37th F3 Derby - FIRE UP

[LaRass]

Does anyone know why the scum put the Grim Reaper and run run CCM? I don't understand it.If the're talking about us dieing, we're currently in a better financial position then us. Well since we have an owner, probably . I had some old obese bogan eating a chicko roll right in front of me so I'm not sure if I saw it right.

 

[BrisRecky]

That's a bit harsh.

Maybe, but after the two seasons we've had, anyone with a membership has earned the right to get a tad harsh

 

[nebakke]

I heard on another forum that he did the ol' miming of the card...didn't see it, but if that's so, I remember it used to be a mandatory card but hasn't been for ages. If that was the card then obvious that's an instruction come from above...but I think there are far bigger problems even with dissent than this. It isn't even the most 'visual' form of dissent you see any more.....

No shots on target. that's a thoroughly embarrassing statistic.

I couldn't quite understand that card, but obviously haven't got a clue what happened... Thing is though, Uskok barely had time to say anything before that card was out and up, I doubt it that it was verbal, he was way too far away, so it must've been some sort of gesture I'm thinking.

For the shots on target... According to the stats we had 0 shots on target, but 5 blocked by the keeper???

 

[nebakke]

Maybe, but after the two seasons we've had, anyone with a membership has earned the right to get a tad harsh

I suppose - but it would be nice if it was in the right direction... For mine, I actually don't think we've been bad in the front for most of this season, where we're lacking is clearly in defence and probably in midfield.
It pains me to say it, especially because I'm not sure how much change we'll see on that, but I too think Rosie's past it and I fear that Monty's the same... It's almost like he gave so much, trying to keep the team together for the first half of this season, that he doesn't have anything left - might just be frustration though but he just hasn't been the same the last 3/4 games - loses his cool quickly and just isn't quite there the way he was.

 

[Wombat]

Don't believe we need a complete overhaul. We have great young players and need to continue developing them. They make up 75 % of our squad and are the reason we are struggling but they will not be that age forever. What we need is 3 or 4 quality signings in the off season and we will make the finals next season. If 4 or 5 of the young players make big strides then we could surprise a few people. Liam Rose has really improved over the last 5 or 6 games and for me is becoming our best player. I can also see Ascroft,Uskok,Izzo and Micky Neill become great players. I'm keeping the faith.

We need a genuine 1st choice keeper. ONE NEW PLAYER.
We need starting fullbacks. Rosey needs to retire and Neill and Roux are
not good enough defenders to start ATM.
We need a top quality Experienced CB. Harry, uskok and Posco to learn from this player.
We have been extremely stupid having a back line of kids.....but they were cheap. SO WE NEED 3 NEW DEFENDERS

Of the midfield....I'd keep Monty, McGing, rosebud and budgie. I'd keep Garcia on 50% reduced playing fee if he wants to stay.
Everyone else to be replaced.
SO 3 NEW MIDDIES.

Of the Forwards
I'd cut Heff and Fletcher.
SO 2 NEW STRIKERS.

SO THATS 9 NEW PLAYERS NEEDED IF WE ARE TO GET FAIR DINKUM

We need two good players covering each spot.

Keeper....new #1 and one of the existing 3.
LB.....new and Neill as cover
RB....new and Storm as cover
CB.....new and Posco,Harry and Uskok.
LM, Austin and Budgie as cover
RM, Ferreira and new cover
DM, Monty, McGing, Liam Rose, new starting 11 standard player.
AM, Garcia and new cover
FOW, O'Donovan, Bingham, new starting 11 standard, new cover.

That's a lot of shopping.
And most importantly we need a defensive coach to organise our defensive structure.

 

[MrCelery]

Zero shots on target - at home - fighting to avoid the spoon - against a crap Scum side. Oh, how low have we sunk.

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

He is a decent shot stopper but free kicks and crosses not so much.

Distribution still poor but was better, put less straight over sideline.

The Nordstrom save was a real good one. That ball dipped and swerved but was a little lucky it was right at him. Still his timing was good to stop it.

No free kicks in range no goals. With Izzo in goals you can't foul within 30m of our goal.

He did well that game and the dipping one was a fantastic save. But decent shot stopper? Nope. Been caught too many times either forgetting where the goal was or using his feet to do his best impression of a goalpost. That is, apparently unable to move. As for the free kicks.....I feel like this should be relatively easy to coach, surely? Though I feel like it's surprising he's gotten to this level with that massive weakness.....

I couldn't quite understand that card, but obviously haven't got a clue what happened... Thing is though, Uskok barely had time to say anything before that card was out and up, I doubt it that it was verbal, he was way too far away, so it must've been some sort of gesture I'm thinking.

For the shots on target... According to the stats we had 0 shots on target, but 5 blocked by the keeper???

Would they be ones the keeper blocked but away from goals? I don't recall any shots on target so I agree with that statistic.

I think what hurts worst about that game is it was so many bad things rolled into on.

For a start, we've smashed all the wrong records this season - club records, but I'm pretty sure a few bad HAL ones too. Losing to the Jets at home for the first time in 8 years is just more of that...not technically a record, but you know...

It also hurts because in a season with so little opportunity to smile after a game, we could have won this. We should have won this. Jets invited us to win this, but no matter how they played, we just didn't step up. We had all the possession and field positionfor one long period and should have beaten them down and scored from persistence. But we didn't even seriously attempt to.

It also hurts because - and I know I'm kidding myself - but this was our best chance to get a win for some time, despite the players out. Maybe with the confidence from that and the players returning next week, we could have pulled off a miracle and even drawn against Victory. Maybe from that.....maybe, just maybe, it was possible to not get the wooden spoon.

After that game? They may as well give it to us now.

So after that games, the faintest flicker of hope of not taking home the wooden spoon has been extinguished.

And no shots on goal......NO SHOTS ON GOAL!!!! That's a thoroughly humiliating statistic. And given that a hard season was initially justified in part by our 'attacking and entertaining approach'.....is this suggesting that the 'attacking game' is a conclusive failure? An attacking team who, in 96 minutes, couldn't get a single shot on target?? What does that say???

I feel like I can't emphasise enough just how unhappy I am with that particular statistic...

 

[FFC Mariner]

Weren't you entertained?

Wasn't that why there was a global search for a new coach?

 

[Big Al]

Think the block stat is shots blocked by defenders.

Definitely towards the goal but shut down so early they are unable to determine if the ball was on target or not.

Was a few last ditch efforts by the scum defence.

 

[Big Al]

As for the free kicks.....I feel like this should be relatively easy to coach, surely? Though I feel like it's surprising he's gotten to this level with that massive weakness.....

Could that be because the Aussies are shit at free kicks?
Now he has jumped to the next level he is being destroyed by imports and Mooy?
Look at us no one strikes fear when we have those shots so guess what he's training against.

Still caught ball watching unprepared way to often. If he was diving you might say great shot but just stands there wrong footed.

Can you coach that out of him?

 

[Coach]

We need a genuine 1st choice keeper. ONE NEW PLAYER.
We need starting fullbacks. Rosey needs to retire and Neill and Roux are
not good enough defenders to start ATM.
We need a top quality Experienced CB. Harry, uskok and Posco to learn from this player.
We have been extremely stupid having a back line of kids.....but they were cheap. SO WE NEED 3 NEW DEFENDERS

Of the midfield....I'd keep Monty, McGing, rosebud and budgie. I'd keep Garcia on 50% reduced playing fee if he wants to stay.
Everyone else to be replaced.
SO 3 NEW MIDDIES.

Of the Forwards
I'd cut Heff and Fletcher.
SO 2 NEW STRIKERS.

SO THATS 9 NEW PLAYERS NEEDED IF WE ARE TO GET FAIR DINKUM

We need two good players covering each spot.

Keeper....new #1 and one of the existing 3.
LB.....new and Neill as cover
RB....new and Storm as cover
CB.....new and Posco,Harry and Uskok.
LM, Austin and Budgie as cover
RM, Ferreira and new cover
DM, Monty, McGing, Liam Rose, new starting 11 standard player.
AM, Garcia and new cover
FOW, O'Donovan, Bingham, new starting 11 standard, new cover.

That's a lot of shopping.
And most importantly we need a defensive coach to organise our defensive structure.

Wombat, I tend to agree with Al.

This is a good summary Wombat, however, your forecast needs are restricted by the cap and our purse.

Based on your strategy we would be way over the cap. My thoughts here;

These are only quick back of the envelope calculations. I have left out Garcia as he is paid outside the cap.

If we say goodbye to Izzo, Heff, Fletcher, Stella, McDonald, Trifiro, Bray, Kalik we realise approx. $700K back, all would be on the basic $55k with Izzo on approx. $100k

As you suggest If we keep Roux, Neill, Posc, Ashcroft, McGing, Monty, Fab, Austin, O’Donovan, Howad-Belle and Uskok (11 players, est. cost approx. $1.7M under the cap) + Binghan, L.Rose & Buhgier outside the cap under the Home Grown exemptions (3 Players, est. approx. $200,000 for these 3). Also, no point in paying out J.Rose as he attracts the Loyalty exemptions under the cap of $200K which is probably what he is paid.

So the cap is $2.55M and we have spent $1.7M of the cap and a further $410k outside the cap on Loyalty and Home Grown exemption’s for a total of 15 players. This leaves us $850K to spend under the cap (assuming we spend to the cap) to find 8 players.

As suggested Wombat you think we need 8 more players being - starting RB, starting LB, experienced starting CB, starting Keeper, starting FW, RM cover, Attacking Mid Field Cover, FW cover. Now if you use the logic that the new starting players would be paid the same or more than the incumbents in their positions then, I value these additions at approx. $1.1M, so we are $250k over budget based on the $850k we have to spend. Something must go.

My view is that the glaring deficiency’s that need to be resolved are – experienced centreback ($250-$300K),
experienced Goal Keeper ($180K), Attacking Midfield ($200). So that’s 3 players at $630k which bolsters the spine as suggested by TW. It also leaves $220K for 5 players, so, at best we will only attract more young players looking for an opportunity. Addressing your other ‘wants’ I think if Storm comes back he will do me, I assume he is on $150K or more so no need to spend much more on a right back, maybe a young right back as cover. FW cover, we have O’Donovon, Bingham, Buhgier and Austin that can all play there no need, again maybe a youngster with some pedigree may be ok. I’m keeping Josh Rose as above and I thought Neill showed he can cut it against the Jets so no need to spend any more on Fullbacks. Both Neill and Rose can also cover LW and the former has shown he can adequately cover DM.

So, this would see us spend the cap plus $410k – I think this is overly ambitious based on history!

It would look like;

Roux
Neill
Posc
Ashcroft
McGing
Monty
Fab
Austin
O'Donovan
Howad-Belle
Uskok
Bingham
Buhgier
L Rose
J Rose
New CB #1
New Keeper #1
attacking MF/Cover
RB cover
+ 4 Young or looking for opportunity

 

[dibo]

The cap + $250k is about what the average club is spending. The cap + $410k would put us roughly on a par with Adelaide, but minus marquees.

I'd love to see whatever spreadsheet you've got for players' values...

 

[Coach]

I think it isn't all doom and gloom though getting beat by the Jets is always terrible. I really don'tt hnk we are far off. If you took Kisnorbo, Mooy and Fornaroli out of City how do you think they would go? My guess is no where near as well. Take out Fab, Roy and Posc and we are in the same siuation. What is worse is our depth isn't like the other clubs either. I thought they played their hearts out and the reaction from most of them at fulltime showed how much it hurt. I am surprised he played Buhgier, he is nowhere near ready to play at this level. Showed speed and work ethic but little else. We wonder why we struggle at the pointy end when our numkber 10 is injured after 5mins and is reduced to jogging, I feel so sorry for him.

Since New Year's Eve we have Won 2, Drawn 1 and lost 5, however, 3 of those losses were by 1 goal with the WSW and ADL loses coming at the death, the Brisbane game was the only real thumping.

All these guys are gaining valuable expereince and, with the addition of a couple of strong cattle we will see improvement next season.

 

[dibo]

All these guys are gaining valuable expereince and, with the addition of a couple of strong cattle we will see improvement next season.

The optimist in me agrees wholeheartedly, the pessimist in me worries that we're leaving bruises that won't soon heal.

 

[Coach]

The cap + $250k is about what the average club is spending. The cap + $410k would put us roughly on a par with Adelaide, but minus marquees.

I'd love to see whatever spreadsheet you've got for players' values...

I don't claim to think I have any idea but with swings and roundabouts I thnk in quantem it maybe close. I am not planning to debate the allocated contract amounts lol

Cap
Roux $150,000
Neill $100,000
Posc $100,000
Ashcroft $100,000
McGing $55,000
Monty $300,000
Fab $250,000
Austin $250,000
O'Donovan $300,000
Howad-Belle $55,000
Uskok $55,000
Outside Cap
Bingham $55,000
Buhgier $55,000
Lrose $100,000
Jrose $200,000
New
New CB $250,000
New Keeper #1 $200,000
attacking MF/Cover $80,000
Cover RB $55,000

 

[nebakke]

I'm in two minds - as always...

For keeper... I think it's clear that Izzo is struggling - we all agree there. I also think that we've lumped ourselves with him now, not sure we'll see the back of him anytime soon but...
I'd like to see much more of Bray in goals... At this point I wouldn't even really mind us going into next season with him as the first choice keeper.
It feels a bit like the coach situation... There aren't a lot of keepers who can play in the A-league, who isn't either there or overseas.
So that leaves the keepers that are benched, or the NPL keepers.

If we're going to sign out of the NPL, Bray seems to have been the pick of the bunch... Either him or the other guy we were looking at at the same time.
From what Bray showed against MV, I think he'd do well better than Izzo, but he hasn't had a chance to show it yet and, in fairness to the coaching team, I'm not even in a position to begin to guess about how he's performing when not playing.

For the CBs, I think we can also all agree that we need someone with some experience... I'd like to see more of Uskok to be honest and... My worry is that we sign someone "with experience" and end up with another Eddy Bosnar - that'd be disastrous. If we can't find someone better than that, we might as well just stick with what we've got and see how they go experience-wise.

I thought Neill did well on the weekend - I was significantly more worried about Rosie's position (and rightly so it seems) than I was about his.
I also thought Ascroft did well on the other side - he's got enough mongrel in him to mix it up, but works hard enough to get back and defend.

Finally - I don't fully understand some of the comments about Buhagiar... I'm not saying he's starting 11 material yet but - I thought he did exceedingly well, considering how young and inexperienced he is. I thought for sure he'd be muscled off the park in the first 20 and be gone from the on. But he kept going and he gave it back a couple of times, much better than a little thing like him has any right to.
With a bit less nerves and more experience, he'd have had us up by a couple, at least, by the end of that game.

If we accept that the spoon is ours, I'd be interested in seeing Tony experimenting a bit with some of the players that we haven't seen much of yet... Like Uskok and Bray...

 

[Ancient Mariner]

I think many here need to watch a replay of the game on tv. Apart from that one mistake. J. Rose was probably our best player.

 

[Rowdy]

I think many here need to watch a replay of the game on tv. Apart from that one mistake. J. Rose was probably our best player.

Was saying that at the game to FFC, but the way people have been bagging him for an error that led to the goal was surprising to me & thought I'd wait to watch the replay (later tonight) to judge that.

Live at the game, thought his screening of NewC through balls was excellent as well as his playing out from the back, with some fantastic long diagonal balls that more often then not hit their intended target.

He should stay in the middle for the rest of the season imo.

 

[Big Al]

Wombats wants would put us in the top four if recruitment was perfect.

I'll settle for something less drastic and more realistic.

I'll go similar to coach without worrying about $$$$

A top quality spine would be enough to take the pressure off the young guys and let them grow.

All these to be 26 to 32yrs old
CB
MF
AM

Think Roy, Bingham, Austin, Fab can get it done with good service.
GK I'd like to see more Bray to see if we need one but we all know Izzo is staying No 1

 

[Gratis]

TW has stated specifically that recruiting an experienced spine is the goal of the off season