December 14, 2025 • 47 mins
Jason Pine and Michael Burgess review the latest weekend of A-League action, as the Phoenix men slump to second-bottom after a fourth loss in five matches.
How much longer can this go on? And what needs to change?
The Phoenix women also come up empty-handed on their trip to Perth, but Auckland FC grab all three points away to central Coast to stay in the top two.
Plus, a thrilling climax to the National League Championship season.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Football Fever, the podcast keeping you up to date with
the beautiful game with the voice of football Jason Pain
and inst Herald's Michael Burgess, powered by News Talk Zembi.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome into Football Fever, another episode at the end of
a pretty challenging week for Wellington Phoenix fans in particular.
I'm Jason Pine. Michael burgessis here as well. How are
you Berg?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Very good? Thanks mate, you're very good. Loving this, loving
this fantastic weather we're all getting, but not loving what
we're seeing. Obviously, we're about to talk about not loving
what's going on in Wellington.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Necessarily, let's get straight into it then. In that case,
yesterday at Sky Stadium, Wellington Phoenix won Newcastle Jets three.
Newcastle were bottom coming into this game, so a three
to one loss to the bottom team at home Wellington
Phoenix now dropped down to second bottom on the table,
just two wins from their eight games this season, just
(00:56):
five wins in their last twenty nine A League men's matches.
Let's get straight to a birch. How intense is the
pressure now on head coach John Carlo Ittaliano.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Well, I think we're having a conversation that was felt
like it was going to come at some stage this season,
but it's come a lot earlier. No, I haven't got
this official, but I've got no doubt that there were
conversations last night between those who matter at the Phoenix,
those on the board, you know, because they'll they'll just
(01:31):
be wondering where this team is going. And the signs
ain't great.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
No they aren't. Yesterday, really the result was all that mattered, right.
They were playing the bottom team at home, leading into
a game next week against the marin Is also at home,
a team that you know, I guess the Phoenix would
have expected to beat. I just felt like they needed
that spring board of six points to go into Christmas
and into a tough run of games in January. And
oddly enough, Burge, if they've managed to win the game yesterday,
(01:57):
they'd be up to fifth. Instead they're eleven. And it's
all a short of water stuff. But can we break
it down? It was really just the It was that
seven minute brain explosion early in the second half, which
saw the Phoenix concede three goals. What did you make
of the defense, all lack of defense in that seven
(02:19):
minute stretch, Well.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
It was it was awful and it was. You know,
there are different players in that defense, and the big
issue is it's such a challenging way to play. This
high line, which we talked about so much, sets around
one and so you know, when things go wrong, they
can go really wrong. But it wasn't just that seven
minute stretch. I mean, if you're completely honest about it,
(02:45):
it could have been four to one after twenty one minutes.
I went and watched it back through again this morning.
Newcastle had four really good chances. They had one chance
in the first forty five seconds I think it was,
so they had four really good chances in the first
twenty one minutes. The Phoenix had one one good one.
So the Phoenix were really open from go to woe
(03:05):
and that seven minute period you talked about was just
when they got completely punished for it.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
At some point, do you have to be sensible about
this the high line? I mean, Chief you said yesterday
after the game that defeating the high line is the
only way teams score against them. But they are so
why are they persisting with it?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
You know?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Certainly the second goal yesterday, the ball threw from Grozos
to Lachland Rose, was a case of the high line
being defeated. You could argue that the first goal also
had a touch of that about it, with a long
ball played through. As you've outlined there early in the game,
they just seemed to be caught out. Is it just
time to say, you know what, we gave it a go,
let's be more pragmatic and do something different.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Well, I liked your point just before, Piney, and you're
exactly right. The result was all that mattered. It didn't
matter how they got it, but they had to win,
especially coming off the back of the day, especially what
they've got coming up with tough games you know in Australia,
some big teams to play, so they just had to
get the three points and they've got players missing, so
(04:12):
you've just got to make sure you're solid defensively, and
instead it was the opposite. You know. It was chaos
really for quite a bit of the game, and it
was an open game. Phoenix had a lot of chances too,
but Newcastle are a very open team. They've can set
a lot of goals. Chief you want to stick to
what he's doing because if you don't, it feels like
you're given up and then where do you go now?
But as you say, at certain moments, you've got to
(04:36):
park your ideology. You can't be an ange posta cooglar.
You know, you've got to just really really look at
who you've got on your team and what you need.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
It's a bit of an analogy with what's going on
in the Ashes, really, isn't it. You know, England they're
all in on bass ball. Has it worked in the
first two games, and a host of former players and
commentators are saying you have to adapt, you have to
alter it. You can't just be all in on a
stre which time after time is being found out. The
other point of this yesterday burge was there was no
man Draker James suspended after the derby. Isaac Hughes wasn't
(05:08):
there either. Eighteen year old Jaden Smith had a starting debut.
Schwindlope came in, Matt Sheridan dropped into the back three,
Carlo Armiento for some reason came back to left wing back.
I don't know what the situation was there, but it's
a rejinked back line missing two of its three regular starters. Again,
why isn't there more pragmatism here? More? Just be a
(05:30):
bit more sensible about this.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
That's the hardest thing to understand, and that's what the
fans will be so frustrated about because there'd been a
warning shot. Newcastle, you know, the bottom of the table,
but they're also bottom of the table when they beat
Auckland and they are a team that have a lot
of attacking threat So when you see what they can do,
you got to think it through and think how are
(05:54):
we going to negate that? And yeah, it's just it's
something that has to be looked at very closely because
I can't see how if they continue to play this
way they're going to turn it around. I mean, that's
the point, isn't it. Surely teams, all the teams they've
(06:17):
got to face in the upcoming games, will just pinpoint
this as a massive achilles heel.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, it's just there in plain sight, isn't it. It's
just they're in plain sight. And look if they play
the high line and teams try to exploit that and
can't that's a very different conversation. But in every single game,
pretty much there's been an example or examples plural of
this strategy, either leading to goals conceded or leading to
(06:44):
chances as you've outlined, which you know, due to a
commodation of good goalkeeping and I guess Paul finishing on
the behalf of the opponent haven't been as costly, but
I mean chiefly also afterwards said the performance was unacceptable,
and you know, he's right. I don't think there's any
Phoenix fan who would say that that conceding three goals
(07:05):
in seven minutes is in any way acceptable.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I feel like I was listening to you just talked before,
trying to search for the words to explain what is
going on and also to chart a way forward. I'm
at a similar loss. You talked about conversations going on
after the game, and I'm sure they did. You can't,
you know, you can't lose, you know, as many games,
what's that four out of five now and not have
these conversations. By the sounds of it, wiley out. We're
(07:33):
Monday afternoon.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Now.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
If they were going to make a change, they would
have made it by now. I feel though, Burch, if
the Mariners were to come to Wellington on Sunday and
beat Wellington Phoenix, then I'm just not sure that it's
tenable that that gian Calo Ataliano stays as head coach.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Yeah, he's on very shaky ground. And I think we
talked about this in round maybe three, about how this
high line be the the undoing of them. And so
I mean the Phoenix will be weighing up a lot
of things. They'll be weighing up, you know, who are
possible alternatives, Who can they go with, who's going to work?
(08:13):
What the impact on the squad if they do make
a change. What chief he's still got to offer, because
I guess to balance this all out, we've got We've
got to mention an injury toll. They're missing a lot
of important players. We've got to mention the fact that
they have had different lineups the whole time. But he's
(08:33):
not getting the best out of what he's got. He's
still got some decent players there and they had some
good results in the two rounds and it's all it's
all fallen away.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Every team has to face injuries though, right it's a
fact of elite sport. Look at AUCKLANDFC. They've been with
that Hiroki Sakai for the last five or six Weekscuse
Youmo Mai hasn't been fully fit to play for them
for well the best part of the whole season.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Really.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Nando Pineker was late coming back. You have to deal
with injuries, but again just some form of pragmatism here,
cutting your cloth to suit. I mean, ma'am. Dracer James
will be back next week. I'm not sure what the
situation is with Isaac Hues and why he misyesterday. I
heard a hamstring mention and you're never really sure with those.
(09:18):
Paulo Retre, one of those we haven't seen this season,
may be available for the first time this season. But look,
we're reaching a point now where the games aren't necessarily
running out and the table is very tight. But it's
almost similar to what happened last season, and that after
the second Derby loss, Wellington went on a run where
they just found it very, very difficult to pick up
(09:40):
points consistently or at all really, and the season just
kind of fell away. There's some tough games coming up
after Christmas, a lot of them are away from home,
and so if there's no light at the end of
this tunnel, then I just wonder whether if you don't
change anything, nothing will change. And not saying the coach,
(10:01):
but I just think chief has to really have a
good hard look at this defensive strategy in particular, and
ask himself, does it have a future? Does he believe
that there is enough evidence that this will be a
sound defensive strategy that will lead to clean sheets and
(10:24):
being able to break through presses to score goals at
the other end. And if the answer is no, if
in his heart of hearts he can't see that that is,
you know, a possibility, let alone a reality, then he
has to change it. He has to.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Well exactly right, because the other question here is do
the players believe in it? And I'm not sure that
all of them, most of them, some of them do
because players players are players. They just want results. And
if they are being forced to play a system that
they don't believe in it's not really working, then that's
(11:01):
even worse. I mean, this has all been a reaction
to what happened last season when the club and GF
copped a lot of criticism for how they played. So
he wanted to play differently, more entertaining, and there's that balance.
But in the end, isn't it all about results? Like
you want an entertaining style, but if you're winning, the
fans are still happy. Remember the Ricky Herbert years. I
(11:23):
mean you covered those in extensive detail, Piney, and it
was a lot of pretty functional football, but they won
games and so the fans go home happy. And that's
where where you've got to really say, he's got to
really look at what he's doing.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Well, look at Brisbane Raw. They're a great example this year.
They are by no means the most attractive football side,
and you know, they certainly won't win any prizes for
eye catching football, but they're third on the table. They've
had one loss in eight games, they've conceidered just three
goals in those eight games. And while Brisbane Raw fans
(12:00):
probably going, hey, we you know, we'd love it if
you were like the Angepasta Cloglue Raw Salona sides of
days gone by, we actually don't mind because we're third bigger.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
That's the thing, that's the thing that's ultimately what fans want.
And that's another side of this. As you pointed out
to me this morning, fans are starting to stay away,
and that more than anything, will start to worry the
powers that be because it's it's a really bad look.
It's not great for the balance sheet, and it's really
(12:34):
damaging for the brand. And that's the other thing. The
Phoenix have had this great brand and where's it going.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
The attendance yesterday was three thousand and thirty. That is
the lowest attendance ever for a home game for Wellington Phoenix.
The previous lowest was a game in Dunedin many years
ago when they got three thousand and sixty, so thirty
fewer people turned up. And the last three home games
for Wellington have been the three lowest sky Stadium attendances
(13:04):
and it totally what posh. They'll be lucky to get
three thousand there this coming Sunday against the Mariners. You know,
people like following winners, they just do. And unless they
open up the gates for kids coming in free, I
can't say that they'll get three thousand. Fans are voting
with their feet. The brand is being damaged. The Phoenix
of eight points after eight games. They've never had that
(13:27):
fewer points and made the playoffs. If you go back
to every season the Phoenix have made the playoffs, they
have had more than eight points after eight games. It's
a tight table in their favor. I mean you look
at it, and from fifth place Perth Glory on ten
points down to Melbourne victory on eight at the bottom.
What's that eight team separated by just two points. So
there's no need to panic in terms of that, and
(13:49):
that probably is at least a silver lining for Wellington.
But at some point you've got to start showing an
ability to consistently win football matches. The point you make
about the brand is so is so apt and so
it's so relevant because you know, up the road you've
(14:10):
got a brand in Auckland f C that is absolutely flying,
it's buzzing, and I think this probably makes it even
worse what's happening in Wellington. If Wellington had a bad
season before, you know, there was nothing to compare them with,
certainly not on this side of the Tasman. Now you've
got this bright, shiny Auckland f C winning games left,
right and center, getting big crowds, you know, making a
(14:30):
match to experience that people want to get along to.
And so the the you know, the Phoenix's woes are
even more starkly exposed, aren't they.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Exactly Exactly Just the optics of that comparison is making
it really hard for fans. There's so many loyal Phoenix
fans that will always stick with their team. But you
know they're they're rocking up to barbecues to Christmas functions
in their in their Phoenix shirt, and they're getting a
lot of stick at the moment and they're not feeling
good about it because it would have been okay if
(15:04):
the Phoenix were a bit unlucky to lose to Newcastle
like aukleft c when they played Newcast had a million
chances but they couldn't put them away and Newcastle won.
But they weren't unlucky, you know, they were. It could
have been could have been six to two, it was.
It was a crazy game. Newcastle had a million chances.
So yeah, it's just amazing, Piney, how things have fallen
(15:28):
away from that season. We remember gin Carlo's first season
where the Phoenix were the talk of the nation, an
incredible team, so many great players and season records all
over the place. Almost should have should have probably made
the Grand Final. And it's just that that makes it
more stark, doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (15:48):
It does, It does, And I was thinking back to
that season last night actually because Newcastle came to Wellington
in round seven of that season and beat the Phoenix
three nil, and I remember Clayton, as he did yesterday,
was the star of that show as well. So you know,
Newcastle came to Wellington and Raally you know, gave them
a bit of a slap in the face. They then
(16:10):
the Phoenix went on to lose just one of the
next thirteen games. However, I looked at the list of
players who they had who they don't have anymore, Paulson, Wooton,
Sermon krajev Old, Sutton, Zavada, Ball Barbarusis and currently injured
Tim Payne. It's basically an entirely different side. And I
(16:31):
want to talk to you about the you know, and
it's perhaps unfair to make comparisons, but then I think
it is fair to make comparisons between the two New
Zealand A League men's teams, Wellington and Auckland. And you
post a great question to me over the weekend. You said,
how many Wellington Phoenix players would make a combined eleven
if you look at the Wellington Phoenix in Auckland FC
(16:53):
and say, right, let's pick the best eleven from those
two squads. How many Phoenix players are in that eleven?
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Not many? Is there? There's not many? And that that's
where it gets quite stark, and that's where I guess
there's a caveat for chief is that the squads are overmatched.
You know, Wellington overmatch you could look at you can
look at Alex Rufer obviously, but is he better than Lousverstrata.
You look at Tim Payne, but is he a better
(17:21):
option than Hiroki Souko. I'm not sure. Carlo Amanti is
a good player, but Auckland have got some good midfielders too.
Ifan is maybe the goalkeeping situation, I guess the Wellington
keeper has been outstanding, But.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yeah, I reckon josh Olawayoimi is the only one. I
think Rufer probably has a has a good mount to
good case. But I think you know, and Michael Vaut's
been good. What have they considered seven goals and Wellington
have now lead in twice that many with fourteen. But
josh oliwen he has been magnificent as we know the
last last three, you know, three or four weeks. He
made that area yesterday. I guess you could say to
(17:58):
allow the second goal to be scored. Yeah, I think
I think josh Oliwayemi is probably probably the only one.
You know Rufe for years, I think you know, and
I thought Alex Rufer was probably you know, one of
the best players on the park the yesterday. But he
can't do it all by himself. It must be tremendously
frustrating for such a proud Wellington Phoenix man like Alex
Rufer to go through this must be extremely frustrating. As
(18:21):
you say, for the players that I mean, it's not
like they're not trying. But I again, burge the quality.
Let mean, look at the benches. Look at the benches
over the weekend. Auckland f C's bench on Friday night,
Oli Sayale Nando Pineker, Hairoki Sarki, Felipe Guygos, Cam Howis
and Marley Francois and Guigiermo Mai. Three imports and three
(18:42):
all whites. Wellington Phoenix's bench yesterday, by comparison, had a
couple of reserve team players and mcmunroe and Lachlan Candy,
three teenagers Luke brook Smith, Gabbie Sloane Rodriguez and reserve
goalkeeper Aman McCarran. Dan Edwards has only played three A
League games and for Royal Conci, who is almost a
veteran among those guys. With twenty eight the gap in
(19:03):
quality has never been starker.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
It hasn't in that but that was another interesting scenario.
Chief whose ars and the press are about the high
line about the way they played, and he admitted that
in the second half he wanted to make changes, but
there weren't people to bring on who could play that
pressing game they needed to play to have the style,
which meant it probably suffered in the second half. So again,
why do you play that way if you don't have
(19:30):
the squad you think you need for that game. But
overall the Phoenix are overmatched. You know this is a well.
Aukland have a lot more money, they have a lot
more resources. We know that, but it makes it doubly
important that the Phoenix have to be really smart. They
have to be the moneyball club, which they have been.
I guess they have to be, you know, the Bournemuth
(19:53):
or the Brentford of the Premier League, whereas Auckland FC,
I guess of the Liverpool or the Arsenal. But there
are ways to do it off the field, but especially
on the field, you've really got to make the most
of your resources and come up with an effect of
playing style that gets your results and they just haven't
done that, which I guess it probably makes the gap
(20:16):
between the disparity even greater, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
It does, And there's still a salary cap. Yes, Auckland
FC have got some salary cap relief as a new
entry into the A League in the last couple of years,
but there's still a salary cap. It's not like you
can spend millions and millions and millions on dollars on
building your squad. You still have to stay for the
for the you know, for the best part of the
squad under the salary cap. So then you have to be,
(20:42):
as you say, you've got to be smarter and look,
Wellington have used an admirable strategy over the years of
bringing through players from their academy and some of those
players have gone on to be absolutely spectacular players beyond
these shores. And I'm thinking of the likes of Saprech Sing, Libby,
Kakachi Finn Sirmon, Alex Paulson, Ben Old, Ben Wayne. You
(21:02):
look at the current cohort of young players and there's
nobody in that category. There's nobody who you would say
that guy is going to go on and play offshore
with Ben Old as soon as Ben Old came into
the Wellington Phoenix side. Yes he was raw, but you
could see the raw materials and the ability that he
had that would inevitably send them off. Sure Libby was
(21:23):
the same, so Prik was the same, Alex Paulson exactly
the same. There's nobody in the current cohort who you
would say, you know, as dead as a dead sert
to do that. And as I say, while it's an
admirable strategy, it just means that if that is your
strategy and you strike times like this where you don't
(21:45):
have the higher quality, a bit of a golden generation
if you like, then your first team results are naturally
going to suffer as a result.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Yes, And it's also a guess about yeah, yeah, you're
exactly right. It's also about looking outside the academy, all
the talent around New Zealand. Isn't it like it's easy
to beat Wellington up? But to see Jesse Randall playing
in Auckland after being I guess ignored by the Phoenix
or unwanted by the Phoenix at Wellington. Boy, and you've
(22:18):
mentioned a couple other prospects that you know Wellington should
be owning that territory and making sure they get those
players through. And then it also comes down to import choices.
I guess the point I was making before, but Auckland
was also found the fact they've just got more resources
in terms of you know, they could travel earlier. They've
got more staff, a lot more staff in all areas,
(22:39):
so that all that stuff does add up. But you're
exactly right. It's also about the choices you make.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Oh, you're totally right. There's no salary cap on marketing,
there's no salary cap on backroom staff, there's no salary
cap on travel, none of those things. The only salary
cap is the players. You're right, bird, you know the
resource they can wrap around it, you know the I
guess the you know, even scouting for example. You know
they've got the network of you know of Bill Foley's
Bournemouth and his other you know, his other footballing expertise
(23:11):
around the world. So yes, absolutely Auckland do have a
lot more resource than than Wellington do. But you say,
you make a great, great comparison Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and
Hove Albion. These are sides that have you know, taken
up residents pretty much in the Premier League up against
some of the big boys, and they compete and they
you know, they tend to hang around in in the
Premier League and and you know, and do their fans proud.
(23:34):
Just on the the other part of this and the
and you talk about the brand being damaged. If you're
a young Kiwi player, a promising young player, and you
have an offer right now to go to Wellington Phoenix
or Auckland f C, which one are you more likely
to choose at the moment, And there's no contest unless
you think, okay, well, I'm not going to get many
games in Auckland. I'll go to Wellington. But the attractiveness
(23:56):
of the two clubs, I mean, Auckland f C are
just absolutely flying. Everything about the club has got a
rosy glow and it seems like everything at the moment
around Wellington Phoenix just said, it's not one of those
cartoon characters who wherever they walk there's a dark cloud
above Them's that's what it feels like that, I mean,
I'm hearing that. Wellington Olympics Icaprince he's been the best
(24:17):
player in the National League this season, scored a goal
in the final on Saturday Night. Albeit it didn't and
his squaters penalty didn't get them the win. But Ico
Prins has been talked about for a long time as
a really terrific young player. He as I understand, it's
going to Aukland FC. First, he's going to play in
the Oceania Pro League and then I think he'll be
integrated into the A League squad. He's from Wellington, he's
(24:39):
been here for years. He's even trialed with the Phoenix,
but they've decided against signing him, and I can only
imagine that's because he hasn't come through their own academy.
I just don't get it.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Would that be the reason?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
I don't know. I can't see any other reason. He's
the best player in the National League. He's a Kiwi,
he lives in Wellington. Why wouldn't the Phoenix pick him up?
Why would they not take him above a you know,
an Australian like a Nikola Malayusnitch. He hasn't played yet.
They must have known he was injured when they signed him.
He's not due back until Christmas, so they're going to
(25:12):
get half a season out of him at most. Why
wouldn't they take an iso prance instead.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Your biggest belief. Doesn't it it does? It does?
Speaker 2 (25:22):
It does not make sense at all. So look, we can,
you know we can. It's it's been a bit of
a pylon. But I think this is the situation we've
reached with Wellington Phoenix now, is that fans are asking questions.
Look about the fans as well. You know, you're right.
Everybody you know when you when you work somewhere, and
everybody knows that you're a fan of a certain sports team.
(25:43):
And so Phoenix fans for the last little while have
had to sort of almost sneak into work on a Monday,
you know, try to go unnoticed, keep their heads down.
I mean, if I'm a football fan, I want my
club to give me the opportunity to swagger into work,
to stick my chest out to where am my reped
like a shoe on a Monday like I'm sure Auckland
f C fans have been doing. I mean, give you
(26:05):
give your fans a chance.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Come on, oh exactly. I mean you know, for years,
Warriors fans was notorious. They were sort of sneaking around
wind they you know, hiding behind the cabinet, and now
now they're just loud and proud, and that just shows
how how quick it can change. And the Phoenix has
still got a lot of good things going for them.
They have got despite what we've said about their academy,
there's a it is a great academy, the NV, the
(26:28):
A league, they've got, they've got all that history, they
have got a brand, they've got a decent squad, they've
got plenty of no how so you know, this is
this is not something that and they're a club that's
that's widely loved throughout the nation, which is what's made
this all so sad. But it is salvagable. But something
(26:52):
needs to change.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Well, the next chance they have to salvage something is
when they host the Mariners on Sunday three o'clock back
at Sky Stadium. The Mariners have the same number of
points as the Phoenix. They are the bottom four are
all on eight points, separated only by goal difference. Phoenix
are eleventh, Mariners a ninth, just one goal separate. Some
one gold difference is so tight at the bottom. So
when that and all of a sudden, things do look
(27:15):
a bit rosier as they would have. As I say yesterday,
the Phoenix, you know, scored a couple of those chances
in the first half, Corbyn Piper had a couple of opportunities.
James Delhienoff made some good says for the Jets, having
said that the Jets had enough chances as well as
you say. But if the Phoenix have hand a way
to win that game yesterday, they'd be fifth today they'd
be fifth. Instead they were eleventh. And you know, just
I guess in their favor, it's a tight table. Can
(27:37):
I just make one more point before we move on
from this? And if because if you can't, if you
can't vent on football fever, I'm not quite sure where
you're supposed to. He finally is a pull a goal
back for the Phoenix, his fourth of the season. But
then we saw this. This the sight of a striker
and a goalkeeper fighting over the ball in the net
(28:00):
after a goal has been scored. This just, I just
always just I don't know why it makes me so angry, Birch.
Maybe I'm just getting older, but it's one of the
most embarrassing things in football.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
I know.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
I get the intent the strikers scored a goal, we're
behind it want to grab the ball, get back to
halfway so we can start again. But dude, you've just
scored a goal. The other team is effectively now in
possession of the ball because they have to kick off.
Just get back to halfway, man, Just get back to halfway,
because actually what you're doing is delaying the restart by
scuffling in the back.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Of the net. It's just so funny to watch the
wrestling around in the net with the ball like it's
you know, and and yet you're not going to lose
any time. I get it does show desire, you know,
show's desire. You see it in England. Sometimes the fans
love it. They go springing back to the center circle
and plunk it down. But then the other team will
still take their time kicking up anyway, you know. Right.
(28:53):
But I'm glad you brought that up because I thought
yesterday was the Phoenix game was one of the more
un gainly versions of it I've seen. Actually, the wrestle
went on for far too long, like yeah, like two
reminded me of my daughter at daycare wrestling with another
toddler over what was she doing the other day? There
(29:14):
was some thing they both wanted to play with, you know,
And it's like come on, kids, there's a million other
toy cars over on the shelf. So yes, it's just
it's one of those things you kind of love in
football because it's so bizarre, but it's just ridiculous. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Look, I'll allow it at daycare these as, I'm not
going to allow it for grown adults till I get
I get that it's the the design thing. But man,
you get it out of the game. Just get meat
to halfway and carry.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
On The Football Fever Podcast with Jason Wayne and Michael Burgess.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Let's go back to Friday night Midnight A League Women
around six and Perth. I' not a very happy weekend
for Wellington, was it? Perth glory one, Wellington Phoenix nil.
Another away loss. That's thirty two defeats in forty two
away games. They just need to find a way to
win on the road. But what they need more than that,
bird is to find a way to score sixteen shots
in this game only to one target just three goals
(30:10):
in five games. If I'm beer priestman, I'm just basically
having shooting practice all week ahead of Sydney.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Yeah, there were just a lot of a lot of chances.
It reminded me of the was it the World Cup
in South Africa with their problems with the ball? You know, yeah,
the jumbaladi you go, were just because the ball was
just blazing over the bar, a couple couple going wide.
I mean they actually played, they played, they played well.
I mean Perth didn't have a single chance in the
(30:40):
first seventy five minutes, not a single chance. Wellington had
so many chances. They played well. But this is another
It's another really hard defeat to take, isn't.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
It It is it is. And defensively they're good, they're good. Wellington.
Perth aren't great. I mean they hadn't scored in their
previous three games. But offensively Wellington are very good. Only
four goals conceded, that's the joint fewest in the competition.
As you say, Perth just two shots on target the
whole game. But the problem you strike is if you're
not scoring a goal at the other end to take
advantage of the defensive solidity that you're displaying, then you
(31:14):
just leave yourself vulnerable to you to conceding a goal.
And yes, you can look back and say, well Jeepers
the Phoenix had far more chances, more possession, way way
more shots, but Perth take the points. And I know
I dropped points becoming a little bit costly for this team.
Even five games in.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
I think they are I feel like they've dropped five
or six points already. You know that there are the
two draws to open the season. That was at Newcastle
and Canberra at home, where you thought probably one one
of those games maybe both definitely won the Melbourne City
game that deserved to point there. And then against Perth,
(31:54):
I mean Perth a pretty limited yeah, whatever word you want.
So that's three points in the bag right there, and
they'd be sitting up in third place or something. They
feel like they're a top four team, but they sort
of stuck and you pay the price later on when
the bigger games, the bigger opposition come. But I don't
(32:16):
know what you think, Pinty, but I do feel like
this is the kind of team that will have a
good second half of the season. They will get better
because they are a team that's learning to play together.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Yeah, very good point. And there are only five games in,
you know, not even close to halfway through the season,
and I think you're right. Here's a good example. Samba,
she gets amazing support. By the way, wherever she goes,
did you see the Nippalese community of Western Australia turn
out every time she got near the ball. There was
this incredible cacophony of sound. I thought it was just awesome.
(32:49):
And you know, she's obviously brought a huge profile to
the A League through the Nippalese community. But I'd love
to see a score a goal, you know, and I
think if she gets one, she'll probably get five. Not
in the same game necessarily, but I think she needs
one to get it off her back and to say
right here, I am as advertised and that you're right.
That may well come in the in the second half
(33:09):
of the season if they just need to keep on
picking up points, which they haven't managed in the last
couple of games. They've got Sydney back at home on Saturday,
and this feels like when they played Melbourne victory off
those two draws to start the season. I feel like
it's a big game against Sydney who are fourth on
the weekends, you know, and if they can look, if
(33:31):
they can even convert a quarter of the chances that
they've been creating, they you know, they'd be among the
A League women's top goal scorers chance creation. Haven't got
the stats in front of me, but the number of
shots on goal must be the equal of most other
teams in the comp.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Well they what happened last week? I mean Melbourne City
had one or two chances from memory and wasn't it one?
There you go Phoenix seven or eight against against a
really good team, an extraordinary amount on Friday night. The
good thing is as well Samba. I don't know. To me,
she's playing well and you know some of the chances
on Friday, You're exactly right. Every striker just needs a
(34:10):
goal pressure off. But some of her chances is when
the keeper made some of her best saved. So it's
just going like that a bit at the moment for
the Nepalese. But I've got no doubt that she'll she'll
start to get going. She looks like a quality player.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Well at Sam Cosgrove, you know, we talked about his
lack of goals and he got one and all of
a sudden he's getting one every game. We'll talk about
him when we get to walk on FC. But you know,
sometimes and striker, as much as they say when they
come to a new club, they'll say, oh, look, I
just want to contribute. The goals aren't necessarily important. They
are important. You know. You can't tell me that a
new striker at a club doesn't have a bit of
a weight on his shoulders or her shoulders before they
(34:48):
score their first goal. They might be assisting, they might
be their GPS numbers might be enormous, they might be
contributing in all sorts of ways. But when you look online,
I was gonna say, when you look in the but
I suppose you still do. When you look online and
see your name as a goalscorer, that's that's got to
be a boosting you. I'm sure it is.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Oh yeah, us actually right, and it's magnified in her
situation because of the support she has been getting, the
personal support, which which I guess is wonderful, but might
add a little bit of pressure as well.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Indeed, So next game for the Wellington Phoenix Woman, as
I say, hosting fourth placed Sydney FC pottydo a Park
four o'clock on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Food Balls Beaver with Jason Hade and Michael Burgess.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Let's go back to the start of the weekend and
to Friday night in Gosford Central Coast marin Is one,
Auckland f C two, Auckland f C up to second
on the ladder, their fifth win in eight games. They
just keep marching on, even though it was only two
to one, and for a while there Burge it was
won all. I never had in my mind any other
(35:54):
outcome than Auckland FC winning this game. I don't know
what you thought.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
They looked and controlled and they looked it was their
recipe from last season. They're just a team that does
well on the road. The road doesn't hold fares for
them in terms of replicating the performances that they need
and they they bounced off the Derby result quite well.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Yeah they did, and into a period of games where
five out of six are away and listening to Steve
Corriker during the week, I don't think they're staying over there. Well,
they certainly haven't stayed over there for this one. They
may stay over after the Wanderers ahead of the Brisbane
Raw game between sort of Christmas and New Year time.
But I think that you know they're coming. They're going
(36:39):
back and forth, back and forth. But I don't know,
do you think it's it's still quite new to them
isn't it. Do you think they still quite enjoy the
travel or not.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
I think they do. I think that's it's definitely a
novelty to a degree. There are new groups. They've got
a lot of players in their team who haven't, you know,
never actually jumped on a plane to go to a
football match. I'm talking of all the guys you know,
based in Europe or even South America's pretty rare, so
(37:07):
it's probably kind of cool. The young guys in the
squad probably enjoyed as well. They don't have They're quite lucky.
They don't have too many players with children or even wives,
so that also makes it makes it easier in a way.
But they've just got the recipe worked out.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
They have, I've got it worked out. Jesse Randall opened
and scoring from a superb Francis Devres through boardg in
the first twenty minutes. Francis Reese just absolutely on fire.
Geez become a player, isn't he just so impressive to watch?
Slides that one through to Jesse Randall and makes it
one nil. Then ten or twelve minutes before halftime, callan Elliott,
this is a bullet header. I know it's at the
(37:49):
wrong end. But man, he has buried that. Michael Valder's
no dance and I know, you know it's an own goal.
And we can all laugh now because Auckland FC have
got the result. But and you can see what he's
trying to do the balls coming in, there's a guy
behind him from the other team. He's trying to head
it behind for a corner, but he's just absolutely leathered
it off his head into the top corner.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Hasn't he at full stretched too? Like we've all scored
own goals, but probably normally at our level, more like
a deflection into the net or something. But I can't
imagine how it feels to score with a full length
diving head, which you see very now and again. It
just must be the weirdest and most horrible feeling.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Well, he lay there for a bit, didn't he. Then
his teammates got him up and about and you know
there's nothing you can You can't turn back time, can you.
All you can do is try to, you know, make
it right. And as I say, and as you said,
Auckland just always seemed to class above the Mariners, always
in total control, thirteen shots to five. Mariners didn't have
a single shot in the first half and yet they're
won all at half time because Klon Elliots nodded one
(38:50):
into his own net. It was similar to I think
with the Phoenix one time played against Melbourne Victory and
I think it was Damien de Silver scored an own
goal and it was a similar situation. They hadn't had
a single shot and yet it was one all. Anyway,
Auckland f C got their goal in the second half.
Always felt like it was coming. Sam Cosgrove speaking of
diving headers, he did that from a Lachland Brook cross.
(39:12):
It's two to one, his fourth goal of the season.
I feel like Sam Cosgrove, we talk about him every week,
so let's not break the trend. Seems like he's sort
of finding himself a little bit now. Sam Cosgrove feels
like it.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
I think he took a lot a lot out of
the derby because he had such an impact on that game.
You know, he was whatever you think of the decisions
he was, he was basically involved in most of the
key moments in the game. You take a lot of
confidence in that. And I just noticed this little passage
I think it was in the fourteenth minute. The freeze
(39:45):
sent over a brilliant cross and he got up at
the far pace for a header that was took some saving,
and a minute later he's up for another header from
a corner and just in that minute, you think, okay,
that's that was what was on the turn when they
brought him, that's what they were after. That was the
sort of vision. And it's starting to come to fruition.
(40:07):
And I thought his goal was just superb. I mean
it came out of nowhere, attack down the right, lightning fast,
early cross love early crosses, and he buries the header.
So yeah, he's starting to show what they wanted.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Yeah, probably the best of his goals actually that he scored.
And then because you forget he got he took him
what a couple of games to get a goal. Then
he got one against Adelaide, then those two in the derby,
but then hadn't scored in the last three games, but
had been a contributor obviously, including notting it back over
to Giz you Mamia to finish the derby, plus winning
(40:43):
the penalties. But yeah, look, and they clearly his teammates
clearly love him. You look at the way they get
around him, and they love what he brings to this team,
and yeah, they also I thought, I know what you thought,
that that they have other ways now of scoring goals,
and I think the first goal for Randall was a
good example, you know, Francis of Reese cutting inside little
(41:06):
balls slipped through to Jesse Randall. They feel like they're
working on a plan, being a plan ce on attack,
which they haven't always had. Last year it was like
of Guzumo, Mike didn't score, then who was going to
get the goals? Logan got goals. But this year, especially
with Cosgrove, it always felt like it was plan A
and that was it.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
You're exactly right. I mean remember Daniel Azani before the
before the after the first League of the semi final
month victory and he basically called aukleft c a bit
one dimensional. Yes, and he got a lot of stick
for it and it blew up. But he wasn't that
far from the truth. They sort of everyone knew what
their plan was, and as you say, if it didn't
(41:43):
come in that way. But you're starting to see already
they've got much more variety. I love Lachland Brook at ten,
but I also love the fact that Mike can come
on and be ten and Brook goes back to the wing.
Randall offers much more threats in a different way they've
Cosgrove is so effective in his role, So probably that
(42:05):
weakness that they had last season is not as a
parent so far, is it?
Speaker 2 (42:12):
Absolutely not? Haroki Saka I played the last fifteen minutes
as he returned from a hamstring injury, first minutes since
Round three on the first of November against Adelaide. Probably
not quite ready to start yet, but when you've got
Callan Elliott playing well, you probably don't need that to happen.
I guess at some point in the next couple of
three weeks Steve Coriker will have a decision to make
there and just on decisions Burge, Dan Hall and Jake
(42:35):
Goodwood Reich that fuels like the number one starting center
back pairing it has been, even with Nando Pinicker now available.
How does Nanto Pinaker get back into the starting side.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Yeah, it's hard for him, isn't it? And it must be.
It must be really tough because he's thinking about the
World Cup and he's thinking, I need game time. But
I mean, you would know as a former defender. I
know you played strike a lot as well, but coaches
generally don't like to muck around with the defense, especially
the center backs, do they. So No, it feels like,
(43:06):
knowing Steve Corriker, knowing the way defenses work, he'll keep
them until he's got a really good reason to change.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
Yeah, well last year he didn't. You're right. Last year
it was it was it was Pinaker and Hall. Then
Hall had that long time out with injury, and they
sort of, you know, changed things around a little bit.
But then as soon as Pinaker Hall is available again,
it was it was halland Pinaker. This year, Hall and
good would Rike have started every single game apart from
the one after the derby where Dan Hall was sent
(43:35):
off and couldn't play, But as soon as he was
available again he went straight back in and Jake Goodwood
Reich has played every minute of the season. So yeah,
I don't know. Nanda Pinaker did come on the other nights,
which and the other two were still there, so it
was a bit of a change of formation at the back.
I think Pinaker came on for Rogerson, so it was
(43:55):
a bit of a change in the way they were
doing things. But yeah, I don't know. I guess Nander
panic it just has to bide his time, and you're right,
they know things are going well and Auckland f C
Are not conceding a lot of goals, then there's there's
no real reason to change that. They're away again this weekend,
this Friday night, actually another Friday night game against Western
Sydney who are seventh. That game is ten o'clock on
(44:18):
Friday night, just before we go National League Championship Final
Newtown Park and Wellington. Saturday night, Auckland FC defended their
title a seven to six penalty shootout went over Wellington Olympic.
This game was kind of meandering a bit till about
the eighty first minute when Auckland FC scored a goal
to go Wonder the Loup. They thought they'd won it.
Luke Stoop with an equalizer in the third minute of
(44:41):
added time at the end of regulation time won all
into extra time. We go I Saprins the aforementioned scored
a goal to make it two to one, and then
in the second minute of added time at the end
of extra time, with basically the last kick of the game,
Christian Gray makes it two to two. Then we go
to penalties. I think they had nine each in Auckland City,
(45:01):
take the take the championship. It was a great advertisement
for the game, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (45:06):
That was brilliant. I just loved the I love the atmosphere.
I love I love this two clubs. I really have
enjoyed the rivalry that's built up in the last what's
been quite a while now, I think they've they've set
the benchmark, and it's it's always good when you get
a decided that lives up to its name. In what
(45:28):
a year for Christian Gray to yes, teammates will be
buying him a couple of beers that would have thought,
I mean, couldn't have done much more as a defend
and then score probably their two most important goals of
their year.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
In Auckland City. They just seem to find a way,
don't they Almost They almost didn't make it to the
to the National League stage, didn't didn't they? They almost
didn't make it, And and they kept on finding a way,
finding a way. They got into the top two to
make the final. As you know, they were, Yeah, they
the referees ready to blow his whistle when Christian Gray
puts that one in. I think they were behind in
(46:00):
the penalty shootout as well, and they found a way
and here they are with Silvoya. It's one of those
great inevitabilities, you know. It was a death taxes and
Auckland City winning a trophy.
Speaker 3 (46:10):
Well they've because they had such an extreme year with
that club World Cup campaign which was incredible. They've played
so many games. They've lost quite a few games this year,
which is not like them, but they still end up
with the trophy.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
Yep. Indeed, and it was a great advertisement for the game,
as you say, beautiful Saturday night in the capital, a
good you know, a good spectator ground there at Newtown Park.
People ever are up on the banks and enjoying the sunshine.
And yeah, it was a really cool way to win
the National League Championship season. Congratulations to Auckland City FC
for picking up the trophy. All right this weekend then
(46:44):
a league wise Friday night Auckland f C Western Sydney Wanderers.
That's in Paramatta ten o'clock kickoff Saturday afternoon, Wellington Phoenix
Woman at home to Sydney FC. Four o'clock at Pottydoor Park.
Sunday afternoon, Wellington Phoenix Men at home to the Marina's
three o'clock kickof so Goodness only knows what's going to
unfold in those three games, Burge, but whatever it is,
(47:06):
can I invite you back for a final pre Christmas
edition of Football Fever next Monday.
Speaker 3 (47:11):
There'll be so much to talk about, mate, Yeah, looking
forward to it.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
Football Football Faver
Football Fever, the podcast keeping you up to date with
the beautiful game with the voice of football Jason Pain
and inst Herald's Michael Burgess, powered by News Talk Zembi.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome into Football Fever, another episode at the end of
a pretty challenging week for Wellington Phoenix fans in particular.
I'm Jason Pine. Michael burgessis here as well. How are
you Berg?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Very good? Thanks mate, you're very good. Loving this, loving
this fantastic weather we're all getting, but not loving what
we're seeing. Obviously, we're about to talk about not loving
what's going on in Wellington.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Necessarily, let's get straight into it then. In that case,
yesterday at Sky Stadium, Wellington Phoenix won Newcastle Jets three.
Newcastle were bottom coming into this game, so a three
to one loss to the bottom team at home Wellington
Phoenix now dropped down to second bottom on the table,
just two wins from their eight games this season, just
(00:56):
five wins in their last twenty nine A League men's matches.
Let's get straight to a birch. How intense is the
pressure now on head coach John Carlo Ittaliano.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Well, I think we're having a conversation that was felt
like it was going to come at some stage this season,
but it's come a lot earlier. No, I haven't got
this official, but I've got no doubt that there were
conversations last night between those who matter at the Phoenix,
those on the board, you know, because they'll they'll just
(01:31):
be wondering where this team is going. And the signs
ain't great.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
No they aren't. Yesterday, really the result was all that mattered, right.
They were playing the bottom team at home, leading into
a game next week against the marin Is also at home,
a team that you know, I guess the Phoenix would
have expected to beat. I just felt like they needed
that spring board of six points to go into Christmas
and into a tough run of games in January. And
oddly enough, Burge, if they've managed to win the game yesterday,
(01:57):
they'd be up to fifth. Instead they're eleven. And it's
all a short of water stuff. But can we break
it down? It was really just the It was that
seven minute brain explosion early in the second half, which
saw the Phoenix concede three goals. What did you make
of the defense, all lack of defense in that seven
(02:19):
minute stretch, Well.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
It was it was awful and it was. You know,
there are different players in that defense, and the big
issue is it's such a challenging way to play. This
high line, which we talked about so much, sets around
one and so you know, when things go wrong, they
can go really wrong. But it wasn't just that seven
minute stretch. I mean, if you're completely honest about it,
(02:45):
it could have been four to one after twenty one minutes.
I went and watched it back through again this morning.
Newcastle had four really good chances. They had one chance
in the first forty five seconds I think it was,
so they had four really good chances in the first
twenty one minutes. The Phoenix had one one good one.
So the Phoenix were really open from go to woe
(03:05):
and that seven minute period you talked about was just
when they got completely punished for it.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
At some point, do you have to be sensible about
this the high line? I mean, Chief you said yesterday
after the game that defeating the high line is the
only way teams score against them. But they are so
why are they persisting with it?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
You know?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Certainly the second goal yesterday, the ball threw from Grozos
to Lachland Rose, was a case of the high line
being defeated. You could argue that the first goal also
had a touch of that about it, with a long
ball played through. As you've outlined there early in the game,
they just seemed to be caught out. Is it just
time to say, you know what, we gave it a go,
let's be more pragmatic and do something different.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Well, I liked your point just before, Piney, and you're
exactly right. The result was all that mattered. It didn't
matter how they got it, but they had to win,
especially coming off the back of the day, especially what
they've got coming up with tough games you know in Australia,
some big teams to play, so they just had to
get the three points and they've got players missing, so
(04:12):
you've just got to make sure you're solid defensively, and
instead it was the opposite. You know. It was chaos
really for quite a bit of the game, and it
was an open game. Phoenix had a lot of chances too,
but Newcastle are a very open team. They've can set
a lot of goals. Chief you want to stick to
what he's doing because if you don't, it feels like
you're given up and then where do you go now?
But as you say, at certain moments, you've got to
(04:36):
park your ideology. You can't be an ange posta cooglar.
You know, you've got to just really really look at
who you've got on your team and what you need.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
It's a bit of an analogy with what's going on
in the Ashes, really, isn't it. You know, England they're
all in on bass ball. Has it worked in the
first two games, and a host of former players and
commentators are saying you have to adapt, you have to
alter it. You can't just be all in on a
stre which time after time is being found out. The
other point of this yesterday burge was there was no
man Draker James suspended after the derby. Isaac Hughes wasn't
(05:08):
there either. Eighteen year old Jaden Smith had a starting debut.
Schwindlope came in, Matt Sheridan dropped into the back three,
Carlo Armiento for some reason came back to left wing back.
I don't know what the situation was there, but it's
a rejinked back line missing two of its three regular starters. Again,
why isn't there more pragmatism here? More? Just be a
(05:30):
bit more sensible about this.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
That's the hardest thing to understand, and that's what the
fans will be so frustrated about because there'd been a
warning shot. Newcastle, you know, the bottom of the table,
but they're also bottom of the table when they beat
Auckland and they are a team that have a lot
of attacking threat So when you see what they can do,
you got to think it through and think how are
(05:54):
we going to negate that? And yeah, it's just it's
something that has to be looked at very closely because
I can't see how if they continue to play this
way they're going to turn it around. I mean, that's
the point, isn't it. Surely teams, all the teams they've
(06:17):
got to face in the upcoming games, will just pinpoint
this as a massive achilles heel.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, it's just there in plain sight, isn't it. It's
just they're in plain sight. And look if they play
the high line and teams try to exploit that and
can't that's a very different conversation. But in every single game,
pretty much there's been an example or examples plural of
this strategy, either leading to goals conceded or leading to
(06:44):
chances as you've outlined, which you know, due to a
commodation of good goalkeeping and I guess Paul finishing on
the behalf of the opponent haven't been as costly, but
I mean chiefly also afterwards said the performance was unacceptable,
and you know, he's right. I don't think there's any
Phoenix fan who would say that that conceding three goals
(07:05):
in seven minutes is in any way acceptable.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I feel like I was listening to you just talked before,
trying to search for the words to explain what is
going on and also to chart a way forward. I'm
at a similar loss. You talked about conversations going on
after the game, and I'm sure they did. You can't,
you know, you can't lose, you know, as many games,
what's that four out of five now and not have
these conversations. By the sounds of it, wiley out. We're
(07:33):
Monday afternoon.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Now.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
If they were going to make a change, they would
have made it by now. I feel though, Burch, if
the Mariners were to come to Wellington on Sunday and
beat Wellington Phoenix, then I'm just not sure that it's
tenable that that gian Calo Ataliano stays as head coach.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Yeah, he's on very shaky ground. And I think we
talked about this in round maybe three, about how this
high line be the the undoing of them. And so
I mean the Phoenix will be weighing up a lot
of things. They'll be weighing up, you know, who are
possible alternatives, Who can they go with, who's going to work?
(08:13):
What the impact on the squad if they do make
a change. What chief he's still got to offer, because
I guess to balance this all out, we've got We've
got to mention an injury toll. They're missing a lot
of important players. We've got to mention the fact that
they have had different lineups the whole time. But he's
(08:33):
not getting the best out of what he's got. He's
still got some decent players there and they had some
good results in the two rounds and it's all it's
all fallen away.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Every team has to face injuries though, right it's a
fact of elite sport. Look at AUCKLANDFC. They've been with
that Hiroki Sakai for the last five or six Weekscuse
Youmo Mai hasn't been fully fit to play for them
for well the best part of the whole season.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Really.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Nando Pineker was late coming back. You have to deal
with injuries, but again just some form of pragmatism here,
cutting your cloth to suit. I mean, ma'am. Dracer James
will be back next week. I'm not sure what the
situation is with Isaac Hues and why he misyesterday. I
heard a hamstring mention and you're never really sure with those.
(09:18):
Paulo Retre, one of those we haven't seen this season,
may be available for the first time this season. But look,
we're reaching a point now where the games aren't necessarily
running out and the table is very tight. But it's
almost similar to what happened last season, and that after
the second Derby loss, Wellington went on a run where
they just found it very, very difficult to pick up
(09:40):
points consistently or at all really, and the season just
kind of fell away. There's some tough games coming up
after Christmas, a lot of them are away from home,
and so if there's no light at the end of
this tunnel, then I just wonder whether if you don't
change anything, nothing will change. And not saying the coach,
(10:01):
but I just think chief has to really have a
good hard look at this defensive strategy in particular, and
ask himself, does it have a future? Does he believe
that there is enough evidence that this will be a
sound defensive strategy that will lead to clean sheets and
(10:24):
being able to break through presses to score goals at
the other end. And if the answer is no, if
in his heart of hearts he can't see that that is,
you know, a possibility, let alone a reality, then he
has to change it. He has to.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Well exactly right, because the other question here is do
the players believe in it? And I'm not sure that
all of them, most of them, some of them do
because players players are players. They just want results. And
if they are being forced to play a system that
they don't believe in it's not really working, then that's
(11:01):
even worse. I mean, this has all been a reaction
to what happened last season when the club and GF
copped a lot of criticism for how they played. So
he wanted to play differently, more entertaining, and there's that balance.
But in the end, isn't it all about results? Like
you want an entertaining style, but if you're winning, the
fans are still happy. Remember the Ricky Herbert years. I
(11:23):
mean you covered those in extensive detail, Piney, and it
was a lot of pretty functional football, but they won
games and so the fans go home happy. And that's
where where you've got to really say, he's got to
really look at what he's doing.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Well, look at Brisbane Raw. They're a great example this year.
They are by no means the most attractive football side,
and you know, they certainly won't win any prizes for
eye catching football, but they're third on the table. They've
had one loss in eight games, they've conceidered just three
goals in those eight games. And while Brisbane Raw fans
(12:00):
probably going, hey, we you know, we'd love it if
you were like the Angepasta Cloglue Raw Salona sides of
days gone by, we actually don't mind because we're third bigger.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
That's the thing, that's the thing that's ultimately what fans want.
And that's another side of this. As you pointed out
to me this morning, fans are starting to stay away,
and that more than anything, will start to worry the
powers that be because it's it's a really bad look.
It's not great for the balance sheet, and it's really
(12:34):
damaging for the brand. And that's the other thing. The
Phoenix have had this great brand and where's it going.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
The attendance yesterday was three thousand and thirty. That is
the lowest attendance ever for a home game for Wellington Phoenix.
The previous lowest was a game in Dunedin many years
ago when they got three thousand and sixty, so thirty
fewer people turned up. And the last three home games
for Wellington have been the three lowest sky Stadium attendances
(13:04):
and it totally what posh. They'll be lucky to get
three thousand there this coming Sunday against the Mariners. You know,
people like following winners, they just do. And unless they
open up the gates for kids coming in free, I
can't say that they'll get three thousand. Fans are voting
with their feet. The brand is being damaged. The Phoenix
of eight points after eight games. They've never had that
(13:27):
fewer points and made the playoffs. If you go back
to every season the Phoenix have made the playoffs, they
have had more than eight points after eight games. It's
a tight table in their favor. I mean you look
at it, and from fifth place Perth Glory on ten
points down to Melbourne victory on eight at the bottom.
What's that eight team separated by just two points. So
there's no need to panic in terms of that, and
(13:49):
that probably is at least a silver lining for Wellington.
But at some point you've got to start showing an
ability to consistently win football matches. The point you make
about the brand is so is so apt and so
it's so relevant because you know, up the road you've
(14:10):
got a brand in Auckland f C that is absolutely flying,
it's buzzing, and I think this probably makes it even
worse what's happening in Wellington. If Wellington had a bad
season before, you know, there was nothing to compare them with,
certainly not on this side of the Tasman. Now you've
got this bright, shiny Auckland f C winning games left,
right and center, getting big crowds, you know, making a
(14:30):
match to experience that people want to get along to.
And so the the you know, the Phoenix's woes are
even more starkly exposed, aren't they.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Exactly Exactly Just the optics of that comparison is making
it really hard for fans. There's so many loyal Phoenix
fans that will always stick with their team. But you
know they're they're rocking up to barbecues to Christmas functions
in their in their Phoenix shirt, and they're getting a
lot of stick at the moment and they're not feeling
good about it because it would have been okay if
(15:04):
the Phoenix were a bit unlucky to lose to Newcastle
like aukleft c when they played Newcast had a million
chances but they couldn't put them away and Newcastle won.
But they weren't unlucky, you know, they were. It could
have been could have been six to two, it was.
It was a crazy game. Newcastle had a million chances.
So yeah, it's just amazing, Piney, how things have fallen
(15:28):
away from that season. We remember gin Carlo's first season
where the Phoenix were the talk of the nation, an
incredible team, so many great players and season records all
over the place. Almost should have should have probably made
the Grand Final. And it's just that that makes it
more stark, doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (15:48):
It does, It does, And I was thinking back to
that season last night actually because Newcastle came to Wellington
in round seven of that season and beat the Phoenix
three nil, and I remember Clayton, as he did yesterday,
was the star of that show as well. So you know,
Newcastle came to Wellington and Raally you know, gave them
a bit of a slap in the face. They then
(16:10):
the Phoenix went on to lose just one of the
next thirteen games. However, I looked at the list of
players who they had who they don't have anymore, Paulson, Wooton,
Sermon krajev Old, Sutton, Zavada, Ball Barbarusis and currently injured
Tim Payne. It's basically an entirely different side. And I
(16:31):
want to talk to you about the you know, and
it's perhaps unfair to make comparisons, but then I think
it is fair to make comparisons between the two New
Zealand A League men's teams, Wellington and Auckland. And you
post a great question to me over the weekend. You said,
how many Wellington Phoenix players would make a combined eleven
if you look at the Wellington Phoenix in Auckland FC
(16:53):
and say, right, let's pick the best eleven from those
two squads. How many Phoenix players are in that eleven?
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Not many? Is there? There's not many? And that that's
where it gets quite stark, and that's where I guess
there's a caveat for chief is that the squads are overmatched.
You know, Wellington overmatch you could look at you can
look at Alex Rufer obviously, but is he better than Lousverstrata.
You look at Tim Payne, but is he a better
(17:21):
option than Hiroki Souko. I'm not sure. Carlo Amanti is
a good player, but Auckland have got some good midfielders too.
Ifan is maybe the goalkeeping situation, I guess the Wellington
keeper has been outstanding, But.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yeah, I reckon josh Olawayoimi is the only one. I
think Rufer probably has a has a good mount to
good case. But I think you know, and Michael Vaut's
been good. What have they considered seven goals and Wellington
have now lead in twice that many with fourteen. But
josh oliwen he has been magnificent as we know the
last last three, you know, three or four weeks. He
made that area yesterday. I guess you could say to
(17:58):
allow the second goal to be scored. Yeah, I think
I think josh Oliwayemi is probably probably the only one.
You know Rufe for years, I think you know, and
I thought Alex Rufer was probably you know, one of
the best players on the park the yesterday. But he
can't do it all by himself. It must be tremendously
frustrating for such a proud Wellington Phoenix man like Alex
Rufer to go through this must be extremely frustrating. As
(18:21):
you say, for the players that I mean, it's not
like they're not trying. But I again, burge the quality.
Let mean, look at the benches. Look at the benches
over the weekend. Auckland f C's bench on Friday night,
Oli Sayale Nando Pineker, Hairoki Sarki, Felipe Guygos, Cam Howis
and Marley Francois and Guigiermo Mai. Three imports and three
(18:42):
all whites. Wellington Phoenix's bench yesterday, by comparison, had a
couple of reserve team players and mcmunroe and Lachlan Candy,
three teenagers Luke brook Smith, Gabbie Sloane Rodriguez and reserve
goalkeeper Aman McCarran. Dan Edwards has only played three A
League games and for Royal Conci, who is almost a
veteran among those guys. With twenty eight the gap in
(19:03):
quality has never been starker.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
It hasn't in that but that was another interesting scenario.
Chief whose ars and the press are about the high
line about the way they played, and he admitted that
in the second half he wanted to make changes, but
there weren't people to bring on who could play that
pressing game they needed to play to have the style,
which meant it probably suffered in the second half. So again,
why do you play that way if you don't have
(19:30):
the squad you think you need for that game. But
overall the Phoenix are overmatched. You know this is a well.
Aukland have a lot more money, they have a lot
more resources. We know that, but it makes it doubly
important that the Phoenix have to be really smart. They
have to be the moneyball club, which they have been.
I guess they have to be, you know, the Bournemuth
(19:53):
or the Brentford of the Premier League, whereas Auckland FC,
I guess of the Liverpool or the Arsenal. But there
are ways to do it off the field, but especially
on the field, you've really got to make the most
of your resources and come up with an effect of
playing style that gets your results and they just haven't
done that, which I guess it probably makes the gap
(20:16):
between the disparity even greater, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
It does, And there's still a salary cap. Yes, Auckland
FC have got some salary cap relief as a new
entry into the A League in the last couple of years,
but there's still a salary cap. It's not like you
can spend millions and millions and millions on dollars on
building your squad. You still have to stay for the
for the you know, for the best part of the
squad under the salary cap. So then you have to be,
(20:42):
as you say, you've got to be smarter and look,
Wellington have used an admirable strategy over the years of
bringing through players from their academy and some of those
players have gone on to be absolutely spectacular players beyond
these shores. And I'm thinking of the likes of Saprech Sing, Libby,
Kakachi Finn Sirmon, Alex Paulson, Ben Old, Ben Wayne. You
(21:02):
look at the current cohort of young players and there's
nobody in that category. There's nobody who you would say
that guy is going to go on and play offshore
with Ben Old as soon as Ben Old came into
the Wellington Phoenix side. Yes he was raw, but you
could see the raw materials and the ability that he
had that would inevitably send them off. Sure Libby was
(21:23):
the same, so Prik was the same, Alex Paulson exactly
the same. There's nobody in the current cohort who you
would say, you know, as dead as a dead sert
to do that. And as I say, while it's an
admirable strategy, it just means that if that is your
strategy and you strike times like this where you don't
(21:45):
have the higher quality, a bit of a golden generation
if you like, then your first team results are naturally
going to suffer as a result.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Yes, And it's also a guess about yeah, yeah, you're
exactly right. It's also about looking outside the academy, all
the talent around New Zealand. Isn't it like it's easy
to beat Wellington up? But to see Jesse Randall playing
in Auckland after being I guess ignored by the Phoenix
or unwanted by the Phoenix at Wellington. Boy, and you've
(22:18):
mentioned a couple other prospects that you know Wellington should
be owning that territory and making sure they get those
players through. And then it also comes down to import choices.
I guess the point I was making before, but Auckland
was also found the fact they've just got more resources
in terms of you know, they could travel earlier. They've
got more staff, a lot more staff in all areas,
(22:39):
so that all that stuff does add up. But you're
exactly right. It's also about the choices you make.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Oh, you're totally right. There's no salary cap on marketing,
there's no salary cap on backroom staff, there's no salary
cap on travel, none of those things. The only salary
cap is the players. You're right, bird, you know the
resource they can wrap around it, you know the I
guess the you know, even scouting for example. You know
they've got the network of you know of Bill Foley's
Bournemouth and his other you know, his other footballing expertise
(23:11):
around the world. So yes, absolutely Auckland do have a
lot more resource than than Wellington do. But you say,
you make a great, great comparison Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and
Hove Albion. These are sides that have you know, taken
up residents pretty much in the Premier League up against
some of the big boys, and they compete and they
you know, they tend to hang around in in the
Premier League and and you know, and do their fans proud.
(23:34):
Just on the the other part of this and the
and you talk about the brand being damaged. If you're
a young Kiwi player, a promising young player, and you
have an offer right now to go to Wellington Phoenix
or Auckland f C, which one are you more likely
to choose at the moment, And there's no contest unless
you think, okay, well, I'm not going to get many
games in Auckland. I'll go to Wellington. But the attractiveness
(23:56):
of the two clubs, I mean, Auckland f C are
just absolutely flying. Everything about the club has got a
rosy glow and it seems like everything at the moment
around Wellington Phoenix just said, it's not one of those
cartoon characters who wherever they walk there's a dark cloud
above Them's that's what it feels like that, I mean,
I'm hearing that. Wellington Olympics Icaprince he's been the best
(24:17):
player in the National League this season, scored a goal
in the final on Saturday Night. Albeit it didn't and
his squaters penalty didn't get them the win. But Ico
Prins has been talked about for a long time as
a really terrific young player. He as I understand, it's
going to Aukland FC. First, he's going to play in
the Oceania Pro League and then I think he'll be
integrated into the A League squad. He's from Wellington, he's
(24:39):
been here for years. He's even trialed with the Phoenix,
but they've decided against signing him, and I can only
imagine that's because he hasn't come through their own academy.
I just don't get it.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Would that be the reason?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
I don't know. I can't see any other reason. He's
the best player in the National League. He's a Kiwi,
he lives in Wellington. Why wouldn't the Phoenix pick him up?
Why would they not take him above a you know,
an Australian like a Nikola Malayusnitch. He hasn't played yet.
They must have known he was injured when they signed him.
He's not due back until Christmas, so they're going to
(25:12):
get half a season out of him at most. Why
wouldn't they take an iso prance instead.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Your biggest belief. Doesn't it it does? It does?
Speaker 2 (25:22):
It does not make sense at all. So look, we can,
you know we can. It's it's been a bit of
a pylon. But I think this is the situation we've
reached with Wellington Phoenix now, is that fans are asking questions.
Look about the fans as well. You know, you're right.
Everybody you know when you when you work somewhere, and
everybody knows that you're a fan of a certain sports team.
(25:43):
And so Phoenix fans for the last little while have
had to sort of almost sneak into work on a Monday,
you know, try to go unnoticed, keep their heads down.
I mean, if I'm a football fan, I want my
club to give me the opportunity to swagger into work,
to stick my chest out to where am my reped
like a shoe on a Monday like I'm sure Auckland
f C fans have been doing. I mean, give you
(26:05):
give your fans a chance.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Come on, oh exactly. I mean you know, for years,
Warriors fans was notorious. They were sort of sneaking around
wind they you know, hiding behind the cabinet, and now
now they're just loud and proud, and that just shows
how how quick it can change. And the Phoenix has
still got a lot of good things going for them.
They have got despite what we've said about their academy,
there's a it is a great academy, the NV, the
(26:28):
A league, they've got, they've got all that history, they
have got a brand, they've got a decent squad, they've
got plenty of no how so you know, this is
this is not something that and they're a club that's
that's widely loved throughout the nation, which is what's made
this all so sad. But it is salvagable. But something
(26:52):
needs to change.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Well, the next chance they have to salvage something is
when they host the Mariners on Sunday three o'clock back
at Sky Stadium. The Mariners have the same number of
points as the Phoenix. They are the bottom four are
all on eight points, separated only by goal difference. Phoenix
are eleventh, Mariners a ninth, just one goal separate. Some
one gold difference is so tight at the bottom. So
when that and all of a sudden, things do look
(27:15):
a bit rosier as they would have. As I say yesterday,
the Phoenix, you know, scored a couple of those chances
in the first half, Corbyn Piper had a couple of opportunities.
James Delhienoff made some good says for the Jets, having
said that the Jets had enough chances as well as
you say. But if the Phoenix have hand a way
to win that game yesterday, they'd be fifth today they'd
be fifth. Instead they were eleventh. And you know, just
I guess in their favor, it's a tight table. Can
(27:37):
I just make one more point before we move on
from this? And if because if you can't, if you
can't vent on football fever, I'm not quite sure where
you're supposed to. He finally is a pull a goal
back for the Phoenix, his fourth of the season. But
then we saw this. This the sight of a striker
and a goalkeeper fighting over the ball in the net
(28:00):
after a goal has been scored. This just, I just
always just I don't know why it makes me so angry, Birch.
Maybe I'm just getting older, but it's one of the
most embarrassing things in football.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
I know.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
I get the intent the strikers scored a goal, we're
behind it want to grab the ball, get back to
halfway so we can start again. But dude, you've just
scored a goal. The other team is effectively now in
possession of the ball because they have to kick off.
Just get back to halfway, man, Just get back to halfway,
because actually what you're doing is delaying the restart by
scuffling in the back.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Of the net. It's just so funny to watch the
wrestling around in the net with the ball like it's
you know, and and yet you're not going to lose
any time. I get it does show desire, you know,
show's desire. You see it in England. Sometimes the fans
love it. They go springing back to the center circle
and plunk it down. But then the other team will
still take their time kicking up anyway, you know. Right.
(28:53):
But I'm glad you brought that up because I thought
yesterday was the Phoenix game was one of the more
un gainly versions of it I've seen. Actually, the wrestle
went on for far too long, like yeah, like two
reminded me of my daughter at daycare wrestling with another
toddler over what was she doing the other day? There
(29:14):
was some thing they both wanted to play with, you know,
And it's like come on, kids, there's a million other
toy cars over on the shelf. So yes, it's just
it's one of those things you kind of love in
football because it's so bizarre, but it's just ridiculous. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Look, I'll allow it at daycare these as, I'm not
going to allow it for grown adults till I get
I get that it's the the design thing. But man,
you get it out of the game. Just get meat
to halfway and carry.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
On The Football Fever Podcast with Jason Wayne and Michael Burgess.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Let's go back to Friday night Midnight A League Women
around six and Perth. I' not a very happy weekend
for Wellington, was it? Perth glory one, Wellington Phoenix nil.
Another away loss. That's thirty two defeats in forty two
away games. They just need to find a way to
win on the road. But what they need more than that,
bird is to find a way to score sixteen shots
in this game only to one target just three goals
(30:10):
in five games. If I'm beer priestman, I'm just basically
having shooting practice all week ahead of Sydney.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Yeah, there were just a lot of a lot of chances.
It reminded me of the was it the World Cup
in South Africa with their problems with the ball? You know, yeah,
the jumbaladi you go, were just because the ball was
just blazing over the bar, a couple couple going wide.
I mean they actually played, they played, they played well.
I mean Perth didn't have a single chance in the
(30:40):
first seventy five minutes, not a single chance. Wellington had
so many chances. They played well. But this is another
It's another really hard defeat to take, isn't.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
It It is it is. And defensively they're good, they're good. Wellington.
Perth aren't great. I mean they hadn't scored in their
previous three games. But offensively Wellington are very good. Only
four goals conceded, that's the joint fewest in the competition.
As you say, Perth just two shots on target the
whole game. But the problem you strike is if you're
not scoring a goal at the other end to take
advantage of the defensive solidity that you're displaying, then you
(31:14):
just leave yourself vulnerable to you to conceding a goal.
And yes, you can look back and say, well Jeepers
the Phoenix had far more chances, more possession, way way
more shots, but Perth take the points. And I know
I dropped points becoming a little bit costly for this team.
Even five games in.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
I think they are I feel like they've dropped five
or six points already. You know that there are the
two draws to open the season. That was at Newcastle
and Canberra at home, where you thought probably one one
of those games maybe both definitely won the Melbourne City
game that deserved to point there. And then against Perth,
(31:54):
I mean Perth a pretty limited yeah, whatever word you want.
So that's three points in the bag right there, and
they'd be sitting up in third place or something. They
feel like they're a top four team, but they sort
of stuck and you pay the price later on when
the bigger games, the bigger opposition come. But I don't
(32:16):
know what you think, Pinty, but I do feel like
this is the kind of team that will have a
good second half of the season. They will get better
because they are a team that's learning to play together.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Yeah, very good point. And there are only five games in,
you know, not even close to halfway through the season,
and I think you're right. Here's a good example. Samba,
she gets amazing support. By the way, wherever she goes,
did you see the Nippalese community of Western Australia turn
out every time she got near the ball. There was
this incredible cacophony of sound. I thought it was just awesome.
(32:49):
And you know, she's obviously brought a huge profile to
the A League through the Nippalese community. But I'd love
to see a score a goal, you know, and I
think if she gets one, she'll probably get five. Not
in the same game necessarily, but I think she needs
one to get it off her back and to say
right here, I am as advertised and that you're right.
That may well come in the in the second half
(33:09):
of the season if they just need to keep on
picking up points, which they haven't managed in the last
couple of games. They've got Sydney back at home on Saturday,
and this feels like when they played Melbourne victory off
those two draws to start the season. I feel like
it's a big game against Sydney who are fourth on
the weekends, you know, and if they can look, if
(33:31):
they can even convert a quarter of the chances that
they've been creating, they you know, they'd be among the
A League women's top goal scorers chance creation. Haven't got
the stats in front of me, but the number of
shots on goal must be the equal of most other
teams in the comp.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Well they what happened last week? I mean Melbourne City
had one or two chances from memory and wasn't it one?
There you go Phoenix seven or eight against against a
really good team, an extraordinary amount on Friday night. The
good thing is as well Samba. I don't know. To me,
she's playing well and you know some of the chances
on Friday, You're exactly right. Every striker just needs a
(34:10):
goal pressure off. But some of her chances is when
the keeper made some of her best saved. So it's
just going like that a bit at the moment for
the Nepalese. But I've got no doubt that she'll she'll
start to get going. She looks like a quality player.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Well at Sam Cosgrove, you know, we talked about his
lack of goals and he got one and all of
a sudden he's getting one every game. We'll talk about
him when we get to walk on FC. But you know,
sometimes and striker, as much as they say when they
come to a new club, they'll say, oh, look, I
just want to contribute. The goals aren't necessarily important. They
are important. You know. You can't tell me that a
new striker at a club doesn't have a bit of
a weight on his shoulders or her shoulders before they
(34:48):
score their first goal. They might be assisting, they might
be their GPS numbers might be enormous, they might be
contributing in all sorts of ways. But when you look online,
I was gonna say, when you look in the but
I suppose you still do. When you look online and
see your name as a goalscorer, that's that's got to
be a boosting you. I'm sure it is.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Oh yeah, us actually right, and it's magnified in her
situation because of the support she has been getting, the
personal support, which which I guess is wonderful, but might
add a little bit of pressure as well.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Indeed, So next game for the Wellington Phoenix Woman, as
I say, hosting fourth placed Sydney FC pottydo a Park
four o'clock on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Food Balls Beaver with Jason Hade and Michael Burgess.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Let's go back to the start of the weekend and
to Friday night in Gosford Central Coast marin Is one,
Auckland f C two, Auckland f C up to second
on the ladder, their fifth win in eight games. They
just keep marching on, even though it was only two
to one, and for a while there Burge it was
won all. I never had in my mind any other
(35:54):
outcome than Auckland FC winning this game. I don't know
what you thought.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
They looked and controlled and they looked it was their
recipe from last season. They're just a team that does
well on the road. The road doesn't hold fares for
them in terms of replicating the performances that they need
and they they bounced off the Derby result quite well.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Yeah they did, and into a period of games where
five out of six are away and listening to Steve
Corriker during the week, I don't think they're staying over there. Well,
they certainly haven't stayed over there for this one. They
may stay over after the Wanderers ahead of the Brisbane
Raw game between sort of Christmas and New Year time.
But I think that you know they're coming. They're going
(36:39):
back and forth, back and forth. But I don't know,
do you think it's it's still quite new to them
isn't it. Do you think they still quite enjoy the
travel or not.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
I think they do. I think that's it's definitely a
novelty to a degree. There are new groups. They've got
a lot of players in their team who haven't, you know,
never actually jumped on a plane to go to a
football match. I'm talking of all the guys you know,
based in Europe or even South America's pretty rare, so
(37:07):
it's probably kind of cool. The young guys in the
squad probably enjoyed as well. They don't have They're quite lucky.
They don't have too many players with children or even wives,
so that also makes it makes it easier in a way.
But they've just got the recipe worked out.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
They have, I've got it worked out. Jesse Randall opened
and scoring from a superb Francis Devres through boardg in
the first twenty minutes. Francis Reese just absolutely on fire.
Geez become a player, isn't he just so impressive to watch?
Slides that one through to Jesse Randall and makes it
one nil. Then ten or twelve minutes before halftime, callan Elliott,
this is a bullet header. I know it's at the
(37:49):
wrong end. But man, he has buried that. Michael Valder's
no dance and I know, you know it's an own goal.
And we can all laugh now because Auckland FC have
got the result. But and you can see what he's
trying to do the balls coming in, there's a guy
behind him from the other team. He's trying to head
it behind for a corner, but he's just absolutely leathered
it off his head into the top corner.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Hasn't he at full stretched too? Like we've all scored
own goals, but probably normally at our level, more like
a deflection into the net or something. But I can't
imagine how it feels to score with a full length
diving head, which you see very now and again. It
just must be the weirdest and most horrible feeling.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Well, he lay there for a bit, didn't he. Then
his teammates got him up and about and you know
there's nothing you can You can't turn back time, can you.
All you can do is try to, you know, make
it right. And as I say, and as you said,
Auckland just always seemed to class above the Mariners, always
in total control, thirteen shots to five. Mariners didn't have
a single shot in the first half and yet they're
won all at half time because Klon Elliots nodded one
(38:50):
into his own net. It was similar to I think
with the Phoenix one time played against Melbourne Victory and
I think it was Damien de Silver scored an own
goal and it was a similar situation. They hadn't had
a single shot and yet it was one all. Anyway,
Auckland f C got their goal in the second half.
Always felt like it was coming. Sam Cosgrove speaking of
diving headers, he did that from a Lachland Brook cross.
(39:12):
It's two to one, his fourth goal of the season.
I feel like Sam Cosgrove, we talk about him every week,
so let's not break the trend. Seems like he's sort
of finding himself a little bit now. Sam Cosgrove feels
like it.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
I think he took a lot a lot out of
the derby because he had such an impact on that game.
You know, he was whatever you think of the decisions
he was, he was basically involved in most of the
key moments in the game. You take a lot of
confidence in that. And I just noticed this little passage
I think it was in the fourteenth minute. The freeze
(39:45):
sent over a brilliant cross and he got up at
the far pace for a header that was took some saving,
and a minute later he's up for another header from
a corner and just in that minute, you think, okay,
that's that was what was on the turn when they
brought him, that's what they were after. That was the
sort of vision. And it's starting to come to fruition.
(40:07):
And I thought his goal was just superb. I mean
it came out of nowhere, attack down the right, lightning fast,
early cross love early crosses, and he buries the header.
So yeah, he's starting to show what they wanted.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Yeah, probably the best of his goals actually that he scored.
And then because you forget he got he took him
what a couple of games to get a goal. Then
he got one against Adelaide, then those two in the derby,
but then hadn't scored in the last three games, but
had been a contributor obviously, including notting it back over
to Giz you Mamia to finish the derby, plus winning
(40:43):
the penalties. But yeah, look, and they clearly his teammates
clearly love him. You look at the way they get
around him, and they love what he brings to this team,
and yeah, they also I thought, I know what you thought,
that that they have other ways now of scoring goals,
and I think the first goal for Randall was a
good example, you know, Francis of Reese cutting inside little
(41:06):
balls slipped through to Jesse Randall. They feel like they're
working on a plan, being a plan ce on attack,
which they haven't always had. Last year it was like
of Guzumo, Mike didn't score, then who was going to
get the goals? Logan got goals. But this year, especially
with Cosgrove, it always felt like it was plan A
and that was it.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
You're exactly right. I mean remember Daniel Azani before the
before the after the first League of the semi final
month victory and he basically called aukleft c a bit
one dimensional. Yes, and he got a lot of stick
for it and it blew up. But he wasn't that
far from the truth. They sort of everyone knew what
their plan was, and as you say, if it didn't
(41:43):
come in that way. But you're starting to see already
they've got much more variety. I love Lachland Brook at ten,
but I also love the fact that Mike can come
on and be ten and Brook goes back to the wing.
Randall offers much more threats in a different way they've
Cosgrove is so effective in his role, So probably that
(42:05):
weakness that they had last season is not as a
parent so far, is it?
Speaker 2 (42:12):
Absolutely not? Haroki Saka I played the last fifteen minutes
as he returned from a hamstring injury, first minutes since
Round three on the first of November against Adelaide. Probably
not quite ready to start yet, but when you've got
Callan Elliott playing well, you probably don't need that to happen.
I guess at some point in the next couple of
three weeks Steve Coriker will have a decision to make
there and just on decisions Burge, Dan Hall and Jake
(42:35):
Goodwood Reich that fuels like the number one starting center
back pairing it has been, even with Nando Pinicker now available.
How does Nanto Pinaker get back into the starting side.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Yeah, it's hard for him, isn't it? And it must be.
It must be really tough because he's thinking about the
World Cup and he's thinking, I need game time. But
I mean, you would know as a former defender. I
know you played strike a lot as well, but coaches
generally don't like to muck around with the defense, especially
the center backs, do they. So No, it feels like,
(43:06):
knowing Steve Corriker, knowing the way defenses work, he'll keep
them until he's got a really good reason to change.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
Yeah, well last year he didn't. You're right. Last year
it was it was it was Pinaker and Hall. Then
Hall had that long time out with injury, and they
sort of, you know, changed things around a little bit.
But then as soon as Pinaker Hall is available again,
it was it was halland Pinaker. This year, Hall and
good would Rike have started every single game apart from
the one after the derby where Dan Hall was sent
(43:35):
off and couldn't play, But as soon as he was
available again he went straight back in and Jake Goodwood
Reich has played every minute of the season. So yeah,
I don't know. Nanda Pinaker did come on the other nights,
which and the other two were still there, so it
was a bit of a change of formation at the back.
I think Pinaker came on for Rogerson, so it was
(43:55):
a bit of a change in the way they were
doing things. But yeah, I don't know. I guess Nander
panic it just has to bide his time, and you're right,
they know things are going well and Auckland f C
Are not conceding a lot of goals, then there's there's
no real reason to change that. They're away again this weekend,
this Friday night, actually another Friday night game against Western
Sydney who are seventh. That game is ten o'clock on
(44:18):
Friday night, just before we go National League Championship Final
Newtown Park and Wellington. Saturday night, Auckland FC defended their
title a seven to six penalty shootout went over Wellington Olympic.
This game was kind of meandering a bit till about
the eighty first minute when Auckland FC scored a goal
to go Wonder the Loup. They thought they'd won it.
Luke Stoop with an equalizer in the third minute of
(44:41):
added time at the end of regulation time won all
into extra time. We go I Saprins the aforementioned scored
a goal to make it two to one, and then
in the second minute of added time at the end
of extra time, with basically the last kick of the game,
Christian Gray makes it two to two. Then we go
to penalties. I think they had nine each in Auckland City,
(45:01):
take the take the championship. It was a great advertisement
for the game, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (45:06):
That was brilliant. I just loved the I love the atmosphere.
I love I love this two clubs. I really have
enjoyed the rivalry that's built up in the last what's
been quite a while now, I think they've they've set
the benchmark, and it's it's always good when you get
a decided that lives up to its name. In what
(45:28):
a year for Christian Gray to yes, teammates will be
buying him a couple of beers that would have thought,
I mean, couldn't have done much more as a defend
and then score probably their two most important goals of
their year.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
In Auckland City. They just seem to find a way,
don't they Almost They almost didn't make it to the
to the National League stage, didn't didn't they? They almost
didn't make it, And and they kept on finding a way,
finding a way. They got into the top two to
make the final. As you know, they were, Yeah, they
the referees ready to blow his whistle when Christian Gray
puts that one in. I think they were behind in
(46:00):
the penalty shootout as well, and they found a way
and here they are with Silvoya. It's one of those
great inevitabilities, you know. It was a death taxes and
Auckland City winning a trophy.
Speaker 3 (46:10):
Well they've because they had such an extreme year with
that club World Cup campaign which was incredible. They've played
so many games. They've lost quite a few games this year,
which is not like them, but they still end up
with the trophy.
Speaker 2 (46:23):
Yep. Indeed, and it was a great advertisement for the game,
as you say, beautiful Saturday night in the capital, a
good you know, a good spectator ground there at Newtown Park.
People ever are up on the banks and enjoying the sunshine.
And yeah, it was a really cool way to win
the National League Championship season. Congratulations to Auckland City FC
for picking up the trophy. All right this weekend then
(46:44):
a league wise Friday night Auckland f C Western Sydney Wanderers.
That's in Paramatta ten o'clock kickoff Saturday afternoon, Wellington Phoenix
Woman at home to Sydney FC. Four o'clock at Pottydoor Park.
Sunday afternoon, Wellington Phoenix Men at home to the Marina's
three o'clock kickof so Goodness only knows what's going to
unfold in those three games, Burge, but whatever it is,
(47:06):
can I invite you back for a final pre Christmas
edition of Football Fever next Monday.
Speaker 3 (47:11):
There'll be so much to talk about, mate, Yeah, looking
forward to it.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
Football Football Faver
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