Nix vs Sydney Sunday 9 Dec 4:30 + Tee Dubs vs Otago 1:45

Sunday, December 9
Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC
Venue: Westpac Stadium
Kick off: 4:30 PM
Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones
Assistant referee 1: Hakan Anaz
Assistant referee 2: Jan Hendrik-Hintz
Fourth official: Lucien Laverdure

haha jets v CCM game has none other than Jared Gillett

ADP

You'll catch it up in Palmy

It will make your balls itchy

ADP

In Palmy

Balls Itchy

I need a scratch!

I've not seen a Pax update so far, so here goes ... 7533 as of 10.30am

Looks good could be 10,000 by Kick off ????

 Piney tweeted that Siggy and Louis are doubts for Sunday.

NOOOOOOO   I'm nervous now

Fenton probably wouldn't have started again anyway. And we still have totori off the bench, who does a similar job. Hope siggy is able to play though! 

means we can have sanchez on the bench which would be good way for him to break into the side

 Clarke gorn.

1 minute of fame. 

 oh shit, does this mean we're going to lose to Sidnee?

 losing siggy isn't the biggest blow, boxall doies a stella job and at least he stays back in defence. Fenton is great but Totori can do a similar job from the bench. Sidnee are poor at the moment and without ADP they have very little to offer.

another for the weirdest signings ever role call

Me and my bro are coming down from Hamilton and going to be sitting in the Zone. Will be our first match this season and no not cuz of the ADP factor just cuz work is winding down for yer and first time we have both been free. We both orginally from Sheffield and are Blades supporters so have been watching Iffy since his younger days.

When we came last season one chant we tried to get going was "He's fat, he's slow, he's a fucking genius... Paul Ifill, Paul Ifill!"

Would be good to try it out again.

might be good to have Siggy (despite his red card risk)

farina sounds like he's been rarkkng sydney up in training

i think they might try to kick, shove and elbow their way off bottom place

we have to give the ref shit if he lets them get away with anything

Depends what way you look at it I guess. If you were to give Ricki the benefit of the doubt you'd say that we were already fairly well covered for replacements, and decided to take a random punt on an unknown kid from Panama. Maybe he was never going to set the league alight but I think it was worth a punt and there wasn't much to lose. Maybe a long shot, but not that bizarre really.

These are the quotes from Dome when we signed him, how would you be feeling if we had signed him instead of Steyn!!!!!:

"Phoenix general manager David Dome insists the loan signing of Panama teenager Ricardo Clarke is not a random punt.

The 19-year-old has signed with the Phoenix as an injury replacement for Spaniard Dani Sanchez, who had surgery on his knee this month.

Sanchez may be out of action until December and the Phoenix have reached a loan agreement with Clarke's Panama club Sporting San Miguelito.

The Phoenix had scouted Clarke's credentials in the off-season before settling on Belgian Stein Huysegems as their fifth and final import player.

Clarke joined the Phoenix in Christchurch on Saturday and came off the bench in yesterday's 1-1 pre-season draw against Western Sydney Wanderers.

"We'd looked at Clarke for a while in the off-season for a number of roles within the club, as injury replacement cover and as a permanent," Dome said.

"He was on the radar for a while and we thought it would be a good opportunity to bring him out and see how he goes."

Dome said Clarke was a versatile player and, like Sanchez, could operate as an attacking midfielder, winger or striker.

"We've seen lots of footage of him. We've got contacts around the world and we asked our people on the ground there and they all rate him as a highly promising young talent."

If Clarke turns out to be a star, the Phoenix would have to re-evaluate their import options.

Paul Ifill, Alex Smith, Benjamin Totori, Huysegems and Sanchez are the club's foreign players.

"Ricardo's length of stay with us is dependent on Dani's recovery. Depending on what happens after that, then we'll look at it but we fully expect Dani to come back this season," Dome said.

"Any further relationship with Ricardo after the Sanchez injury would be up for discussion at the end of the season."

We took a look at him as a favour to an agent, that's all.

Probably happens all the time all around the world.

Because as much as we don't want to believe it, most professional football recruitment (apart from the very top leagues) is actually based on agent's recommendations and looking at a few videos. The vast majority of pro football clubs simply can't afford to run a proper scouting programme.

 The same agent sent Yairo Yau to Sydney and they lucked out on this occasion.

Maybe he now owes us. Who knows, who cares. We were hardly going to sign anyone amazing for just a few weeks, at the last minute. Worth taking a punt on a kid, who seemed like they may work out. Or even just for 'agent favours' - whatever they are. 

"He was on the radar for a while and we thought it would be a good opportunity to bring him out and see how he goes."

If he was on the radar for a while and they really did think he was the best thing since sliced bread he'd have been here before Sanchez got injured. My money is on the fact that they knew he was a gamble, thought he wasn't worth the risk, but then when Sanchez got injured they figured they had nothing to lose.

Well I guess we won't be seeing him again either way.  I will be more suspicious next time Mr Dome assures me we're not taking a random punt, despite all of the evidence to the contrary...

Anyway back to Sunday, it would be great to see Sanchez get a run out.  His impact could define our season

sad to see clarke go. I wish him well, he came here as an injury cover, and as far as I know he covered us just fine for dani injury. I would have liked to see more of him, but in ricki i trust, so he was a good cover, but not a starter.

Has Clarke left the country?

seemed ok when he got the ball- maybe like Cam Lindsay he just has a case of the invisibles? Is Cam still at the club?? that's a real question

Is Boyd really a better footballer than him? 'Cos we're not short of attacking players, but our cover in the centre of the park and out wide at the back is where we look a little thin...

also why do we assume that Totori shouldn't start and then be subbed for Boyd/Ifill/ Jimmmy Downey?? 

 Plenty of sidnee fans in town for this match. Should make for great fun at The Pub before kick-off.

Pity ADP is at home resting his back.

So is ADP definitely out of the game now?

I have to say I think a lot of non-fans come to the game because of the old YF chanting and atmosphere. A great sporting event is as much about atmosphere as the sport. Look at the Sevens tournaments. Who actually watches those games. The Fever Zone is as much a part of the draw to the games as the footie. I sit in Aisle 23 and it gets pretty quiet there but I try and make some noise and join in the YF chants even if I am on my own and look like a total carnt. But has been noticeable last few games that the Fever Zone seems to be fading.

TW game is a bit early at 1:45pm surely?  I know the team will be out warming up etc, but having a double header with a full hour between games seems a bit too long.  Part of the reason there'll probably be about 15 people there for that game...

Don't the ground staff have to change some of the advertising boards?  I'd imagine the sky tv crew are entitled to a break between games.  Can't just give them 20 mins!