WPM R4 vs Newcastle Jets | Fri 10th December | 9:45pm | SS7

Rock Hopper

Not to out myself as a fair-weather fan but I only got into football about 3 or 4 years ago which has coincidentally coincided with the Phoenix having quite a decent run of it, but was this what the Kalezic years were like? Because fudge me that was pretty dry.

 
That was lame. Most of our other weak times had some drama or false dawns. We just came out of the gate off the pace here and the Jets were right on top of their game. Every other game I thought we’d come into it even if we didn’t get early goals. This we were just flat.

martinb

Rock Hopper

Not to out myself as a fair-weather fan but I only got into football about 3 or 4 years ago which has coincidentally coincided with the Phoenix having quite a decent run of it, but was this what the Kalezic years were like? Because fudge me that was pretty dry.

 
That was lame. Most of our other weak times had some drama or false dawns. We just came out of the gate off the pace here and the Jets were right on top of their game. Every other game I thought we’d come into it even if we didn’t get early goals. This we were just flat.

Aaaah you've hit the nail on the head. I couldn't quite find the words for what I was feeling during the game but "flat" is definitely it. Absolutely know what you mean about every other game we have gone down early I've still held out for some fight we would show even down to the 90th minute. But that wasn't really there today. We never looked upto it or like we were gonna launch a come back at any point. Feel a bit robbed of the weekly ritual of the high intensity emotions of the 90 minutes that a Phoenix game brings.

Rock Hopper

Not to out myself as a fair-weather fan but I only got into football about 3 or 4 years ago which has coincidentally coincided with the Phoenix having quite a decent run of it, but was this what the Kalezic years were like? Because fudge me that was pretty dry.

Just be happy you weren't a Knights fan, imagine that but every game of the season.

siac

Rock Hopper

Not to out myself as a fair-weather fan but I only got into football about 3 or 4 years ago which has coincidentally coincided with the Phoenix having quite a decent run of it, but was this what the Kalezic years were like? Because fudge me that was pretty dry.

Just be happy you weren't a Knights fan, imagine that but every game of the season.

Some of the Nix years were pretty horrendous too, especially when you chuck in the threat of being axed from the league with some truly dire performances.

Tonight wasn't good at all, even if the Jets did play well. But this season is already kind of meeting my expectations of what we can expect to see, given that three of our most influential players of the last few seasons, Davila, Taylor and Devlin, are no longer there.

Also let's not forget the key thing that our guys are basically rooming in a foreign country and don't have a home ground or home fans to cheer them on. Just because they've been doing it for a long time now doesn't make it any easier.

WHAT A GAME...Jets completely outmatched us tactically and technically. I thought more high pressing from our boys would have forced them back and we could've built from there. 

Also is it just me or does Piscopo look completely disinterested this season. He is not showing any enthusiasm to play. Was there any transfer moves wanted by Piscopo rejected by the Nix? Was the kit switch to #10 was a ploy to keep him?

On the other hand,  maybe we should revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation with Piscopo more central. He was good on the ball when he got into central areas today (very barely though)

Not sure about Old. Thought he was good with winning fouls, but less brave moving forward. 

Pennington needs to start and Rufer needs to be dropped. 

Magnificentman

WHAT A GAME...Jets completely outmatched us tactically and technically. I thought more high pressing from our boys would have forced them back and we could've built from there. 

Also is it just me or does Piscopo look completely disinterested this season. He is not showing any enthusiasm to play. Was there any transfer moves wanted by Piscopo rejected by the Nix? Was the kit switch to #10 was a ploy to keep him?

On the other hand,  maybe we should revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation with Piscopo more central. He was good on the ball when he got into central areas today (very barely though)

Not sure about Old. Thought he was good with winning fouls, but less brave moving forward. 

Pennington needs to start and Rufer needs to be dropped. 

I think Rufer starting is just a faze we are going though until Jan transfer window opens up.

Was pretty hungover yesterday after the works christmas do the day before. Was surprised I managed to stay awake, but watched the first half. I could tell it wasn’t going to be our day. As others have said, started flat and things weren’t really coming off. It happens, but I’d want a proper response next weekend (FFA cup is nice but something for the youth). 

I do wonder about piscopo as well, someone above said he looks disinterested and I’d agree. im sure even the commentators mentioned he hasn’t really been on form. Hopefully it’s a pressure thing and once some additional creativity gets announced he might feel less of it. We really need him to be on song though and it would be in everyone’s interest if he is.

I was impressed with the jets, that Georgian was a good find . High press and high intensity. Seemed to have caught us off guard and we just couldn’t find ourselves. As I said, we can’t really afford 3 defeats on the bounce, we need to pick the confidence up.

Teams are starting to rush us more when we pass it back putting us under serious pressure.

I suspect we are gonna struggle if we can't be dangerous doing something else.
 

Unfortunately one of the worst games I’ve seen the Nix play in recent years. Just weren’t at the races at all.

Credit to the Jest they were very good but we didn’t exactly make it hard for them. Little concerning that that was technically our best team on paper until Jan..

I’m saying that I thought we were generally the better team in our first 3 games so hopefully this was just an off night for the lads.

most of our backwards passing comes from one player and sadly he is the captain! Rufer and Lewis are our primary outlet for the play they either release the full backs or wingers on attack, unfortunately Rufer is so slow on the ball and takes so long to thing about passing. With the rush defence now being employed against us he has no time time look up, so he passing to a retreating CB which leaves us in all kinds of trouble. We need quick thinking CM's and unfortunately Rufer is not that, and Lewis struggles without someone else beside him.

We got destroyed and never looked in the game, but that is going to happen alot this season with the squad we have - newcastles imports made all the difference. Bit worried about reno being the main playmaker, he seems too selfish to be the main creator.

It was like we just didn't want to make a tackle. Some of there goals, they just cut straight through us like we were training cones.  

martinb

Can Harper f- off on Paramount? Phoenix ownership have supported two seasons with almost no home games. Carrying about how much the Jets have invested to get all 3 of their fans there. 

Yep, the recruitment issues aren't anything to do with investment and everything to do with government policies. 
It was a bit rough saying ufuk has had to do more with less when he's had Taylor, Davilla, Hooper, Hemed, etc. 
These are players who would have been unthinkable at the nix five or six years ago. 

Are the Jets still owned by the apl or were they sold? Jan transfer window can't come soon enough.
Although I'm worried we're getting ourselves in a Jeffrey sarpong situation. Putting all our faith in getting in a highly rated foreign player but signing him for the wrong position. 

The only player to deliver anything yesterday was Pennington, not enough but he was lively for 20 minutes. He kept the ball well, I don't think that he lost it once. His passing was accurate. His set pieces were pretty reasonable. Debatably he won a penalty that couldn't be confirmed by VAR.
Ball had a reasonable performance as well but no where near enough.

Watched the replay this morning without knowing the score... What a (bad) way to mick off the weekend. The only person who in my view had a half decent game was Ball. Everyone else, pants. I cannot fathom how we left their CF alone in the box twice. My 7 yo son would have scored those two goals. The last one by the Jets was class, but still we were caught ball watching again. Hopefully we bounce back soon. We have a winnable Cup game which I think we should go for and then we need to regain some league form

Ball by a country mile - although he'd refuse it.

kungfu panda

The only player to deliver anything yesterday was Pennington, not enough but he was lively for 20 minutes. He kept the ball well, I don't think that he lost it once. His passing was accurate. His set pieces were pretty reasonable. Debatably he won a penalty that couldn't be confirmed by VAR.
Ball had a reasonable performance as well but no where near enough.

So what do you think about Pennington though? 

Can someone please explain how Harper can talk and dribble out of both sides of his mouth all at the same time. There was one tackle from Lewis? and he said it killed play and warranted a card, yet 2 minutes later a Jets player did exactly the same thing and it was an outstanding play.

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Who was our player of the day? I can't think of one

Pennington

Lonegunmen

Can someone please explain how Harper can talk and dribble out of both sides of his mouth all at the same time. There was one tackle from Lewis? and he said it killed play and warranted a card, yet 2 minutes later a Jets player did exactly the same thing and it was an outstanding play.

Yeah that pissed me off no end, the most biased possible commentary right there. Both teams did it through the game and he only mentioned it that one time just so he could criticize the Nix.

Heh, can’t reply to myself, but sorry @kungfupanda was a bit of a douche comment on my part. 

I didn’t notice a huge difference when Pennington came on.  But we were dire all night against a team with their confidence up. However, in his videos in Italy he seemed to play further forward perhaps and be a goal threat? Lewis should be more of a goal threat, and is a fairly decent distributor. 
I thought he could have done more for the third goal?  Both him and Rufer didn’t prevent the move or pressure the shot enough iirc. 

We’re really looking for a guy to replace the amazing Davila and so far Pennington isn’t that. 
I’m wondering in what ways he’d be a step up from Laws/Rufer/Lewis? As well perhaps what formation would suit him best, as last year Lewis was brought in from out wide to his current position next to a live wire tackler in Devlin and that worked very well. Currently it’s okay at best, but perhaps a tweak to formation might suit resources better?
Ball should possibly be out wide on the right, as him up front is not his most effective position imo.

Also he’s coming back into his fitness and with that his form so, yeh, what do we think we will see from Pennington that we haven’t already and in what kind of role?

Watched last 20 odd back and Pennington and Rufer were not able to stop attacks through the center. Two or three times a bit of a mess.

Both Rufer and Pennington switched the ball well. Pennington got into the box and won a header, and delivered into the box nicely a couple of times. Also took a decent shot from deep which was blocked. 

Maybe he should be in one of the wide positions and given a bit of a freer role and see what happens? 

Long story short is we’re not replacing Devlin- don’t think he looks a scrapper, but could link play and threaten goal. If they can do some defending from the front too, that’s going to help our FBs. We really need someone to run play and up the tempo for us and my feeling from that little cameo is maybe he could be further forward? 
Also Sutton likely to feature over McGarry?

Credit to Uffi to be honest in his interviews, he promised that we never see us playing this bad again.

After a days reflection, i've decided we didn't play very well.

martinb

Watched last 20 odd back and Pennington and Rufer were not able to stop attacks through the center. Two or three times a bit of a mess.

Both Rufer and Pennington switched the ball well. Pennington got into the box and won a header, and delivered into the box nicely a couple of times. Also took a decent shot from deep which was blocked. 

Maybe he should be in one of the wide positions and given a bit of a freer role and see what happens? 

Long story short is we’re not replacing Devlin- don’t think he looks a scrapper, but could link play and threaten goal. If they can do some defending from the front too, that’s going to help our FBs. We really need someone to run play and up the tempo for us and my feeling from that little cameo is maybe he could be further forward? 
Also Sutton likely to feature over McGarry?

Not to sound like one of those "we should try so-and-so in a different position" guys but does anybody who knows more about McGarry than me tell me if he has played an AM role in his earlier career? Because he's got some great skills, an attacking mentality, ability to beat a man and a mean shot on goal. He often looks a genuinely dangerous proposition in and around the penalty area.

Obviously these skills don't amount to much if a player can't produce them week in week out but sometimes I wonder if his conversion to fullback hasn't cut him off from a really promising alternative pathway in the league.

Pennington and Rufer were not able to stop attacks through the center. Two or three times a bit of a mess

In my opinion, in this match nobody ever dribbled past Pennington. They passed the ball past Pennington which is different. The problem was that the opponents attack was able to be much too available to receive. This was because of either a breakdown in Zonal marking or in man marking.
Pennington will never be a Develin. He's not a hard tackling midfielder. He's cunning and nicks the ball away from opponents, generally without giving fouls away. Very little goes past him either (I mean man and ball).

Close to full strength to play Avondale in FFA Cup.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/127255490/wellington-phoenix-men-look-to-redeem-themselves-in-ffa-cup-after-heavy-loss

Outpost

martinb

Watched last 20 odd back and Pennington and Rufer were not able to stop attacks through the center. Two or three times a bit of a mess.

Both Rufer and Pennington switched the ball well. Pennington got into the box and won a header, and delivered into the box nicely a couple of times. Also took a decent shot from deep which was blocked. 

Maybe he should be in one of the wide positions and given a bit of a freer role and see what happens? 

Long story short is we’re not replacing Devlin- don’t think he looks a scrapper, but could link play and threaten goal. If they can do some defending from the front too, that’s going to help our FBs. We really need someone to run play and up the tempo for us and my feeling from that little cameo is maybe he could be further forward? 
Also Sutton likely to feature over McGarry?

Not to sound like one of those "we should try so-and-so in a different position" guys but does anybody who knows more about McGarry than me tell me if he has played an AM role in his earlier career? Because he's got some great skills, an attacking mentality, ability to beat a man and a mean shot on goal. He often looks a genuinely dangerous proposition in and around the penalty area.

Obviously these skills don't amount to much if a player can't produce them week in week out but sometimes I wonder if his conversion to fullback hasn't cut him off from a really promising alternative pathway in the league.

If I remember correctly he played a bit as a winger in his first stint at the Nix years ago. I’d actually like to see a left side of him and Sutton, McGarry taking Piscopo’s spot.

My bloody BT box failed to record the Nix games on Friday but recorded everything else.  

Just watched both replays on line.   Clearly my BT box channeled its inner Royz and tried to save me a painful weekend:

Nix 1 - Jest 9

Worst Phoenix weekend ever!