R8 v Sydney FC | 10:00pm Thursday Nov 26 | Sky Sport 3 | Four Kings

4th v 6th.  Would like a win here against the smurfs to keep momentum going before the Auckland trip.  Will Siggy be back? 

ASB Premiership on before this match too - Waibop v Hawkes Bay  are the warm up act.

Maybe he can slot in at Second five eigths, outside Carter

Yes. Backline is a term that should also be retired when speaking football

Your suggested backline is likely to get support.

Yes, but have you retired from going to away games? :) :)

Obvs what I was referring to.

<inserts pictures of mosh girl and Stephen fry>

No sense of humour. Good call Tracey.

I for one am very happy to see Ernie giving the team a serve in the media, even though I didn't think we were too awful on Saturday. Having high standards is a good thing. I wonder if we'll ever see Sarpong again?

3 points please

And a pony, and a kitten, and a puppy.

Is Siggy expected to make a full return from concussion?  Heading a ball cant be the best therapy...

Is this a chance to try Fox?..that is what he was signed for.

Put Siggy in the goal instead of Moss.  No need for heading the ball....

And a "Dura-Moss Central Defence" has a certain ring to it.

Full return from concussion, but not for this game, they flew him back. Lia is coming back from injury to stabilize the midfield.

Will be Manny at CB; he's done okay there when called upon imo except on defensive corners.

Louis Fenton ran in place of Jeffrey Sarpong at Phoenix training today. Muscat to CB for Sigmund, Doyle in at LB #ALeague

— Jason Pine (@pineyzb) November 24, 2015

Interesting.

Expecting a hot day in Sydney on Thursday.

Piney went on to add on Twitter that Ernie is looking for more defence on that right hand side than Sarpong is providing. 

I kind of thought before this year that Fenton was going to shine and would have finished his transition to being one of the best FB's in the league, but I guess because of his injuries he's taken a fairly large step backwards and I would have liked to see Rufer get the start over him, if indeed Fenton is going to start.

Forecast is for 37, i was there last Friday when it was 42 and it was unbearable...

37 should be a breeze then

Forecast down to 35 now. Must be a breeze coming through

Lived for three years in a town that's was low to mid forties in summer. That's hot, even the grass is too hot to walk in bare feet :) But still get the outside work done when needed

I would expect the Nix to have had some heat training and should be ready. A high level of fitness is required.

I would like the PFA to push for more A-League clubs in New Zealand, to be invited in at the expense of failing Australian mainland clubs, on account of player safety (= lower average temperatures).  Forsyth Barr Stadium to hold the GF on a balmy autumn Dunedin night in April. Dunedin Technical to win 3:2 in extra time over Auckland FC, with MV and SydFC losing to them in semi-finals.

For sure. There is a big drop in temp, forecast at only 20 at 8pm so heat should be no factor

Louis up front? I would rather see Blake Powell up there working his butt off, chasing the Bling defenders and keeper.

I guess against a top team like Sydney and with a starting cb out you want to defend from the front. Be a good opportunity for Louis to get some confidence up while not having to be so defensive.

It's at 8. Will be fine. 

Fenton still struggles to get his head up.... and hasn't beaten a defender all season and hes going to help lead attacks??

Any predictions on how many of the patented Fenton "run at the attacker, try to beat them, dive, stand up and appeal for a free kick" manoeuvres we'll see from him during the match? 

Is a little bit strange..Especially against Sydney who have the best defence in the comp.

#notastriker

Maybe it was purely to assess him as an option? Last year we saw Louis being used as a utility player with stints in the midfield, etc. Ernie clearly likes him.

I feel like Louis nailed the right fullback/wing back position but has played himself out of it since his injury this year. Bit disappointing. 

Sarpong would probably do okay if allowed to play his natural game which is lying deeper as a winger out on the right who can go on mazy runs and get crosses in.

He's never scored more than two goals a season in his career and probably never will score more than that.

Simply isn't as direct a player as say Cunningham who contributed more because of his goal scoring threat.

So we are stuck with a squad with only one reliable goal scorer, Krishna (Powell, Appiah etc. all have no record at this level)

There's not a lot of goals in the midfield either -  Bonevacia and McGlinchey will only score a goal every several games.

That must be why Ernie seems to be trying Fenton further forward in training. The boy was a reliable goal scorer in his youth. His attacking play is better than his defending anyway.