R14 v WSW | Sat 11 Jan | 4:45pm | RoF/SS7

That’s a good little chuckle. Bless their yellow and black cotton socks

Any news on the Ball injury? If he's out, we may struggle.

Now your kids know how we all feel.  All part of essential fan training.

Nope, club to provide an update tomorrow.

— Phillip Rollo (@ByPhillipRollo) January 7, 2020

Pax 8368 - 8371.

Is that still a thing?

Ahhh the nostalgia. I'll never forget Horus. A man of the people.

Hopefully it isn't twisted

We're on a great streak right now. We've been hitting form, if we win/draw we tie last season's undefeated streak, it's an afternoon game and we should get a large crowd...

That's why we're going to lose

Hopefully we get waine in if ball is out- don't like having hooper and davila up front as they're not as quick. Davila can't cover for hoopers terrible work rate.

Consider that our previous game against WSW in December was 2:1 and it was only decided by a penalty in 89 minute. We lined up with Sotirio, Davila, Piscopo and Ball upfront. Assuming unchanged back four, and with Steinman and preferably Devlin instead of Rufer, the front four could be Sotirio, Davila, McCowatt and Hooper (Waine to come on in second half).

That's certainly the tradition.  Usually something like 1-4.  Melts all the support gained right away.

We're fudgeed.

Unless we kick the shark out of em

COYN

what’s the story with devlin’s contract status? Surely they’re trying to lock that guy up? (Or maybe not since Rufer has been re-signed?)

See Contracted Players Thread.

Expires end of 2020/2021 ie in 18 mths

See Contracted Players Thread.

Contract expires end of 2020/2021 ie in 18 mths

Steinman is the one DM at risk of leaving post this season. Reviewing his options apparently 

But Wilson also signed with a view to next season to fill that role in need. Talay said pre season huge part of coach’s role was signing the right players - seems to be doing very well on that front, re sourcing good young Oz talent.

As others have mentioned extra kudos for getting in early, before new team MacArthur joins the A League to further pick the eyes out of the available talent.

I see that Ufuk has been named manager of the month for December.  Fantastic news that is totally deserved.  It is though in England usually a bad luck omen.

Has a couple of years left - not too worried there; will be interesting to see whether that month was a purple patch for him or was actually his level. He wasn't quite as good against CCM; perhaps a bit down on it after not being selected for the U23s.

Once CCM brought Matt Simon on, charging down the middle, Devlin was unable to get anywhere near him, same with Steinmann who is not a very physical DM. It would eventually take Taylor or Devere to either stop Simon or to force him to have a futile crack from a distance.

True; thought he wasn't that great in the first half either.

It's interesting when you look at the stats - Steinmann is clearly ahead of Rufer/Devlin.

I reckon Davila moving back to a wider role was a big factor in why the midfield looked less dominant against CCM – he'd been dropping in to either give the Nix a 3 on 2 advantage there or make it 3 on 3 in recent matches, but that didn't happen so much with Ball and Hooper as the front two.

was just listening to dont you want me and I think we need manny’s chant reborn

How about: 

Cammy Devlin baby

Na na na 

Cammy Devlin oooooooooo

(Repeat)

Love me a good username, "talayvision" is a cracker, nice work

Ball out.

Rufer still out. (What is going on there? Club has been very quiet about the actual extent of his injury)

Team picks itself now right? 4-2-3-1 with the option of Davila playing as a second striker. 

Marinovic

Payne Taylor Devere Cacace

Devlin Steinnman

McCowatt Davila Sotirio

Hooper

Limited attacking options on the bench.

Waine to get good minutes this weekend. 

An injury and Sam Sutton will too possibly. Or new signing Wilson.

Would have liked Clayton Lewis signed on short term/Piscopo cover type deal. Had some time with the team post U23s games in Aus. I guess Talay knows best.

Muller apparently touch and go for WSW.

Likely starting 11 and subs. Will be interesting to see how Sutton goes if he comes on.

Would be huge loss for WSW if Muller is out. He's been there best player last few games.

Makes you wonder what he was actually doing at Scun-thorpe FC, a daily full time pro environment.

He looked okay verus Aus U23s and most/all of those guys are A League pros. Who knows

Lewis has been recovering from/dealing with an injury, hence why he's made one start and four substitute appearances. But it will be interesting to see how Auckland City fit him, Bevan, Browne, Rogerson, and Tade into a front three this side of Christmas, especially with the three Kiwis needing to play to help their Olympic selection chances. He is easily an A-League player IMO.

Just great! we are gonna lose this game to a bunch of losers in WSW. We are never gonna be a top 4 side period!.

We're fourth now.

Wellington Phoenix squad: 1.Stefan MARINOVIC (gk), 2.Liam McGING, 3.Luke DEVERE, 4.Te Atawhai HUDSON-WIHONGI, 5.Matti STEINMANN, 6.Tim PAYNE, 8.Cameron DEVLIN, 10.Ulises DAVILA, 11.Jaushua SOTIRIO, 12. Brandon WILSON, 13.Liberato CACACE, 17.Callan Elliot, 20.Oliver SAIL (gk), 21.Callum MCCOWATT, 23.Walter SCOTT, 27.Steven TAYLOR (c), 31.Ben WAINE, 32.Sam SUTTON, 88. Gary HOOPER **2-4 to be omitted**

Ins: 12. Brandan Wilson (new signing), 23.Walter SCOTT (promoted)
Outs: 9. David Ball (Hip Flexor)
Unavailable: 7. Reno Piscopo (International Duty), 14.Alex RUFER (knee), 16.Louis FENTON (shoulder - season)

David Ball and Alex Rufer who has aggravated his knee injury, have been ruled out of this week's match. Brandon Wilson may make his potential debut this week. 

Muller scored against us in the last game and created it out of nothing.

This forum is very quiet for a match that is expected to draw our best crowd of the season. Is everyone still out of town? 

As a few have already noted here, the Nix have a long history of stuffing it up just when we get the general public back onside.

I think we're just all a bit nervous, that's all. This match represents a big opportunity.