R17 v Newcastle Jets | Sat 20th Jan | 7.30pm | SS3

Go on then.

Alrighty ...

Not what I want but what will probs happen. 5 3 2 again...

Italian

Lefty. duroldy. Italian. mullen-hero. youngscott.

The savior. Weemac. Surbian Knuckle ball.

Fiji. Surbia.

Bench: Smith. Rufer. Parky. Fire aftermath.  Singing.

Maybe this would be horrendous, but I'd like to know what a 4-3-3 with Doyle as the left sided defensive mid would be like. Honestly think he would be decent, he's good on the ball is old Tom, would give him a bit of freedom to get on the ball but we know he wouldn't shirk his defensive duties. Play a back four of Galloway-Rossi-Dura-Mullen, a defensive midfield pairing of Doyle and Ridenton with Ljujic at AM and Roy and Andrija up top. Its wacky and I'm probably going to cop some abuse for even suggesting it but I like Doyle and I think he's versatile enough to play there just for a game, especially in a game where defensively we need to be really strong. I can't handle a Paracki-less midfield with Ridenton and WeeMac on the pitch at the same time

Referee: Jarred Gillett

Newcastle Jets Squad: 1.Jack DUNCAN (Gk), 3.Jason HOFFMAN, 4.Nigel BOOGAARD (c), 5.Ben KANTAROVSKI, 6.Steven UGARKOVIC, 7.Dimitri PETRATOS, 10.Wayne BROWN, 11.Patricio RODRIGUEZ, 13.Ivan VUJICA, 15.Andrew NABBOUT, 17.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 18.Johnny KOUTROUMBIS, 20.Glen MOSS (Gk), 22.Lachlan JACKSON, 23.Devante CLUT, 25.Antonee BURKE, 32.Angus THURGATE, 44.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY
**two to be omitted**

Wellington Phoenix Squad: 1.Lewis ITALIANO (Gk), 2.Daniel MULLEN, 3.Scott GALLOWAY, 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, 24.Logan ROGERSON, 30.Keegan SMITH (Gk)

**one to be omitted**


Gonna chuck this out there. Assuming we start off with the 5-3-2 formation, why not bring Parkhouse in for Fox? Doyle pushes into the central back 3 and Parkhouse comes in as a left wing back. He provides much more going forward than bringing Galloway in at RB.

Because he is not a defender?

Give me Galloway over Parkhouse at wingback any day.

I am with Nelfoos on this one. This is a job for Doyle not for Parkhouse. I have no problem with Parkhouse in front of Doyle but he does not have the skillset for the Jets as a "wingback".  Maybe it is just my understanding of what wingback is;  when I think of an improvised wingback I immediately remember Fenton.

I am with Nelfoos on this one. This is a job for Doyle not for Parkhouse. I have no problem with Parkhouse in front of Doyle but he does not have the skillset for the Jets as a "wingback".  Maybe it is just my understanding of what wingback is;  when I think of an improvised wingback I immediately remember Fenton.

Yep, this is 100% what I think will happen to. No way will he deviate from back 5 with Paracki and Fox out.

Personally I think because two of our best performing defensive players are out, we should just go for it.

No points for us, Gillett will see to that.

12 games to go -max 36 points

8 points between us and 6th at present.

We have 11 points

Usually need around 36 points to be 6th and qualify for finals.

We need approx another 25 points out of 36 

Not impossible - Tough but all is not lost yet.

I am guessing we will play 5 at back. I reckon Ridenton & Weemac & ML midfield, keeping Burns on bench for impact.

This a-league season seems to be two good teams and a lot of crap teams though so I wouldn't be surprised if the threshold to get into the six is lower, still I doubt it's possible. 

I'd be happy enough to build momentum and be be competitive with the top teams by the end of the year after the start we had.

Ta.

Firrreeee upppppp!!!

Here we go here we go ...

I've been really trying baby...

Trying to hold on

But if you

Feel the way like I do then

Whoo

Let's get it on

If we can frustrate the Jets with our back 5 set up and not leak a goal in the first half, i suspect the jets will take ever increasing risks to win this game. Its a game youd think they believe they should win and win well. The pressures on the Jets.  May be wishful thinking but we might win this by two goals

I won't be able to watch this one today, but god I hope we do the Jets. I'm not sure we will, but it would nice to see just how far we've come in such a short timeframe.

I just take it week-to-week with the Phoenix, there's no point looking too far ahead (in regard to 'how short the season is', or 'what we need to do to get into the finals', all valid points of course).

We just need to string a few wins together. It's what the top sides do. They do it every season.

We just need to win this game in front of us first and I am freaking up for it.

Who's with me?

COYN

Go boys. Go burns. Please be amazing Ljujic

Not a whole lot of expectations without (imo) our best performing CB Fox and our only DM Paracki against one of the best attacking sides in the league. If we get a point, I'd be content.

Cool line up. Back 4 and burns is starting.

I'm 99% sure we will go with the 5 at the back formation with possible switch to 4-3-3 at halftime, and quite frankly I'm fine with it. We used it against Victory and the Wanderers, and combined across both games we had more than 40 shots while only conceding two goals against good attacking opposition, so the argument that it's too defensive and negative is proven wrong. Hyped for this one, an upset would be huge going into more tough games against Adelaide and Sydney. If we can come out of the next 3 games with 5 or 6 points our confidence will be sky high. After that we have Mariners, Wanderers twice, and the hapless Glory, all games we know we can win now. Doesn't mean anything though without a result tonight though, farken FIRE UP BOYS

Lineup has already been put out Jazzy m8 - 

4-2-3-1

Mullen/Dura/Rossi/Doyle

Ridenton WeeMac

Ljujic

Burns Krishna

AK

Quite funny we're putting out our most attacking lineup in a game where I think the back 5 would actually be perfectly suited. I guess we don't have a whole lot of choice with Fox and Paracki out.

Reckon this could potentially be 4-3, 4-0, 7-1 or anything in between. There Will Be Goals.

Surprised, but very pleasantly surprised. 

Italiano will need to have the game of his life.

Ridenton is not really a DM. WeeMac certainly isn't. Ljujic isn't here for his defending. Rossi and Dura are probably the slowest CB combo in the league against the quickest attack. Mullen isn't a RB.

Goals galore incoming

Sweet   Singh on the bench

All out attack, hope we score one more than the Jets.

well it says to me that the manager is not going to wait around and chase a deficit. We’re going to make our own luck and this is the one thing Ernie knows and probably more aware of than his high flying team.

COYN!!! Burns to score.

that's ballsy!

COYN

I guarantee we would've played a back 5 if Paracki and Fox were available - even if one of them was!

Think it just shows he's being flexible depending on who is avalaible. I think the back 5 would've worked well against an Ernie team personally.