R24 vs Newcastle | Sun 26th March | 7:00pm | RoF

Rossi is an excellent A League defender and is single-handedly responsible for us not conceding a truckload of goals down the left when Parkhouse has been out of position, and is constantly in the right place at the right time. In games he's played this season we average 1.38 goals conceded, in games he's missed that shoots up to 4.

His positioning and reading of the game is top class and IMO he'd walk into any A League side. But that should be expected for a guy who is still in his 20s and was good enough to be a starting CB in Serie A.

Why does an import need to be a star? (and Burns wasn't an import)

That is an amazing stat

I have him missing 4 games. Round 4, 17, 19, 22. Totalling 14 goals

Ugh, maths. So, the Nix page says 20 games so I'll take that and say he missed r17. Then that's 14 goals in 4 games he hasn't played, at 3.5 per game, and 27 goals in 20 he has played at 1.35. if he did play r17 then that's 12 in 3, or 4 per game, and 29 in 21 where did play so 1.38 per game. How can they both go down? Shouldn't one figure go up and the other down?

Rossi is one of the best players we've had at the club, but as a CB he doesn't get the rave reviews of an Ifill or Burns. Everything he does oozes class and he's done a lot of covering up for how bad Durante has been this season, and Parkhouse when he's been in the backline.

It's because in the round in question we conceded 2 goals, more than the average than the other games he played, and less than the average than when he didn't. Like when New Zealanders move to Australia and raise the IQ of both countries (Muldoon)

See Will Rogers phenomenon

That's obvious when you think about it. I blame being at work for brain failure.

Anyhow: Rossi = good

Related to this, the Tratt, Dura, Rossi, Doyle combination has let in 9 goals in 8 games (played every team except City). All other games it's 32 goals in 16 games. 

That's my favourite back four... although I am happy to start looking beyond Durante (who I think has been better this year than last year)

It's funny, I thought Rossi was injured more than that. Maybe it's just those horendous games where we ship a ton of goals stick in my mind more.

I've got 5 goals in 1310 minutes for Watson, which if you divide by 90 is around 15 full games. Considering both him and the team have had a lean spell recently that's not bad. 

While Simon was prolific, he was also in a team that was competing for the top 3 spots, so he was getting fairly handy service and the defence was being distracted by the players around him. 

I don't see why Watson couldn't develop to be as handy as Simon. He's in a bit of a dip, but still contributing handily. I wouldn't want to lose him from the 'Nix, unless he got a better contract overseas. 

http://www.ultimatealeague.com/player_detail.php?p...    Matt Simon

http://www.ultimatealeague.com/player_detail.php?p...    Hamish Watson

Think he's contributed more than either Powell or Appiah did. Definitely more than Brownlie, Chen, George or Toto. I'd say more than Coveny or Kwasnik. Even though I loved Smeltz and Horse as an attack.

That leaves D-Mac 14(7) and Greenacre 84(19) as targets for his level of contribution to the club. I think he could definitely aim towards that level. He's been a good club man and squad player in this stint. 

4 of those were against CCM and the Jets.

That is a great analysis, and I stand corrected. Thanks CT for digging it up.

Does that mean they don't count?

Has anyone in our team been scoring bucket loads against anyone else in the last year? 

Krishna has 11, Finkler has 5, as does Kosta and no one else has more than 2 for the season. 

With 3 of Finkler's and 2 of Kosta's coming in the last 3 games this really means NO ONE aside from Krishna has been scoring many goals against the top of the table.

Roly did that in the end...huge deflection for his goal from outside the box. Mikey did that against Fiji, as did Lewis.

Has been some woeful shooting from a number of players this season but seems it counts more for Watson to have been doing it than others.Like some people with A Rod it seems Watson has his haters as well and doubt it would matter much if he did things better he still wouldnt be rated.

whatever is rubbing the wrong way ;nervous or attitude , they dont gel well,