Round 12 - Adelaide v CCM @ Coopers (Boxing Day)

[bikinigirl]

Okon needs to light a fire under most of the forwards imho, I am beginning to think that there simply isn’t enough intensity in our training regime, or enough genuine competition for places in the front positions. The likes of Hoole and Pain need to discover the feel of some pine on their buttocks for mine but Okon just keeps playing them week after week regardless.

Hoole is too selfish and Pain not influential enough, so they both need to be made aware of that. DDS as a No.6 didn’t work for me, as he had to do too much of what is not his natural game. Credit to the lad for giving it his best shot but what a waste of his talents. Hoole should have been sacrificed for Rosebud in this game, in order to allow Danny to play as the No.10.

Unfortunately, that Game played out exactly as I saw it in my mind’s eye and three losses on the bounce will do nothing for the boy’s confidence going into the NYE game. Thank goodness we play the Nux and not Sydney or the Jest!

. you have echoed some of my thoughts (while I was typing). the bold part has not been discussed enough - both Hoole and Pain spend too much time on the ball for too little. Pain seems to think that running the ball down the line, getting even with his marker and falling over is job done - while Hoole obviously thinks nobody in the team can do better with the ball than he can

. I s'pose this is what makes things so frustrating - we are rarely presenting more than one player to receive the ball and I can't decide whether the above ball-hogging is the cause or effect ???

 

[Wombat]

Trent was lazy on his jump. Needed and easily could have got over that ball.
Great cross from Rowles on it.

Pain hit his straight at Izzo

I don't think anyone in our squad would have scored from that header.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

. Okon has done some weird shit ... but DDS as defensive midfielder ... umm, WTF?

. he offered nothing that Rosebud couldn't - but we lost a lot by swapping Danny out for Hoole in the middle ... and there was an increased risk of Danny getting injured

. this was only compounded by Hiariej - we can't afford to be without him for a couple of weeks ever again ... because I reckon he only hit about two passes all night

Yeah it was painful for DDS and us I think - but tbh, in light of the problem Okon had I really wasn't sure how he was going to solve it, and for the most part at least you could say it worked defensively as AU did not control or dominate the midfield and we also got back to the possession football Okon wants but we've struggled to play ever since Tom was injured. So while it was definitely counter intuitive to hamstring our best attacker, there was a serious problem he had to try and solve and that's how he chose to try and do it. I'm not too surprised at him reaching this conclusion tbf because DDS actually defends really well.

Good point about injury though and a young players state of mind can be thrown easily. It looked to me like Da Silva was frustrated by it.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I don't think anyone in our squad would have scored from that header.

Maybe Powell I think. McGing has scored a couple like that...

Storm was decent... so McGing upfront against Welly?

 

[Wombat]

Okon needs to light a fire under most of the forwards imho, I am beginning to think that there simply isn’t enough intensity in our training regime, or enough genuine competition for places in the front positions. The likes of Hoole and Pain need to discover the feel of some pine on their buttocks for mine but Okon just keeps playing them week after week regardless.

Hoole is too selfish and Pain not influential enough, so they both need to be made aware of that. DDS as a No.6 didn’t work for me, as he had to do too much of what is not his natural game. Credit to the lad for giving it his best shot but what a waste of his talents. Hoole should have been sacrificed for Rosebud in this game, in order to allow Danny to play as the No.10.

Unfortunately, that Game played out exactly as I saw it in my mind’s eye and three losses on the bounce will do nothing for the boy’s confidence going into the NYE game. Thank goodness we play the Nux and not Sydney or the Jest!

I would have sacrificed Appiah not Hoole but agree Rosebud should have played alongside Tom.

 

[bikinigirl]

Adsrubal's 25 did not win me over. Nor Pain's 75

. which is really saying something about his other 15 minutes

Trent wasn't on long I know, and I want him to be awesome, but he hasn't looked HAL standard in the last few games imo.

. tough job to come on for a few minutes and be expected to do everything the players chosen ahead of you have not been able to do. i'd prefer to start the kid and see if it changes the dynamic of the team (what have we got to lose?)

 

[Wombat]

Maybe Powell I think. McGing has scored a couple like that...

Storm was decent... so McGing upfront against Welly?

McGing have been 6yrd box from a corner. I agree Powell is probably the only likely scorer.....my point being it wasn't an easy chance.

 

[Wombat]

. which is really saying something about his other 15 minutes



. tough job to come on for a few minutes and be expected to do everything the players chosen ahead of you have not been able to do. i'd prefer to start the kid and see if it changes the dynamic of the team (what have we got to lose?)

I'd certainly prefer him to Appiah who only shot option is straight down the keepers neck.

 

[bikinigirl]

Yeah it was painful for DDS and us I think - but tbh, in light of the problem Okon had I really wasn't sure how he was going to solve it, and for the most part at least you could say it worked defensively as AU did not control or dominate the midfield and we also got back to the possession football Okon wants but we've struggled to play ever since Tom was injured. So while it was definitely counter intuitive to hamstring our best attacker, there was a serious problem he had to try and solve and that's how he chose to try and do it. I'm not too surprised at him reaching this conclusion tbf because DDS actually defends really well.

Good point about injury though and a young players state of mind can be thrown easily. It looked to me like Da Silva was frustrated by it.

. so you don't think that Rosebud could have done the DM role at least as well?

. I agree with some of the pre-match postings that a Tom/Rosebud pairing could be more productive than a Brama/Rosebud pairing but I just don't think we gained anything from the Tom/DDS experiment

 

[scottmac]

I'd certainly prefer him to Appiah who only shot option is straight down the keepers neck.

I believe he had a few shots and none of them troubled the keeper. He's not the answer. We dont have the answer.

 

[scottmac]

. so you don't think that Rosebud could have done the DM role at least as well?

. I agree with some of the pre-match postings that a Tom/Rosebud pairing could be more productive than a Brama/Rosebud pairing but I just don't think we gained anything from the Tom/DDS experiment

We lost more than we gained. Hoole needs a foil. He struggles being the focal point of the attack.

 

[Wombat]

. I s'pose this is what makes things so frustrating - we are rarely presenting more than one player to receive the ball and I can't decide whether the above ball-hogging is the cause or effect ???[/QUOTE]

Winner winner! spot on BG.
Perfect example 5 min in Tom has the ball on the edge of the box.....not a single Mariners player moves into position to receive the ball and Tom loses it.
Hoole did many good things but simply had no options and the same for Pain who both end up looking stupid.

 

[bikinigirl]

I'd certainly prefer him to Appiah who only shot option is straight down the keepers neck.

. I was actually wondering how he'd go on the left

 

[Wombat]

I believe he had a few shots and none of them troubled the keeper. He's not the answer. We dont have the answer.

Appiah also hides sometimes. Watch the replay if you don't believe me. He will wave his arms like he wanted the ball once its gone.

 

[Wombat]

. I was actually wondering how he'd go on the left

Why not play Hoole on the left and TBT on the right if you are not happy with Pain and Appi?.....as many people aren't.

 

[Wombat]

TBH I blame our set up tonight more than anything

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Some times last night Hoole did not have options, but many times when he did he did not use them. He very rarely looks for support until he can go no further with the ball and often the options are gone.
A lot of his problems come from poor decision making.
I would like to see him one touch passing more and running less. If I can predict each time he gets the ball he will ignore the overlapping support run and cut back inside, I think opposition defences can work it out as well.
I thought Tommy was being very careful with himself and looked far from 100% fit.
I thought DDS handled the DM position well, which shows how good he is but thought it was a shame to put him there.
I thought it was a shame for Powell to get a start but to not have DDS up there with him. I suspect we need the two of them together to get some teeth up front.
Roux was ok but was too slow in attack along with the rest of the team.
I have absolutely no problem with recycling the ball if the channels are closed down, but if you attack at snails pace with each individual taking too many touches, the opposition has plenty of time to get set. We looked like we had gone back 6 months in time and were just getting used to Okon's style of play. Correct method but way too slow.
Rowles looks better every time I see him, Soon to be a regular.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

McGing have been 6yrd box from a corner. I agree Powell is probably the only likely scorer.....my point being it wasn't an easy chance.

Oh wait.... I thought you were talking about Trent’s header...

 

[Forum Phoenix]

. so you don't think that Rosebud could have done the DM role at least as well?

It’s what I wanted and thought we’d do...
But I can still see why Okon opted for his admittedly bizzaro solution.

I think Rosey is good on the ball but he is still to impress me as a DM defensively.and definitely not in his mongrel/attitude/impact.
DDS puts himself about a lot more, loves to harry his opponents, runs his guts out, and is an excellent tackler and ball winner. As a DM he only has two problems I can see. He is small and an even better attacker than he is a defender.

.
. I agree with some of the pre-match postings that a Tom/Rosebud pairing could be more productive than a Brama/Rosebud pairing but I just don't think we gained anything from the Tom/DDS experiment

I think we gained some midfield security and control but lost the best attacking player in the side.

I’m not saying that was the right choice or I’m thrilled about it. Just think I can understand what the hell okon thought he was doing. For the record I still wished we had played DaSilva at 10 and hope to never see him at 6 again.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

TBH I blame our set up tonight more than anything

I get it, clearly needs work, but not convinced we ever had a genuine goal scoring centre forward on the park yesterday. And hard to score a lot of goals or win a lot of football games without one.

Not convinced our players have a lot of intelligence in attack. They routinely make poor decisions on the ball that have nothing to do with their position or the set up. (Though a lone striker not presenting does hurt us too I admit).

In attack we have two good football brains in Tom and Da Silva (but in this area he’s still clearly young developing also - and makes quite a few errors) Powell is ok too in this department but he’s not a great physical talent - merely solid unfortunately.

Players like Berisha, Broiche, Brosque etc have the great intelligence in attack that we lack...

Players like Hoole pain and kubi do not have it.

Conclusion: We clearly need more players up front whose surnames start with B.