Hopefully next season we get a promising new coach, at least one exciting player signing, and the club go hard with advertising etc and try to get some good crowds in early in the season and we go from there. 

Who can get WanderingSheep some flags? 

Think I’ve still got mine! Got it my first Nix game and taken it to 4 different countries…unless it got pinched when someone pinched my car a few years back.

imanixsupporter

This era of the Nix is already over. No more league games at Sky. Not likely to get top 4 for another. Writing's on the wall for Uffie, we heard from Domey that the only way Ufuk stays is if he doesn't find a better job elsewhere. He's clearly checked out. Lewis & Sail already gone.

We are going to make the playoffs but even if we got a home playoff game I'd have zero belief we could go all the way. We never look like we're dominating another team, or that we are likely to win. All our wins this season bar about 2 have been anxious affairs. This general vibe, plus the Nix's general playoffs history, and I'm not excited about the playoffs in the slightest. If crowds this season are anything to go by there wouldn't even be a good bandwagon crowd for a home playoff match.

I just want the season to be over. Thank Uffie for his efforts but it's time he left. Hopefully next season we get a promising new coach, at least one exciting player signing, and the club go hard with advertising etc and try to get some good crowds in early in the season and we go from there. 

Lol, Domey said likely no more stand-alone women’s games at sky, not pulling the whole club from there.

djtim3000

Zonal marking and no players on the posts at corners. When has that ever worked?

I think it works when the attacker who gets the second touch is offside as the defence is off the line.  Obviously not today.
Cant say im a fan of the tactic though.

nufc_nz

No way there was 7k there lol

Lucky to get more than 5k tbh.

I think a couple of thousand left after the womens game..

Friar Tuck

imanixsupporter

This era of the Nix is already over. No more league games at Sky. Not likely to get top 4 for another. Writing's on the wall for Uffie, we heard from Domey that the only way Ufuk stays is if he doesn't find a better job elsewhere. He's clearly checked out. Lewis & Sail already gone.

We are going to make the playoffs but even if we got a home playoff game I'd have zero belief we could go all the way. We never look like we're dominating another team, or that we are likely to win. All our wins this season bar about 2 have been anxious affairs. This general vibe, plus the Nix's general playoffs history, and I'm not excited about the playoffs in the slightest. If crowds this season are anything to go by there wouldn't even be a good bandwagon crowd for a home playoff match.

I just want the season to be over. Thank Uffie for his efforts but it's time he left. Hopefully next season we get a promising new coach, at least one exciting player signing, and the club go hard with advertising etc and try to get some good crowds in early in the season and we go from there. 

Lol, Domey said likely no more stand-alone women’s games at sky, not pulling the whole club from there.

To clarify, I meant there will be no more regular season games at Sky Stadium this season. I did not think there was going to be no more games at Sky Stadium in future, nor was I suggesting that there shouldn't be any. 

A couple of poor subs.
Laws had been playing well, Payne was considerably worse in centre defence. Ugarkovic had been playing really well. Lewis couldn't get his game going.
Bally did make a good impact, but that sub was left too late.
On the plus side: Sasse was better than Kraev today. Elliot gave us some positive impetus, but I have no idea why he didn't start. Hmmm.

Yes Nix (31 pts, GD 0) should remain in the top 6 even if they lose away at Melb City next weekend.

Teams 7th to 9th - Jets (25 pts, -9 GD), Western U (25 pts, -10 GD) & MAC (25 pts, -13 GD) all, have tough away fixtures tonight & tomorrow. They would need to win & then win again next weekend, with sizeable GD turnarounds to sneak ahead of the Nix on GD into the top 6.

Nix on balance look a strong bet for the top 6. A home playoff not so likely. Game against WSW in 3 weeks will be huge, and Roar at Eden Park in a fortnight absolute must win.
https://us.soccerway.com/national/australia/a-league/20222023/regular-season/r70406/

Okay good points: 

-Zawada continues his immense, insane scoring streak. With that one Kraev goal he assisted that’s 11 goal involvements in his last 11 games I think? 

- Elliot made an immense block to save a goal and injected himself into the attack in a way which created a very good chance, which Zawada usually buries 9/10 times. Neither moment made the highlights which was really annoying. 

Is there a statistic of the chance to score from a cross when it is not a counter and 6+ defenders are in the box? Crosses our only tactic if we need an urgent goal. They look very easy to defend. Why not put the quick feet Sasse, Old, Kosta in the box try to get the ball to them through the middle and wait for pen, sounds stupid? Well better than five crosses straight into the hand of Izzo.

Positives:
Sasse two good tackles.
Elliot's Block
Zawada doing what he does best
Sutton starting to get back up to speed.
They wore the yellow kit at the stadium.

I think all games should be double headers with the ladies playing their female equivalents in an early game. Eg: Victory men's and women's games or City men's and women's games. then the club only have to rent that crap hole for one day and not two. Yes, Canberra might be there in a men's guise soon. And for these double headers have the ladies kick off at 5pm and the men at 7:30pm. That should improve attendances for both.

Stadium Car Parking, there really do need to drop that pricing right down. It stays mostly empty so what have they (The stadium trust) got to lose. $10 for ST holders $20 for non holders.

Negatives:

The tactic of sitting back on any lead. It's cost us games, not just points.

The Psychologist deserves sacking because since he was employed by the club, there's been no change in their mental approach at all. What a waste of time.

Appathy from the Wellington public not just football public either, to attend any of the games. grrrr. Get behind your team, unless you were working (Like me).

Then there's my usual rant about the ripoff stadium trust and their shenanigans.

We're not out of this yet and we should not be happy to settle for 5th or 6th. We really need to go for 3rd. Auckland might well be the line in the sand and I hope Aucklanders do the club a favour and show up.....please.

Sad to see it so quiet on here…maybe people won’t show up even if we did get a home final.

The Ricki years that lead to the home finals were a constant buzz of good vibes with the Nix- Smeltzy, Browny and Paul Ifill. Daniel! Club players, icons. And the All Whites run in the WC. I mean our RB is better now, but…

Getting that buzz back means either not losing Oli and Clayton or finding players who will be the cheerleaders and play football with joy. I know, I know, Terry money, living in dreamland and well into credit. And we’re guna be happy after a run of wins and goals. 

But the home finals run was boosted as one of the pinnacles of the heady days for the whole football community in NZ. Perhaps the AWs are guna start helping us or at least holding up their end with a few games, even if none of them is a sold out home playoff. 

It’s hard to know how to get that buzz back. We had parts of it with Davila. It sounds like an Auckland team might be a thing and that could be part of it, but that could be a disaster too. Though I’d love a pre-season mini tournament with Aucks, the Nix and a couple of PL teams. Expensive pageantry! Entertainment!

We’ve said a lot of what if this year. It makes it even worse. What if Sasse finds the net or Ugarkovic provides the goal threat from midfield fans said he possessed? 3-0 maybe even 4-0…Why is Zawada so deadly for one goal only? But we need some real success now. A parade through town. Some new heady days. 

Also Reddy>Wrexham. Make it happen!

martinb

Sad to see it so quiet on here…maybe people won’t show up even if we did get a home final.

The Ricki years that lead to the home finals were a constant buzz of good vibes with the Nix- Smeltzy, Browny and Paul Ifill. Daniel! Club players, icons. And the All Whites run in the WC. I mean our RB is better now, but…

Getting that buzz back means either not losing Oli and Clayton or finding players who will be the cheerleaders and play football with joy. I know, I know, Terry money, living in dreamland and well into credit. And we’re guna be happy after a run of wins and goals. 

But the home finals run was boosted as one of the pinnacles of the heady days for the whole football community in NZ. Perhaps the AWs are guna start helping us or at least holding up their end with a few games, even if none of them is a sold out home playoff. 

It’s hard to know how to get that buzz back. We had parts of it with Davila. It sounds like an Auckland team might be a thing and that could be part of it, but that could be a disaster too. Though I’d love a pre-season mini tournament with Aucks, the Nix and a couple of PL teams. Expensive pageantry! Entertainment!

We’ve said a lot of what if this year. It makes it even worse. What if Sasse finds the net or Ugarkovic provides the goal threat from midfield fans said he possessed? 3-0 maybe even 4-0…Why is Zawada so deadly for one goal only? But we need some real success now. A parade through town. Some new heady days. 

Also Reddy>Wrexham. Make it happen!

Love the Idea of the Nix, And Auckland team and two others from either the EPL or even the Championship for  preseason quadrangular. They do it in OZ.

I still miss Daniel. 

Who had the gif of him turning this way and that and just sitting a player down in confusion? A special player. 

martinb

I still miss Daniel. 

Who had the gif of him turning this way and that and just sitting a player down in confusion? A special player. 

Others i miss before him someone whose legend has grown bigger than it should. Great bloke but he wasnt the player many make him out to be his crossing at times could be very ordinary

martinb

Sad to see it so quiet on here…maybe people won’t show up even if we did get a home final.

The Ricki years that lead to the home finals were a constant buzz of good vibes with the Nix- Smeltzy, Browny and Paul Ifill. Daniel! Club players, icons. And the All Whites run in the WC. I mean our RB is better now, but…

Getting that buzz back means either not losing Oli and Clayton or finding players who will be the cheerleaders and play football with joy. I know, I know, Terry money, living in dreamland and well into credit. And we’re guna be happy after a run of wins and goals. 

But the home finals run was boosted as one of the pinnacles of the heady days for the whole football community in NZ. Perhaps the AWs are guna start helping us or at least holding up their end with a few games, even if none of them is a sold out home playoff. 

It’s hard to know how to get that buzz back. We had parts of it with Davila. It sounds like an Auckland team might be a thing and that could be part of it, but that could be a disaster too. Though I’d love a pre-season mini tournament with Aucks, the Nix and a couple of PL teams. Expensive pageantry! Entertainment!

We’ve said a lot of what if this year. It makes it even worse. What if Sasse finds the net or Ugarkovic provides the goal threat from midfield fans said he possessed? 3-0 maybe even 4-0…Why is Zawada so deadly for one goal only? But we need some real success now. A parade through town. Some new heady days. 

Also Reddy>Wrexham. Make it happen!

We had  a fortress at home back then which must have helped crowds,sadly what we have been served up in the 2nd half in most games is enough to turn even the most ardent supporter off. For me i find the difference between what we see in the first half of most games and what they dish up in the 2nd as being a failure of whatever so called plan they have in place. Also dont get why people want Welnix to fund EPL teams on a pointless tournament  that has little chance of paying for itself.

LG

Positives:
Sasse two good tackles.
Elliot's Block
Zawada doing what he does best
Sutton starting to get back up to speed.
They wore the yellow kit at the stadium.

I think all games should be double headers with the ladies playing their female equivalents in an early game. Eg: Victory men's and women's games or City men's and women's games. then the club only have to rent that crap hole for one day and not two. Yes, Canberra might be there in a men's guise soon. And for these double headers have the ladies kick off at 5pm and the men at 7:30pm. That should improve attendances for both.

Stadium Car Parking, there really do need to drop that pricing right down. It stays mostly empty so what have they (The stadium trust) got to lose. $10 for ST holders $20 for non holders.

Negatives:

The tactic of sitting back on any lead. It's cost us games, not just points.

The Psychologist deserves sacking because since he was employed by the club, there's been no change in their mental approach at all. What a waste of time.

Appathy from the Wellington public not just football public either, to attend any of the games. grrrr. Get behind your team, unless you were working (Like me).

Then there's my usual rant about the ripoff stadium trust and their shenanigans.

We're not out of this yet and we should not be happy to settle for 5th or 6th. We really need to go for 3rd. Auckland might well be the line in the sand and I hope Aucklanders do the club a favour and show up.....please.

Will be 12k max in Auckland. Now we have the conundrum of a possible Auckland team which essentially means kiss Eden Park games good-bye. And imo so it should be. It's in the name - WELLINGTON Phoenix. This constant venue changing in this league does my head in. Here today, there tomorrow...

martinb

Sad to see it so quiet on here…maybe people won’t show up even if we did get a home final.

The Ricki years that lead to the home finals were a constant buzz of good vibes with the Nix- Smeltzy, Browny and Paul Ifill. Daniel! Club players, icons. And the All Whites run in the WC. I mean our RB is better now, but…

Getting that buzz back means either not losing Oli and Clayton or finding players who will be the cheerleaders and play football with joy. I know, I know, Terry money, living in dreamland and well into credit. And we’re guna be happy after a run of wins and goals. 

But the home finals run was boosted as one of the pinnacles of the heady days for the whole football community in NZ. Perhaps the AWs are guna start helping us or at least holding up their end with a few games, even if none of them is a sold out home playoff. 

It’s hard to know how to get that buzz back. We had parts of it with Davila. It sounds like an Auckland team might be a thing and that could be part of it, but that could be a disaster too. Though I’d love a pre-season mini tournament with Aucks, the Nix and a couple of PL teams. Expensive pageantry! Entertainment!

We’ve said a lot of what if this year. It makes it even worse. What if Sasse finds the net or Ugarkovic provides the goal threat from midfield fans said he possessed? 3-0 maybe even 4-0…Why is Zawada so deadly for one goal only? But we need some real success now. A parade through town. Some new heady days. 

Also Reddy>Wrexham. Make it happen!

It's a hard one aye, trying to get people into the Nix. If it isn't the euro snobs is the the team shooting itself in the foot at home.

There does seem to be a really solid core of abot 5k fans that show regardless of the game, thats a good base to build on, but I don't think there's a lot the hardcore fans can do about the crowds now. Football is an entertainment business and if people aren't entertained then they won't show. I say this as a to the death Nix fan, they're fudgeing boring this year. I don't think they could've come up with a less interesting way to play if they tried, even when we win games it hardly feels inspired. Add to that the lack of homegrown talent to get really excited about like Singh or Cacace and its a recipe to not have the family's frothing to come.

Also the league as a whole is in a massive slump that I'm not sure it'll be able to get out of. Attendances are crap all around and to being up my favorite, per head of population, we're doing better than some. I mean WSW is averaging like 9k in an area with many times our population.

coochiee

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/131669009/phoenix-keeper-oli-sail-hopes-farewell-tour-will-include-another-wellington-stop

Sorry Sail, but that was it. You’ve all fudgeed it. The level of traffic on here post match shows that the fans know it. I mean, ffs, even the warriors are winning.

bit hard to get a proper send off when you have no more "home" games,touring Aus and Auckland isnt gonna solve that.