I said pre-match that the Phoenix have reached desperation point. I said we needed three points and I said we needed a performance to give the fans hope.
Three points - check.
Fans given hope - check.
We could have won last night, snuck a 1-0 win with a penalty or a wonderstrike and we would have walked away happy yet still concerned. It was the nature of last nights victory that has given this fan a reason to believe.
Key reason for that has to be Paul Ifill. For me, the biggest concern going into this season was regarding any second season syndrome for the big man. After goals early in the season and continued tormenting of defenders I thought we were going to be alright. Unfortunately, as went the fortunes of the team so went the form of Paul Ifill.
Last night he was back at his best. Beating players, harassing defenders and scoring goals. Attacking players need goals and he got four early in the season but has played something like 600 minutes since without scoring. Two goals last night hopefully has broken the drought and the fact he looked like he could have got a couple more is a very positive sign. The change in position also helped, as he got in the game consistently. Often when he plays out wide he drifts in and out of games but when he plays at the point of attack he has no choice but to be in the game.
The other positive elements for me last night were the fluidity through midfield and the execution of the some of the things that have been lacking in the last month or two. Vince Lia being able to spray the ball about as he did last season, Tim Brown getting involved up front and getting in goal scoring positions, Manny Muscat snapped around in midfield and carried the ball which was, again, such a big part of our play last season but perhaps most importantly the solidity at the back. Troy Hearfield has been criticised by most this season but he showed some good form with some excellent challenges at left back last night. Jade North was solid on the right and showed some good signs attacking down the right. Siggy is second only to Iffy on the Yellow Fever man of the match vote today and that is well deserved. Not only was he his normal self in defence a couple of times he made runs forward which caused trouble for the Heart defence. His partner at the back Andrew Durante was, as usual, a rock. They were split open a couple of times by some precision passing the pace of Alex Terra but these things will happen sometimes.
All in all, a reason to believe. A reason to be positive. A reason to go back on Saturday.
As Yellow Fever sung last night, "it's good to be back"
Getting Muscat back into midfield is whats been missing. Hardly the biggest name on the team but does that job very very well.
ReplyDeleteIf Ifill plays up front on his own what does that mean for Ricki's collection of strikers?
With Siggy out for Saturday who's going to cover? North into the middle makes sense, as does Hearfield on one side but who's on the other? After Muscat's performance he has to stay put so who does Ricki put back there?
Yeah my biggest hope is that we keep Muscat in the midfield. There is a heck of a correlation between us doing well, and us playing Manny in the midfield.
ReplyDeleteTalk of Musa coming in but this would go against Ricki's typically conservative approach.
Only other possiblity for me would be dropping Lia in to play right back? Could Ricki consider dropping Bertos back? A bit of a crazy suggestion, but it'd mean that the rest of the midfield could remain the same, and this was our strentgh for once last night. He effectively played there well enough at the Cup, so no reason to think he couldn't in the A-League. I look forward to seeing what Ricki rolls out.