Round 22: Victory vs Mariners

[sydmariner]

I'm all for giving players every chance to prove themselves. but Seip is now my all-time worst Mariners player.

If that's the best we've played this season we are in serious trouble. I hate to say it but I think we may be in for a hiding next week in the F3.

We will get a larger squad to pick from (I hope), but with so many players well below their best, I'd hate to be Mossy trying to pick a team.

we've still got sanfrecce hiroshima on tuesday 1st so scum shouldnt be a problem

 

[AuzDutchy]

cant wait to hear Moss' presser where he tells us "how proud he is of his boys" and how "there were a lot of positives in that game" crap again, sometimes he seems waaaay to nice to be a head coach

 

[midfielder]

Middy's challenge

Name any player or position playing better this year than last year...

Caceres only IMO

 

[nebakke]

Actually, at this point I think Bernie is better as well... He was good for the second half of the season, but he's better now..
Better defensively and better ball control..

And honestly, anyone who thinks this was one of our poorest, need to go back and look at most of the rest of the season... Tonight passes were largely at the right point, in the right direction... Like just before half time last week, the players seemed to know where to play each other and how hard to pass... Pressed fairly high again... Hutch spent much of the second half up front, doing fairly well... I stand by my comment that this was the best of the season so far and that the boys deserved the win... The score does lie sometimes, just ask Heart and Adelaide...

 

[tsd]

Middy's challenge

Name any player or position playing better this year than last year...

Caceres only IMO

Storm roux has been better in some aspects than bojic

fitzy is playing the best football of his career and if he starts to finish off some of the great work he's been doing he will become one of the better players in the league

 

[eenfish]

Storm roux has been better in some aspects than bojic

fitzy is playing the best football of his career and if he starts to finish off some of the great work he's been doing he will become one of the better players in the league

Storm is better than Pedj in a lot of ways. Yeah, he is a little bit more youthful and you can see that, plus the interplay between Pedj and Bernie was fantastic at times, but Storm is great going forward like Rose used to be. Defensively lacking at times but that will come I reckon.

Also 100% agree about Fitzy. If he had made that header… oh boy. Looked spectacular from the sidelines tonight.


Was a great night, got fired up and loved being able to see the boys again despite the result. Chatted to a bloke in front of me who also moved down recently (him from Tuggerah, me a Kincumber boy) also saw someone I used to work with, hah! Small world.
Some of the doomsayers are back, Is see, I saw a fair few positives tonight that I hadn't seen recently. I thought Anderson looked fired up like he hasn't been, also love me some Brent Griffiths and Matt Sim. Those boys looked good. If we had sunk those two early chances (Fitzy header and the shot that hit the post) and been a tad luckier with the handball (tough luck to Ando) that game would've been completely different. From my view in the stands, honestly felt like we were still really in it until they nabbed us on the counter in injury time.

Funniest part of the night was some young lads trying to start shit after the match by saying "where the f**k is gosford" and then "you're just a suburb of Sydney". Yeah nah mate. Also if there was a plane I could've caught back to Frankston instead of having to wait in the car park for half an hour it would've been much better.

Bring on the derby. And bring on Heart in two weeks too, very keen to see the boys in action again.

 

[eenfish]

Every time we start a game by missing a number of sitters you just know we're gonna lose. You can't squander your chances. Other teams don't. This is why victory won.

As soon as the ball hit the post I just knew it was gonna be one of those nights.

Also Seip looked good at times, but also made some shocking passes and moves too. Probably his best game, but I'd still much rather any other of the defenders we have on the books than him.
Also, again, I am loving Matt Sim and am still loving Brent Griffiths, plus he looks much more dashing with a full set of hair.

 

[tsd]

Brent was quite good apart from the loose pass that led to andos hand ball

Ando played one of the best games I've seen from him. Did a lot with the ball as well as made some great stops. Got himself a goal and hit the wood work. Shame about the hand

Caceres showed his worth tonight, last week he was one of our best going forward and tonight he was one of the best in defense

 

[Roy Law]

Mariners Blow Great Opportunity​

Another game; another defeat; another disappointing display. The weakest Melbourne Victory team in years was there for the taking but the Mariners blew the opportunity. Good teams don’t allow a sucker an even break but the Mariners, sadly, are not a good team and Victory got a win they could scarcely believe. Add to that some poor refereeing and a biased ignorant SBS commentary and it didn’t make for good entertainment.
When Gui Finkler got the ball just inside the Mariners’ penalty area there were eight defenders in the box to deal with four Victory attackers. Most of the eight watched the ball; Bernie the worst offender. Finkler played the ball to the unmarked Jeggo who banged the ball past Reddy as three defenders belatedly tried to close him down.
Victory’s goal was a turning point as just moments before Nick Fitzgerald had missed a wonderful chance to score from Duke’s excellent cross. Everything about the chance was perfect but somehow Fitzgerald didn’t get enough purchase on his header with the goal beckoning. It was a costly miss.
The Mariners used to pride themselves on their defence but not anymore. We have a new coach and a new assistant who both claim defensive structure is the key but the goals still flow in. Thirty goals conceded is almost as many as we used to concede in two seasons! Good defence means you can ride the miss of a Fitzgerald and still go on to win but ill-disciplined defending will hurt you.
The Mariners, with a few men missing of their own, dominated possession until Jeggo’s goal. They looked assured with Caceres particularly prominent but had great difficulty getting their attacking players into the game. Duke was superb but, unlike last week, was not well supported by his mates Bernie Ibini and Fitzgerald. Kim Seung-yong barely touched the ball.
Matt Sim, deputising for Josh Rose, put in a great cross after five minutes but no one could capitalise and then, on ten minutes, Bernie showed skill and persistence and won a corner. Lawrence Thomas, the young Victory goalkeeper, was beaten to Kim’s cross; the ball came off Anderson’s back to hit the post. Duke got his balance all wrong and could not convert the rebound.
The Mariners had settled into a steady rhythm with Caceres’s close dribbling skills catching the eye although he may need to review the folly of his diving header! You wanted the Mariners to crank it up, the pace wasn’t urgent enough, it was if they were trying to lull the Victory off guard but it was the Mariners who were caught asleep when Jeggo scored.
Half time and the Mariners had fashioned one and a half chances; Thomas had not had a save to make. Anderson had picked up a yellow for an innocuous challenge but when Mahazi dived in and caught Kim the referee simply told him not to do it again.
I wanted Moss to bring on Montgomery for Kim for the second half; I figured it would give us more drive and allow Caceres to get forward but Mossy didn’t make any changes. The team lifted though and Fitzgerald was almost in as Bernie’s pass set him free but the angle was tight and he could only hit the shot straight at the keeper. It was an encouraging start and it got better as Duke stormed forward and almost got through. The referee had played advantage for a foul on Kim but again no yellow card for the offender.
Sim did well to cut out a pass to Archie Thompson as Victory got away on a break; Reddy then cheekily dinked a return pass to Sim – who did he think he was, Mat Ryan? It brought a smile from me; I was even happier when Anderson showed good presence to force home the equaliser when Thomas again made a hash of Kim’s corner.
Mossy finally changed Kim for Glen Trifiro. As I said, I think it was a substitution far too late; Kim had been a passenger, spending more time rolling over and rubbing his leg than actually playing football. We missed the skills of a no. 10; we missed Marcos Flores today.
Victory were then awarded one of those awful modern penalties whereby a defender does not play at the ball but is deemed to have deliberately handled it. It was tough luck on Anderson who had been one of our best. James Triosi banged the ball home off the cross bar as Matt Simon came on for Bernie; a few minutes later Mile Sterjovski replaced Fitzgerald. Unlike last week both young wingers failed to support Duke today: Fitzgerald worked hard enough without consistent impact; Bernie was lazy; he has more to give. Occasional moments of skill are not enough; he was more posing than imposing.
The Mariners pushed on for the equaliser, Duke twice having fierce shots blocked, and Seip should have done better when Sterjovski set him up, but heartbreakingly Victory finished with a flourish with an undeserved third goal, by Barboureses, on the break.
I liked the work of Glen Trifiro, who showed great close skills; given that Mossy knows his capabilities I would have liked him on sooner. He certainly warrants more game time. Sim did his cause no harm either with a solid game. Seip looked like a proverbial centre back out of water at right back.
Our best were Anderson, Caceres and Duke, with Duke my MoM with an energetic and skilful display; the World Cup beckons and Dukey seems inspired.

 

[tsd]

Mariners Blow Great Opportunity​

Another game; another defeat; another disappointing display. The weakest Melbourne Victory team in years was there for the taking but the Mariners blew the opportunity. Good teams don’t allow a sucker an even break but the Mariners, sadly, are not a good team and Victory got a win they could scarcely believe. Add to that some poor refereeing and a biased ignorant SBS commentary and it didn’t make for good entertainment.
When Gui Finkler got the ball just inside the Mariners’ penalty area there were eight defenders in the box to deal with four Victory attackers. Most of the eight watched the ball; Bernie the worst offender. Finkler played the ball to the unmarked Jeggo who banged the ball past Reddy as three defenders belatedly tried to close him down.
Victory’s goal was a turning point as just moments before Nick Fitzgerald had missed a wonderful chance to score from Duke’s excellent cross. Everything about the chance was perfect but somehow Fitzgerald didn’t get enough purchase on his header with the goal beckoning. It was a costly miss.
The Mariners used to pride themselves on their defence but not anymore. We have a new coach and a new assistant who both claim defensive structure is the key but the goals still flow in. Thirty goals conceded is almost as many as we used to concede in two seasons! Good defence means you can ride the miss of a Fitzgerald and still go on to win but ill-disciplined defending will hurt you.
The Mariners, with a few men missing of their own, dominated possession until Jeggo’s goal. They looked assured with Caceres particularly prominent but had great difficulty getting their attacking players into the game. Duke was superb but, unlike last week, was not well supported by his mates Bernie Ibini and Fitzgerald. Kim Seung-yong barely touched the ball.
Matt Sim, deputising for Josh Rose, put in a great cross after five minutes but no one could capitalise and then, on ten minutes, Bernie showed skill and persistence and won a corner. Lawrence Thomas, the young Victory goalkeeper, was beaten to Kim’s cross; the ball came off Anderson’s back to hit the post. Duke got his balance all wrong and could not convert the rebound.
The Mariners had settled into a steady rhythm with Caceres’s close dribbling skills catching the eye although he may need to review the folly of his diving header! You wanted the Mariners to crank it up, the pace wasn’t urgent enough, it was if they were trying to lull the Victory off guard but it was the Mariners who were caught asleep when Jeggo scored.
Half time and the Mariners had fashioned one and a half chances; Thomas had not had a save to make. Anderson had picked up a yellow for an innocuous challenge but when Mahazi dived in and caught Kim the referee simply told him not to do it again.
I wanted Moss to bring on Montgomery for Kim for the second half; I figured it would give us more drive and allow Caceres to get forward but Mossy didn’t make any changes. The team lifted though and Fitzgerald was almost in as Bernie’s pass set him free but the angle was tight and he could only hit the shot straight at the keeper. It was an encouraging start and it got better as Duke stormed forward and almost got through. The referee had played advantage for a foul on Kim but again no yellow card for the offender.
Sim did well to cut out a pass to Archie Thompson as Victory got away on a break; Reddy then cheekily dinked a return pass to Sim – who did he think he was, Mat Ryan? It brought a smile from me; I was even happier when Anderson showed good presence to force home the equaliser when Thomas again made a hash of Kim’s corner.
Mossy finally changed Kim for Glen Trifiro. As I said, I think it was a substitution far too late; Kim had been a passenger, spending more time rolling over and rubbing his leg than actually playing football. We missed the skills of a no. 10; we missed Marcos Flores today.
Victory were then awarded one of those awful modern penalties whereby a defender does not play at the ball but is deemed to have deliberately handled it. It was tough luck on Anderson who had been one of our best. James Triosi banged the ball home off the cross bar as Matt Simon came on for Bernie; a few minutes later Mile Sterjovski replaced Fitzgerald. Unlike last week both young wingers failed to support Duke today: Fitzgerald worked hard enough without consistent impact; Bernie was lazy; he has more to give. Occasional moments of skill are not enough; he was more posing than imposing.
The Mariners pushed on for the equaliser, Duke twice having fierce shots blocked, and Seip should have done better when Sterjovski set him up, but heartbreakingly Victory finished with a flourish with an undeserved third goal, by Barboureses, on the break.
I liked the work of Glen Trifiro, who showed great close skills; given that Mossy knows his capabilities I would have liked him on sooner. He certainly warrants more game time. Sim did his cause no harm either with a solid game. Seip looked like a proverbial centre back out of water at right back.
Our best were Anderson, Caceres and Duke, with Duke my MoM with an energetic and skilful display; the World Cup beckons and Dukey seems inspired.

Great read! Agreed that trifiro was fantastic and with Kim being fouled out of the game his more rugged approach would have been handy. Sim has already earned a contract for next season.

On duke and his chance for brasil. If he was a better wing option to add to his central striker abilities maybe he would go. Based on this years performance guys like Cahill, Kennedy, leckie, Ruka, juric, taggart and Djite are all in front of him for 9 and there are about many options better for wing

 

[Bladesman]

Didn't see last nights game but the second paragraph of Roy's report highlights a problem we are consistently having -
8 against 4 but still Unmarked players around the edge of the box! The only reason it didn't cost us in the Sydney game was they hit chances straight at reddy.

We are sitting far too deep in defence and nobody is taking responsibility for actually picking up a player. What then happens is the player is free to shoot as per Cunningham and Carlos in the Wellington game or 2 - 3 of our players then try and close him down leaving an even bigger hole for somebody else especially with a pass to the far post (or saved shot as per Sydney) where a now unmarked player then scores.

 

[true believer]

Seip defended well and did well moving the ball out in his own half, he just has absolutely nothing for a final ball, 5-6 rubbish crosses.

he's no rb. but played ok.

 

[Wombat]

Middy's challenge

Name any player or position playing better this year than last year...

Caceres only IMO

Fitz and Monty maybe.

 

[Wombat]

I didn't see the game as moved yesterday and foxtel isn't hooked up.
Can anyone do a players rating and 321 please

 

[BrisRecky]

a couple of the regulars said something that I 100% agree with
1: as soon as that ball hit the post, I knew it was gonna be one of those nights
2: 2-1 I can handle..but 3-1 is a kick in the nuts

we should of had that won by half time (again)...blokes were having a dig, but nothing was coming off....Sim and Trifiro impressed, Dooks was trying too hard
Ando was...Ando....Griffo under impressed again, he should thank whoever for the ACL otherwise he'd never get a run...did anyone see a post match pressie, Did Mossy praise the boys about being super impressed and being valiant in defeat or something?...I saw on FB and twitter last night people barking REDDY OUT again...there are a couple of blokes I'd shift before him at the moment

 

[dibo]

I thought we were good, for what it's worth; we held possession more effectively than we have done for yonks, both Anderson and Seip impressed me with their desperation in defence, we created more chances than we've done in yonks (creating is a necessary, but not sufficient, ingredient for scoring - finishing is also necessary...) and we're playing out really nicely.

We're not going to win the league, so playing well to get a chance at jagging something in the finals is what we've got. We're playing progressively better, so we might still be able to get something out of this year.

 

[MrCelery]

Mariners Blow Great Opportunity​

Another game; another defeat; another disappointing display. The weakest Melbourne Victory team in years was there for the taking but the Mariners blew the opportunity. Good teams don’t allow a sucker an even break but the Mariners, sadly, are not a good team and Victory got a win they could scarcely believe. Add to that some poor refereeing and a biased ignorant SBS commentary and it didn’t make for good entertainment.
When Gui Finkler got the ball just inside the Mariners’ penalty area there were eight defenders in the box to deal with four Victory attackers. Most of the eight watched the ball; Bernie the worst offender. Finkler played the ball to the unmarked Jeggo who banged the ball past Reddy as three defenders belatedly tried to close him down.
Victory’s goal was a turning point as just moments before Nick Fitzgerald had missed a wonderful chance to score from Duke’s excellent cross. Everything about the chance was perfect but somehow Fitzgerald didn’t get enough purchase on his header with the goal beckoning. It was a costly miss.
The Mariners used to pride themselves on their defence but not anymore. We have a new coach and a new assistant who both claim defensive structure is the key but the goals still flow in. Thirty goals conceded is almost as many as we used to concede in two seasons! Good defence means you can ride the miss of a Fitzgerald and still go on to win but ill-disciplined defending will hurt you.
The Mariners, with a few men missing of their own, dominated possession until Jeggo’s goal. They looked assured with Caceres particularly prominent but had great difficulty getting their attacking players into the game. Duke was superb but, unlike last week, was not well supported by his mates Bernie Ibini and Fitzgerald. Kim Seung-yong barely touched the ball.
Matt Sim, deputising for Josh Rose, put in a great cross after five minutes but no one could capitalise and then, on ten minutes, Bernie showed skill and persistence and won a corner. Lawrence Thomas, the young Victory goalkeeper, was beaten to Kim’s cross; the ball came off Anderson’s back to hit the post. Duke got his balance all wrong and could not convert the rebound.
The Mariners had settled into a steady rhythm with Caceres’s close dribbling skills catching the eye although he may need to review the folly of his diving header! You wanted the Mariners to crank it up, the pace wasn’t urgent enough, it was if they were trying to lull the Victory off guard but it was the Mariners who were caught asleep when Jeggo scored.
Half time and the Mariners had fashioned one and a half chances; Thomas had not had a save to make. Anderson had picked up a yellow for an innocuous challenge but when Mahazi dived in and caught Kim the referee simply told him not to do it again.
I wanted Moss to bring on Montgomery for Kim for the second half; I figured it would give us more drive and allow Caceres to get forward but Mossy didn’t make any changes. The team lifted though and Fitzgerald was almost in as Bernie’s pass set him free but the angle was tight and he could only hit the shot straight at the keeper. It was an encouraging start and it got better as Duke stormed forward and almost got through. The referee had played advantage for a foul on Kim but again no yellow card for the offender.
Sim did well to cut out a pass to Archie Thompson as Victory got away on a break; Reddy then cheekily dinked a return pass to Sim – who did he think he was, Mat Ryan? It brought a smile from me; I was even happier when Anderson showed good presence to force home the equaliser when Thomas again made a hash of Kim’s corner.
Mossy finally changed Kim for Glen Trifiro. As I said, I think it was a substitution far too late; Kim had been a passenger, spending more time rolling over and rubbing his leg than actually playing football. We missed the skills of a no. 10; we missed Marcos Flores today.
Victory were then awarded one of those awful modern penalties whereby a defender does not play at the ball but is deemed to have deliberately handled it. It was tough luck on Anderson who had been one of our best. James Triosi banged the ball home off the cross bar as Matt Simon came on for Bernie; a few minutes later Mile Sterjovski replaced Fitzgerald. Unlike last week both young wingers failed to support Duke today: Fitzgerald worked hard enough without consistent impact; Bernie was lazy; he has more to give. Occasional moments of skill are not enough; he was more posing than imposing.
The Mariners pushed on for the equaliser, Duke twice having fierce shots blocked, and Seip should have done better when Sterjovski set him up, but heartbreakingly Victory finished with a flourish with an undeserved third goal, by Barboureses, on the break.
I liked the work of Glen Trifiro, who showed great close skills; given that Mossy knows his capabilities I would have liked him on sooner. He certainly warrants more game time. Sim did his cause no harm either with a solid game. Seip looked like a proverbial centre back out of water at right back.
Our best were Anderson, Caceres and Duke, with Duke my MoM with an energetic and skilful display; the World Cup beckons and Dukey seems inspired.

Great report Roy! Certainly the game I saw. My only quibble was Duke as MoM. Running around like a maniac is fine for a forward if there is a goal or three to go along with it. I thought Caceres showed much more class, but was let down by players around him, especially Kim, who, as you say, is proving to be a light-weight. Other teams will now target Kim for a few stern tackles and know he will disappear without trace.

 

[BrisRecky]

One thing that did annoy me last night was the ref being all matey chummy with the players...I dont think he should be like that once he leaves the sheds

 

[Kareem]

Fitz and Monty maybe.

I was going to say monty, but if you think about it... He is playing the same level that he was last year

It just looks like he is better because the players surrounding him aren't as good as last year...


Fitzy and caceres are the obvious ones

 

[tsd]

Kim reminds me of weemac when he first arrived. He will need to bulk up over the offseason and may have to move back to the wing where it's less physical, trifirio looks like he may provide something worthy of investigating at 10