Round 18. Newcastle away.

[style_cafe]

Week after week we stand off and let attackers just walk the ball up the pitch and into our penalty box, we TRY to cut passing lanes and block shots but generally we dont apply any pressure in the midfield.

While i think Staj is a good manager, it would seem we have a distinct lack of coaches in our staff, namely a Defensive coach and Striker coach.

Maybe Ernie could come in as a consultant?

 

[onto it]

We had no fight in two obviously critical games and that's unforgivable. Mistakes happen, you cop unlucky moments or a worldie sometimes, players have bad games but almost the whole team couldnt care less yesterday and barely turned up for Brisbane. It could be Staj losing the dressing room but I do wonder if there has been some drama in the January window we dont know about, influential figures not offered extensions? Signings elsewhere we don't know yet? The guys arent playing for each other or themselves and certainly not for the club & fans. If we had the depth I'd rest Duric, Stensness and Silvera after that effort but if needed let Stensness play.

Silvera was simply absent. He doesn't have a shred of defender in his body. It seems all he is interested in are the glory moments. What a goose.
Duric at least tries. He just seems to be too old for the job. No pace and no stamina. Has he got enough of a skillset to be a number 10 and to press? I feel he is not a strong presser for 90.
Stens passing has gone to shite since the beginnin gothe season. What is going on there? I agree that the young lads need some personal skills coaching to grow, not just strategy work. His defending was the strongest of the three but he needs to close the space between the lines quicker - though that is a pointless exercise if Duric is still panting back and Silvera has no intention of getting there.
As a team effort, it was shambolic.

 

[turbo]

Duric at least tries. He just seems to be too old for the job. No pace and no stamina.

How has he gone to shit in a space of weeks? People here were tearing shreds off the club saying he was too old in the contract rumour and now that looks bang on. He’s either carrying an injury or stopped caring. Execution when he did get moments in dangerous spaces was so far from what we are used to from him.

 

[onto it]

IMO we keep burning money trying to have "depth" which is just a team of squadies.
Fill the first xi with the best quality we can afford then get the squaddies we can afford.

Just found this post Ads. Stens as a CB isn't a bad idea. His natural game suits imo

I think in a better team Stens would suit CB. In this one his ability to cover ground effectively would be wasted. We just don't have other players who can do it.

 

[onto it]

Staj seems to be really struggling to find the best combinations for the team fluency. Certainly this last game was a failure in that regard.
Watching the absolutely useless effort of Silvera, I was shocked that he was still on in the second half. Perhaps there are orders from above...?
In which case poor old Staj is even more hamstrung.

 

[Insertnamehere]

I think in a better team Stens would suit CB. In this one his ability to cover ground effectively would be wasted. We just don't have other players who can do it.

I think freeing Kim up from some defensive duties while limiting Stens to defensuve duties would better suit where were at right now.

 

[Ads]

I think freeing Kim up from some defensive duties while limiting Stens to defensuve duties would better suit where were at right now.

That’s what I was going for.
To much crisscrossing.
Stens is good at breaking up play, and allows strength to our sides both at the back and can use the wings.

 

[Wombat]

After last night's game I ended up in hospital with extremely high blood pressure.
There will be a search over the next little while for a reason.
The doctors do not believe it comes about from following CCM.
I tend to disagree.

Get well soon Rod.

 

[Wombat]

Izzo and Reddy copped a pasting from some on here ...

Reddy was excellent. Usually MOM but Izzo was terrible when we had him. He has improved alot but still prone to a howler.

 

[bikinigirl]

IMO we keep burning money trying to have "depth" which is just a team of squadies.
Fill the first xi with the best quality we can afford then get the squaddies we can afford.

. the problem is i think we are already there ... most of our squaddies must be on or close to minimum wage - and if they are on more than that it can only be a reflection of what it costs to attract a player to this club

 

[pjennings]

IMO we keep burning money trying to have "depth" which is just a team of squaddies.
Fill the first xi with the best quality we can afford then get the squaddies we can afford.

Nice theory - but we arguably have 9 squaddies signed for next year probably on an average of $95,000 - $100,000. Throw in another couple of squaddies to complete the second XI and we could probably average $95000.

Then you can fit 9 first XI players at an average of $240,000 inside the cap plus 2 marquees.

That is what we need to turn the ship around and this is where Mike, Anton and Shaun have to figure out how to change from a squad spend of around $2.8m to $4m a year. How do you fund it, how do you recoup it, how to make it sustainable.

Spending the floor does not work.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Thanks mate all good.

I suspect that the real reason for the blood pressure spike, was the body going into shock due to being off the grog for a fortnight.

 

[style_cafe]

After last night's game I ended up in hospital with extremely high blood pressure.
There will be a search over the next little while for a reason.
The doctors do not believe it comes about from following CCM.
I tend to disagree.

The only comment on the game I will make is that for the past few games we did not have an effective midfield going forward.
Yesterday we had no midfield at all.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery AM...

 

[Wombat]

IMO we keep burning money trying to have "depth" which is just a team of squadies.
Fill the first xi with the best quality we can afford then get the squaddies we can afford.

Just found this post Ads. Stens as a CB isn't a bad idea. His natural game suits imo

It’s folly.

You don’t throw a 20yo to CB when he has never played there.

 

[Insertnamehere]

It’s folly.

You don’t throw a 20yo to CB when he has never played there.

But youll sign and play a 23 and 26?yo old from other clubs, meanwhile they individually have had a handful of useful games.

 

[Wombat]

But youll sign and play a 23 and 26?yo old from other clubs, meanwhile they individually have had a handful of useful games.

We all new we needed an experienced CB at the start of the season.

 

[pjennings]

Why are we dropping Ziggy? Throws his body into blocks every game.

 

[Ironbark]

How has he gone to shit in a space of weeks? People here were tearing shreds off the club saying he was too old in the contract rumour and now that looks bang on. He’s either carrying an injury or stopped caring. Execution when he did get moments in dangerous spaces was so far from what we are used to from him.

Maybe he has been told that he won't be getting an extension and his motivation to go the extra mile has gone out the window?

 

[Insertnamehere]

We all new we needed an experienced CB at the start of the season.

Instead we converted an RB. And have 2 CBs sucking coin out if us.

 

[turbo]

Maybe he has been told that he won't be getting an extension and his motivation to go the extra mile has gone out the window?

I mentioned in another post that maybe there’s some drama coming out of the January window we aren’t aware of that’s really upset the squad because something is off and the timing lines up.

If this is his response to not being offered an extension mid season it supports whoever made that call. If he kept up the form he’d have us and a bunch of clubs banging on his door. Keep playing like he has in the last two and he’ll be heading home without any offers. I’m hopeful that he has a niggle and maybe just needs Staj to rest him for a round or two.