WPM R19 vs Sydney FC | Sun 1st Mar | 3:00pm | RoF / SS2

That was an enjoyable first half. The players seem to be responding to the changes well 

We had the better of that half vs a top 4 side.  And because we've not gifted a goal in defence for a change, we are totally still in this.

May it continue.

Just a little bit of luck or a little bit of quality to have a shot at the best result. Hard work to do to make sure Sydney don't get a fast start to the second half.

COYN

Outpost

Fenix

If that's "normal football contact ", I don't want to watch anymore.

He was barged off the ball,with no attempt to play the ball. You cannot do that.

I feel you. VAR inconsistency and downright stupidity has serious degraded my enjoyment of the A League over the last few years. 

Have a look at the Eli Adams disallowed goal in the Jets v CCM game last night: beautiful goal, ruled out by a laughable VAR interpretation of an obscure offside technicality. The very definition of an anti-football mentality. And they wonder why people aren't turning up to the games.

that to me was more clear, its not an obscure offside technicality - interfering with play in an offside position.

players looking to play forward, and if not bounce it to someone else to play forward, is a nice refreshing change :-)

good signs already

It’s crazy how much better Ramy and Retre look lol 

Couple things I've noticed, the dms maybe not dropping into the backline to build up play as often and the wide cbs more freedom to attack space in front of them

Bugger. Heads up, go again

And that's the season over. Disappointing.

All that positivity in first half just gone due to some hopeless defending as per usual

That was James leaving popovic possibly looking to block ball played back instead of across

Real lack of desperation in defense there. Like 3 guys jogging back ball watching 

Nixieboys222

That doesn’t sound menacing or threatening whatsoever..

martinb

Have started to make a GiveaLittle page to sent a joke present of some sort to be sent to the refs.

Need the YF bank account dets to continue. Who should I contact?

 

 
Completely not- you can send a bag of chocolate dicks or some such from the YellowFever…! Don’t be an idiot about it. But, also, I think it’s more than appropriate.

Givealittle story: 

Hi, 

Passionate Wellington Phoenix fan. The VAR has cancelled a second penalty call against us when it has no business being involved. It compares poorly too, to interventions in the second derby and another recent intervention to give us a penalty that was rejected by the onfield referee. 

I’d love to fundraise to send them an Isuzu Ute load of bullcrap or a bag of dicks or some appropriate gesture chosen by someone wiser than me at the YellowFever HQ where I will be sending this money. 

No one deserves this more!

Nice roll and turn by Piper. Another chance goes begging.

Najjarine is so far below the required level

I guess that's a positional change but Nagasawa is not the player I would've wanted to come off. Has looked good today.

Disappointing Kazu off, but Greenie must want the wide 10s to cut in with their strong foot so Najjarine stays on

Need to get Armiento involved a bit more. Hasn't seen much ball this half

I promise to stop whining but that foul on LBS was wayyy softer than the pen that was “not a foul”

Quite disappointed in our attitude this half. No tangible increased motivation to score after going behind. Feels like a training game. 

This first 80 minutes makes me feel Chief was not the issue.

theaucklandphoenixfan

This first 80 minutes makes me feel Chief was not the issue.

 He recruited these players.

I hate the way this is reffed.
It takes an age to get the ball back into play, goalkicks especially. 

theaucklandphoenixfan

This first 80 minutes makes me feel Chief was not the issue.

Still not good enough, players are only playing well for a 'new manager bounce' and cannot beat a bang average Sydney FC.

An Uffie masterclass in time wasting.

Sleeping walking to a loss here, no urgency or motivation it seems 😔 

Cowardly approach from Greenacre. Intentionally not shaking things up and just staying with the Chiefy plan. Hope we see something more different next week

Nixieboys222

Sleeping walking to a loss here, no urgency or motivation it seems 😔 

Because half the players don't care.

Nixieboys222

Sleeping walking to a loss here, no urgency or motivation it seems 😔 

That's not what I'm seeing. They look plenty committed to me.  Problem is this team just doesn't have enough high quality, game changing players to produce some big chances. 

observerfromuh

theaucklandphoenixfan

This first 80 minutes makes me feel Chief was not the issue.

Still not good enough, players are only playing well for a 'new manager bounce' and cannot beat a bang average Sydney FC.

I don’t think you have understood what I was saying 

theaucklandphoenixfan

observerfromuh

theaucklandphoenixfan

This first 80 minutes makes me feel Chief was not the issue.

Still not good enough, players are only playing well for a 'new manager bounce' and cannot beat a bang average Sydney FC.

I don’t think you have understood what I was saying 

sorry read it wrong, the squad is bang average and i agree. if they actually cared they would have been more attacking and have a intent to win from minute one.

Should give the fans that got their ticket for free their money back.

Maybe lack of motivation is the wrong use of word, lack of quality is probably te better alternative. Apologies for that 

Outpost

Nixieboys222

Sleeping walking to a loss here, no urgency or motivation it seems 😔 

That's not what I'm seeing. They look plenty committed to me.  Problem is this team just doesn't have enough high quality, game changing players to produce some big chances. 

I've lost it.

A game poorly played and poorly reffed.

So much wrong with this game.

no pride, no effort, no care. could have just cost Greenie any chance of getting the gig full time.

Only the first half hour was any good. Rest of the game felt like groundhog day

observerfromuh

theaucklandphoenixfan

observerfromuh

theaucklandphoenixfan

This first 80 minutes makes me feel Chief was not the issue.

Still not good enough, players are only playing well for a 'new manager bounce' and cannot beat a bang average Sydney FC.

I don’t think you have understood what I was saying 

sorry read it wrong, the squad is bang average and i agree. if they actually cared they would have been more attacking and have a intent to win from minute one.

Should give the fans that got their ticket for free their money back.

Exactly.
That was a flat 90 minutes with no real intent. The first half was just ok, second was worse if you did not know the score you would think we were winning with no intent to go forward.
Eze not there so that makes it harder 

Well, that was forgettable. At least we didn't needlessly pass the ball backwards too much. A little more direct going forward but an error prone defence and utterly toothless attack has let us down yet again.
That's the season done beyond any doubt.

On another note, players I definitely don't want to see again next season:
Nagasawa (toothless)
Retre (seems mentally absent)
Najarine (has he done anything?)
Mileusnic (just meh)
James (bang average)

I'll go to the Chch game as its close to home, bit think my SKY subscription will be canceled today. Save myself some $

All the aussies in our team looking way too friendly with the sydney guys at full time.

Get em all out. Even armiento after today, he was terrible. If we are going to lose all the time i would rather we did it with kiwis

InsulinMachine

Well, that was forgettable. At least we didn't needlessly pass the ball backwards too much. A little more direct going forward but an error prone defence and utterly toothless attack has let us down yet again.
That's the season done beyond any doubt.

On another note, players I definitely don't want to see again next season:
Nagasawa (toothless)
Retre (seems mentally absent)
Najarine (has he done anything?)
Mileusnic (just meh)
James (bang average)

I'll go to the Chch game as its close to home, bit think my SKY subscription will be canceled today. Save myself some $

 
Seems fairly harsh on Nagasawa and James based on today’s effort? 

tell you this, if we lose by 2 goals on Friday. Greenie can kiss his A-League managerial career goodbye. to deliver this dross is bad.

InsulinMachine

Well, that was forgettable. At least we didn't needlessly pass the ball backwards too much. A little more direct going forward but an error prone defence and utterly toothless attack has let us down yet again.
That's the season done beyond any doubt.

On another note, players I definitely don't want to see again next season:
Nagasawa (toothless)
Retre (seems mentally absent)
Najarine (has he done anything?)
Mileusnic (just meh)
James (bang average)

I'll go to the Chch game as its close to home, bit think my SKY subscription will be canceled today. Save myself some $

Nagasawa? Really? 

We left at half time as the boys desire to play with their new birthday Lego was too strong (fair enough). There were moments of acceptable play and I still don’t understand why there wasn’t a pen and a red. The ref was atrocious. Honestly, a waste of space. Boys are still undefeated watching the men’s, I’ll take it 🙈