The most disappointing thing is absolutely how predictable that all was. I don’t expect to win every week, win every trophy and play champagne football along the way (we’ve been utterly spoiled for the last 5 years in that regard).
I do expect players to put in a shift and for the coach to employ a system that gets the most out of them, and also for there to be consequences for those who don’t rise to such modest expectations. More than anything I just want to see even the slightest improvement in the areas we’ve been consistently falling short.
None of that has happened. It’s the same shit every week with the same passengers continuing to start. Tougher tonight with Brattan out, sure, but if a bunch of 120kg Uni students could see this coming and see it as an opportunity to try something different then I’d sure as shit hope someone in the football department could too.
It says a bit that that was probably the single worst decision I’ve seen in 40 years of football, yet I’m more pissed off at the utter shite continuing to be served up by our team.
Most of the team were terrible today. But always the same story poor finishing.
We need to some how get rid of Kosta - he will ruin us next year as well. Corica only plays him because we are paying Kosta a shitload. ( I remember Kosta being this crazy player - he is a piece of shit at the moment)
Bobo is similar to ADP - could score but when he is on you are playing with 10 men.
I know Corica will probably just put Alfie on the bench but he really needs to give it a shot and start Alfie and Buhagiar
We were monsterous under Arnold and our standard has dropped WAY off. I don’t think there’s a single position on the pitch where we’re as well off.
Remember the season we had Bobo, Brosque, Ninko, Mierzejevski up front? We had Matt Simon on the bench that year. He’s been one of the best strikers in the league this season…
But our best players are the older ones: Ninko, Wilko, Gowser and Grant (who made more than usual number of errors tonight but also did a hell of a lot of good things). The weakest are the young and the middle-tier: Retre, King, Kosta.
Really the emotions would be entirely different if Kosta did better than 1 in 10 goals/shots ratio. We play some really good football even if today there was a lot more looseness than usual. So hard to see us winning until Kosta moves to RM and we start with Bobo and Alfie (and or Trent B).
Why not start Trent B and Bobo anyhow?
That best of all SFC teams - that one with Adrian - that did not get to the GF (yes robbed in the SF) also had Milos D, Carney as well as Simon on the bench. Potential game winners all. And people here predictably complained about too many old guys and not enough youth.
It’s not as simple as older players v youth players. It’s about blending a team with all it’s skills and qualities together, while allowing the promising youngsters enough playtime to fit in to the system. As it is allowing the more experienced players to show their skills and inspire the youth along the way.
Little bit harsh on Paulo, because Caceres is needed more in ABJ’s spot and the Hof seems out for the season.
Absolutely done with the other two passengers but. VFM, dollar for dollar, Kosta must be close to the worst player that has ever worn the shirt. 12 yards out, in line with the near post, I swear he’s trying only to win a corner by hoofing it straight into the nearest defender. The runs he makes, at the times he makes them, only Mitch Austin has been as bad and you could count his appearances for us on one hand.
Any chance of getting Branners back? I’ve got no idea of financials and signings and whatnot but I still can’t get my head around selling him for an “undisclosed amount” then not signing another replacement. I trust Danny T well enough with this business but I can’t figure that one out. And then for him to leave the Korean team he went to just stings. Undisclosed amount means sweet FA, no? With Josh B we made a point of asking for a decent fee, which resulted in him staying for the remainder of the season then staying in the AL anyway.
King is inconsistent but you can’t deny that he had a good game tonight. He’s showed he has the ability to play well at this level and with more game time should come more consistency.
The other two have plenty of experience and have no excuse there.
I think King is technically tidy and very competent at receiving and passing short but there is not much more there that I can see. He is not nearly as quick as Zullo or Gersbach, not as direct or attacking, does not defend nearly as well. While some of his crosses are good, his crossing effectiveness ratio does not seem high. He was a reasonable stop-gap for Zullo out injured but has not really improved since he started in the top team. So, not good enough to be a regular Sydney starter. Compare him to Matt Millar today. Or a host of other youngish locals playing at RB or LB.
King is not our problem. He is 20 years old and has made roughly 45 a-league first team appearances after coming from the youth team. Matt Miller is 24, has made roughly 60+ a-league first team appearances, 9 league one appearances in England and 65 NPL appearances. People should lay off Joel King. The kid is doing great.
Kosta on the other hand…give me strength!! He may have scored enough goals to sit comfortably next to his goal tallies of seasons past, but when the majority of our teams chances are falling to him and he’s missing most of them, that’s not fucking good enough! The games we could have won if he’d converted just half the chances he gets we’d be sitting atop the table right now.
This afternoon was not good enough. Not by a long shot.
Same formation, same line-up (minus Brattan), same lack of pace, same lack of goals, same lack of innovation on set pieces and tactics = more points dropped.
