3
Loading ...
How the Phoenix got the game-plan wrong
March 15 2010 (4 days ago)
There was a fair bit made by Ricki Herbert about Chris Payne’s hand-ball goal on Saturday night, and how it changed the game. He obviously had a point, but I felt that focus deflected the attention away from some serious errors in the Wellington game-plan.
Realfootball, Strebre Delovski is undoubtedly our best. I was the first to say as such last season, when other referees were getting the accolades and big games.
Having said that, I don’t feel he’s had as good a season this year as he did last year, and I don’t feel last night was necessarily one of his better games.
Not that the players, one either side, helped.
Muscat is always in the ref’s ear, whoever the ref, but last night he had a few helpers, with Vargas and Leijer particularly constant.
I have generally been loathe to criticise referees, feeling they need to be encouraged (the game needs them), but that decision, I felt, was soft. Brosque made the most of it, and it is hard to blame him given players on both sides were looking for every little advantage.
I thought Brosque did well to get his body in front of Leijer, and made of the most of light contact.
As for the assistant refs, that has been my bugbear all season, the amount of times they get offside calls wrong. I can’t say I had a particularly conclusive angle at the stadium, but there was one a touch earlier when Archie was flagged when he looked to be on side.
Gripping night at the SFS as the GF heads to familiar turf (58)
March 8th, 2010
–A crucial Asia Cup qualifier it is….
Spot on Mick.
To some extent the lack of interest in Brissy is a direct result of what whiskeymac described as “taking the pi$$” and there has been far too much of that from football administrators at both club and governing body..
Who can blame the punters who have been stung by hefty ticket prices, the blatant grab for $$, from having a generally apathetic attitude towards continually forking out…
I wrote about this in the pre-season on the Roar;
http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/07/09/golden-chance-missed-in-the-rush-for-gold/
FFA are at least trying to address this with more reasonable prices for this match, but it’s going to take much more work to re-engage the masses and keep the engaged.
Football administrators must never take their constituents for granted.
Brisbane, it's time to show your true colours (62)
March 2nd, 2010
Midfielder, my team would be this;
———————-Galekovic——————-
——————————————————
Marrone——-Milligan—–Colosimo——Thompson
———————————————————-
——————-Wilkshire—–Burns————–
—————————-Culina——————–
——Leckie——————————Oar—–
————————–Kennedy——————
Based on what’s coming out of Brissy, it won’t be the starting line up. Here are a few points;
Fox are reporting tonight that Cole will get the right back spot (I have my doubts about his pace and defensive work, but suggest Pim may go for him because of his crossing – with the obvious target being Kennedy – decent enough logic). Marrone is a better defender and can come forward.
Sterjovski has been in all the mooted teams but Leckie’s form is better and he would work better feeding off Kennedy. Mile gets in for expereince, and you can hardly fault that call given the options.
Fox are also reporting that Jamieson gets the left back gig, and again that would be for his ability to deliver to Kennedy and his natural left foot.
The same goes with Oar. I have my doubts about his ability to beat a man 1v1, but he can certainly cross a ball and, with Oz expected to be making the play, he will get crossing opportunities. If we were playing a team that pressed forward more, I would rather Leckie on the left hand side on the counter.
It’s obvious what the game plan is, aerial assault for Kennedy, but I wonder if there would have been some logic in getting guys like Leckie and Thompson to drive in and around Kennedy, for Maman and Abdurahman will double team him if he is isolated. Maybe that’s Plan B if Pim can’t penetrate from the flanks.
Brisbane, it's time to show your true colours (62)
March 2nd, 2010