NYE v Perth

[Forum Phoenix]

When will MM wake up to the fact (that the rest of us have known for ever) that Matty is no good as a sole striker. We MUST start Murray. Don't get me wrong, I really like Matty, I had a chat with him in the club carpark lift before the match, he's a very polite man, no bullshit, but I have to say it as it is. He's only ever scored goals regularly when he's had another beside him like Sasho & Macca.

Murray looks sharp.

Matty was once again Cleary dove at 60. Hoole was a liability and should have been hooked. Weemac only has the legs for half a committed game with any semblance of movement.

Millar and Pain are the only ones who make successful runs. Matty tried the odd one. But he’s too slow. So ineffective. It’s crazy.

We play nothing through the middle. Are too slow to switch, and can’t hit a pass over 40 meteres,

so easy to shut down. They just sit and wait till our fb tries to play it to our winger and their fb sprints in and we mostly cough it up or end up knocking it all the way back. Tactically, so ludicrously simple and unsophisticated. We’re playing like dullards and it’s up to individual moments of brilliance to craft anything. The team combinations are almost non existent.

Not good enough. It’s not HAL standard.

 

[pjennings]

When will MM wake up to the fact (that the rest of us have known for ever) that Matty is no good as a sole striker. We MUST start Murray. Don't get me wrong, I really like Matty, I had a chat with him in the club carpark lift before the match, he's a very polite man, no bullshit, but I have to say it as it is. He's only ever scored goals regularly when he's had another beside him like Sasho & Macca.

@NoDiggity and I were saying the same thing at half-time

 

[JoyfulPenguin]

I cannot express how poor that first half performance was, we looked like an NPL 2 side and not a good one at that. Constant simple skill errors, and a complete and utter lack of tracking back. Golec's interview at half time clearly showed our entire mentality, head down and when asked how we would get back into the game all he could initially produce was a shrug and a sigh. We improved in the second half but only because Perth allowed us to, their pressing stopped, we were treated as a defensive training drill. The goal post shambles, while definitely not the club's fault, perfectly summed up our season so far. Unprofessional, unorganised, embarrassing and hitting new lows that we didn't even know existed. I hope Charlesworth saw that he has destroyed the soul of this club.

My thoughts on our players:

Adam Pearce:
He is not an A-League level keeper, one day after a very long apprenticeship he might be, but right now and for this season he is not the keeper we need especially when we need to make every dollar count. He made a few decent saves tonight but made even more blunders. You can see the potential he has, he pulls off some extraordinary saves at times, but he is not ready and we do not have the time or resources to develop him. Tando Velaphi wouldn't be a bad recruit for next season if we are looking for cheap goalkeepers with experience, if we're looking younger, and Munford isn't an A-League level keeper, James Delianov starred for Australia as a Young Socceroo.

Matt Millar:
Ran tirelessly but was clearly dead by the 53rd minute, was our biggest threat for most of the night and delivered some dangerous balls after lung busting runs. The few times Hoole managed to properly link with him it was when we were most dangerous but too often Hoole simply cluttered the space Millar was attacking. Was partially at fault for Ferreira's first goal but received absolutely no defensive help from McGlinchey or Hoole whatsoever. He contributed to Keogh's easy stroll to his second goal but was clearly out on his feet at that point. He is still a winger playing as a full back and a reshuffle to move him to right wing would not go astray.

Jake McGing:
Jake McGing is not a centre back, we learnt this under Walmsley and expecting him to be one, especially in a back three is beyond stupid. Despite having the support of two players around him he constantly allowed Keogh/Chianese/Santalab to go past him an unleashed a shot. Did reasonably well when initially deployed as a right back but fell apart as soon as Golec came off.


Kye Rowles:
Had one of his toughest nights in a Mariners' shirt and was mostly not at fault for our goals. While he was to blame for Keogh's final saunter into the penalty box he was constantly pulled out of position because of lack of defensive cover from McGlinchey and O'Neill. He was not helped at all by Clisby's diabolical positioning and was left one on one with Perth attackers during nearly every Glory forward thrust. He was lucky not to hand Andy Keogh a goal with an awful back pass and needs to improve his awareness of pressing attacking players. In a better defensive unit he would shine and has, at the very least, a long A-League career ahead of him.

Antony Golec:
While Davidson put in a superb cross, he should not be getting beaten in aerial contests by Fabio Ferreria. What exactly was he doing for Perth's first goal? He should have been leading our defence but constantly we were pulled out of shape and out numbered when Perth swept forward. Made a couple of decent pushes into midfield in the second half but as a senior player he needed to do much more than he did.

Jack Clisby:
One of the most atrocious defensive performances I have seen in a Mariners' shirt. He was constantly out of position and allowed players to walk by him and rarely if ever overlapped to provide support to Pain. Deserves to be dropped.

Michael McGlinchey:
Offered nothing tonight, was completely outplayed and out muscled by Perth's midfield and does not know how to be a defensive midfielder. Directly culpable for nearly all our goals, he does not know how to tackle nor how to screen and offers little as a deep lying playmaker. As a visa player he is supposed to be above what an Australian player offers, he has offered nothing that Dusan Bosnjak or Tyson Holmes couldn't have. If anyone deserved to be dragged in the 29th minute it was him. Just please Mike, play Hiariej.

Aiden O'Neill:
Would fight desperately for a ball one minute and then let his opponent walk past him the next but hearing from Mulvey in his post match press conference that he was playing injured it is understandable. Played some decent balls to Millar/Pain and made a few good interceptions but his first half simply wasn't good enough for an Olyroo. He has potential to be a great player but needs more experience around him. We will be extremely lucky to get him back next year.

Mario Shabow:
Was positive on the ball in his 29 minutes and worked the hardest of any player during his short time on the pitch. Played a couple of good balls and did give the ball away cheaply a few times but was at least trying at a time when most of the team wasn't. Confusing decision and hearing the explanation that we needed to change the system doesn't make much sense, why didn't we drag McGlinchey instead?

Andrew Hoole:
He needs a season in the NPL, will one minute player a fantastic ball and then the next fail to pass a player right next to him. Isn't willing to put in the hard work on the wing and create space for others or work hard to track back. Why is he taking our corners and free kicks again? All he does is hit the first man or the wall. Needs to realise the privilege of being a professional player.

Matt Simon:
Pressed and worked hard as he always does but his touch and passing was poor. Received a stupid yellow card for smashing Kilkenny and as captain he needs to be better. Terrific headed assist for Murray but didn't offer much until Murray came on. Fails to make space for other players and needs to make smarter runs. If we go with one striker on Friday, Murray needs to be it.

Jordan Murray:
Played a key role in our second half revival and deserved his goal, made terrific runs and was unlucky not to get two. Delivered some dangerous balls and managed to more than deal with the best defence in the league. Will only get better with more game time and needs to start on Friday.

Connor Pain:
Worked hard for little reward and made smart runs that were often ignored. Probably our most consistent player at tracking back. His touch let him down a few times and wasted a couple of crosses but couldn't have worked harder.

Tommy Oar:
Was clearly unfit but provided terrific spark when he came on. Played a terrific ball for Simon's initial header and actually delivered some dangerous crosses from corners. We might snag a win with a fully fit in form Oar.

My Thoughts on Mike:

We seem to have one game plan, an overload with Millar to deliver a ball into Simon and the majority of the time we cannot even manage that. Mulvey needs to stop going on about aggression, it's not what we need, we need skill, guile and simple common sense and the player that we have who can provide that he is intentionally keeping out of the side. McGing added next to nothing and we lost all initial attacking momentum we had after Mrcela broke the post break. Was he surprised that they pressed us? They have done that all season long and did against Sydney, he was completely and utterly tactically schooled by Popovic tonight. If not for Perth deciding to run a defensive training drill in the second half we would have been lucky to keep it below 10. It was good to see Mulvey drag Clisby though why that wasn't his initial sub I don't know.

I desperately, desperately hope that Shaun is being truthful when he says we can bring in some players in the January window. A visa 10 or 6 would be nice! If fit and on form Oar might, and that's a pretty big might, win a match for us but honestly without decent reinforcements I can see us not winning a game this season. We had one visa player on the pitch this whole match, and he was close to if not our worst player. We will not get off the bottom of the ladder let alone get into the finals if we cannot get our recruitment of foreigners even remotely right. If any of Millar, Murray, Rowles or Pain leave before the start of next season then that will be the end of us, the two new expansion teams will take any and all talent and leave us in the dust. Without a change in ownership there is no future in the A-League for us, we will be lucky to survive till promotion and relegation come in.

 

[LFCMariners]

Stuff it. I'm up and I've had a couple of drinks- I'll say this now-

In that thread asking if we've hit rock bottom yet, I'd been saying the last game before our next win is when we hit rock bottom. But stuff that. Last nights' game was officially rock bottom for this club. Let me count thy ways:

- A crowd barely over 6k, for a game that used to get 12k or more. Hardcore fans value the F3D most highly, the game against Sydney is our biggest drawing game usually, and WSW was a good rivalry while it lasted. But this NYE fixture was traditionally our "open day". Keep that in mind from here on...

- Glory are one of the top 2 teams in the league, but less than 3 minutes into the game they score. This was meant to be a night CCM put up a real fight for the sake of the occasion and the people who rarely come, who maybe decided to make an event of tonight even if they've been hearing from people like you and I how awful this team is. 5 minutes in and already they're seeing what we've seen for ages..

- 10 minutes in and the goal post twists. 30 minutes to replace both goals. As Tim pointed out, this is on CC stadium and not the club, and other clubs have had this kind of amateur hour stuff happen (like Brisbane Roar and the numbers peeling off during their shameful ACL defeat to that Filo team) But at a time like right now, this just summed up the absolute shit state the club is in. I was with some visiting family friends from the UK, and other people in my group were laughing about how "At least you've got something to talk about when you get back home- you've never seen this before!" Great, but how does this reflect on the HAL as a whole? They go back and talk about this amateur hour shit happening, then they see the results out NT gets at the latest WC and think 'No wonder they're shit'. The whole thing just symbolised what a circus this once proud club has become.

- At h/t, my group wanted to leave so they didn't miss the fireworks, and because the game was as good as done. I was happy to go. For 13 years, I never left a CCM game early. In just 12 months, I have walked out early 3 times. Last night was the earliest I have ever walked out. My dad and a family friend (who both watch the A-League about as often as I want Man United to win) were both talking about how disorganised CCM were- that (in my dad's words) "they were playing like a bunch of primary schoolers". These are people who don't watch football, but even they could see just what's wrong with this team. How on Earth are we paying people who've devoted their lives to this game yet are unable to ensure a better effort than what we see currently?

- My family friend mentioned that this was the second time his wife had dragged him along to the game, and he told his daughter to pass on to her mother "Never again". My old man has a similar attendance record, and he mentioned he didn't enjoy it the last time, either. That's two people who might spend more money directly into the club who have no interest in going through the turnstyles again because of the rubbish experience they had, watching this amateur hour garbage. Well done. It's not like we could lose more fans as is. But here's what really got to me:

- Leaving the game and walking across to Brisbane Water, I saw the crowds waiting for the fireworks- the families with kids, and I wondered how many of them might have come to the game first, bolstered the crowd and the clubs' revenue if there was a team worth paying money to watch and help make the final night of the year a fun event? For some reason, nothing highlighted the divide between our club (as it stands) and the people its' supposed to represent more than this. But then I saw other people walking around- people in CCM gear, some with members caps- people who cared enough to STILL invest in this team- and even they'd had enough by h/t. On what WAS traditionally one of the biggest games of the season in CCM's calendar. These people should be some of the clubs' most loyal fans and even they decided they'd had enough lby the time the game was half-over. Reflecting on it now is kind of heartbreaking. I can't think of anything that better sums up the state of this club right now. Whoever needs to f**k off from this joint to stop that happening more than it already is- just go already.

So I went with my party until we found a spot on the foreshore in the spitting rain, and then the fireworks lit up the sky at 9:15pm, the smoke blowing across the stadium where there was still a game in progress, being played by the team I support. Something about the whole affair made me think of 'Spinal Tap', where the band goes from touring the world, to playing in a theme park and being billed as 'Puppet Show + Spinal Tap'. I thought about a year from now, NYE 2019. What would the state of the club be in by then? Would there even still be a club to support?

This used to be one of the clubs' biggest nights', it's unofficial open day for casual fans to encourage them to come more often, where we'd (usually) win against the Glory or the Nix (two teams we've traditionally had good records against) before seeing off the calendar year with a win and heading across the road to watch the fireworks. Now even the members at halftime, the casuals don't want to go back, and the rest just go for the fireworks and couldn't give a shit about a team that once meant something to them.

Well done to everybody responsible. This is officially rock-bottom. You have no idea how thankful I am to support a team on the other side of the world who right now (when it comes to recruitment, playing squad, manager, owners, results, overall morale) are the polar opposite of CCM in every regard. Long may that team give me enjoyment watching them and following their results, because it truly compensates for the void I feel about the other team I support much closer to home...

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I cannot express how poor that first half performance was, we looked like an NPL 2 side and not a good one at that. Constant simple skill errors, and a complete and utter lack of tracking back. Golec's interview at half time clearly showed our entire mentality, head down and when asked how we would get back into the game all he could initially produce was a shrug and a sigh. We improved in the second half but only because Perth allowed us to, their pressing stopped, we were treated as a defensive training drill. The goal post shambles, while definitely not the club's fault, perfectly summed up our season so far. Unprofessional, unorganised, embarrassing and hitting new lows that we didn't even know existed. I hope Charlesworth saw that he has destroyed the soul of this club.

My thoughts on our players:

Adam Pearce:
He is not an A-League level keeper, one day after a very long apprenticeship he might be, but right now and for this season he is not the keeper we need especially when we need to make every dollar count. He made a few decent saves tonight but made even more blunders. You can see the potential he has, he pulls off some extraordinary saves at times, but he is not ready and we do not have the time or resources to develop him. Tando Velaphi wouldn't be a bad recruit for next season if we are looking for cheap goalkeepers with experience, if we're looking younger, and Munford isn't an A-League level keeper, James Delianov starred for Australia as a Young Socceroo.

Matt Millar:
Ran tirelessly but was clearly dead by the 53rd minute, was our biggest threat for most of the night and delivered some dangerous balls after lung busting runs. The few times Hoole managed to properly link with him it was when we were most dangerous but too often Hoole simply cluttered the space Millar was attacking. Was partially at fault for Ferreira's first goal but received absolutely no defensive help from McGlinchey or Hoole whatsoever. He contributed to Keogh's easy stroll to his second goal but was clearly out on his feet at that point. He is still a winger playing as a full back and a reshuffle to move him to right wing would not go astray.

Jake McGing:
Jake McGing is not a centre back, we learnt this under Walmsley and expecting him to be one, especially in a back three is beyond stupid. Despite having the support of two players around him he constantly allowed Keogh/Chianese/Santalab to go past him an unleashed a shot. Did reasonably well when initially deployed as a right back but fell apart as soon as Golec came off.


Kye Rowles:
Had one of his toughest nights in a Mariners' shirt and was mostly not at fault for our goals. While he was to blame for Keogh's final saunter into the penalty box he was constantly pulled out of position because of lack of defensive cover from McGlinchey and O'Neill. He was not helped at all by Clisby's diabolical positioning and was left one on one with Perth attackers during nearly every Glory forward thrust. He was lucky not to hand Andy Keogh a goal with an awful back pass and needs to improve his awareness of pressing attacking players. In a better defensive unit he would shine and has, at the very least, a long A-League career ahead of him.

Antony Golec:
While Davidson put in a superb cross, he should not be getting beaten in aerial contests by Fabio Ferreria. What exactly was he doing for Perth's first goal? He should have been leading our defence but constantly we were pulled out of shape and out numbered when Perth swept forward. Made a couple of decent pushes into midfield in the second half but as a senior player he needed to do much more than he did.

Jack Clisby:
One of the most atrocious defensive performances I have seen in a Mariners' shirt. He was constantly out of position and allowed players to walk by him and rarely if ever overlapped to provide support to Pain. Deserves to be dropped.

Michael McGlinchey:
Offered nothing tonight, was completely outplayed and out muscled by Perth's midfield and does not know how to be a defensive midfielder. Directly culpable for nearly all our goals, he does not know how to tackle nor how to screen and offers little as a deep lying playmaker. As a visa player he is supposed to be above what an Australian player offers, he has offered nothing that Dusan Bosnjak or Tyson Holmes couldn't have. If anyone deserved to be dragged in the 29th minute it was him. Just please Mike, play Hiariej.

Aiden O'Neill:
Would fight desperately for a ball one minute and then let his opponent walk past him the next but hearing from Mulvey in his post match press conference that he was playing injured it is understandable. Played some decent balls to Millar/Pain and made a few good interceptions but his first half simply wasn't good enough for an Olyroo. He has potential to be a great player but needs more experience around him. We will be extremely lucky to get him back next year.

Mario Shabow:
Was positive on the ball in his 29 minutes and worked the hardest of any player during his short time on the pitch. Played a couple of good balls and did give the ball away cheaply a few times but was at least trying at a time when most of the team wasn't. Confusing decision and hearing the explanation that we needed to change the system doesn't make much sense, why didn't we drag McGlinchey instead?

Andrew Hoole:
He needs a season in the NPL, will one minute player a fantastic ball and then the next fail to pass a player right next to him. Isn't willing to put in the hard work on the wing and create space for others or work hard to track back. Why is he taking our corners and free kicks again? All he does is hit the first man or the wall. Needs to realise the privilege of being a professional player.

Matt Simon:
Pressed and worked hard as he always does but his touch and passing was poor. Received a stupid yellow card for smashing Kilkenny and as captain he needs to be better. Terrific headed assist for Murray but didn't offer much until Murray came on. Fails to make space for other players and needs to make smarter runs. If we go with one striker on Friday, Murray needs to be it.

Jordan Murray:
Played a key role in our second half revival and deserved his goal, made terrific runs and was unlucky not to get two. Delivered some dangerous balls and managed to more than deal with the best defence in the league. Will only get better with more game time and needs to start on Friday.

Connor Pain:
Worked hard for little reward and made smart runs that were often ignored. Probably our most consistent player at tracking back. His touch let him down a few times and wasted a couple of crosses but couldn't have worked harder.

Tommy Oar:
Was clearly unfit but provided terrific spark when he came on. Played a terrific ball for Simon's initial header and actually delivered some dangerous crosses from corners. We might snag a win with a fully fit in form Oar.

My Thoughts on Mike:

We seem to have one game plan, an overload with Millar to deliver a ball into Simon and the majority of the time we cannot even manage that. Mulvey needs to stop going on about aggression, it's not what we need, we need skill, guile and simple common sense and the player that we have who can provide that he is intentionally keeping out of the side. McGing added next to nothing and we lost all initial attacking momentum we had after Mrcela broke the post break. Was he surprised that they pressed us? They have done that all season long and did against Sydney, he was completely and utterly tactically schooled by Popovic tonight. If not for Perth deciding to run a defensive training drill in the second half we would have been lucky to keep it below 10. It was good to see Mulvey drag Clisby though why that wasn't his initial sub I don't know.

I desperately, desperately hope that Shaun is being truthful when he says we can bring in some players in the January window. A visa 10 or 6 would be nice! If fit and on form Oar might, and that's a pretty big might, win a match for us but honestly without decent reinforcements I can see us not winning a game this season. We had one visa player on the pitch this whole match, and he was close to if not our worst player. We will not get off the bottom of the ladder let alone get into the finals if we cannot get our recruitment of foreigners even remotely right. If any of Millar, Murray, Rowles or Pain leave before the start of next season then that will be the end of us, the two new expansion teams will take any and all talent and leave us in the dust. Without a change in ownership there is no future in the A-League for us, we will be lucky to survive till promotion and relegation come in.

Fantastic post JP.​

 

[Navy and yellow]

I cannot express how poor that first half performance was, we looked like an NPL 2 side and not a good one at that. Constant simple skill errors, and a complete and utter lack of tracking back. Golec's interview at half time clearly showed our entire mentality, head down and when asked how we would get back into the game all he could initially produce was a shrug and a sigh. We improved in the second half but only because Perth allowed us to, their pressing stopped, we were treated as a defensive training drill. The goal post shambles, while definitely not the club's fault, perfectly summed up our season so far. Unprofessional, unorganised, embarrassing and hitting new lows that we didn't even know existed. I hope Charlesworth saw that he has destroyed the soul of this club.

My thoughts on our players:

Adam Pearce:
He is not an A-League level keeper, one day after a very long apprenticeship he might be, but right now and for this season he is not the keeper we need especially when we need to make every dollar count. He made a few decent saves tonight but made even more blunders. You can see the potential he has, he pulls off some extraordinary saves at times, but he is not ready and we do not have the time or resources to develop him. Tando Velaphi wouldn't be a bad recruit for next season if we are looking for cheap goalkeepers with experience, if we're looking younger, and Munford isn't an A-League level keeper, James Delianov starred for Australia as a Young Socceroo.

Matt Millar:
Ran tirelessly but was clearly dead by the 53rd minute, was our biggest threat for most of the night and delivered some dangerous balls after lung busting runs. The few times Hoole managed to properly link with him it was when we were most dangerous but too often Hoole simply cluttered the space Millar was attacking. Was partially at fault for Ferreira's first goal but received absolutely no defensive help from McGlinchey or Hoole whatsoever. He contributed to Keogh's easy stroll to his second goal but was clearly out on his feet at that point. He is still a winger playing as a full back and a reshuffle to move him to right wing would not go astray.

Jake McGing:
Jake McGing is not a centre back, we learnt this under Walmsley and expecting him to be one, especially in a back three is beyond stupid. Despite having the support of two players around him he constantly allowed Keogh/Chianese/Santalab to go past him an unleashed a shot. Did reasonably well when initially deployed as a right back but fell apart as soon as Golec came off.


Kye Rowles:
Had one of his toughest nights in a Mariners' shirt and was mostly not at fault for our goals. While he was to blame for Keogh's final saunter into the penalty box he was constantly pulled out of position because of lack of defensive cover from McGlinchey and O'Neill. He was not helped at all by Clisby's diabolical positioning and was left one on one with Perth attackers during nearly every Glory forward thrust. He was lucky not to hand Andy Keogh a goal with an awful back pass and needs to improve his awareness of pressing attacking players. In a better defensive unit he would shine and has, at the very least, a long A-League career ahead of him.

Antony Golec:
While Davidson put in a superb cross, he should not be getting beaten in aerial contests by Fabio Ferreria. What exactly was he doing for Perth's first goal? He should have been leading our defence but constantly we were pulled out of shape and out numbered when Perth swept forward. Made a couple of decent pushes into midfield in the second half but as a senior player he needed to do much more than he did.

Jack Clisby:
One of the most atrocious defensive performances I have seen in a Mariners' shirt. He was constantly out of position and allowed players to walk by him and rarely if ever overlapped to provide support to Pain. Deserves to be dropped.

Michael McGlinchey:
Offered nothing tonight, was completely outplayed and out muscled by Perth's midfield and does not know how to be a defensive midfielder. Directly culpable for nearly all our goals, he does not know how to tackle nor how to screen and offers little as a deep lying playmaker. As a visa player he is supposed to be above what an Australian player offers, he has offered nothing that Dusan Bosnjak or Tyson Holmes couldn't have. If anyone deserved to be dragged in the 29th minute it was him. Just please Mike, play Hiariej.

Aiden O'Neill:
Would fight desperately for a ball one minute and then let his opponent walk past him the next but hearing from Mulvey in his post match press conference that he was playing injured it is understandable. Played some decent balls to Millar/Pain and made a few good interceptions but his first half simply wasn't good enough for an Olyroo. He has potential to be a great player but needs more experience around him. We will be extremely lucky to get him back next year.

Mario Shabow:
Was positive on the ball in his 29 minutes and worked the hardest of any player during his short time on the pitch. Played a couple of good balls and did give the ball away cheaply a few times but was at least trying at a time when most of the team wasn't. Confusing decision and hearing the explanation that we needed to change the system doesn't make much sense, why didn't we drag McGlinchey instead?

Andrew Hoole:
He needs a season in the NPL, will one minute player a fantastic ball and then the next fail to pass a player right next to him. Isn't willing to put in the hard work on the wing and create space for others or work hard to track back. Why is he taking our corners and free kicks again? All he does is hit the first man or the wall. Needs to realise the privilege of being a professional player.

Matt Simon:
Pressed and worked hard as he always does but his touch and passing was poor. Received a stupid yellow card for smashing Kilkenny and as captain he needs to be better. Terrific headed assist for Murray but didn't offer much until Murray came on. Fails to make space for other players and needs to make smarter runs. If we go with one striker on Friday, Murray needs to be it.

Jordan Murray:
Played a key role in our second half revival and deserved his goal, made terrific runs and was unlucky not to get two. Delivered some dangerous balls and managed to more than deal with the best defence in the league. Will only get better with more game time and needs to start on Friday.

Connor Pain:
Worked hard for little reward and made smart runs that were often ignored. Probably our most consistent player at tracking back. His touch let him down a few times and wasted a couple of crosses but couldn't have worked harder.

Tommy Oar:
Was clearly unfit but provided terrific spark when he came on. Played a terrific ball for Simon's initial header and actually delivered some dangerous crosses from corners. We might snag a win with a fully fit in form Oar.

My Thoughts on Mike:

We seem to have one game plan, an overload with Millar to deliver a ball into Simon and the majority of the time we cannot even manage that. Mulvey needs to stop going on about aggression, it's not what we need, we need skill, guile and simple common sense and the player that we have who can provide that he is intentionally keeping out of the side. McGing added next to nothing and we lost all initial attacking momentum we had after Mrcela broke the post break. Was he surprised that they pressed us? They have done that all season long and did against Sydney, he was completely and utterly tactically schooled by Popovic tonight. If not for Perth deciding to run a defensive training drill in the second half we would have been lucky to keep it below 10. It was good to see Mulvey drag Clisby though why that wasn't his initial sub I don't know.

I desperately, desperately hope that Shaun is being truthful when he says we can bring in some players in the January window. A visa 10 or 6 would be nice! If fit and on form Oar might, and that's a pretty big might, win a match for us but honestly without decent reinforcements I can see us not winning a game this season. We had one visa player on the pitch this whole match, and he was close to if not our worst player. We will not get off the bottom of the ladder let alone get into the finals if we cannot get our recruitment of foreigners even remotely right. If any of Millar, Murray, Rowles or Pain leave before the start of next season then that will be the end of us, the two new expansion teams will take any and all talent and leave us in the dust. Without a change in ownership there is no future in the A-League for us, we will be lucky to survive till promotion and relegation come in.

Agree with most of your summary but not seeing what so many others see in Rowles. While I agree he was not helped by those around him he has to stand on his own TWO feet literally!. What I see is a player who has one foot. I pointed this out many weeks ago (now I cannot see anything else when I watch him play). In the 2nd half when he was right under our noses, I said to my wife count how many touches he makes with his right. There was only one! the pass back to Pearce that nearly/should of cost another goal!! I am not just talking kicks and passes, it is EVERY touch. Obviously he has been talented enough to get away with this all his football life until now, but even the most inexperienced opponent knows keep him off his left and he has no choice but to play it back. Cannot get my head around how a professional player cannot take a touch, make a pass and kick with their non-dominant foot. Don't mean to single out one player for that crap last night but getting fed up of so many on here saying he is one to keep. He is every bit as poor as the rest. Don't get me started on Pearce.

 

[BrisRecky]

Well, that was about what I expected , fkn Mulvey (and Monty) have lost it haven’t they?, the busted goalposts was the least of our troubles , Perth got four of the easiest goals I’ve seen in a while( well since last week anyway)
Oz baggie brought his nephew from Blighty to the game to sit up on high with us and the fella said that was the worst football game he’d ever been too
The player swaps were just odd, was Mario Shaboom hurt or what ? And Ginga replaced him , I went huh and then the dynamic dumb dumbs took off a defender and replaced him with a striker ( who probably should of been there the whole time)....and our feckless owner was up in his private box with Shaun and others having a fine old time laugin* and carrying on while his investment got slapped on the pitch...the only highlight of the whole evening was Tommy H who graciously translated a txt message from holland for me (it was bad news but he explained it to me ) so thanks Tommy appreciate it

The window opens in 2 days, here’s hoping Mulvgomery don’t get their fingers jammed in it

 

[Scotty]

Well

Stuff it. I'm up and I've had a couple of drinks- I'll say this now-

In that thread asking if we've hit rock bottom yet, I'd been saying the last game before our next win is when we hit rock bottom. But stuff that. Last nights' game was officially rock bottom for this club. Let me count thy ways:

- A crowd barely over 6k, for a game that used to get 12k or more. Hardcore fans value the F3D most highly, the game against Sydney is our biggest drawing game usually, and WSW was a good rivalry while it lasted. But this NYE fixture was traditionally our "open day". Keep that in mind from here on...

- Glory are one of the top 2 teams in the league, but less than 3 minutes into the game they score. This was meant to be a night CCM put up a real fight for the sake of the occasion and the people who rarely come, who maybe decided to make an event of tonight even if they've been hearing from people like you and I how awful this team is. 5 minutes in and already they're seeing what we've seen for ages..

- 10 minutes in and the goal post twists. 30 minutes to replace both goals. As Tim pointed out, this is on CC stadium and not the club, and other clubs have had this kind of amateur hour stuff happen (like Brisbane Roar and the numbers peeling off during their shameful ACL defeat to that Filo team) But at a time like right now, this just summed up the absolute shit state the club is in. I was with some visiting family friends from the UK, and other people in my group were laughing about how "At least you've got something to talk about when you get back home- you've never seen this before!" Great, but how does this reflect on the HAL as a whole? They go back and talk about this amateur hour shit happening, then they see the results out NT gets at the latest WC and think 'No wonder they're shit'. The whole thing just symbolised what a circus this once proud club has become.

- At h/t, my group wanted to leave so they didn't miss the fireworks, and because the game was as good as done. I was happy to go. For 13 years, I never left a CCM game early. In just 12 months, I have walked out early 3 times. Last night was the earliest I have ever walked out. My dad and a family friend (who both watch the A-League about as often as I want Man United to win) were both talking about how disorganised CCM were- that (in my dad's words) "they were playing like a bunch of primary schoolers". These are people who don't watch football, but even they could see just what's wrong with this team. How on Earth are we paying people who've devoted their lives to this game yet are unable to ensure a better effort than what we see currently?

- My family friend mentioned that this was the second time his wife had dragged him along to the game, and he told his daughter to pass on to her mother "Never again". My old man has a similar attendance record, and he mentioned he didn't enjoy it the last time, either. That's two people who might spend more money directly into the club who have no interest in going through the turnstyles again because of the rubbish experience they had, watching this amateur hour garbage. Well done. It's not like we could lose more fans as is. But here's what really got to me:

- Leaving the game and walking across to Brisbane Water, I saw the crowds waiting for the fireworks- the families with kids, and I wondered how many of them might have come to the game first, bolstered the crowd and the clubs' revenue if there was a team worth paying money to watch and help make the final night of the year a fun event? For some reason, nothing highlighted the divide between our club (as it stands) and the people its' supposed to represent more than this. But then I saw other people walking around- people in CCM gear, some with members caps- people who cared enough to STILL invest in this team- and even they'd had enough by h/t. On what WAS traditionally one of the biggest games of the season in CCM's calendar. These people should be some of the clubs' most loyal fans and even they decided they'd had enough lby the time the game was half-over. Reflecting on it now is kind of heartbreaking. I can't think of anything that better sums up the state of this club right now. Whoever needs to f**k off from this joint to stop that happening more than it already is- just go already.

So I went with my party until we found a spot on the foreshore in the spitting rain, and then the fireworks lit up the sky at 9:15pm, the smoke blowing across the stadium where there was still a game in progress, being played by the team I support. Something about the whole affair made me think of 'Spinal Tap', where the band goes from touring the world, to playing in a theme park and being billed as 'Puppet Show + Spinal Tap'. I thought about a year from now, NYE 2019. What would the state of the club be in by then? Would there even still be a club to support?

This used to be one of the clubs' biggest nights', it's unofficial open day for casual fans to encourage them to come more often, where we'd (usually) win against the Glory or the Nix (two teams we've traditionally had good records against) before seeing off the calendar year with a win and heading across the road to watch the fireworks. Now even the members at halftime, the casuals don't want to go back, and the rest just go for the fireworks and couldn't give a shit about a team that once meant something to them.

Well done to everybody responsible. This is officially rock-bottom. You have no idea how thankful I am to support a team on the other side of the world who right now (when it comes to recruitment, playing squad, manager, owners, results, overall morale) are the polar opposite of CCM in every regard. Long may that team give me enjoyment watching them and following their results, because it truly compensates for the void I feel about the other team I support much closer to home...

Well said LFC, I hear what you are saying, thanks for the effort.

 

[Antlion]

4-0

Close

 

[turbo]

The window opens in 2 days, here’s hoping Mulvgomery don’t get their fingers jammed in it

At this point I’m not sure I trust MM even if Charlesworth gave him a healthy budget. I’m even starting to think Charlesworth got sold a dud just like we did. There were plenty of people in the media touting MM as a good coach to help us get out of the rut and now he will be lucky to get another a league job. Charlesworth still deserves the shit he’s copping for years of underinvestment but this one is on MM.

 

[Insertnamehere]

Close

Yeah I told my mate to take perf for 3.5+ goals. Think it only paid in the $2s

 

[Insertnamehere]

At this point I’m not sure I trust MM even if Charlesworth gave him a healthy budget. I’m even starting to think Charlesworth got sold a dud just like we did. There were plenty of people in the media touting MM as a good coach to help us get out of the rut and now he will be lucky to get another a league job. Charlesworth still deserves the shit he’s copping for years of underinvestment but this one is on MM.

I'll take it on the chin. I thought Mulvey would do a better job than he has and than the previous 3 Muppets had. How terribly wrong I was. We may as well have chased someone like Pappas, who was my 2nd choice on a budget.

 

[shipwreck]

Popovic is a great coach, now that would be nice.

 

[Insertnamehere]

Popovic is a great coach, now that would be nice.

And perf are playing a different style to WSW but how long till he does his Mourinho and pisses off half the team?

 

[Big Al]

Agree with most of your summary but not seeing what so many others see in Rowles. While I agree he was not helped by those around him he has to stand on his own TWO feet literally!. What I see is a player who has one foot. I pointed this out many weeks ago (now I cannot see anything else when I watch him play). In the 2nd half when he was right under our noses, I said to my wife count how many touches he makes with his right. There was only one! the pass back to Pearce that nearly/should of cost another goal!! I am not just talking kicks and passes, it is EVERY touch. Obviously he has been talented enough to get away with this all his football life until now, but even the most inexperienced opponent knows keep him off his left and he has no choice but to play it back. Cannot get my head around how a professional player cannot take a touch, make a pass and kick with their non-dominant foot. Don't mean to single out one player for that crap last night but getting fed up of so many on here saying he is one to keep. He is every bit as poor as the rest. Don't get me started on Pearce.

Fair criticism. Another Hoole if you like.
He also getting caught to high up the pitch and when coming back he’s a few metres to slow like Stormy used to be. I still see a talent there but he needs proper coaching and experience next to him. Still worth keeping

 

[Big Al]

Well, that was about what I expected , fkn Mulvey (and Monty) have lost it haven’t they?, the busted goalposts was the least of our troubles , Perth got four of the easiest goals I’ve seen in a while( well since last week anyway)
Oz baggie brought his nephew from Blighty to the game to sit up on high with us and the fella said that was the worst football game he’d ever been too
The player swaps were just odd, was Mario Shaboom hurt or what ? And Ginga replaced him , I went huh and then the dynamic dumb dumbs took off a defender and replaced him with a striker ( who probably should of been there the whole time)....and our feckless owner was up in his private box with Shaun and others having a fine old time laugin* and carrying on while his investment got slapped on the pitch...the only highlight of the whole evening was Tommy H who graciously translated a txt message from holland for me (it was bad news but he explained it to me ) so thanks Tommy appreciate it

The window opens in 2 days, here’s hoping Mulvgomery don’t get their fingers jammed in it

The shabow change was interesting. Was actually a good one though. He had the wrong team setup and we were getting exposed so actually changed something instead of waiting for 60th minute like okon.
While he had a horrible night I thought that move was what we’ve been asking for.

As for saying we weren’t ready for the press in the first 10mins. That’s not acceptable.

 

[Wombat]

Fair criticism. Another Hoole if you like.
He also getting caught to high up the pitch and when coming back he’s a few metres to slow like Stormy used to be. I still see a talent there but he needs proper coaching and experience next to him. Still worth keeping

I would drop Clisby and play Rowles at LB.

 

[Ozhammer]

Spot on Al, given that MM seemingly knew how to set the team up properly against Glory last time, it is more than disappointing that he got it so wrong this time around and that arguably points to a worrying lack of nous.

The Shabow change should never have been needed, because McGing should have started and Millar been at RWB, where his talents are clearly beter suited. Whilst some will criticise the other substitutions for various reasons, at least MM tried to deploy a plan B (and possibly C), he once again got the starting formation wrong and needs to wear that.

We will all have our views on who should be playing in what positions and I am not about to give my two cents on that here but what we primarily continue to lack is an effective presence in midfield that can have an impact on the tempo of a game and hold on to the effing football in key moments. I honestly lost count of the number of turnovers last night, some of which led directly to Glory goals. All the time we continue to lack control of the midfield we will continue to lose games and yet the one player who might be able to help correct that issue remains on the outer, what an utter joke!

It is clear to my jaded eyes that the team has no belief in what MM is preaching at present and it expects to lose every game. More worrying is that MM is not projecting an air of someone with the answers and when you compare his demeanour with that of someone like Rudan, the issue gets laid very bare. We may not like Rudes given his history with us but just look at the way he has inspired the Nix this season, that is the mark of a good coach. The team he has assembled across the ditch not only looks united as a group but also has a solid tactical blueprint to work to, how nice that must be eh?

Right now my love for this club is at an all-time low and I am not sure how much more my own loyalty can be tested. I have never walked out of the ground before the final whistle but was sorely tempted last night after yet another abject failure both tactically and physically. The rot within the club clearly goes much deeper than the coaching department and my only hope is that the rumours about MC selling the licence are true because surely we can’t be any worse that we are right now?

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

So, glad I didn't watch the game, was out....just watched the highlights, f**k me - and these blokes are getting paid for that shit?
That 4th goal, Keogh is just jogging into the box, unmarked right in the centre. Some dickhead standing just behind him. God, the highlights are pathetic.
I heard there were some good 'Charlesworth out' chants? I liked the sign up on the carpark too.

That goalpost saga.....what an absolute embarrassment as well.

At this point I’m not sure I trust MM even if Charlesworth gave him a healthy budget. I’m even starting to think Charlesworth got sold a dud just like we did. There were plenty of people in the media touting MM as a good coach to help us get out of the rut and now he will be lucky to get another a league job. Charlesworth still deserves the shit he’s copping for years of underinvestment but this one is on MM.

Agreed. Mulvey doesn't have the foggiest idea what he's doing. Recruitment has been appalling, he's playing the players out of position, they can't even get U/14 things right (we haven't for years), no real tactic, poor subbing......

I think the way he's handled Ross is a good indication of all this as well

Of course Fabio had his way with us last night. Yet another player who was atrocious with us, couldn't even make a basic pass, and has come good.

WHY are so many players utterly useless with us and good elsewhere? Not just tactically, but can't even hit basic skills right?

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

McBreen on Fox just stated that Tommy told him he was fit and did not know why he was not there.
FFS the Club is lying to us and Mulvey is a dickhead.

What did Mulvey say before? I mean, Tommy was on the bench at least...