Second Half Steamroller Sends Smurfs To Semis

[Carns]

1 hour ago, GE942150 said:

I only realised late in the match that Lolley didn't come on until near the end. There best player. Makes us look even worse. 

He was actually subbed on and subbed off again about 15 mins later. He had a hamstring concern all week so they wrapped him in cotton wool. Then took him off to preserve him when they felt the game was won.

[GE942150]

27 minutes ago, Carns said:

He was actually subbed on and subbed off again about 15 mins later. He had a hamstring concern all week so they wrapped him in cotton wool. Then took him off to preserve him when they felt the game was won.

That's right.

[mack]

If they'd scored 2 minutes earlier he wouldn't have come on at all, they would have just put Segecic on to begin with to chase down our team instead of waiting to swap Burgess for Donachie and take Lolley off at the same time.

[StringerBellend]

3 hours ago, EmMac said:

Wow . Its funny how we see things so differently. I thought Ninko was integral to our success (such as it is) this season

Exactly Was our most important player. 

I've no problem with him going to their changies after the game he was their years it was possibly his last game 

How we replace him will be interesting 

[StringerBellend]

I still can't get over how stupid our play was last night

[mack]

10 minutes ago, StringerBellend said:

I still can't get over how stupid our play was last night

For all Rudan's talk about changing things and "details" and "rebuilding" has he actually done anything differently except sign a slightly better squad?

• Still signed a garbage foreign striker just like Popovic used to do.
• We still pass the ball slowly backwards and sideways constantly like Robinson.
• Still can't score from set pieces (big example being Topor-Stanley only managing 4 goals in 125 games for us, but he looks like Pele compared to Marcelo missing two sitters from 6 yards out) or defend them properly.
• No-one can score a direct free kick unless there's a massive deflection, and no-one is scoring them regularly for sure.
• Played Simmons in a crunch Derby game and he got found out for inexperience like Gombau putting in Aspro, Lachlan Scott & Keanu Baccus for the 5-0 hammering in 2017.
• Failed in the FFA Cup by not even qualifying for it by getting outcoached the same way that Hayden Foxe & Babbel both did in their losing semi-finals.
• Still show no passion or urgency until we're behind just like we have for years, too many examples to list but the key example being losing to APIA in the FFA Cup under Robinson.
• Had an #AnnualCleanout this season and it looks like we might have another one coming up.

[GE942150]

26 minutes ago, StringerBellend said:

Exactly Was our most important player. 

I've no problem with him going to their changies after the game he was their years it was possibly his last game 

How we replace him will be interesting 

Ruthless recruiting. Something that sfc have done for years and we have failed to do, with Layouni and Schneiderlin being exceptions after all these years.  Preferably someone not on loan though. 

[TheDugong]

8 minutes ago, mack said:

For all Rudan's talk about changing things and "details" and "rebuilding" has he actually done anything differently except sign a slightly better squad?

• Still signed a garbage foreign striker just like Popovic used to do.
• We still pass the ball slowly backwards and sideways constantly like Robinson.
• Still can't score from set pieces (big example being Topor-Stanley only managing 4 goals in 125 games for us, but he looks like Pele compared to Marcelo missing two sitters from 6 yards out) or defend them properly.
• No-one can score a direct free kick unless there's a massive deflection, and no-one is scoring them regularly for sure.
• Played Simmons in a crunch Derby game and he got found out for inexperience like Gombau putting in Aspro, Lachlan Scott & Keanu Baccus for the 5-0 hammering in 2017.
• Failed in the FFA Cup by not even qualifying for it by getting outcoached the same way that Hayden Foxe & Babbel both did in their losing semi-finals.
• Still show no passion or urgency until we're behind just like we have for years, too many examples to list but the key example being losing to APIA in the FFA Cup under Robinson.
• Had an #AnnualCleanout this season and it looks like we might have another one coming up.

Fair points, but does require some rebuttal:

• Signed a dud foreign striker, then unlike previous years accepted the mistake and brought in one of the best attacking players we've ever had in Layouni who freed up Borrello to go on to score at nearly a goal a game.  In fairness signing a decent squad in and of itself is far better than we've done in recent years.
• It's a bit harsh having a dig at a CB for not scoring this season when we had the best defensive record in the league by a decent margin.  I would have thought stopping the other team from scoring was the primary role for a CB, being able to score would be a distant second to that.  In that regard Marcelo did his job and did it well, if we're not scoring then our CBs aren't where I'd start looking for fault.
• Being unable to score from free kicks seems to be a Wanderers thing, have we ever been able to score from them at any point in time?  Not saying it's acceptable, in my uneducated opinion I would have thought that's something that could be drilled into the team.  Do we need to bring in a specialist coach to help out with this problem?
• I hope we don't see a cleanout.  Unlike previous seasons there's a lot to build on here.  The team definitely does need some tweaking but I think the team, and Rudan, will learn painful valuable lessons from last night.

[StringerBellend]

1 hour ago, TheDugong said:

Fair points, but does require some rebuttal:

• Signed a dud foreign striker, then unlike previous years accepted the mistake and brought in one of the best attacking players we've ever had in Layouni who freed up Borrello to go on to score at nearly a goal a game.  In fairness signing a decent squad in and of itself is far better than we've done in recent years.
• It's a bit harsh having a dig at a CB for not scoring this season when we had the best defensive record in the league by a decent margin.  I would have thought stopping the other team from scoring was the primary role for a CB, being able to score would be a distant second to that.  In that regard Marcelo did his job and did it well, if we're not scoring then our CBs aren't where I'd start looking for fault.
• Being unable to score from free kicks seems to be a Wanderers thing, have we ever been able to score from them at any point in time?  Not saying it's acceptable, in my uneducated opinion I would have thought that's something that could be drilled into the team.  Do we need to bring in a specialist coach to help out with this problem?
• I hope we don't see a cleanout.  Unlike previous seasons there's a lot to build on here.  The team definitely does need some tweaking but I think the team, and Rudan, will learn painful valuable lessons from last night.

Stop talking sense I want to get into some serious post game knee jerk "fold the club" "everyone out" "Primo man shouldn't be so tight" "who needs 12 training pitches" ranting!

We are clearly far far better than we have been in last 6 or so years. Which is why that loss hurts, we are way better than them, we didn't lose to a great or even very good team. We lost to a team that pressed high and went into every tackle hard, while we stood deep didn't press and only switched on after going a a goal down. It was basically the MacArthur game again without the last minute goal

Did Rudan say to them stay deep and protect the 1 0 or did the players do that themselves who knows?

But we played into their hands, we let them in the game. 

Traroe header was stupid but if you let a team sit in your half and play balls into the box, that's what happens 

Push out ffs..

We just played very dumb football as we did in 2nd half against city. 

So now is this the start of a turnaround or just a one off? 

To me keeping key players will be the thing to make it a turnaround.

Even our good years under Popa were built in sand, with the constant let players go and recruit again.

This team is the first team since season 4, which I actually thing is a good one and hope the core stays.

Get Morgan signed up, he looks like he wants to stay.

 

[scarcev]

1 hour ago, mack said:

For all Rudan's talk about changing things and "details" and "rebuilding" has he actually done anything differently except sign a slightly better squad?

• Still signed a garbage foreign striker just like Popovic used to do.
• We still pass the ball slowly backwards and sideways constantly like Robinson.
• Still can't score from set pieces (big example being Topor-Stanley only managing 4 goals in 125 games for us, but he looks like Pele compared to Marcelo missing two sitters from 6 yards out) or defend them properly.
• No-one can score a direct free kick unless there's a massive deflection, and no-one is scoring them regularly for sure.
• Played Simmons in a crunch Derby game and he got found out for inexperience like Gombau putting in Aspro, Lachlan Scott & Keanu Baccus for the 5-0 hammering in 2017.
• Failed in the FFA Cup by not even qualifying for it by getting outcoached the same way that Hayden Foxe & Babbel both did in their losing semi-finals.
• Still show no passion or urgency until we're behind just like we have for years, too many examples to list but the key example being losing to APIA in the FFA Cup under Robinson.
• Had an #AnnualCleanout this season and it looks like we might have another one coming up.

I get everyone is frustrated it was a **** result and like I said earlier the difference for me between a decent season and a not decent season was that result.  But yea Rudan has made us a better side.

There were 18 new players signed overall, the foreign striker was a bad one no doubt but to perform with so many new faces with a semi appearance was a decent effort. I reckon we have moved the ball forward faster in most cases our 'goals for' will show that this season although I agree last night we didnt. I agree set pieces are rubbish, not just poor but absolute rubbish. Playing Simmons last night was always going to happen, he was our MOM against them last time and deserved his spot. FFA Cup last season, meh we failed but at that time of the year we needed to build better anyway and our squad them was so much different, this FFA Cup will be the telling one for Rudan.  Cleanout? Dont think so we will lose some but there are some good ones Bozanic, Milleusanic who will geet more game time and we will pick up some others.  I always thought next year was our year not this one, if he is failing at end of next season he should go.  

[pseudonym]

[Erebus]

Not reading 4 pages but this loss is on Rudan for not reading the game and making changes when he should have. He should have made changes when they equalised not after they scored to take the lead. Too reactive.

Aussie coaches never change things up. They persist on their plan A and never have a plan B or C.

Players crumbled under pressure. But 45 deg angled balls over the top hoping Layouni would do something was predictable. We didn't even attack Grant when he was on a yellow. 

Rudan has to take most of the responsibility of this loss. Buck stops with the coach.

[Horus]

Considering the last 6 seasons, I would've been happy at the start of this season to know we would've made finals, and with the team that was built this year.

I mean it ******* sucks BUT we need keep the the core of the team together for next season...yes, some players need to go (I'd keep Ninko) because they weren't up to standard but we played some sublime football this year...and thats why to go out like we did against that scum burns

Edited May 7, 2023 by Horus

[Carns]

22 hours ago, GunnerWanderer said:

Smh reporting Ninko went for corica post game… 

 

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/sky-blues-eliminate-wanderers-with-stunning-comeback-finals-win-20230506-p5d6a7.html

 

A furious Milos Ninkovic had to be dragged away from Sydney FC’s dressing rooms in a spiteful post-script to their 2-1 comeback win over the Western Sydney Wanderers, which has shaken up the A-League’s title race and added further rancour to the competition’s most heated rivalry.

Ninkovic, who joined the Wanderers after his seven-year tenure with the Sky Blues ended in acrimonious circumstances, tried to enter his old team’s rooms after Saturday night’s elimination final and, once inside, clashed with his former coach Steve Corica

 

[BoyFromTheWest]

Suspect it was all on the Corica. Doesn't seem a particularly nice person.

[WSWJACK]

Kind of understand Ninko doing it, seen similar in my past sporting playing days and there were genuine smiles and handshakes there earlier on, they're all sportsmen at the end of the day, but Weasel chops obviously hates Ninko that much, and probably hates WSW even more, little ****, but that feeling is mutual.

[StringerBellend]

So last whinge (it won't be) some of our "fans" are total nobheads. The plastic bottle throwing not only is it embarrassing, it was counter productive. Redmayne was taking ages over a goal kick, so dickheads throw bottles at him, which he can then take an age picking up and showing the referee, wasting more time.

The majority of those doing it, only show up for big games. Not just in the RBB end either bunch doing it from west stand 

Idiots 

[Davo]

19 hours ago, TheDugong said:

• It's a bit harsh having a dig at a CB for not scoring this season when we had the best defensive record in the league by a decent margin.  I would have thought stopping the other team from scoring was the primary role for a CB, being able to score would be a distant second to that.  In that regard Marcelo did his job and did it well, if we're not scoring then our CBs aren't where I'd start looking for fault.

Just on this point, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect CB’s to chip in with goals from set pieces, and a lack of goals would be a big reason why we’re so bad at them overall. Their primary job is to stop the opposition scoring, but there’s a reason every team sends the CB’s up for corners and free kicks.

Adelaide regularly started Barr and Warland as their CB pairing and they scored three goals each, making up 11% of their goals for the season. If you dropped them into our team they’d be equal 6th highest goal scorers.

I believe Marcelo’s one goal was a corner against Adelaide (although he’s had more red cards than goals this season) and Mrcela’s one was from open play against Victory.

[mack]

Our 6 most regularly played defenders (Beadling, Simmons, Cleur, Traore, Mrcela, Marcelo) scored 3 goals total, and the best of them came from the youngest player who is a converted winger. Adelaide scored that many in a single game against us from corners (Marcelo's goal + headlock game).

The refusal to take in-swinging corners for a near-post run is baffling, it's the best way to generate scoring chances unless you're peak Barcelona where you restart with a short corner and play normal football. The constant outswingers that go everyone's head and lead to counter-attacks, the short corners that go nowhere, too frustrating.

That we haven't found a single player who can regularly take good direct free kicks is poor from the coaching staff.

We don't even bother with attacking long throws which is negligent from a head coach who claims to be about "the detail". It's the most unusual defensive situation perhaps apart from the indirect FK in the box, there's no offsides from the initial throw and a good taker can float or bullet the ball into the middle of the penalty area from 30 yards upfield and it's relatively simple to plan, you need a couple of runners looking for a flick on and then another 1 or 2 following through in the middle and far post areas.

[Davo]

19 minutes ago, mack said:

We don't even bother with attacking long throws which is negligent from a head coach who claims to be about "the detail". It's the most unusual defensive situation perhaps apart from the indirect FK in the box, there's no offsides from the initial throw and a good taker can float or bullet the ball into the middle of the penalty area from 30 yards upfield and it's relatively simple to plan, you need a couple of runners looking for a flick on and then another 1 or 2 following through in the middle and far post areas.

Going on a bit of a tangent from the match thread, but I’m over 6ft tall and my Sunday league team has a long throw routine where the guy with the big throw launches it to the front post and I flick it on. We scored from it last week, but even when we don’t it causes chaos in the box and heaps of second balls on the edge of the penalty area.

If a bunch of guys who play hungover on a Sunday morning can figure that out I’m surprised it’s so rare at a higher level.

Edited May 8, 2023 by Davo

[WSWJACK]

47 minutes ago, Davo said:

and Mrcela’s one was from open play against Victory.

And a thing of beauty it was too.

Just a thought, if Tomi had not gone off Saturday, would Le F still have scored?

[Keithie]

Marcelo has a lot to answer for as the Captain surely he is the one on the to issue instructions to push out etc. and positions for corners and allowing a runt like Lafronde to out jump him is unforgivable our great defence was found wanting in a number of big game during the season.

Simmons has neen handed a lesson a number times Traore is bang average and Marcelo and Mcrela have spent to much covering for them therefore weakening the centre of our defence 

[Davo]

17 minutes ago, WSWJACK said:

And a thing of beauty it was too.

Just a thought, if Tomi had not gone off Saturday, would Le F still have scored?

Subjectively you’d think it would have helped us if Mrcela stayed on.

Looking at the stats, we conceded 1.07 goals per 90 over the whole season, but 1.47 goals per 90 when Beadling was on the pitch.

In fairness to him, he was a backup who never really got a run of games so you’d expect that number to be worse than our regular starters.

[WanderingToqui]

I expect Tate Russell to make rwb his own next season. He'll chip in with goals and assists. He has more mongrel and physique than Simmons, as well as 4 sets of lungs ... can run up and down all day.

We need to bring in a classy and "street smart" no. 10 playmaker. A Davila type player that reads the game and sees passes that others don't.

Hopefully we keep the majority of our squad for next season.

[mack]

Assuming Cleur doesn't have a long term injury he'll be the starter.

[GE942150]

5 minutes ago, WanderingToqui said:

I expect Tate Russell to make rwb his own next season. He'll chip in with goals and assists. He has more mongrel and physique than Simmons, as well as 4 sets of lungs ... can run up and down all day.

We need to bring in a classy and "street smart" no. 10 playmaker. A Davila type player that reads the game and sees passes that others don't.

Hopefully we keep the majority of our squad for next season.

Who makes way though, assuming that Ninkovic and Callum are staying put.

[Potkorok]

On a lighter note, did anyone else notice they put Krpic's name up on the big screen after they announced Layouni?? Should have known then it was gonna be a bad night.

Also yes we were crap and they were better on the night, but I still can't stand Beath. Simmons goes down under a clear foul from behind, Beath waves play-on and they score from the next passage of play. Not an excuse - we should have won that one easily on our own but still grates.

Only one positive - they'll keep Corica now for a few more years! 

[GE942150]

10 minutes ago, Potkorok said:

On a lighter note, did anyone else notice they put Krpic's name up on the big screen after they announced Layouni?? Should have known then it was gonna be a bad night.

Also yes we were crap and they were better on the night, but I still can't stand Beath. Simmons goes down under a clear foul from behind, Beath waves play-on and they score from the next passage of play. Not an excuse - we should have won that one easily on our own but still grates.

Only one positive - they'll keep Corica now for a few more years! 

Is that a positive though? They've only missed the finals once in his 5 seasons as coach and seem to recruit pretty well under him. 

[Sithslayer1991]

49 minutes ago, WanderingToqui said:

I expect Tate Russell to make rwb his own next season. He'll chip in with goals and assists. He has more mongrel and physique than Simmons, as well as 4 sets of lungs ... can run up and down all day.

We need to bring in a classy and "street smart" no. 10 playmaker. A Davila type player that reads the game and sees passes that others don't.

Hopefully we keep the majority of our squad for next season.

Well everyone knows I am a big Tate Russel fan but I am not sure its a shoe in since Simmons' rise. For a bloke that isn't an RB he did more than alright he pushed Cluer out of the starting 11. Yea a bit of experience in positioning is lacking in the defence department, but he has explosive pace and the thing admire most is his fantastic ball control. Against the Smurfs even under a lot of pressure he did find a way to retain possession. Honestly you be looking at Russel to play back up LB, unless Rudan is happy to push Simmons up the wing. Its good utility from young Simmons.

 

19 minutes ago, GE942150 said:

Is that a positive though? They've only missed the finals once in his 5 seasons as coach and seem to recruit pretty well under him. 

I disagree here. Up until a month ago East were struggling, had they lost to Western united after getting hammered by us it would have been the end of their finals run and Corica because the pressure would have been immense. Instead they fought back from 3-1 down to 3-3. Set them up for the run to the finals, and Corica went full defence mode after that hammering in the derby and the Western united games. That squad of theirs defensively there is weaknesses that has plagued them all season. Although I must admit Corica adding Burgess to the line up gave them an extra link to get the ball to Mak and Lolley. And Mak played his best game for the Smurfs against us, even I had to admit he was playing out of his skin against us because the previous 3 derbies we kept him relatively quiet and it was Lolley who cause us the most problems previously and he didn't start.

For us we kind of stuttered a little after the big Derby win. Pulling the Nix game aside, there was some lapses in concentration from our boys leading up to the finals. You would want to analyse the Victory, Macarthur Bulls and City games closely, because the hints of weaknesses were in all 3 of those games leading up to the finals. I think we believed our hype too much and the Nix game papered over the cracks. Not saying we were terrible but you could see the inconsistency was still plaguing us similar to Adelaide United who after beating us 3-2 went on a bit of a spiral in form. Things to work on next season

[StringerBellend]

2 hours ago, WanderingToqui said:

I expect Tate Russell to make rwb his own next season. He'll chip in with goals and assists. He has more mongrel and physique than Simmons, as well as 4 sets of lungs ... can run up and down all day.

We need to bring in a classy and "street smart" no. 10 playmaker. A Davila type player that reads the game and sees passes that others don't.

Hopefully we keep the majority of our squad for next season.

 He might have more mongrel and physique, but he can barely control a football. He can't pass or cross, so no idea how he will chip in with goals and assists. Like a load of Australian players can run up and down all day.. (for little end product).

Simmons is a footballer.

I'd love him to be great, but at times he was absolutley terrible. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by StringerBellend