Ashes? Adelaide 3 v Wellington 0

Where did the team that came 2nd in the pre-season go?

Wellington joins Newcastle as a team in trouble. Durante and McKain just are not fixing the defensive holes. If fact, in the last two games they have looked worse at the back than last year. And Kwasnik looks like a different player. Does he want to live in NZ? Maybe CCM, and Newcastle in Durante's case, knew something they weren't telling us. And we know the Roar looked closely at the returning McKain. Yet these players are not on journeyman pay packets.

Wellington's other ex-Brisbane Striker Smeltz (born in Germany, NZ nationality) was in bed with the flu. Lailai Gao played a good solo hand but rare combined. In fact Wellington struggled to put 3 passes together and relied on the long ball game without much chasing up front.

Daniel came on as sub but the game was gone by then. The 3rd of Wellington's ex-Brisbane Strikers - Karl Dodd - was also subbed in late - hasn't he put on weight. Fox were rallying around Riki Herbert but something isn't functioning at this club. There seems to be a lack of passion, commitment and any sought of system or even organisation.

I'm not that convinced by Adelaide's performance, just the resistance wasn't there. Yet the two teams that got Asian Champions time look to be doing the work so far.

After tomorrow we may know more as Perth faces a major test against Sydney. Are Sydney as good as Melbourne? I don't think so. And the Roar must prove their potential by beating Bosnich.