Torn Asunder

From the club, 12/4/22 Aiden O’Neill suffered a broken metatarsal in the first half of last week’s clash against Sydney FC and is unlikely to play again this season. Scans have confirmed a Grade 2 hamstring strain for Florin Berenguer after he was subbed out in the first half of Saturday’s Melbourne Derby and he is expected to miss 4-5 weeks. Adding further to the headaches in midfield, Connor Metcalfe tested positive to COVID-19 upon arrival and is currently in hotel isolation in Bangkok In good news, Scott Galloway is tracking well in his rehab from his hamstring injury and is likely to join the squad next week. Griffiths did the job last season as our DM and has the physicality to control the midfield ...

Agree pretty much with Niko. But I think Jammo was mainly responsible for the 1st goal, and Glover for the 2nd. The 3rd was off the back of them having their tails up and us going into damage control. Game managed well enough by the tards and we had no luck on the night. These nights happen and we need to regroup and move on. Popovic will always outcoach PK ... so that means the tards will always be a threat to us, even with an inferior side. What facken shits me the most bout this was we got smashed in the mind games. Poopovic talked up the derby and what it means to win ... PK said its just another game ... embarrassing that we don't acknowledge this game better and fight harder to beat these dogs. I told a victory flog off on Sunday at a junior soccer match after he started abusing a parent on the sidelines who was wearing a City cap. Caused a major distraction and tbe kids game was affected... this is what it means ... don't downplay it ... these turds need to be kept in their place

He should have pushed RG into midfield. Jammo off for Bos. Nuno on

Harper is a piece of shit

Fuck u Sydney. Great game. Excellent goals and wow, look how much energy we have when subs are used. If Aiden misses games, that'll hurt us and Popovic will test our new streak of dominant success with some serious anti football PK has added fast clapping to his sideline antics... and where's Steff?

Media should be asking PK the hard questions on this

At these times, I'd take the view of Foster over Archie who is just an idiot. Japan outclassed us, and could have won by 5. The issue with the Socceroos is Arnold thinking he can get results by playing Sydney FC tactics in a WC 🤣

Kid needs to be playing. Has quality, just needs more time (but less time than Leckie was given)

Probably the only player to move the ball through the Japanese tonight. Kid should be a starter for the National Team. If we don't have a crack with players like Tillio we'll only ever just make up the numbers

He wasn't the worst. Tough night at the office

Has everyone got their code? I can't see any email with it?

Injured

The goals we score are generally good, but we play with tension, and our set up at times seems brittle. Most goals against us, its like the boys know that its from our own fuck ups. PK seriously is a horror show on the sidelines ... I've honestly seen him pointing one way with his left hand and the other with his right hand at the same time. Often what he is telling the players doesn't make sense and I get a sense that our assistant coaches have very little ability to influence him on match day ... they, like the subs are also starting to look disillusioned

OK, I know I have been quite vocal about my misgivings with PK as a coach. But, he drives me fkn insane. He's like one of those Used Car Yard blow up things that are constantly flapping round in the wind. At the game last night, he literally spent 99% of the time playing the game from the sidelines telling the players where to run constantly. I swear, it unsettles them. They will often turn and give him dirty looks. It must fuck with their concentration and be super fucking annoying. It is horrible to watch. Does he really need to tell Jenkins, a guy with EPL experience, to move 5m this way or that ... constantly? I sensed some dissention last night ... once again, the subs looked pissed. There was one time where a ball rolled to a sub on the bench from general play (couldnt tell who it was) and PK instructed him to throw it quickly to our player. The sub just rolled it away and PK fired up at him. With bout 15 minutes to go, our assistants seemed to be trying to convince PK to make subs ... a bunch of our guys were cooked, CCM were having a red hot go, and they had fresh legs on the pitch. He basically shut them down ... sternly saying "just wait" ... they sat down and looked mighty pissed. This guy has an outstanding squad, who are winning despite his coaching insanity.

You dont get to play in Serie A if ya cant play - sure he's not there now, but clearly he's a step up on half the players in our league and surely warrants at least a few minutes off the bench

Alright. I was at the game (because I am a sucker for punishment ... just had a bad feeling for this one, as Veart is pretty shrewd tactically and PK is ... PK Firstly, we did start like a freight train and were unlucky not to have had two goals in the first 30 minutes or so. But there were some worrying signs. The main one was PK was back playing the game from the sidelines ... contrast this with Veart who was shrewdly watching the game and leaving the hysterics to Aloisi Tillio looked off from the get go, and succumbed pretty early to an injury, so maybe he took a niggle into the game. If this was true, then I dont know why you'd risk him?? Especially when we have a Serie A level player on the bench, as well as Colakovski sitting there. Our lack of squad rotation continues to hurt us with these short turn arounds. Yes, these are a challenge, especially given the tempo we like to play, but when you are a tier 1 team and defending premier, its about managing these games in a season context, and planning ahead a little, and implementing more astute game management. Not one speed, one game plan, one starting lineup and limited subs. Good needs to be managed so we dont lose him, especially coming back from an extended break. He, along with Jamo and Tillio all would be in doubt now for the coming weeks. Also, Nabbout has looked pretty cooked the last few weeks. Maybe he would have been a good option to bring on for the last 20? 4 things from the game: Veart completely outcoached PK. He went to a back 3 after half time and he was able to change the complexion of the game, and yes, their goals were lucky (through mistakes), but he still set up to make these chances with good tactics Colakovski out wide was very good and created more chances in 60 minutes than Leckie has all season PK is a bad coach - and I say coach, not manager, because this he aint! Colakovski was playing well, but he was also having to put up with PK screaming at him - one instance he screamed at him to move from what was a good position out wide. Steff looked at him and did as asked. Then, 5 seconds later, he screamed at him again to run back to where he'd just come from ... for serious Mauk is a dog - when he whacked Flo, the Frenchman became ineffective, so really PK should have taken him off and thrown on the Italian Very frustrating game, and my highlight was giving it to Mauk from the sidelines at every opportunity. The good thing was, this seemed to encourage those around me, so we were able to enjoy ourselves to some degree Lastly, Glover continues to worry ... a bit stiff with the 1st goal, as this was a genuine fluke, and nutmegged (I think?) for the second after a really unfortunate backpass from our EPL level player (I guess these things happen??) ... Should we be giving our reserve keeper a go? Maybe, but Glover does have quality potential about him, so the club should be looking at our GK coach ...

Good win, although Newcastle are not much to write home about. Players seemed a bit more free without PK micro managing them from the sidelines (they did last year as well from memory) Lack of subs again is dumb. Multiple goals up, after Covid disruptions and a short turn around under hot conditions, with another game again at the end of the week and players returning from international duty ... himm why the fack wouldnt you use your allocation of subs and get a few minutes in the legs of guys who can be important contributors within the team? We continue to leak soft goals ... I'd love to know the percentage of goals we've copped in the last 30 minutes of games this year ... clearly other teams are able to swing the game towards the end of the 90 due to our lads running out of gas.

Everybody is the same, except Leckie who is played regardless of form, and JMac, who he will not sub, even when he is completely out of legs, and could do with some new energy up front in the dying moments of a game.

Fully agree with this. Watch him on the sidelines. He is completely staying in the moment and literally playing the game as it happens from the sidelines. He constantly tells the players what to do (to little effect in all honesty) ... the bench players looked pissed and disinterested. When they do go and warm up, its half hearted. They often finish their warm up routine and then just meander around. Even when the game is in the balance, or its time when they should be coming on, they don't look interested because they've lost hope that they have any chance of coming on. Anytime a journo has actually put him under the grill a little (they dont do this much as he intimidates them by his mannerisms), he doesn't really answer in a convincing way

If this fella leaves due to lack of game time and opportunity, it will be as big a loss as when Bruno left. Kid has grown up as part of the club, has skill, can score a cracking goal or create one, and has been used as one of the faces of the club ... and just ask any young kid who follows the club and they'll tell ya he's a favourite. CFG need to step in and fix this ... the club has to build up players like this

great in close skills and speed. offers more than an out of form Leckie

The fact that this guy has only really got some minutes in the FFA Cup and last game for 5 minutes is a disgrace. Chuck him on for the 1st 60, or last 30 and give him a chance to how what he can do. Western United build their whole game plan around Diamanti, because he can unlock and win a game with a pass. From this fella's highlights package and also the FFA cup games, he does seem to be able to make a pass that can create a goal - geez, just give him a crack, give him some attacking freedom and see what happens.

Bring back Aloisi? 🤣 (hell no!) Hope he goes. Bring back Des or a Mombarts style please

Fuk that one. JA does the double over PK. With Wales, BG and Kilkenny all shit kicking round the pitch. Penalty was harsh (noting it ultimately led to the goal) Geez, maybe if a few more of our boys had some minutes in their legs we'd have fared better. Aloisi continues to be the bane of our club

He is a gun and has x-factor. He should be playing as many minutes as possible for us, and should be pivotal to the Socceroos setup. The only chance the Socceroos have of doing anything is if we can build our team around a few players who can create chances and make things happen.