RD 22 vs Perth Sunday 9th, 5 p.m

Looks like Cunningham will be fit to play.

This is the best bit of news all week.

Doesn't make the loss of Caira & Manny less scary though :-(

Going to win 5-4?

What about season ticket holders who don't come on here and aren't on facebook. I imagine that would be a large number. Would be annoyed turning up just before 5pm finding the game time has been changed.

Is that South Island Standard Time?

Shambles isn't it? Their facebook page says both 4pm and 5pm.

Sky Sport is showing it as 5pm

The event starts at 4 pm when the gates open. KO can still be 5pm 

But it is a change. May be to cut the ko time ques 

Wait so kick-off is now 6pm and gates open at 5pm? ;-)

I wonder if Ernie might drop Boyd for this one. He pulled him early in the last game and Boyd is starting the AWs game tonight so will presumably be tired when he gets back (along with a few of our other lads obviously). Might be a chance to give Krishna a start to see how he goes with a bit more time, or even start an extra midfielder for a bit more solidity there. The problem with that of course is that Stein isn't really a sole striker, he needs someone (not Brockie) to work with I think. Because Carlos is also a natural number 10 who you wouldn't really play anywhere else that limits our formation to anything with 2 strikers and an attacking mid slotting in behind them. Carlos does not track back or tackle so other central mids need to pick up the slack - which is why Ernie switched to this 4-3-1-2 in the first place. As such, it's really the only option we have for now.  But it means that you rely on the FBs bombing forward to bring width on attack and then you need a solid DM to slot in and cover and hold up play if they get caught upfield. Without Riera we don't have that. It's interesting how having players who can only perform certain specific roles can really limit how the team can play. Of course, missing 4 or 5 first team players out of such a small squad doesn't help either.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11214491 

I just read this...talk of Cunningham and Hernandez both being unavailable. Yikes. So we sign a centre back. Does that mean we're more likely to see Dura in midfield?

They are brilliant at causing confusion arent they?

Yikes is right. Stein back into the no.10 role then too? Anyone got Micheal Eager's phone number? Or Chris James? Or even the Ginger One Whose Name Shall Not Be Mentioned?

Im gonna go for a little jog tonight in case I get the call

What about Bertsch as midfielder?

http://www.yellowfever.co.nz/categories/wellington-phoenix-discussion/topics/student-sunday-session-sunday-9th-bencher

We're really keen to bring in the students and try to get them into the Fever thing. So please share this as widely as you can...especially if you're younger than Dale.

So we could shape up like this

                   Moss

Boxall    Sigmund    Durante      Shermy

        Ridenton    Lia     Hicks

          Boyd   Stein     Brockie

Italiano Krishna Watson Rufer Adams

Out is Fenton, Caira, Muscat, Hernandez, Riera, Bertos, Ifill, Cunningham

That is a bare 16 so if anyone else falls over we will need to press one of those new chaps into action (you assume you use your squad guys first, right?)

Prepare our anus? I struggle to think this will be pretty.

Didnt we just sign a new defender?

Krishn ashould get a start IMO! need to see what he can do with some actual time, from what i've seen, i like him!

Will be interesting to see what the young players are like under pressure and possibly the new signings

Well exactly, is there a better time?

Angstometer is giving a very, very high reading on this post.

"Those not up to it at other A league clubs" must make up a fair % of players in the entire league I reckon. Never understood that argument that just because they left another club, that means theyre not any good. 

Hernandez is clearly just a Victory reject who can't hack it in this league. 

Wow one player yep thats gotta work.Gotta laugh was away for the last result and have read MANY of the negative comments made about many players in the game.Will i be there next game yes,but really one signing and one player you can mention that another A league club might want thats definatly  gotta be a recipe that leads us to the title.

As much as you gotta love what Ernies done so far if we dont make some serious progression next season then you gotta wonder.Yep no doubt about it our 100 game players would all have acheived that if they at played else where.And you reckon im blinkered.LOL

WSW built their Premiership winning squad together out of players who left other clubs.

Not that many former Socceroos. Haliti, Mooy, Santalab could hardly be called that.

Some decent imports, but only Shinji Ono could be called a star import.

With limited pool of aus and nz players available we have two main options for players (imports aside):

a) pick players who are out of contract from other clubs - you'd say they're not up to it.

b) pick up youngsters from ASBP - you'd say they're a bunch of kids who aren't up to it

So basically we can't win according to you. Which is a line of thinking you probably quite enjoy, as it lets you stay miserable. 

There is a big difference between signing a club reject - i.e. Diego, Caceres, Ward, Downey, Tsattalios - and a player like Hernandez who was forced out of the club by a new coach and is still loved by supporters.

very well said Valeo... someone told me once that "quality" in a squad works exponentially.  When you reach the magic voodoo threshhold of four quality players on the park, everyone else looks/is awesome too - right down the middle of the park being the optimum arrangement: from keeper to Mr Goal Scorer/number 10...

Wow, we look scarily thin this weekend. There are red flags popping up all over that possible starting XI. Thus not going in with high expectations (in fact any expectations at all) to this one, which is sometimes the best way to be.

Got to love watching the Nix at home though. Can't wait to see what happens...

Last time we played the bottom placed team at home.................