R8 vs Central Coast Mariners | Sat Nov 25 | 7:35pm | RoF

Umm sorry Doloras? There are a number of players besides Iffy and Greenacre that are exceptions to your ridiculous rule. As Ryan mentioned Bonevacia's career really progressed here. He was a fringe player in the Eredivisie - yes, but not looking likely to kick on. At the Nix he was outstanding for periods leading him to being signed by WSW. Sure he slowed down a bit, but he was still a top player. Your also saying Rossi has declined - sure but a wee bit unfair when he was solid for us last season and has been plagued with injury niggles throughout this season. Who else declined when they were here?

I can rattle of a number of players who enjoyed great success at the nix - both foreigners and locals - and showed signs of improvement:

Krishna

Ifill

Greenacre

Riera

Jon McKain

Daniel

Huysegems

Vukovic and Reddy both played exceptionally for us

Nathan Burns

Muscat

Sh*t, even Eugene Dadi did alright for us.

I'd be throwing Durante into that list as well, may not have improved significantly but performed consistently well, as have other signings. Generally speaking, over the years players who haven't performed for us haven't performed since Day 1.

Pretty lucky you're not coaching the team then

Don't agree with that, I think he has had very little influence on games this season.  

Newcastle away was absolutely hopeless as well...

He's been hit and miss, but he was great vs Perth and he's only started 3 games so far, so 1 great performance, 1 average one (Newcastle) and 1 where he got fudge all ball (CCM) aren't enough for me to write him off.

Obviously there's some knees around here that jerk quicker than mine though.

But clearly you've never played at a level where playing football was your job so this is all completely meaningless in the context of pro sport

I have high expectations on him for sure.  He has to be a "difference maker" for us given what he's being paid and where he plays.  Against Perth he was decent in a good team performance, I was at that game and wouldn't have had him in our top 3.  He went completely missing on Saturday.

I'm also quite down on Abbas.  His distribution on Saturday was soo bad and as he's a so so defender he has to make up for it with good attacking.  I'd actually be interested to trying to stiffen up that side and play him in front of Doyle.

Abbas drives me mental. Constantly runs into blind alleys and then passes to the oppotsition.

Anyone else also find it hard to identify with the team on Saturday given that it contained no genuine kiwis?

Ridenton

I thought Ridenton was poor on Saturday but has generally been good, but I'd be keen to see how Abbas and Paracki did as a combo at the base of the midfield. 

Regardless of that though I think Doyle is clearly our best LB option

Whether or not you agree with Doloras, she has raised an interesting and valid point that has you all talking. The team and team culture. It does have you all commenting which is the point of this site. Doloras is as passionate about the Nix club as anyone. Good on her for saying something she feels genuine about.

...still haven't recovered yet...

Some former QPR mercenaries performed exactly like Doloras has hinted. End of their careers and just wanted the last big pay day cheques. Could happen here. Roly wasn't that inspirational last season....... Finkler this season to some people .....

Elrich was tidy until he scored that goal

Explain Jeffrey Sarpong.

I think the space Abbas gives the wingers is due to the fact he turns like the Queen Mary when the ball is played behind him, and he's getting back to cover them cutting inside. (As an overweight fullback who never had a turn of pace to start with, I'm very familiar with that type of run). I sit near RR, who thinks it might be due to his previous injuries. 

I'm not convinced he lacks pace, as there have been times, especially chasing back from an attacking corner, when he's covered the ground quite quickly.

Just close this thread mods. We're going nowhere.

He was signed as a goal scorer despite never scoring goals, Merick also said in an interview that when Sarpong arrived he realised that Sarpong had basically no interest in football. He was certainly extremely active with his hobbies, even months after leaving the Nix he was hanging around in NZ with church folk and not looking for another football gig.

There is a difference between people telling you that you're wrong (many have) and telling you that you're dumb (nobody has).

Raising all sorts of theories is part of being a devoted fan, and the more devoted and loyal we are to the Nix the more heated the arguments we are having.  No-one tells you that you "should go away" either and I for one certainly hope you don't.  And raising wild and weird speculations is classic Yellow Fever - we all do this and then get shot down in flames about it, so there are no reasons for you to be defensive just because most seem to disagree with you on the point of "dragging down to the existing level". 

Personally I disagree with your thought that Darije Kalezic has finally "seen the truth about the Nix" and is ready to pack up.  I have no proof of that, and it seems unlikely. Coaching work at his level is hard to get so if he wanted his CV to look good he would not be taking it easy for the rest of the season, but rather the contrary. Turning the Nix around would give him good brownie points for future work at this level.

Another argument against your suggestion is that while Kalesic might not have known the Nix very well (actually I think he did, because he was one of the applicants when Ernie was employed), his top class assistant Rado Vidosic would have seen a lot of Nix over the years and clearly would have warned Darije about coming here, let alone wanting to come to work here himself.  Rado is no fool.

Your other point about "culture of mediocrity" actually has some merit. I personally think that there are several players who would always aim to excel and do their best. Sigmund was one, and Krishna is another as is McGlinchey. Despite his limitations (age, lack of sufficient speed to correct a mistake) Dura is also an example of a committed player as is clearly Paracki, a newcomer.    And equally it is true that if on a given gameday there are others on the field who simply have not sorted their shark together (Abbas against CCM is an example) then it is easy for others to take an easy way out and not chase a hopeless ball (Finkler is an example here). Conversely, on a good day even the loafers perform like Serie A players (like Finkler against Perth).

I would say there is something to do with (lack of) mental toughness in this team which makes them wilt under direct pressure, and this is probably across key positions. We have all seen that when challenged the team could not string a couple of passes accurately against CCM. We were slow, inaccurate and could not play our way out of defence, whereas Perth two weeks earlier was guilty of the same sin and we thumped them.  They had a bad day against us and against Melbourne Victory later.

This issue of uneven performance and mental attitude has been discussed earlier and I am sure it is a topic that will be returning now and then, depending on which Phoenix turns up on a gameday.

Mainland FC

Puts on helmet and enters the argument, when I read Doloras's post a few days ago I posted it was very sad that such a loyal fan feels that way about a team she obviously cares so much about.... Further willing to risk the ire of fellow posters....

I also wondered if she had one of those glimpses where its ""head on nail time"""

Some time ago I was a reasonably regular poster. Then about the time Gallop was appointed I suggested a NZ spot was not guaranteed nor should it be expected to be. Many arguments followed...  

What is strange roughly two or three years after I started and stopped posting on this issue... NZ where not given a licence as long as everyone else for many of the reasons I had alluded too.

Now going back to those arguments.... the key for me was assumed entitlement, dis-trust of FFA, dis-trust of AFC, and that somehow everything was piled against you in some kinda Aussie conspiracy ...

Rarely where the issues discussed it was always, Buckley, Gallop, Lowy, FFA and Aussies fault ...

I have no idea if this same reasoning sits within the walls of your ownership group. Always the excuses were made for the crowds, ratings, media space.... but owing the issues and saying we have to get better ... from afar lets look at our record gets lets space than looking to blame someone else.

Even the NZ Association seemed to stuff up and not even understand simple FIFA registration requirements ... and what did they do start to blame people.... and some on this site stood by them and blamed others...

Believe me I am not trying to start a war or drag up old fires .... but from afar and I could be wrong but if fits into the Doloras idea of  not trying ... its easier to blame others than accept ownership of a problem.

Yawn

I believe without even logging on to check the Melbourne Victory forum that  fans  will be posting similar to the contributors/detractors here.

The on field actions have very little to do with the ownership/licence  or FFA - Club owner battles.

Was there any follow-up on the non handball and lack of intervention by the VAR just before half time.  What was the difference to the incident in the Wanderers game where Cornthwaite was sent off, and similarly the penalty Sydney got in their game.

If there is any merit to the wrong culture theory, you need to look at what are the commonalities between the Herbert/Merrick days and now, and the answer is not much. Different coaches, mostly different players. So if there is a rot, it must either be one or more of the players or the club management/administration. 

Its hard to think that any of the players have enough of a sway to have such a detrimental effect. Durante has been around the whole time, is captain and may be a suspect, who knows. 

We've put plenty of blame on the club in the past but they seem to be making an effort in attracting respected coaches but I'm still uneasy with some comments you hear like aiming for top 6 etc, I don't think those are the words of a club that are hungry to win.

I think there is a problem with who the players we have brought to the club. We have a couple of players that dont seem to be effective when playing with others who were employed for essentially the same positon ( Finkler and McG) and we are still seeing players playing out of position. Then mind boggling decisions like signing a player like Watson to a 3 year deal!!!!. Do those problems go away when Dario has had the opportunity to make the team bis own? I hope so.

Yeah the issue is recruitment over the previous two seasons and then recruitment inherited by the coaches this season.

I think the travel factor is square amongst this.

Does the travel factor really affect our ability to win at home though ?

I think there's something to theory put forth earllier that the club aiming for 6th is part of the problem. It's just so damn unambitious. If that's the level of desire and confidence at the top then why would you expect people lower in the chain to be expecting a higher standard. And even if senior players coaching staff are more ambitious their position is undermined when the GM and owners just see playoffs as success

The coaches and players have been talking about winning, Dome said his opinion is the signings of the Nix and the other clubs had us as top six not that that is where they're aiming.

Perth have a bit of travel too and historically perform at the lower end of the table.

The obvious solution is to give Auckland FC a new licence, to cut down on the number of games we need to travel to. And, nothing beats a good derby.

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