R20 vs Sydney | Sat 23rd Feb | 7.35pm | SS4

Please win

Melbourne City have the Melbourne Derby this weekend, and Adelaide are playing a resurgent Jets. Good chance to jump a place or two if things go well

Need Melbourne to draw and us to win!

Where is this being played?

In Sydney

Looking forward to this Home game so much. 

Surely we need a Victory and Nix win?  A draw in their game doesn't help us.

Really need to win this, and have the Jets draw at best. Otherwise starts getting uncomfortably close.

I've worked out why the Nix have taken our "home" game against Sydney away to Campbelltown this weekend. We haven't beaten Sydney FC in our last 7 home games. Last time we beat them at home was 22 Dec 2013 while we have beaten them 3 times away in Sydney since then.

I'm not scared of Sydney at all. Corica definitely got his tactics right last game; they sat back and hit us on the counter. Let's hope Rudan changes things up a bit.

I hope Sheridan starts.

I can't see Rudan changing much, he hasn't shown any inkling to do so. Possibly keep the same starting 11 too.

Tra la la la la la

Tra la la la la

Tra la la la la la

Tra la la la la

They are..top 6 not done and dusted yet.

Precisely, they're already uncomfortably close. Anything but a win is squeaky bum time.

Much like the last two games, this match will absolutely come down to who is the better manager on the day.

or failing that, who is the better goalkeeper

Outside the top 3, all other final places are very much up for grabs

Don't think it's that much of a must win. Obviously there is always a chance that things could go belly up but let's not forget that the Jets might actually haul in MC or Adelaide. Both have really difficult fixtures coming up. A point for us wouldn't be a disaster.

I prefer looking up the table looking towards nabbing that 4th spot than worrying about missing out altogether. It's just nice to think optimistically after years of gloomy pessimism.

That's why it's a must win, so 4th place stays up for grabs. Last week's results were so good for us, and now we're even with City and 2 points off United. Allows Sydney to be in reach as well... mwahaha.

enough bull,time for the horns

COYN

Anyone have a spare ticket to this game?

Yeah, fair point about Adelaide and especially City being just as vulnerable.

I just get the feeling that we won't have a strong finish to the season, and one win from the last 6 games is only serving to underscore my pessimism. 

We'll soon find out, I guess.

Rudan said we didn't play well and some players were only operating at 70% against MV.  If that's the case then there is plenty of room for improvement.

If he can get them operating at 100% then we should be able to beat everyone. starting with Sydney this weekend.

We *can* beat anyone in the comp imo; it's just stringing it together consistently. We were quite obviously nervous, and Mandi and Rufer had bad games imo.

Our two CM had bad games and we didn't lose... i'll take that, but agree with the setiment, we need a win!

Apologies if we are behind the drag curve here.  Is there any RV point in Campbelltown for travelling Phoenix fans prior to Saturday's match? The Morningside Tavern in Auckland was an excellent venue for Eden Park.

Long time since I have been there but Western Suburbs League Club is next door.

I think basically we need someone else to start scoring some goals

We've been very lucky with injuries so far; I'd like to see the stats, but I'd say we've been the luckiest in the comp in that regard. I'd be worried if even one player went down at this point.

Sydney fans meet at Palace Hotel in Sydney, looks like they are going their before travelling to the game https://www.facebook.com/events/609617276152792/

There's a meeting of Nix fans at the league club rooms from 5:30 onwards.

Many thanks Yakcall and Lonegunmen for the info. Anyone else received a 'Change of Bay' email from Ticketmaster?  No email as yet with new tickets attached.

Sorry.  Missed out Leggy. Thanks Leggy.

These things aren't just luck, training regimes come into it as well

Gee up Lads, 

For the sake of the Sheriff, I'd like to see Williams have a role off the bench and see the Sheriff start. Harsh benching him, but good to blood another option. His only start was when he had Mitch Nichols feeding him. v not fair. 

When you have a player who is in form, I don't think you should drop him as part of an experiment. Keep the run of form going I reckon.

For the sake of a win Id like Williams to start..but in Rudan we trust.