A-League Mens 24/25 - Round 11 (Part 2) + Round 17 (Part 1)

[someguyjc]

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Tuesday 7th January 2025​

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Melbourne City FC vs Western United FC
Tuesday 7th January 2025
18:00 (Eastcoast Time)
AAMI Park
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Brisbane Roar vs Newcastle Jets
Friday 7th January 2025
19:00 (QLD time) / 20:00 (Eastcoast Time)
Suncorp Stadium
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Wednesday 8th January 2025​

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Sydney FC vs Perth Glory
Wednesday 1st January 2025
19:00 (Eastcoast Time) / 16:00 (WA Time)
Allianz Stadium
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[someguyjc]

POS​	CLUB​	MP​	W​	D​	L​	GF​	GA​	GD​	PTS​	FORM​
1​	Auckland FC	10​	7​	2​	1​	16​	8​	8​	23​
2​	Adelaide United	10​	6​	3​	1​	24​	16​	8​	21​
3​	Melbourne Victory	11​	5​	4​	2​	15​	10​	5​	19​
4​	Melbourne City FC	10​	5​	3​	2​	18​	10​	8​	18​
5​	Macarthur FC	12​	5​	3​	4​	24​	17​	7​	18​
6​	Western United	11​	5​	3​	3​	19​	14​	5​	18​
7​	Western Sydney Wanderers	11​	4​	3​	4​	26​	22​	4​	15​
8​	Sydney FC	10​	4​	2​	4​	22​	19​	3​	14​
9​	Central Coast Mariners	11​	3​	5​	3​	11​	17​	-6​	14​
10​	Wellington Phoenix	10​	4​	1​	5​	12​	14​	-2​	13​
11​	Newcastle Jets	9​	2​	1​	6​	11​	15​	-4​	7​
12​	Perth Glory	11​	1​	2​	8​	7​	30​	-23​	5​
13​	Brisbane Roar	10​	0​	2​	8​	12​	25​	-13​	2​

 

[someguyjc]

Note that the Melbourne City vs Western United game is technically a Round 17 game.

 

[RIMB]

Newcastle playing much more controlled and effective football and unlucky not to be 2 goals up after woodwork strikes and a ball bouncing arguably just on the goal line by centimetres.

I cannot see what Zimarino brings to our frontline. He seems lazy and does nothing that any other forward would be doing. He puts very little effort into defending when not in possession and rarely gets out of second gear. No pressure coming from him with or without the ball.

Halloran continues to run and stop then tell the person passing to him that they did the wrong thing. A few times in the later part of the half he started to combine a bit but he kills so much with his random and lacklustre efforts.

I am not minding Zabala playing in the midfield. My biggest concern about him was his inability to turn and chase quickly, which exposed us badly when he played fullback. In the midfield his speed is not such an exposition and he is popping up all throughout the half with positive involvements.

Brazete is making threatening gestures every time he gets the ball. Newcastle are basically double teaming him when he comes up the left side but he is still getting round and past often enough to be a worry.

Jelacic is not a line leading forward but I think he is being played as a front two with Zimarino. He rarely gets any space and we are not seeing anything of his guile and pace.

Zabala should have been given a yellow card for his shirt pull at the start of the game. Can't stand players getting away with that game killing rubbish. Commit the foul if you are worried - sure - but wear the card for it.

Herrington is such a solid centreback at his age and experience level. Shour makes bad decisions and we turn the ball over too often - Herrington has come back and made the difference time and again.

Can't predict the second half. Jets had the better of attacking play leading to chances. Surely just time till one goes in.

We have built some solid pressure for periods but we don't look at all like we can put anything final on our play.

 

[RIMB]

And there you have it. Newcastle able to pass and finish for a goal in very professional style. Roar unable to finish.

Struick either has to be given all game time or none. He runs when his team mate expects him to stop, stops when his team mate thinks he is running, holds his ground on a through ball, runs into space when the ball is played to his feet. Just about every time someone put the ball to him in a pressure moment it was strangers playing together for the first time. He has some ball skills and some trickery - but he was not a member of a team driving on goal. There are a lot of similarities between Halloran and Struick in terms of a lack of cohesion with teammates.

Klein did an excellent job when he came on. Quick on his feet with the ball to create opportunities. Strong in challenges and offering something extra. I liked what he brought. A shame he did not have the presence of mind to go back across the keeper with his back post header. Hopefully that is a lesson learned.

Halloran made things happen with his deep runs finally. Coming wide and using his pace to get behind and run the goal line opened Jets up. Unfortunately we cannot finish though and for all our crosses and passes we are a side lacking the confidence to simply put our laces accurately through a ball.

We applied so much sustained pressure on the 18 yard box but none really on the 6 yard box. Credit to the Jets defending as a team. We spent all our time working the ball around the 18 yard box looking for a player to fall over, run into a teammate or for the Suncorp sniper to take the shot so we could pass the ball into the net. When it didn't happen we maintained our distant pressure to little effect.

I have to say - any other team with the possession, control and dominance we had around the 18 yard box and I would be expecting the net to bulge any moment. I was not getting excited because I have been numbed by game after game of inability to finish fantastic chances when the moment comes.

My read is that we lack specific ideas on attacking the goal. We are excellent at getting the ball up there, but we do not have a simple cut back to a late arriving player who scores or whip it hard and fast across the goal mouth and have something happen. All contrivance but no actual killer focus. Practice 3 ways to score in a brothel all week (one from each side and one in the middle) and go for that rather than having a hundred clever ways of getting close without a final product.

Once again, we did not play poorly but I refute the calls for us to be 'playing better football than bottom of the table'. We are not able to keep a clean sheet with dodgy defending at some point in every game - so we have to score multiple goals. As one of the commentators noted, you have to actually finish at some point regardless how well you may play all over the rest of the pitch. It counts for nothing if a team cannot actually put the ball in the net.

I am liking several of our players. There is talent, enthusiasm, and excitement in them. We have a few weak links, but given how well we compete overall it just shows how much better our good players are performing.

Time may be all it takes for us to start playing 90 minute games with intensity and results. And I'll be behind the team with hope rather than expectation every game until then. Maybe we should buy in a new offensive football manager immediately to put some structure to our raids and allow the team to throw off the yips. Not saying we need Zadkovich gone - just add someone who can sharpen our pencils. Surely the NPL has a fine tactician who would like to have a go given we have a team that should be able to score.

A deserved win by the Jets. We did not have enough to breach their desperate and resilient defence, and their clinical passing and running off the ball gave them the edge.

 

[NoMates]

If i heard it correctly Zadkovich said the club has no money for Jan transfer window and is relying on youth to fill the gaps. The club has gone to the dogs!.

 

[RIMB]

If i heard it correctly Zadkovich said the club has no money for Jan transfer window and is relying on youth to fill the gaps. The club has gone to the dogs!.

I don't mind too much about the playing squad we have (as long as Ruben agrees with me on the players I deem squaddies not being first team starters). I think we have the players to win games. I think we can put a team together that has the 'proven' ability to be considered a potentially good team (not saying top team - but a good team).

I think this season has been more about getting the club stabilised without blowing too much money - but that is just my view without anything backing it. There do not seem to have been the circus events this season that were a feature of our team for years. At the start of the season we had Ross Aloisi and Ben Cahn - and both were looking like they were able to deliver before they left for their own personal reasons. It is not the Club's fault that went South.

My problems with the team are a defence that relies on individual brilliance and effort too often, and a seeming lack of attacking focus.

We put away 1 more goal per game from the opportunities we create that other clubs are scoring from and we are on 11 points.

We put a decent defender alongside Harrington and we toughen up our core instantly. Do we have that decent defender? I don't think so until Neville maybe comes back - and that is the main reason I say we are not potential top team.

It will not take too much for the teams we have been fielding to get wins - but 'not taking too much' means having us score where we have been unable to reliably do that so far. Something in the mindset/training has to change because we have built it and they did not come.

But the team is there if they play well together.

A rebuilding season I can accept. If you have been watching you have to admit that Brazete, Waddingham, Harrington and Klein (based on tonight's performance) have all shown that they can bring something good at this level. All quality emerging players regardless of age and money spent. Burke-Gilroy is quality too.

O'Shea has lost a lot this season but the drop still sees him on a level with plenty of other good aleagues players.

Bility showed form at the under age level but has not yet lifted to senior level. Relying on him learning his craft without an experienced, quality centreback was not a smart choice and similar to when we had Daniel Bowles as an emerging CB alongside Jacob Pepper and other CB fill ins. They can get broken without the guidance alongside them and we never see their potential realised.

Whoever selected Halloran, Berenguer, Struick (as he has been playing), Van der Saag, and Warland I think has poor judgement. Struick needs a lot more game time and exposure to make his mark. The others just don't make the grade for me. Sure they can fit in a squad but I do not see any of them as starters. The youngsters we have on our books that see the club getting roasted for not buying up big are enough to field a competitive, winning team. That would take Ruben seeing things my way though...

Gone to the dogs? I disagree.

A major rework underway - definitely.

 

[WhatAmIWatching]

@RIMB I did not watch the game but reading your comments, it screams at me that this is a coaching problem. They had an off season to get set pieces right but somehow they did not. Is O'Shea's drop in performance due to age or lack of confidence in the coaching staff?

 

[RIMB]

@RIMB I did not watch the game but reading your comments, it screams at me that this is a coaching problem. They had an off season to get set pieces right but somehow they did not. Is O'Shea's drop in performance due to age or lack of confidence in the coaching staff?

We went through 4 coaches at the start of this season. The pre-season would be meaningless unless every coach has followed the original plan - unlikely. It was such a disrupted stage of the season that I think the club just decided to stick with Zadkovich rather than go for a fifth coach.

I see O'Shea's drop as age. He is a bit slower and more prone to turnovers when both his speed of thought and action, and his ability to hold the ball, were features that he specifically developed and prided himself on. He would be hating every lost ball.

 

[WhatAmIWatching]

We went through 4 coaches at the start of this season. The pre-season would be meaningless unless every coach has followed the original plan - unlikely. It was such a disrupted stage of the season that I think the club just decided to stick with Zadkovich rather than go for a fifth coach.

I see O'Shea's drop as age. He is a bit slower and more prone to turnovers when both his speed of thought and action, and his ability to hold the ball, were features that he specifically developed and prided himself on. He would be hating every lost ball.

I just checked wikipedia and it states that Zadkovic was appointed on February 2, 2024. This means that the pre-season for 2024-2025 was under the guidance of Zadkovic. Or are you referring to assistant coaches?

 

[RIMB]

I just checked wikipedia and it states that Zadkovic was appointed on February 2, 2024. This means that the pre-season for 2024-2025 was under the guidance of Zadkovic. Or are you referring to assistant coaches?

LOL - I have run the last 2 seasons together. You are right.

Talk about jaded memory

 

[Kitwally]

It’s insane that RZ has kept his job after no wins in 14 games. That’s almost unheard of in professional football. Speaks volumes for Roar’s ambition as a club. Even if they got an unknown coach in from the NPL, it’s not like that coach could do any worse!

 

[melbcityguy]

It’s insane that RZ has kept his job after no wins in 14 games. That’s almost unheard of in professional football. Speaks volumes for Roar’s ambition as a club. Even if they got an unknown coach in from the NPL, it’s not like that coach could do any worse!

They reckon Brisbane don't have money to sack him and pay a new coach it's grim

 

[Sutherlandbear]

They reckon Brisbane don't have money to sack him and pay a new coach it's grim

That is more common around the world than you think.

 

[Kitwally]

They reckon Brisbane don't have money to sack him and pay a new coach it's grim

Makes a lot of sense if true

 

[Hillbilly55]

LOL - I have run the last 2 seasons together. You are right.

Talk about jaded memory

Its still the same dross, however it's painted, or who the gaffer is.

 

[TheSelectFew]

Its still the same dross, however it's painted, or who the gaffer is.

Shoutout to Perth fans though. Still showing up in decent numbers. For how long, who knows?

 

[libelous]

I don’t know if this is the right thread but can someone explain to me why the ALM schedule is all over the place. Some teams have played eleven games whilst others have played thirteen. Very frustrating trying to get a handle on who’s doing what.

 

[someguyjc]

I don’t know if this is the right thread but can someone explain to me why the ALM schedule is all over the place. Some teams have played eleven games whilst others have played thirteen. Very frustrating trying to get a handle on who’s doing what.

Short answer is byes.
It should even out quite a bit by Feb as there a bunch of midweek games in Jan which should even things out a bit. However, a comp with a bye round is always going to have an uneven table. I might add an avg-points-per-game column in the next thread as that can be a good indication of performance.