Current table:
Ulsan - 4 points
Shanghai - 3 points
Kawasaki - 3 points
Sydney - 1 point
Our brightest point I think is that Shanghai have conceded 6 goals in their last 3 league games and lost 3-2 on Friday.
Current table:
Ulsan - 4 points
Shanghai - 3 points
Kawasaki - 3 points
Sydney - 1 point
Our brightest point I think is that Shanghai have conceded 6 goals in their last 3 league games and lost 3-2 on Friday.
I cant see us getting out of the group from here. I know we’d love to give it a red hot go but I wouldnt mind a few changes. Maybe look at giving Tratt a start in CB, Ivanovic a start or bench spot depending what hes up to and maybe finding a spot on the bench for Devlin.
I agree with making a few changes, even if just to shake things up a little, because we are tactically predictable, and at home in the ACL in particular we’ve consistently failed to find a way through using our usual methods.
However, we have had a few breaks in the last month or two so I’m not sure any of our squad really needs much of a break - maybe a quick rest for O’Neill to keep Retre in touch too, just before the finals. And Wilko’s not young and looked in a little discomfort when tracking Toivonen back when Calver played him in.
With 7 bench spots that should be a bit easier. Ivanovic should certainly get a run and I also wouldn’t mind Tratt getting a start at CB.
You’d think Reza would get a start as well. This is pretty much why he’s here.
Anyone else think Alf needs a break. The guy looks a bit out of sorts atm.
Reza up front with ninkovic, de jong and ivanovic behind him?
Play the youth team. Next 2 HAL games are far more important to nail down 2nd spot, would hate to throw away the week off and home semi after all the hard work was done on Sat night.
Yeah I think Alf could do with a break, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Reza can do at the 9. If I’m not mistaken, he’s only played alongside Le Fondre with us (whether starting our replacing Brosque), and it would be worth exploring how he goes in a different role.
Reza and De Jong up front plz.
Yes we’ve flogged him hard all season and it would do him good to come on for 20 minutes against some tired defenders, just as it it would do good for Reza to give him a proper run.
Yeah what I was thinking was something like
Redmayne
Grant Tratt Calver Zullo
O’Neill Brillante
Ivanovic-Siem-Ninkovic
Reza
That or give Retre the RM minutes and chuck on Ivanovic and Devlin with a good 20+ to go.
Does Wilkinson really need a rest? We just had a week off and CBs don’t have to run as much. A Tratt-Calver CB partnership completely lacks leadership and organisation IMO and couldn’t handle the attacking power SIPG has.
I doubt there’ll be any changes with the exception of Reza for Brosque. Brosque will then come back in for the derby.
It would be as much as giving Wilko and Alf a rest as it would be keeping other squaddies matchfit
But more than likely I think Scooter is right.
Totally on board with this one. We have pretty much blown any chance in this comp, and on previous form lines our squad has not been large enough to manage the issues with travel, backing up etc.
I agree with the posts above. Scooter, you’re unfortunately likely to be right.
Arach, I don’t know if he badly needs a rest, but he had that pain in the 2nd half on Saturday night, and he’s getting on a bit.
For us at this stage, securing 2nd is a more realistic target than progressing in the ACL. Plus the last time we progressed in the ACL, we put out back 4s drawn from Jurman, Ryall, Calver, Anderson, Woodcock. Between Tratt, Jop and a more experienced Calver, I think we can put out a defense just as capable.
I’d be a little surprised if De Jong doesn’t start to be honest. He needs game time both for his own sharpness and for his integration into the team, and it seems to make more sense to throw him in here than the derby or against Perth.
We could be second in our ACL group in two nights’ time. We’re not the Mariners, we should be able to compete in two competitions at once, especially now we have a four point buffer in the league.
That would make sense. I didn’t think of that and I dare say Stevie will think the same as you which will be a good move.
Well, yes, partly by using the squad which being better resourced than the Mariners helps us to do. This means not flogging the same 12-13 players hard for every game because there are other players who can do a good job, abut also offer something different. We have been so predictable in the ACL using our standard strongest starting 11, that it really wouldn’t be a great loss to rest a couple and give our opponents something slightly different to deal with.
ALF has really dropped off after such a blistering start where he looked like he was going to challenge Bobo’s goal haul. Might be time for him to chill on the bench for this one ready for next A-league game. But I don’t think this will happen – Corica will start him.
Reza has been below what I had expected but might be worth giving a run to at number 9 for this game – Corica will bench him
De Jong should start as we really need to get our $$ worth out of him – Corica will think it is better to keep him for the A-League
What’s the point of all this small-time, small-town thinking? We should be always trying to win the ACL or decline to enter it. We are still well in the game to get into the next ACL round and should give it our best shot, for the sake of the club and its international standing (and sponsors, marketability), the players’ football development and their career aspirations, and and for us fans who should look forward to us playing someone outside the same HAL clubs. Can’t wait for Wednesday!
And as if making the top two last year served us so well in the HAL finals?