R23 V Sydney | Sunday 29th March | 5:00pm | RoF

Does anyone think that is actually going to happen? That Ernie is going to leave Hicks on the bench to start a complete rookie from outside the 23 squad at FB? That he is that far out of his fudgeing mind to go "Hmmm, I think I'll leave my handy squad man Hicks on the bench that has ate, slept and shark this pro environment thing every day over the last 2 years to start a weenix player that will pretty much play the majority of the game at FB and is most likely going to be a teenager that is not accustomed to the pace of the HAL".

Really? I mean, seriously????

Ernie would need balls like watermelons to play a kid at fullback. Get hicks in at Lb

As opposed to your "I don't know who, just as long as it isn't Lia" ?

Reckon Merrick will try keep midfield as settled as possible. Hicks to plug a gap at left back?

Everything we have done has been based around winning the midfield battle and overloading there to do so. I agree, if at all possible Ernie will keep the midfield as is.

I agree, I really don't see much of an issue with Lia at right back. Not an ideal replacement I admit but would do a job for a game. As would Hicks at LB too possibly. Merrick wont want to break up the midfield too much, so surely Riera/A Rod/Hicks or Riera/A Rod/Lia are best options. 

Yep agree totally. For this reason I think suggestions of moving Riera are slightly ridiculous.... Hicks at LB a real possibility then. 

Hudson should call up Smeltz for sharks and giggles. And because he'll probably fudgeing score against us..

We have 3 u20 spots to fill next year.

Play a 18 year old and see if he has the potential for one of these spots. We are never going to know if our youngest have the potential to step up if they don't get given a chance.

I think the idea of playing A-rod at RB has merit if you don't want to change the midfield. He's been one of our best players consistently this season and can tackle well, reads the game well, and is unlikely to cough up possession in dangerous places. Would rather that than Hicks at LB to be honest - no slight on Hicks but he's not as good as Alex.

Yup and that is why I can see Rierra, Roly and Rodriguez in the midfield with Hicks in to replace McGlinchey, with Krishna and Griffiths to replace Burns, Giving a back four of Lia, Siggy Dura and Manny.  Hicks has played that role before and I think it just gives us the starting line up with the least disruption. A-Rod can play in front of Lia which will provide pretty solid cover, for Vinnie, and Muscat to  play the higher of the two FB's

Lia's (lack of) pace would be an issue against Ibini.

Yup a potential problem no doubt, hence Rodriguez playing in front.

As an aside, doesn't Ibini normally play on the Right hand side of the Sydney attack

Throwing them in the deep end is not the answer at all but I do get what you are saying. I think they need to prove it on the training park FIRST not just 'Here's a shirt son, way you go'.

My bet is Moss
Lia     Siggy  Dura   Manny
              Riera
    A-Rod        Roly
                Hicks
Krish                    Griff

Bench: Italiano, Blake/Tam Rufer Ridenton etc

No doubt if Lia is struggling Ernie may make a change even before half time to sub Lia/sub Hicks and put Lia in the midfield. Best of both worlds.
P.S any reason we can't call up Shaun Timmins on an injury replacement and play 3 at the back? We'd certainly win the midfield then!

Yeah. If this was a CCM, Newcastle or WSW, you may be inclined to take that risk more because the relative strength of opponent. Sydney have come back strong after the Asian Cup break so not one where you roll the dice for chance and say 'fudge it'

Pretty sure Arnie would see Lia at RB and switch Ibini over.

I have real worries about Lia's pace (or lack thereof) at RB. Our backline is already vulnerable to speed, and this would make it worse. He has proven himself this year to be an effective deep midfield option, but that is really about it in terms of positions for him IMO.

Riera could play there, but agree that it would be dangerous to break up the midfield that is working so well. I guess Hicks is a makeshift option that I hadn't though about.

Hence why I think that Ernie might try one of the young guys there. Don't forget that when injuries forced Ernie to try a few of the young guys last year (Ridenton, Rufer, Boyd) they didn't look completely out of their depth. They got shown up on occasions sure, but showed nice touches as well.

Riera is honestly no faster. He's good on the ball, and at finding space to receive it, but when hes back tracking to chase a player down 9 times out of 10 hes done for pace.

Definitely a potential problem, no doubt about that but , for me, if you do some sort of SWOT analysis or the like, Lia at Right Back is the option with the least disruption to the squad as a whole. 

While Hicks could probably "plug"  (ex plumber reference!) a hole there, he has played pretty well all his games further forward for us.

An interesting conundrum for Ernie, but one thing is for sure, he would have been scheming on something from the day the All Whites squad was announced

Rodriguez too. He never seems to get above a jog (and an awkward looking one at that), but he seems to get around the track ok so hey...

Ah I see, and yeah I definitely agree, either Lia or Hicks most likely, with a youth player probably a long shot. Its actually a pretty hard one to call from a fans perspective.

Sydey haven't lost away from home this season, is that correct?

Yup

you can't run around vinnie if he's taken you out at the knees  ;-) in all seriousness though I have confidence in lia. He's got street smarts as

I think A Rod might have a higher chance of being put in there at fullback. He is faster when he puts on the pace (As he has done a couple of times dropping back and defending), He has brilliant positional play for getting out from the back AND Ernie likes to stick to things that are working which for the past two weeks is Roly, Riera, Lia in the middle, they did great the last two weeks and I don't think he will change something like that that works.

I personally think this is the safest option as well as Lia at fullback scares me through his lack of pass and his passing brain farts that occur occasionally (Although not recently so he is probably due for one)

Boyd injured or just at the movies?

Away with the AWs so will probably be watching movies in his hotel room.

No, in South Korea.

Just another record to break.

So a miraculous recovery from his 2 week 'ankle injury' then? http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/a-league-round-22-get-all-the-ins-and-outs-with-plenty-of-big-inclusions-for-the-weekend/story-e6frf4gl-1227269753423

Duh

We've scored 15 goals in last 15 minutes of games. Roar have scored 10.

Talk about damning him with faint praise.

With Doyle, Fenton and Boxall with All Whites, teenager Andrew Blake is set for a Phoenix debut on Sunday #ALeague

— Jason Pine (@pineyzb) March 23, 2015

lols

that was my call

I like Ernie's style

He's had Blake on the bench already, one of the games at the Rec, so he must have a degree of confidence in him

otherwise I think I just got lucky there - if Piney's correct - but I'm in the Vince would get exposed camp, plus he's been doing a job in the mid and I think we'll need some hard doing in there vs Sydney.  Plus there's no way I'd move Riera or Roly.  Maybe Alex, but he's not exactly a last line defender from what I've seen.  And Hicks never occurred to me so I was presuming one of the youngsters. 

I also picked Appiah to start as a bit of a punt really - I did read he's fit again?  But I guess he's not had any reserves game time?  And I guess Hicks does deserve a crack, just didn't see him as the same style of high player as Burns/Griffiths/Appiah. 

Anybody seen Appiah train or play?  Would be interested in how he's looked and there's very little on his own thread about him.

What about Brindell-South? I dont know if hes injured or anything but I think playing a natural fullback will add a bit of safety even though hes very inexperienced. Hes had a go before so surely he knows a bit of how to kick a ball?