Perth Sunday 7pm

Perth Sunday 7pm

One win, one loss and one draw going in to this, but no great performances yet, and Muscat's been our only player to reach a good standard. I'd like to see the midfield shaken up a bit, Daniel or possibly Hearfield to replace Bertos and Toto on the bench, the sooner we find out whether or not he can be our central play maker the better.              
          Paston (If fit)       
      
        Durante    Sigmund
Hearfield                   Lochhead                     ï¿½ï¿½ � �      
              Muscat��

Ifill     ï¿½ � Brown            Daniel       ï¿½ï¿½           
             Greenacre   Macallister

Vukovic, Lia/Bertos, Toto, Pavlovic

I'd like to see this, pretty harsh on Lia, but Muscat could be better off holding the right back spot and Lia can sit in front of the back four. Toto coming on for a central midfielder or striker so he can play centrally.For me, the Perth away trips are the most daunting, the same probably applies to the players, a win has to be the target, if we play some better football I'd probably be happy with a draw from this one though. I'll predict a 3-2 win; Daniel, Brown and Pavlovic to score for us, Fowler and Jelic for them.Discuss - discuss - discuss.
Oska2011-01-24 20:10:00

I will be over the moon if we can get a draw or a win. Never ever been confident with an away game in Perth.. We are basically their bitch.

I think we'll lose.

Ouch, good luck to him. Guess that means same team as last week, but with Bobsled All The Time in at right back and (Probably) Daniel for Bertos. I'm guessing Pasty will be fully fit in time, although Vukovic could impress in training enough for a start.

So he is gone for Israel and Latvia? Fifa.com says they play Israel away then Latvia at home..Azevo2010-08-29 15:10:06

I think we'll probably lose by two (my prediction anyway).

                          Paston

Hearfield*     Siggy       Durante       Lochhead

            Brown       Lia (reluctantly)

       Ifill                              Daniel

           D-Mac
                    Greenacre

*AAAAAHHHHHH

Subs:
Vuckovic
Musa (for want of anyone else)
Bertos
Pavlovic/Toto

With Muscat away with Malta we really have no defensive cover with North away still so I think Musa has to be on the bench - he isn't injured is he?  Bertos has to start on the bench, after two poor matches Ricki can't justify starting him but I bet he will anyway.  Don't know who should get the last bench spot out of Pavlovic and Toto.  Really don't want Lia in the squad, would have loved Muscat in for him with North in for Hearfield (not necessarily at RB - mix it round a bit) but we don't have a lot in the way of options.
loyalgunner2010-08-29 15:26:20

If we lose it's not the end of the world, it is only our 4th game. Keep positive, maybe give Brown and Bertos this game off.

what is our record against Perth at home?

We beat them every game of season 1.  Season 2 I think we lost 2 and won or drew the other (could well be wrong).  Season 3 we beat them 2-1 at home, lost 2-0 away and there was another game which has slipped my mind but I'm thinking loss/draw for that one.  Then we beat them in the playoffs at home in a shoot-out.

what day are Malta playing? would love to watch them online

Take Muscat out and squad looks a little thin.

Paston
Hearfield-Siggy-Durante-Lochead
Lia-Diego (is he still alive?)
Brown
Ifill-Mac-Greenacre

Need to strengthen the midfield but we are not exactly spoilt for choice. After last weeks performance Lia and Brown lucky there is no depth in the squad. So for me 3 in midfield which means bringing Diego in for a run. Daniel and Toto off the bench.

diego is injured/recovering last time I checked.

I'd like to think we'll step it up, Ricki must've seen enough to have a good idea who is in form and who is off their game. I'd like to see:

Paston (unless he's not completely fit)
Hearfield - Siggy - Dura - Lochy
Lia
Ifill - Toto - Daniel
Greeny
Mac

Brown, Bertos and Pav as likely subs to come on for Toto, Daniel and Mac, depending of course on performances. I think some players just need a wee shake up and it can't hurt to give the likes of Toto and Daniel a chance to push for starting places.

Playing Israel on 2/9/10 (not sure of the time)
and
Latvia on 7/9/10 (again don't know the time)

I said before the Brisbane game they needed to play Toto and Daniel together early in the season to see how they go.

We need to attack centrally, not always out to Ifill or Bertos to make up a miracle. It would also help take pressure off Lochy/Manny/Troy to run both ends of the park.

Ricki doesn't have the luxury of having off-games if the team is truly aiming for the Minor Premiership like they have been saying in the media.

Bertos needs a rev up. Lia needs to wake up. Ifill, Lochy, and Troy will all need to get back and do some better defensive work this weekend.
We need our central defenders to stay central, so they're not playing out in the corners giving away goal chances eg Siggy vs Reinaldo

Perth have a lot of strength out wide, stronger than Brisbane are.Ard Righ2010-08-29 17:40:44

drop Lia for Pav !!!!

Ifill                     Brown                          Bertos                                  
                      Greenacre
                Big Mac      Pav

then just fire balls into the box left, right and centre.

Oh Great. Let's get dominated in the middle of the park. Genius.

We have to have two in the middle. At the moment it can only be Brown and Lia. Wouldn't it be nice to have 24 players right now?

we're too good for a middle. lets play a 4-0-6 with Sigmund knocking them forward.

I missed season 1 so I don't think I even seen Phoenix score a goal in Perth, let alone get a result. I suppose Dadi should really have changed that record with THAT penalty...

Yeah...not too optimistic about this one

No Manny makes me sad.

valeo2010-08-29 20:47:59

3 across the back and disspense with Hearfield..problem solved...5 in midfield.

we have to play 4-5-1 away but we wont because riki's kinder a one trick pony but a good one trick pony at that. id pick.

?

Ricki pretty much played 4-5-1 (or 4-3-3 whatever you want to call it) all last season, then 3-4-3 for the all whites, now 4-2-3-1 (or 4-4-1-1).

Can't believe it just takes one loss for the old 'sack ricki' calls to come out. I really thought it might take a bit more than that this season, but I was sadly wrong.

Edit: Greenacre also showed last year that it is fairly pointless having him up front on his own. He will spend all game chasing shadows. He is not equipped for a target man type roll required as the lone point man.aitkenmike2010-08-29 21:49:12

I thought D-mac was quite good with Greenacre. Individually they're not amazing players, but they do play off one another quite well, I suppose you could say the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.

(unless rubberducky didnt have the big mac because he's been injured or something and I have some how managed to not notice. At any rate I think it would be more likely for Pav to start in that case and retain the same formation/style)

Steve-O2010-08-30 20:41:42

Good news for us might be  that Fowler is apparently involved in Jamie Carragher's testimonial match on Saturday... if that's true it would mean he won't be in perth on Sunday surely? Tho I can't imagine Perth would be too ahppy about that

we should sack ricki. but only if it is done in a hilarious postmodern way.

                   Paston
Hearfield* Siggy Dura Lochy
               Brown Lia
Daniel        Toto          Iffy
               Macca
Bench: Pav, Green, Musa, Vukovich

*only because we don't have another RB option.

We need a creative midfielder in the hole, not another striker like we've been doing.brumbys2010-08-30 15:01:52

From Dura in Stuff: "The travel is not easy, the time differences, the time in the air, sitting around hotels and that sort of stuff"

So we've lost this one already. Shall I bother watching or just wait for the Sydney game?

Seriously, people fly long distances for work related reasons all the time. I have had occasions when I have flown economy long haul and then gone straight to a client meeting from the airport. You just have to put it out of your mind and get on with it, these comments about it being 'daunting' piss me off to be honest.

I actually think we mite be more dynamic with Toto in behind Pav rather than Greenie and Mac up front. But this is just a wierd thought I have.

I dont think we neccesarily need to bring defensive cover to this game as I like the idea of using all subs as impact. (However Ricki has never been good at substitutions in my opinion.)

We will probably start the same with just Hearfield in. However we all wanna see Daniel in for Bertos.

Even the idea of leaving bertos at home could shake things up? But don't think we should make wholesale changes just yet.

Bench for me would be bertos, toto and Pav. However wouldnt mind Musa in for Bertos...?

Egan2010-08-30 17:01:50

hth

Personally i love it.

id like to see Ifill play striker.

re right back - Lia was being schooled up for that role prior to his injury at start of season 2 (could almost be an option)