WPM R8 vs Newcastle Jets | Sun 14th Dec | 3:00pm | RoF / SS1

YoungHeartHM

imanixsupporter

For those who want to blame our defensive performance on having a few senior players missing. A good coach would adjust the setup to help protect the young defensive backline but instead we are just playing the exact same way we have played all season. Call it naiive or call it negligent, it isn't good enough 

I don't normally agree with a lot of what you say, but you are 100% right here. Best XI on the park in this system and it can be effective, but with the outs we've got, and the weak state of our bench, surely you look to make it harder for the opposition? 

Newcastle could have had 5 today and we would have no right to complain...

There is clearly no plan B in play at all, mistakes leading to goals seemingly in every game. Its all just airy-fairy crap being served up all too often. Surely something is going to give very shortly...

Chiefy said post match they had agreed to drop any line at half time 

in fairness to him I think he is improving fast. Last season I thought he was straight up rubbish and it was only the rest of the team being so bad and his goals (which were basically just down to him throwing his big body around in the box) that made him look anything but rubbish.

I have been quite pleasantly surprised by his runs, touch and passing in the front 3rd this season, in that context. I think if he keeps going he could have a good A-League career up front.

coochiee

kwlap

Love Piper but he needs an off season working solely on his touch

It's glaringly bad sometimes isn't it. If he can somehow fix it (long shot) he'f be bloody handy up top. 

MetalLegNZ

The game was entertaining, but of poor quality in terms of the finishing. Both teams should of had more... but we still deserved to lose.

I was Chief out last year, and I still am. The good win against Adeliade had me doubting that, but only a little. Newcastle were bottom of the league, now the only thing keeping us off the basement floor is our GD, which considering we haven't had a clean sheet in 18 odd games is a miracle in itself.

I feel for him this season, more than last where I think he was tactically awful. He's tried to do something new, but it hasn't worked. Injuries are not helping, nor suspensions... but he built this team. It's his squad.

No fans (crowds are shocking), no derby points, no plan B... he needs to go. Even if it is to give fans the pretense the club is being proactive.

what's that going to do? i imagine our performances will pick up when our first team gets back from injury irrespective of who is the coach. 

though i do hope the club is looking at replacing Ishige when the window opens - if Ishige is not going to be re-signed then it would be a good opportunity to bring in someone who can be around for the next season as well.

martinb

I don’t give a f about the brand or the casual fan or whatever. 

We were in a tough situation with injuries and put up a fight. Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland. We should’ve scored in the first half and we should’ve been more clinical. 

We tried Piper and Eze together. Perhaps we should’ve waited? I don’t know. They both played about 75% at best, imo.

I know I’m gonna support Rufes and the boys until the season is done. 

We’re on a hiding to nothing. Smith had a good half. Conchie a good 20. LKH and Sheridan did lots of good things. 

Imo, Armiento got space because Najjirine was marked out of it and failed to use it well first half. And perhaps our positioning in the box wasn’t great too- Armiento forced the save, but even with 3 players in the box no one was there to tuck it home, even knowing he’s shooting across the keeper with a left foot. 

I felt the game was there for a player to change for us. But no one did. That Smeltzy composure. Jink to the right. Bury it. 

Don’t hate me for supporting the team. For wanting and hoping they can win. 

"Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland."

They were in LAST place. They have a very young squad lacking in experience. They have conceded the most goals in the league.

The excuses have to stop!!!!

We didnt sink our chances and it cost us profusely but despite the result I think I would still prefer Eze and Piper working together on the field up front. 

Piper is one of our few stand-out committed and "make things happen" players and while his impact off the bench is definitely effective, I don't think we have the squad depth to afford the luxury of being able to have one of the few X-Factor (at least by our squad standard) players sitting on the sidelines for most of the match. 

A few more matches to build that partnership up front and we will see more clean cut chances being burried from the pair of them. 

it didnt look like they were well prepared to be able to do it effectively, that's for sure

Feverish

YoungHeartHM

imanixsupporter

For those who want to blame our defensive performance on having a few senior players missing. A good coach would adjust the setup to help protect the young defensive backline but instead we are just playing the exact same way we have played all season. Call it naiive or call it negligent, it isn't good enough 

I don't normally agree with a lot of what you say, but you are 100% right here. Best XI on the park in this system and it can be effective, but with the outs we've got, and the weak state of our bench, surely you look to make it harder for the opposition? 

Newcastle could have had 5 today and we would have no right to complain...

There is clearly no plan B in play at all, mistakes leading to goals seemingly in every game. Its all just airy-fairy crap being served up all too often. Surely something is going to give very shortly...

Chiefy said post match they had agreed to drop any line at half time 

Feverish

YoungHeartHM

imanixsupporter

For those who want to blame our defensive performance on having a few senior players missing. A good coach would adjust the setup to help protect the young defensive backline but instead we are just playing the exact same way we have played all season. Call it naiive or call it negligent, it isn't good enough 

I don't normally agree with a lot of what you say, but you are 100% right here. Best XI on the park in this system and it can be effective, but with the outs we've got, and the weak state of our bench, surely you look to make it harder for the opposition? 

Newcastle could have had 5 today and we would have no right to complain...

There is clearly no plan B in play at all, mistakes leading to goals seemingly in every game. Its all just airy-fairy crap being served up all too often. Surely something is going to give very shortly...

Chiefy said post match they had agreed to drop any line at half time 

he did pick up the pattern of play for the jets, balls in behind wingbacks and creating chances for deeper runners between our def and mid, not sure if changes addressed that or just a pace mismatch in transition moments

Tactical ignorance more like it.

Smeltz4PM

imanixsupporter

Imagine if Chiefy wasn't stubbornly fixated on one defensive system that doesn't even work and we had a functional back 4 plan B to turn to

Honestly I like Chiefy and want him to succeed more than anything but the obsession with this system, especially when he doesn't have the players available to make it work, it just stink of some sort of tactical arrogance. 
It'll work eventually, you'll see!

Almost at the end of my tether with this club.

I agree, I'd have loved to have played against this defence.

martinb

I don’t give a f about the brand or the casual fan or whatever. 

We were in a tough situation with injuries and put up a fight. Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland. We should’ve scored in the first half and we should’ve been more clinical. 

We tried Piper and Eze together. Perhaps we should’ve waited? I don’t know. They both played about 75% at best, imo.

I know I’m gonna support Rufes and the boys until the season is done. 

We’re on a hiding to nothing. Smith had a good half. Conchie a good 20. LKH and Sheridan did lots of good things. 

Imo, Armiento got space because Najjirine was marked out of it and failed to use it well first half. And perhaps our positioning in the box wasn’t great too- Armiento forced the save, but even with 3 players in the box no one was there to tuck it home, even knowing he’s shooting across the keeper with a left foot. 

I felt the game was there for a player to change for us. But no one did. That Smeltzy composure. Jink to the right. Bury it. 

Don’t hate me for supporting the team. For wanting and hoping they can win. 

 
You need to get real, we are not good team since a while. 8 points out of 8 games and all the good will for the coach and management is used up.
I'm a fan, too, but this is watching a super slow motion car crash, they  need to rip off the band aid and move on from Italiano, he's is not a good coach and something else is rotten in the club. The club owners know it but they all is covering their asses. There is no way this season will magically turn great, this should be the turnaround, the excitement from the big disapointment last year.

LT01

martinb

I don’t give a f about the brand or the casual fan or whatever. 

We were in a tough situation with injuries and put up a fight. Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland. We should’ve scored in the first half and we should’ve been more clinical. 

We tried Piper and Eze together. Perhaps we should’ve waited? I don’t know. They both played about 75% at best, imo.

I know I’m gonna support Rufes and the boys until the season is done. 

We’re on a hiding to nothing. Smith had a good half. Conchie a good 20. LKH and Sheridan did lots of good things. 

Imo, Armiento got space because Najjirine was marked out of it and failed to use it well first half. And perhaps our positioning in the box wasn’t great too- Armiento forced the save, but even with 3 players in the box no one was there to tuck it home, even knowing he’s shooting across the keeper with a left foot. 

I felt the game was there for a player to change for us. But no one did. That Smeltzy composure. Jink to the right. Bury it. 

Don’t hate me for supporting the team. For wanting and hoping they can win. 

"Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland."

They were in LAST place. They have a very young squad lacking in experience. They have conceded the most goals in the league.

The excuses have to stop!!!!

Okay. Who’s buying the team with their millions then? 

No one? The excuses have to stop! Cash in your kiwisavers and get us two senior players in each position. Get us an-ex Bling or Aussie youth group midfielder who’s sister is married to a ref so we get a few calls. Put Singh on a marquee contract. Get us a Championship striker too. Why haven’t you? Your excuses need to stop!

Mortgage a house or two and buy the Nix in a consortium and get in Dwight yorke or Liam Rosenior or the like. Be like MacArthur- be success. 

Football is escapism (well sometimes )- while there’s life there’s hope and I thought there was plenty of ‘realism’ going around in NZ with zombie Ruth Richardson walking the lands. Is it compulsory for your satisfaction I’m absolutely miserable too? 

It’s not a lie that both teams on display today have some big scalps. 
Heidelberg and Auckland are the form teams. Newcastle are the only A league team to beat them. Adelaide were a form team. We shook Auckland to the core in the first derby and contributed to their subsequent draw and loss. 

These are not teams that can’t play football, but teams with injuries and inconsistencies. And yes perhaps inexperienced managers.

I can still enjoy what we did well. 

Someone earlier in the thread called the Nix, the Bazball team of the A league.

I think that is quite accurate. 

The difference however is Bazball was successful initially in its execution.

I do feel sorry for Chief. 

He was told by Dome at the end of last season when his contract was renewed that he had to play a more attractive football style. 

He has gone away, obviously pondered how on earth he was going to achieve that and has settled on the high line.

While it is good to watch, it’s tough to see how he can get consistent results.

Barcelona may achieve it but not the Nix.

Phoenix made Newcastle look like a good side, alas the reality is that Nix are a very poor side.  They seem to lack conviction and a REAL  willingness to try.  They just kept to the script.  No confidence in the Coach's tactics (ps What tactics)?
  

LT01

martinb

I don’t give a f about the brand or the casual fan or whatever. 

We were in a tough situation with injuries and put up a fight. Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland. We should’ve scored in the first half and we should’ve been more clinical. 

We tried Piper and Eze together. Perhaps we should’ve waited? I don’t know. They both played about 75% at best, imo.

I know I’m gonna support Rufes and the boys until the season is done. 

We’re on a hiding to nothing. Smith had a good half. Conchie a good 20. LKH and Sheridan did lots of good things. 

Imo, Armiento got space because Najjirine was marked out of it and failed to use it well first half. And perhaps our positioning in the box wasn’t great too- Armiento forced the save, but even with 3 players in the box no one was there to tuck it home, even knowing he’s shooting across the keeper with a left foot. 

I felt the game was there for a player to change for us. But no one did. That Smeltzy composure. Jink to the right. Bury it. 

Don’t hate me for supporting the team. For wanting and hoping they can win. 

"Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland."

They were in LAST place. They have a very young squad lacking in experience. They have conceded the most goals in the league.

The excuses have to stop!!!!

Yeah but it's almost pointless talking about league positions at the moment, well for the bottom 8 teams anyway.

Only two points separate those spots. It's quite insane. Jets are now 7th, out of the top 6 only on GD, and have 2 home games coming up.

Nix (2nd last) are struggling but there are still 7 other teams within 2 points of them. 

That probably gives Chiefy a 'stay of execution' especially if Nix can beat the Mariners. Win next weekend, and they will be up on the top 6 fringes again. Then you have some players returning from injury/suspension.

I'm a bit torn on whether Italiano should be sacked now or given more time. If Hughes and James are back for CCM, he has less excuses if it is another loss. If it is another loss pressure then really cranks up, facing a big stretch of away Aussie matches. Needless to say it's massive game next Sunday re Chiefy's future.

Some positives? Rufer looked back to his best or near to it. Possibly due to low quality opposition.
Smith I thought played pretty well. Big strong guy, tackles well and good in the air. Good goalline save. Actually passes out from the back well (he's another former / makeshift midfielder, like Sheridan and LKH)  But.. he doesn't run, he lumbers, and I think he will be caught out one day. Noticeable that teammates avoided passing to him early on.
I thought the Nix started the season short one experienced CB, and today highlighted that. LKH did his best but he's simply not a CB IMO, and not the lynchpin of a backline.
Entertaining game.

Who are we looking to bring in? 

Mark Milligan? Won’t come you’d think. 

What coach wants this and can turn this around? Is there a Kiwi coach or someone familiar with NZ with badges?

Des might not be the savior everyone thinks. At least we got a few BS peno calls with Uffie, the Sydney FC heir apparent. 

And yeh, a bit of luck might help. No one said we were unlucky- check yourself-, but a deflection for a goal to go with Eze’s and our moments of quality in delivery and finishing might have been nice. A toe hack going in rather than wide. Something to fire the endorphins. 

coochiee

LT01

martinb

I don’t give a f about the brand or the casual fan or whatever. 

We were in a tough situation with injuries and put up a fight. Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland. We should’ve scored in the first half and we should’ve been more clinical. 

We tried Piper and Eze together. Perhaps we should’ve waited? I don’t know. They both played about 75% at best, imo.

I know I’m gonna support Rufes and the boys until the season is done. 

We’re on a hiding to nothing. Smith had a good half. Conchie a good 20. LKH and Sheridan did lots of good things. 

Imo, Armiento got space because Najjirine was marked out of it and failed to use it well first half. And perhaps our positioning in the box wasn’t great too- Armiento forced the save, but even with 3 players in the box no one was there to tuck it home, even knowing he’s shooting across the keeper with a left foot. 

I felt the game was there for a player to change for us. But no one did. That Smeltzy composure. Jink to the right. Bury it. 

Don’t hate me for supporting the team. For wanting and hoping they can win. 

"Against a team that are FFA Cup champions and beat Auckland."

They were in LAST place. They have a very young squad lacking in experience. They have conceded the most goals in the league.

The excuses have to stop!!!!

Yeah but it's almost pointless talking about league positions at the moment, well for the bottom 8 teams anyway.

Only two points separate those spots. It's quite insane. Jets are now 7th, out of the top 6 on GD, and have 2 home games coming up.

Nix (2nd last) are struggling but there are still 7 other teams within 2 points of them. 

That probably gives Chiefy a 'stay of execution' especially if Nix can beat the Mariners. Win next weekend, and they will be up on the to 6 fringes again. Then you have some players returning from injury/suspension.

I'm a bit torn on whether Italiano should be sacked now or given more time. If Hughes and James are back for CCM, he has less excuses if it is another loss. If it is another loss pressure then really cranks up, facing a big stretch of away Aussie matches. Needless to say it's massive game next Sunday re Chiefy's future.

 
How many more games have we won with our better back line? How many more games have we won with Payne on the pitch? How many games does it will take to get the long term injured player in sync? How long will it take before the coach loses the changing room again?

Ninja

Almost at the end of my tether with this club.

See you next weekend 😊

I mean Bazball had Baz. Human proof you can ramp a six. That’s lazy shorthand. Chief never ramped a six in football equivalent. Newcastle are more like that than us! Milligan scored from halfway maybe iirc. Hence having a bench full of attackers to bring on. 

We’re just NZ cricket with an injured Williamson, but without any first or second generation African reinforcements. We don’t have Stokes or Crowe, though maybe Rufer is a Roger Twose equivalent. Or perhaps even Fleming. We’ve got James Franklin. And Shayne O’Connor. Perhaps even Chris Martin. 

There’s no one guiding it home like Grant Elliot or Watling. There’s no angry ambition, composure matched with skill and desire, no Cairns, no Hadlee, no Baz, no Kane, no Lucas. No one top of the league. No one opposition fear…yet at least. 

We’re the poorer cousins. Maybe not the poorest. But middling. Maybe we can get an Astle or perhaps a fit James and Eze might be that. We don’t have Jimmy Anderson or Starc or anyone top drawer. No Steve Smith, no Ross Taylor, no one averaging over 45 and possibly no one averaging over 40.

For what it's worth.
Two wins this season, Adelaide & the Roar. James has played in both.
Hughes missed the BNE match, and Payne the ADL one.

If Chiefy is sacked, it is probably going to be an in-house hire. Nix have signalled that that is the way they want to do things in the past. They aren't going to spend the money to get in a Corica. And as far as Des is concerned, that ship has sailed. He has more than outgrown the sorts of coaching jobs there are in NZ unfortunately. 

January is just around the corner…

So Greenie? Paul Temple? The physio? 

Maybe we’re better off getting an injury replacement playmaker in? 

imanixsupporter

it didnt look like they were well prepared to be able to do it effectively, that's for sure

Feverish

YoungHeartHM

imanixsupporter

For those who want to blame our defensive performance on having a few senior players missing. A good coach would adjust the setup to help protect the young defensive backline but instead we are just playing the exact same way we have played all season. Call it naiive or call it negligent, it isn't good enough 

I don't normally agree with a lot of what you say, but you are 100% right here. Best XI on the park in this system and it can be effective, but with the outs we've got, and the weak state of our bench, surely you look to make it harder for the opposition? 

Newcastle could have had 5 today and we would have no right to complain...

There is clearly no plan B in play at all, mistakes leading to goals seemingly in every game. Its all just airy-fairy crap being served up all too often. Surely something is going to give very shortly...

Chiefy said post match they had agreed to drop any line at half time 

I find that very hard to believe. 

If he said that, I think he's hanging his players out to dry. 

The high line was present and exposed regularly in the second half,with the wind helping Newcastle most definitely. 

I'm very surprised that game wasn't 8-3, it really should have been.

And I am sick of referees not applying the rules! No yellow cards shown which is an utter joke.

So was he blaming the dropping of the high line at half line for the three goals?

martinb

Who are we looking to bring in? 

Mark Milligan? Won’t come you’d think. 

What coach wants this and can turn this around? Is there a Kiwi coach or someone familiar with NZ with badges?

Des might not be the savior everyone thinks. At least we got a few BS peno calls with Uffie, the Sydney FC heir apparent. 

And yeh, a bit of luck might help. No one said we were unlucky- check yourself-, but a deflection for a goal to go with Eze’s and our moments of quality in delivery and finishing might have been nice. A toe hack going in rather than wide. Something to fire the endorphins. 

Greenacre, Ifill? Both just finished national league seasons. Ifill is liked at Olympic, would be a disruptor but also has the previous playing pedigree to back himself up.

Fenix

imanixsupporter

it didnt look like they were well prepared to be able to do it effectively, that's for sure

Feverish

YoungHeartHM

imanixsupporter

For those who want to blame our defensive performance on having a few senior players missing. A good coach would adjust the setup to help protect the young defensive backline but instead we are just playing the exact same way we have played all season. Call it naiive or call it negligent, it isn't good enough 

I don't normally agree with a lot of what you say, but you are 100% right here. Best XI on the park in this system and it can be effective, but with the outs we've got, and the weak state of our bench, surely you look to make it harder for the opposition? 

Newcastle could have had 5 today and we would have no right to complain...

There is clearly no plan B in play at all, mistakes leading to goals seemingly in every game. Its all just airy-fairy crap being served up all too often. Surely something is going to give very shortly...

Chiefy said post match they had agreed to drop any line at half time 

I find that very hard to believe. 

If he said that, I think he's hanging his players out to dry. 

The high line was present and exposed regularly in the second half,with the wind helping Newcastle most definitely. 

I'm very surprised that game wasn't 8-3, it really should have been.

And I am sick of referees not applying the rules! No yellow cards shown which is an utter joke.

 chiefy most definitely used the word 'we'. Apparently the whole team is the manager now. Perhaps we should just save the money and have the team manage themselves.

I mean it isnt necessarily a bad thing that there is decent communication between team and coaches and that the players have an input. Baze is quite open about that happening at the All Whites. That by itself I have no issue with

My wife asked how she could help. I said if she wanted she could manage the Nix. She said no, because she wasn’t any good at football. 
I said that the forum think the current coach isn’t either. And we realised she has watched all the seasons of Ted Lasso, so we are fully prepared for the club to pay for an expensive convenient urban apartment for us to live in…

Though I suppose Wellington doesn’t have the tube or the mythology of the home ground in quite the same way…

imanixsupporter

I mean it isnt necessarily a bad thing that there is decent communicatiom between team and coaches and that the players have an input. Baze is quite open about that happening at the All Whites. That by itself I have no issue with

This was supposed to be THE thing Des did- make the group take responsibility for itself and standards.

martinb

I mean Bazball had Baz. Human proof you can ramp a six. That’s lazy shorthand. Chief never ramped a six in football equivalent. Newcastle are more like that than us! Milligan scored from halfway maybe iirc. Hence having a bench full of attackers to bring on. 

We’re just NZ cricket with an injured Williamson, but without any first or second generation African reinforcements. We don’t have Stokes or Crowe, though maybe Rufer is a Roger Twose equivalent. Or perhaps even Fleming. We’ve got James Franklin. And Shayne O’Connor. Perhaps even Chris Martin. 

There’s no one guiding it home like Grant Elliot or Watling. There’s no angry ambition, composure matched with skill and desire, no Cairns, no Hadlee, no Baz, no Kane, no Lucas. No one top of the league. No one opposition fear…yet at least. 

We’re the poorer cousins. Maybe not the poorest. But middling. Maybe we can get an Astle or perhaps a fit James and Eze might be that. We don’t have Jimmy Anderson or Starc or anyone top drawer. No Steve Smith, no Ross Taylor, no one averaging over 45 and possibly no one averaging over 40.

I think for this metaphor

Rufer = second half of career Vettori where he had to learn how to score centuries and self-promote up the order to a proper all rounder role. In this case Rufer has had to learn how to score goals. 

Rest of the team = the ever rotating cast of nowhere near the required standard plunket shield battlers who all got a turn at trying and failing to plug the top order gap - Matt Horne, Matthew Bell, Craig Cumming, Daniel Flynn, James Marshall, Rob Nicol, Michael Papps, Shannon Stewart, Gareth Hopkins, Peter Ingram and many more take your pick...

In terms of if they were to do the unprecedented and unthinkable sacking of Chiefy, who steps in? Well Paul Ifill just finished up with Olympic and is a passionate club man that will n doubt he hurting to see the Nix in the current state they are in...

Tuesday ???

anaveragestem

Ninja

Almost at the end of my tether with this club.

See you next weekend 😊

nixin

Some positives? Rufer looked back to his best or near to it. Possibly due to low quality opposition.
Smith I thought played pretty well. Big strong guy, tackles well and good in the air. Good goalline save. Actually passes out from the back well (he's another former / makeshift midfielder, like Sheridan and LKH)  But.. he doesn't run, he lumbers, and I think he will be caught out one day. Noticeable that teammates avoided passing to him early on.
I thought the Nix started the season short one experienced CB, and today highlighted that. LKH did his best but he's simply not a CB IMO, and not the lynchpin of a backline.
Entertaining game.

i like your point about running / lumbering. it comes from a systems focus at the expense of winning duals, as well as the obvious lack of conditioning / sprint training. seems to be a common NZ footballer thing that shows up worse on the big guys.

I’m still struggling to think who on earth is the injured Williamson?

Surely we are not elevating Payne to his level?

Rock Hopper

martinb

I mean Bazball had Baz. Human proof you can ramp a six. That’s lazy shorthand. Chief never ramped a six in football equivalent. Newcastle are more like that than us! Milligan scored from halfway maybe iirc. Hence having a bench full of attackers to bring on. 

We’re just NZ cricket with an injured Williamson, but without any first or second generation African reinforcements. We don’t have Stokes or Crowe, though maybe Rufer is a Roger Twose equivalent. Or perhaps even Fleming. We’ve got James Franklin. And Shayne O’Connor. Perhaps even Chris Martin. 

There’s no one guiding it home like Grant Elliot or Watling. There’s no angry ambition, composure matched with skill and desire, no Cairns, no Hadlee, no Baz, no Kane, no Lucas. No one top of the league. No one opposition fear…yet at least. 

We’re the poorer cousins. Maybe not the poorest. But middling. Maybe we can get an Astle or perhaps a fit James and Eze might be that. We don’t have Jimmy Anderson or Starc or anyone top drawer. No Steve Smith, no Ross Taylor, no one averaging over 45 and possibly no one averaging over 40.

I think for this metaphor

Rufer = second half of career Vettori where he had to learn how to score centuries and self-promote up the order to a proper all rounder role. In this case Rufer has had to learn how to score goals. 

Rest of the team = the ever rotating cast of nowhere near the required standard plunket shield battlers who all got a turn at trying and failing to plug the top order gap - Matt Horne, Matthew Bell, Craig Cumming, Daniel Flynn, James Marshall, Rob Nicol, Michael Papps, Shannon Stewart, Gareth Hopkins, Peter Ingram and many more take your pick...

In terms of if they were to do the unprecedented and unthinkable sacking of Chiefy, who steps in? Well Paul Ifill just finished up with Olympic and is a passionate club man that will n doubt he hurting to see the Nix in the current state they are in...

Lol. Wynton, obviously.

The only thing with Vettori is he tried to do everything himself, which is a trap Rufer isn’t failing into. He was coach, captain, best bowler, opened the batting at one point right? 

Some of those stop gap openers were handy enough though? Geez. Guess they’re Sheridan and LKH. Matt Horne hit a couple of big hundreds. Bell a case of the might have beens. The Marshall brothers had the talent. The others I can’t really remember that well. Flynn and Papps vaguely. Throw 2 meter Peter in there. 

AucklandPhoenix

I’m still struggling to think who on earth is the injured Williamson?

Surely we are not elevating Payne to his level?

Rock Hopper

martinb

I mean Bazball had Baz. Human proof you can ramp a six. That’s lazy shorthand. Chief never ramped a six in football equivalent. Newcastle are more like that than us! Milligan scored from halfway maybe iirc. Hence having a bench full of attackers to bring on. 

We’re just NZ cricket with an injured Williamson, but without any first or second generation African reinforcements. We don’t have Stokes or Crowe, though maybe Rufer is a Roger Twose equivalent. Or perhaps even Fleming. We’ve got James Franklin. And Shayne O’Connor. Perhaps even Chris Martin. 

There’s no one guiding it home like Grant Elliot or Watling. There’s no angry ambition, composure matched with skill and desire, no Cairns, no Hadlee, no Baz, no Kane, no Lucas. No one top of the league. No one opposition fear…yet at least. 

We’re the poorer cousins. Maybe not the poorest. But middling. Maybe we can get an Astle or perhaps a fit James and Eze might be that. We don’t have Jimmy Anderson or Starc or anyone top drawer. No Steve Smith, no Ross Taylor, no one averaging over 45 and possibly no one averaging over 40.

I think for this metaphor

Rufer = second half of career Vettori where he had to learn how to score centuries and self-promote up the order to a proper all rounder role. In this case Rufer has had to learn how to score goals. 

Rest of the team = the ever rotating cast of nowhere near the required standard plunket shield battlers who all got a turn at trying and failing to plug the top order gap - Matt Horne, Matthew Bell, Craig Cumming, Daniel Flynn, James Marshall, Rob Nicol, Michael Papps, Shannon Stewart, Gareth Hopkins, Peter Ingram and many more take your pick...

In terms of if they were to do the unprecedented and unthinkable sacking of Chiefy, who steps in? Well Paul Ifill just finished up with Olympic and is a passionate club man that will n doubt he hurting to see the Nix in the current state they are in...

I think the loss of Ishige combined with the season long absences of Mileusnic and Retre and the only recent return from injury of Najjarine kinda covers the missing Williamson thing.

mjp2

AucklandPhoenix

I’m still struggling to think who on earth is the injured Williamson?

Surely we are not elevating Payne to his level?

Rock Hopper

martinb

I mean Bazball had Baz. Human proof you can ramp a six. That’s lazy shorthand. Chief never ramped a six in football equivalent. Newcastle are more like that than us! Milligan scored from halfway maybe iirc. Hence having a bench full of attackers to bring on. 

We’re just NZ cricket with an injured Williamson, but without any first or second generation African reinforcements. We don’t have Stokes or Crowe, though maybe Rufer is a Roger Twose equivalent. Or perhaps even Fleming. We’ve got James Franklin. And Shayne O’Connor. Perhaps even Chris Martin. 

There’s no one guiding it home like Grant Elliot or Watling. There’s no angry ambition, composure matched with skill and desire, no Cairns, no Hadlee, no Baz, no Kane, no Lucas. No one top of the league. No one opposition fear…yet at least. 

We’re the poorer cousins. Maybe not the poorest. But middling. Maybe we can get an Astle or perhaps a fit James and Eze might be that. We don’t have Jimmy Anderson or Starc or anyone top drawer. No Steve Smith, no Ross Taylor, no one averaging over 45 and possibly no one averaging over 40.

I think for this metaphor

Rufer = second half of career Vettori where he had to learn how to score centuries and self-promote up the order to a proper all rounder role. In this case Rufer has had to learn how to score goals. 

Rest of the team = the ever rotating cast of nowhere near the required standard plunket shield battlers who all got a turn at trying and failing to plug the top order gap - Matt Horne, Matthew Bell, Craig Cumming, Daniel Flynn, James Marshall, Rob Nicol, Michael Papps, Shannon Stewart, Gareth Hopkins, Peter Ingram and many more take your pick...

In terms of if they were to do the unprecedented and unthinkable sacking of Chiefy, who steps in? Well Paul Ifill just finished up with Olympic and is a passionate club man that will n doubt he hurting to see the Nix in the current state they are in...

I think the loss of Ishige combined with the season long absences of Mileusnic and Retre and the only recent return from injury of Najjarine kinda covers the missing Williamson thing.

Moneyball- 3 players with strengths but limitations aggregate to one great of the game! 

Very generous of you. 

AucklandPhoenix

So was he blaming the dropping of the high line at half line for the three goals?

I think he was saying that they'd talked at half time about the mids dropping off the high line press earlier in some situations to help them manage the transition to defence better. But that they had got caught pressing when he'd intended for them to have dropped off.