The 'Let's just unbunch our frickin panties for a moment' thread

[dibo]

A couple of threads on here have made for some pretty ugly reading.

I thought it would be opportune to take a moment to all just have a look at the table...

[tt]A-League Season 2009-10 Ladder
Updated: 13/9/2009
Team                  P W L D F  A +/- Pts
1.  Gold Coast        6 4 1 1 14  5  9 13
2.  Sydney            6 3 2 1  7  5  2 10
3.  Brisbane          6 2 1 3 10  8  2  9
4.  Central Coast    6 2 2 2  5  4  1  8
5.  Adelaide          6 2 2 2  6  7 -1  8
6.  Newcastle        6 2 2 2  6  9 -3  8
7.  Perth            6 2 3 1  8  8  0  7
8.  Wellington        6 1 2 3  5  6 -1  6
9.  Melbourne        6 1 1 3  7  9 -2  6
10. North Queensland  6 1 3 2  7 13 -6  5[/tt]

...we can see that in spite of the doom and gloom, the wailing and rending of clothes, we're not travelling too badly at the moment thanks very much.

Clearly we haven't spent up like a number of other clubs and some of our football has been dire to watch, but we're not far from the top of the pile. It's a tight comp with all of 3 points from 3rd to 9th, 5 from 2nd to last.

At times we're showing real enterprise, the defence has toughened up (best in the comp) and we've got a couple of new players who are providing some much needed spark.

Hutch is in his best form in a couple of years, Danny's back near his best (aside from Cassio's goal on Friday) and even Mrdja is working to the ball and trying to create options.

So can we not have the declaration of the end of the world every time we lose a game? It's going to happen from time to time. How about everyone takes a big gulp of Chill The f**k Out and we look forward to next week?

 

[Arabmariner]

 

[MARSHP1]

Like it.

 

[dibo]

 

[adz]

2 games off the lead now, could be 1 game after Sat night...

 

[dibo]

Could be 3. Doesn't matter that much - I didn't expect us to win the league this season and I still don't. We look more a cup team than a league team at the moment.

If they go out and perform up to what they're capable we're going to make the finals I think, and while I don't see us being the best over 27 weeks we could be difficult to get rid of in the finals.

 

[typool]

it's way to early to be concerned about our "table position"...
were doing fine, we have been without Doig/Huke and we are still in forth when some People *Cough Simon Hill *Cough Put us to come last this season.

Heads up Lads Big game Saturday  verhead: verhead:

 

[RADINHO]

yeah fired up for saturday but we are only a win ahead of last place. The A-League is a lot closer this year.

 

[scottmac]

I will admit that my posts over the last 72 hrs have been, lets say, a bit over the top.

BUT,

its not the performance of the team that has got me so irrational. Yeah, we played like shite, but it was compounded by some very uninspired and average management.

It is this that will make the difference between premiers and also rans when we do have a line up that can shake the comp (which IMO is a marquee and a striker away).

Why not dare to play D'Apuzzo & Kwas on the left instead of a right footed has been and the fitness coach? Why not dare to play 3 at the back and flood the midfield when this is the area you are being crushed in? Why not grow some balls and make the tough risky calls instead of resorting to what is most familiar?

 

[dibo]

if we had have gone risky and got turned over 4-zip, i guarantee the wailing would have been far louder. but if we played like complete garbage and somehow stumbled over the line we would have had the side showered with rose petals and bathed in milk and honey.

i haven't paid particular attention to any individual's special efforts over the last few days, this isn't targeted at any one person. all i'm saying is that we need a bit less drama in here.

we're a middling team at best, we'll lose about as many as we win this year, this shouldn't come as a great surprise. we've got a coach who's more effective than imaginative, we've got a team who are more workmen than artists. let's not imagine hamburger mince will become a wagyu steak overnight, but let's also not imagine that we're somehow looking at an empty plate.

 

[bikinigirl]

Why not dare to play 3 at the back and flood the midfield when this is the area you are being crushed in? Why not grow some balls and make the tough risky calls instead of resorting to what is most familiar?

. ok so it wasn't exactly inspired decision making but there wasn't much of that happening on the pitch either. i have been advocating the trial of a back 3 for years now - still intrigues me

. the issue we have had to date has not been in the midfield it has been finishing and the squad reflected that (also bearing in mind those that were unavailable). so when we were in the shit who was on the bench ... two forwards (kwassie is listed as a forward) and a defender not much to help out the midfield there

. the other option ... to mess with the backline was obviously too big a step to take mid-match. the defence has been quite strong but they also were struggling in this match. such decisions are tough and if we had've been able to pull a goal out of our (such as against perth) some of us could be looking at things a little differently

 

[Gopher of Pern]

Why not dare to play 3 at the back and flood the midfield when this is the area you are being crushed in? Why not grow some balls and make the tough risky calls instead of resorting to what is most familiar?

. ok so it wasn't exactly inspired decision making but there wasn't much of that happening on the pitch either. i have been advocating the trial of a back 3 for years now - still intrigues me

. the issue we have had to date has not been in the midfield it has been finishing and the squad reflected that (also bearing in mind those that were unavailable). so when we were in the shit who was on the bench ... two forwards (kwassie is listed as a forward) and a defender not much to help out the midfield there

. the other option ... to mess with the backline was obviously too big a step to take mid-match. the defence has been quite strong but they also were struggling in this match. such decisions are tough and if we had've been able to pull a goal out of our (such as against perth) some of us could be looking at things a little differently

I actually disagree that finishing is our problem. It may be DMac's problem, judging from the Sydney game, but not the team. On Friday we could not create a good chance to shoot at goal. Whether its a problem with the forwards being in the wrong positions, or the midfields not getting the good ball through, i cannot say for certain. I did notice that Simon and Mrdja, whenever they got the ball, usually had their backs to goal, with a defender right on their back, with nary a player running through to receive the ball on the run. McGlinchey provides a bit of this, so we lacked anything in the go forward. Hutch and Bojic are too defensively minded to be a real attacking threat, and with a back four, this leaves us with 4 attacking players to net the goals for us.

 

[Jerem]

it seems to me, that it is our strikers and forwards, are lacking in a bit of confidence, therefore, their radar is non existent, there fore reluctant to have a dig (even from outside th18 yard).
we missed mcglinchey, severely, as he seemed to have been a catalyst for getting the radar back on, i.e. one of his first touches was a crack at goal.

on the elrich issue, correct me if im wrong,  if it is right that LM is playing a "right footed has been" on the left,
um simply, AND slowly...... WHAT..... DOES....... THAT....... SAY.......ABOUT LM
i am right footed, and am therefore if on the left, completely incapacitated, along with many of my former team mates, IF this is the case, lets put 2 & 2 together and put him on THE RIGHT
YAY, and then maybe confidence and progress will follow, with logic.
correct me if im wrong

thirdly, have we ever replaced Fergie, or is it assumed tobin is his fill in? clarify?

all in all were streets ahead on critics predictions and where we were early this year, yes i get frustrated too, but it has the silver lining of making good performace (win lose draw) sooooooo much sweeter, and we are fundamentally at no more than 75% strength at the moment in my view, without wemac doig huke reggae, crowell

thats a spine of a team right there! look up! as the sky is clearing over CCM i feel, give it and him time

 

[marinermick]

forum will get more optimistic soon

serious is going overseas  ;D

 

[dru]

forum will get more optimistic soon

serious is going overseas  ;D

 

[serious14]

forum will get more optimistic soon

serious is going overseas  ;D

Hahahaha, I see what you did there. 

Guess this inter-pipe caper doesn't exist in Europe though right?? 

 

[dru]

Guess this inter-pipe caper doesn't exist in Europe though right?? 

Nah just block UK IP addresses

 

[pjennings]

Could be 3. Doesn't matter that much - I didn't expect us to win the league this season and I still don't. We look more a cup team than a league team at the moment.
If they go out and perform up to what they're capable we're going to make the finals I think, and while I don't see us being the best over 27 weeks we could be difficult to get rid of in the finals.

That's fine - we finish in the top 6 and win the post season cup

 

[marinermick]

bv

forum will get more optimistic soon

serious is going overseas  ;D

Hahahaha, I see what you did there. 

Guess this inter-pipe caper doesn't exist in Europe though right?? 

game analysis from iraqgoals in not valid

 

[serious14]

bv

forum will get more optimistic soon

serious is going overseas  ;D

Hahahaha, I see what you did there. 

Guess this inter-pipe caper doesn't exist in Europe though right?? 

game analysis from iraqgoals in not valid

Iraqgoals - Fox Sports - same thing.