R16 vs WSW | Sat 13th Jan | 7:35pm | Not Canberra | Kids go free

Short turnaround, lets try for 6 points in a week. Sounds like there should be a good contingent of WSW fans over for the game.

Western Sydney Wanderers FC Squad: 3.Jack CLISBY, 4.Josh RISDON, 5.Brendan HAMILL, 7. Steve LUSTICA, 8.Roly BONEVACIA, 9.Oriol RIERA, 11.Brendon SANTALAB, 15.Kearyn BACCUS, 16. Jaushua SOTIRIO, 19.Mark BRIDGE, 20.Vedran JANJETOVIC (Gk), 23.Lachlan SCOTT, 24.Raúl LLORENTE, 33.Michael THWAITE, 34.Kosta GROZOS, 35. Tass MOURDOUKOUTAS, 40. Nick SUMAN (Gk), 49.Abraham MAJOK

**two to be omitted**

I hope we kick the shark out of Roly!  3 -0 Phoenix on my birthday!

Whoever does it will get a straight red, Roly is no longer at the Nix, so he will get the same protection as all the other Aussie based players.

No doubt, my comment was tongue in cheek. A win will do me instead.

As was mine ;)

If Burns and Ljujic don't start I will riot, the link ups of those two with Krishna and AK were magic, Also thought the added quality in midfield helped to coax out some of Paracki's early season form

Paracki did much better because he wasn't the guy with his finger in the Dyke - he could actually just get on and do his job

I thought Parack was still kind of poor to be honest; hasn't been good since the first two games of the season. Expected more from him. Hope he kicks on now though.

Ljujic seems very one footed - maybe put him on the left wing? Burns in the middle where WeeMac was, Krishna on the right?

There probably will be if they all have to bring their probation officer along!

Hopefully they check they are eligible to enter the country this time and don't get turned back at customs. 

Here is the Nix squad, no changes from Wednesdays one. 

Wellington Phoenix Squad: 1.Lewis ITALIANO (Gk), 2.Daniel MULLEN, 3.Scott GALLOWAY, 4.Goran PARACKI, 6.Dylan FOX, 7.Nathan BURNS, 8.Matija LJUJIC, 9.Andrija KALUDJEROVIC, 10.Michael MCGLINCHEY, 12.Adam PARKHOUSE, 13.Marco ROSSI, 14.Alex RUFER, 18.Sarpreet SINGH, 19.Tom DOYLE, 21. Roy KRISHNA, 22.Andrew DURANTE 23.Matthew RIDENTON, 30.Keegan SMITH (Gk)

**two to be omitted**

I hope Roly still hasn't paid his $2000 in parking tickets (I'm not even joking) and gets refused entry to the country.

That actually would be quite funny to see at the airport! 

Is this another Free entry for Children or will I have to wait in the mile long queue before the game to buy one? I'm bringing the lucky charm with me again. 

Micki (6 years old) made his A League/Westpac/Wellington Phoenix debut last night and enjoyed himself...with a little help from the Donuts. He got all shy and the loud noise from those around me so we moved down a couple of row from the rest of the Fever. He had a better view too. 

Immigration officials are easy to deal with. Wait till he gets off the team bus at the Cake Tin and sick the Red Badge on him.

Everyone get set to Boo Roly as loud as we can. 

Lets make some noise this Saturday!

FIRE UP

I hope we win

We booed Kosta.... maybe we need to give Roly the 'Deathly Silence' jinx?

I think this game calls for a Tifo. 

Give this post a 'this' if you agree. And lets discuss what to put on it!

O When I Wipe

Can it say "We don't even Singh when we're winning!"

Under 16s go free for this match.

For the first time in a while, I'm actually looking forward to watching a game; bit of a weird feeling.

I think it's simple. Our team has been playing pretty well all season, finally got the result and the team and fans are bonded like never before.

Feeling some real passion. And I love that.

Saturday is a massive game.

I thought you had slung ya hook mid game on Wednesday night

Regardless , good to see you back in the fold. 

"Our team has been playing well all season"

Jesus is that you?

We played well for most of the first three games, but individual errors cost us.

One interesting thing was in a recent press conference they asked Darje about how individual errors were costing the team, and he said it's not something he expects from professional players and that he's having to teach them the basics as if they were new. That's an indictment on the Australian and NZ systems if I've ever heard one.

You can't quote me but leave out a word.

That's almost as bad as saying ridenton isn't amazing

Absolutely. On Saturday night, just look at things like our throw ins. NO ONE MOVES. Schoolboy shark. Don't get me started on the amount of crosses/corners that don't clear the first man.

No they were not.  Our game against CCM (and against the Jets earlier on) was excruciating to watch, that's how badly we played.

Also, we had some games where we managed to turn - against all odds - a possible win into defeat (against Victory) or into a draw (against Brisbane).  I can live with us losing to Sydney FC or to the Jets because they were genuinely the better team on the day, but those two games alone were not won because of either sloppy or inattentive attitude, lack of effective leadership, and acceptance of mediocrity on the field.

It is possible that our team culture is "soft" and that is why Ernie Merrick could not succeed because he is a nice guy.  He might succeed at the Jets because possibly their team culture is different (possibly more disciplined?) or he simply has better players. I am not 100% sure.

Darije does not strike me as a "nice" guy, which is why he might succeed with a team that does not have a strong sense of discipline on the field (that is my own view), and has to have it drummed into them.  Plus he seems to be a good tactician, and just needs players to either respond to his tactics and fulfill his game plan, or be replaced by those who will.   

Then we might see us play well on the day and be beaten by a better team, but not mind it as much.

I hate our lack of movement at throws in at International level as well - I'd say its laziness, but the players are fit, so its just engrained poor habits.

We are bottom for a reason and if you can't see that, keep telling yourself that Ridenton is amazing and maybe that might come true too.

I hate you Phoenix, you've given me that one thing that is the curse of all football fans: HOPE.

Long answer...I thought it was sarcasm?

Yeah, you might be right, on reflection.  I must have had my sarcasm filter off, and so I sounded like a pompous prat.  Hey, in my defence, I wrote it just after my monthly face-to-face meeting with my manager at work, if that's an excuse.

Now confirmed we'll play Wanderers on 11 Feb, so with tomorrow and 10 Mar we play them 3 times in 8 weeks.

Don't let them catch their breath!

See they've signed Carrusca in time for our game too.

I have a pretty good feeling about tomorrow. I know loads of us say this every Friday/Saturday before the game but I just do. DK talks about how united are team is now, and you could really see it the way the boys went nuts celebrating that winning goal - especially heartening to see the foreign lads showing that they really cared too. Wanderers on the other hand are the opposite - technically are in better form than us but not by much, and their team is so disjointed and lacks cohesiveness. Look at the relationship between our star striker and coach compared to theirs. All is not well in the WSW camp, whereas our boys are riding on the high from Wednesday. Want to see everyone down there tomorrow, more cheers and more singing. Fire Up

 I'm confused, I thought you had officially given up?