I think the only bonus we can offer to keep him is the covid situation. I wouldn't want to be in the UK this year.

But I thought Trewin did an excellent job tonight and really didn't look out of place. 

Agree on Trewin - but also want to say that both Brown and Hingert were on their game tonight - along with Aldred and Gillesphey.

Moon structured us really well to handle the pace and skill of Adelaide's attack - but the players still had to do their bit and they bloody well did.

Excellent game from all five.

Midfield and forward did not let us down either. Our combinations and runs into space are improving and we are looking sharp while playing what I consider to be entertaining football. Anyone with a more technical or specialist knowledge care to agree or in my ignorance am I just being entertained by colour, movement and wins?

Kudo...did he touch the ball at all when he came on? I was at the wrong end of the ground to see him with any detail, but it seemed wherever he was the ball wasn't. I am dying to see how he handles himself with the ball but the fates are not being kind to him (or me). I know he covered ground and did his part - but we just can't seem to find him (in both this game and the few minutes he played last week).

I don't know that our depth is so bad. If we lose one senior player I don't think it will cripple us. Lose a few and it will - but the cohesion in this group can handle a new face stepping in relatively comfortably.

Superb first half tonight, can’t remember a half of football that good for a long while. 

I definitely think it is more entertaining football but not entirely sure it would be statistically "better". I'm sure the stats would show that last year we conceded less chances while creating more chances. However statistics lie and a statistically good side is not always entertaining. This year we are creating more clear chances and they come through players moving the ball quickly and openly rather than the tedious slow build up/ground down the opposition until we toe poke one in out of the blue then try not to concede a shot after. 

Anyway I hope paulc was watching the first half. brown and hingert were excellent (thanks to some outstanding tactical instructions which they carried out perfectly) .

Tonight sealed it for me, moon is the best tactician in the league. To change up to a 3 at the back so we could go man to man in defence and pin halloran and kitto back was an outstanding peice of tactical thinking. It piled pressure on their fullbacks as they had no outlets going forward and worked flawlessly in the first half playing some superb football. 

The mauk change at half time unsettled that because we couldn't go man to man and one of our CBs had to come out to pick mauk up (or our mids had to pull double shift) which slowed us down but we dealt with it well.

Smac had another poor performance and gave the ball away way too much for me. Didn't hurt us because everyone else were on top of their game, but he needs to lift for when we come up against Perth and SFC as they will make us pay for a poor performance. 

Akbari had about the best game I can remember. Not a perfect game, but we are finally seeing more why we have him in the team. Great contribution!

Scotty Mac may have been told to drop back and help Corey on the left - but often Corey was left with two fast players to cover and really handled that well. Not a good role for Scotty to fill - just doesn't suit his physical ability.

Going forward he did receive and hold the ball against heavy pressure. I would not have called his performance poor - just that he did not shine like he has in other games. Some credit to Adelaide for that maybe...?

amadi holloway more yellow cards (2) than goals (0)

Brown and Hingert were not superb but did their job. Hingert given to much space particularly in the first half but whilst making good position with numerous crosses were poor except for that goal. Finally being able to lift that ball. Still wouldn’t fit in a title contending side.

Kai Twentin was solid and looked the part. Hope he vents that spot.

McDonald looked like passenger all game. His coverage was very poor and not sure he provided equitable value compared to the rest of the team. Maybe it’s team to reduce his time on the pitch.

Overall very good game by the Roar. Much better style than last season, good to watch with goals flowing.

It's it just me or is Scott McDonald fat?  Watching yesterday's game and he looks fat.

Footballers aren’t fat mate .... they just have too many skin folds 🥴

can’t say I’ve noticed with Scott, think people are being a bit harsh on him ... every game he’s creating an assist, before that period every game he was scoring. He’s going well even if he’s dropped off last seasons peak. 

I don't think you are being objective if you couldn't see how well brown and hingert played (or maybe you just watched on TV where a lot of their good work is not shown. Moon had given them very specific instructions on how to set up and how and when to move to get the space and nullify kitto and halloran, and they carried it out perfectly it was very obvious at the game 2 players that would out pace hingert and brown hardly touched the ball in the first half and forced a complete reshuffle of personnel and tactics at half time.

Also why would you lift a cross when you have 5-5 dwh and smac against 6-5 Jacobson and Elsey much better to try to slide a ball across the face

I was there alright and clearly saw everything. Hingert couldn’t and didn’t execute that ball well, smacking it against legs always except once despite the many opportunities. This is irrespective of Moons tactics etc. which I have no doubt were followed through with, BUT.

You can not win a title with that player unless he’s a squadie.

Appearance possibly, but he waddled around in a small area all night. Could have been an off night but I’d like to see someone more energetic particularly in this set up.

Funny because we have won 2 championships with him as more than a squaddie

The players around him were exceptional, the golden generation for a club comp if you like. We don’t have that luxury any more. Don’t recall him being the main right back for any full season tbh.

12 and 14 championships franjic was out injured/unavailable for the majority of games. Hingert played 20/27 in both. 

Sorry, can’t recall him starting in any of the grand finals. Which means he was second choice. Needs to be the same this time round also.

2.45 of this video.  Looks like a gut to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhKN1jr61t8

he has always been a bit nuggety i dont think he is any slower or fatter than he was last season but i do think he is a little below where he was in terms of holding up the ball. 
last season he was very very hard to take the ball off, this season it seems to be bouncing away from him more often. 
 

Yep bit of beer gut right there, probably sucking it in as well :D

A few observations from the season so far

• I initially had my doubts about Moon.  I thought a lot of his success had to do with the relatively large squad budget advantage he enjoyed in the NPL.  He is undoubtedly  proving to be a great tactician and a very good manager.
• DWH took a while to blossom,  but seems to be rewarding the faith shown in him by Brisbane. Imagine if he had scored just half the sitters he's missed, he'd have the Golden Boot locked up by now :P
  
• Good to see young kids like Trewin, Daley and Akbari starting to get decent minutes.
• The recruitment to cover the losses from last year's squad has been excellent.  Even though O'Neill and Inman had bigger reputations, the players replacing them have performed as well if not better.  
• Last year many people criticised  the "crap lower league UK players" and how they were an "insult" to the A League. The three UK recruits were outstanding last year and have started well this season.  I'm not surprised to see how they have flourished this year and are a big part of the entertaining style of football we are playing.  If the Japanese contingent can contribute in a similar fashion, then silverware isn't out of reach this season.
• The performances from a team tipped to finish 10th by many "experts" has been pretty good. 
• Good to see Ross A has taken his defensive coaching abilities to Adelaide.  Watching Adelaide defend yesterday (and recent weeks) reminded me of his time in Brisbane.

I had the same view in regards Moon NPL achievements with lions. But talking to someone that played under him and also for other NPL sides provided me with more insight. As you suggested lions had a good squad but seemed to be underachieving until moon came. Also by far the best coach he played under and by far the best Qld coach in the NPL.

As this season showing once again a good coach makes a massive difference in the league.

AOK....I'd agree with all you say...and isn't it refreshing to see the likes of Akbari and DWH finally given the minutes. 
Been a fan of them both for couple years and started to wonder if they'd kick on.

And they sure have with a bang!!!

also Daley and Trewin are doing the job too, 
time we'll tell for them, but so far so good. 

Gilesphey and Alfred as good as anyone in the league. We can thank Fowler for that.

As far as local coaches, I thought Cahn might have been in the running to get the job, but Moon has definitely won me over (I'm sure his life is now complete knowing that he has my approval).  As you say, a good coach does make a massive difference in the league.  Roar need to lock him in for a while.

I wonder how many more young kids he'll successfully bring through.

This and other "inside" tips you've posted don't seem to have aged well. Any more great scoops for us?

🔥🔥🔥

Done. For what it’s worth of course ... 

Has been a long time since I’ve looked forward to our next match. Reckon it’ll be a cracker this Saturday.

Me too, unfortunately i can get to the game this week so will have to watch it on replay. MV have a good squad but have under-performed. It will be interesting to see how Moon has us set up this time out. if Mcmanaman is fit again for victory he is their main weapon and i suspect that we will start with 4 at the back and Brown will be told to man mark him, with Riku to play in front of him and peg Roux back (who has tended to get forward into the space that mcmanaman created by cutting in). 

last time we played them DWH played that role but didn't really work as he tended to play more central allowing the CB's to cover Roux. If Mcmanaman is out then i would not be surprised if we go to a 3 at the back system again and we really try to exploit the pockets like against adl.

Agree on all counts 👍