I think the big change that has to be made is to pull mooy back a bit deeper and get him playing long releasing balls rather than getting on the ball in wide positions and taking an age to shield the ball and then go backwards. We also need to create more space in the middle behind the strikers so that Rogic has a bit more room
After last night’s debacle and Brisbane before that, I’m actually hoping Sydney does well tonight.
Doing very well so far.
Hindsight will show it was a monumental effort for WSW to win the Asian Championship League 4 or 5 years ago.
2 Likes
Will never happen again
How good is Leroy George?
1 Like
Also Sydney derby tonight
Never say never
Looks ■■■■■■ good, but hopefully not so bleeding good this Friday.
1 Like
WSW have shut down the rbb for a match after their little pyro show at the Sydney derby
A League will be gone soon and Vasili will be proven right once again
Yep
1 Like
Where is Vasili? I don’t think I’ve seen him for over 5 years?
The derby was mental last night.
Cahill, Petratos and Nabbout in but no Arzani in Socceroos squad
By Michael Lynch6 March 2018 — 12:16pm
Andrew Nabbout’s extraordinary soccer renaissance took anonther momentous turn on Tuesday when the former Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets player was named in a 29-man preliminary squad by new Socceroos boss Bert van Marwijk.
The squad, which also features veteran goalscorer Tim Cahill, is for the upcoming pre-World Cup friendlies against Norway in Oslo and Colombia in London.
Cahill has barely appeared for South London side Millwall since rejoining them a month ago, but van Marwijk has included him anyway.
But there is no spot for his exciting former Melbourne City teammate Daniel Arzani, who has lit up the A-League since breaking into the City line-up at the start of the year – a process in part hastened by Cahill’s departure earlier in the season.
Many have been clamouring for Arzani’s inclusion in recognition of his precocious talent and because to ignore him might embolden the nation of his birth, Iran, to step up their pursuit of his services.
But van Marwijk has resisted the pressure and is relying on the proven attacking players at his disposal – such as Mat Leckie, Tomi Juric, Robbie Kruse and James Troisi – and those who have been thrown a second chance, like Nikita Rukavytsya and Jamie Maclaren.
There is no place for Brandon Borello, the Germany-based forward who has also attracted plenty of attention in recent weeks, but Nabbout’s erstwhile Newcastle Jets teammate Dimi Petratos, whose skilful displays at the heart of the Jets midfield this season have been a key factor in their push towards the top of the table, does get a berth.
The other uncapped player called up is Perth-born defender Aleksander Susnjar, who stands at 192cm and plays his football in the Czech Republic with Mlada Boleslav.
James Meredith, Cahill’s teammate at Millwall, has been given a recall after a strong season in England’s second tier. He was seen briefly under Ange Postecoglou in first phase of World Cup qualifiers but the full-back was left out in recent years.
Josh Brillante’s call-up was reward for two excellent seasons with Sydney FC. The defensive midfielder will provide competition for stalwarts Mark Milligan and Mile Jedinak in that role.
Another man back from the international wilderness is Feyenoord goalkeeper Brad Jones, the veteran former Liverpool and Middlesbrough custodian.
Van Marwijk would have seen a lot of Jones in recent seasons as he has been starring for the Rotterdam club, whom van Marwijk has helmed twice in his coaching career, including one stint when they won the UEFA Cup.
Twenty-two of the players involved with Australia’s successful World Cup Inter-Confederation play-off against Honduras last November have been selected in the first preliminary squad of van Marwijk’s reign.
All up there are seven new or returning players included.
The A-League provides four current players in contention to feature in the Dutchman’s final squad, to be confirmed next week.
They are Victory’s Troisi, Wanderer Josh Risdon, Brillante and Petratos. It would have been five but for Nabbout’s transfer on Monday to Japanese giants Urawa Red Diamonds
“Since my appointment with the Socceroos, my staff, scouts and I have monitored over 100 Australian players in the Hyundai A-League, as well as in leagues across Europe and Asia,” said van Marwijk in a statement issued by the FFA.
“We are pleased with the initial 29 players we have picked for our upcoming games against Norway and Colombia and will finalise the squad next week.
“There are still a couple of weeks before the group gathers in Oslo, so we will continue to monitor the health and fitness of all the players in the preliminary squad, as well as those on our longer list of potential World Cup squad members.
“Our upcoming matches against Norway and Colombia will provide a great chance for the players selected to press their claims for Russia, however the door remains ajar for all players not picked for the March window."
The Socceroos will convene in Oslo on March 19. The squad will take on Norway at the Ullevaal Stadion on March 23, before shifting to London on March 24. On March 27 Australia will play Colombia at Craven Cottage in west London.
SOCCEROOS SQUAD:
Name / club and country / Socceroos caps / Socceroos goals
Aziz BEHICH, (Bursaspor) TURKEY, 19 (2)
Joshua BRILLANTE, Sydney FC, AUSTRALIA, 5 (0)
Tim CAHILL, (Millwall) ENGLAND, 104 (50)
Milos DEGENEK, (Yokohama F. Marinos) JAPAN, 15 (0)
Alex GERSBACH, (Lens) FRANCE, 4 (0)
Jackson IRVINE, (Hull City AFC) ENGLAND, 15 (1)
Mile JEDINAK, (Aston Villa FC) ENGLAND, 73 (18)
Brad JONES (Gk), (Feyenoord Rotterdam) NETHERLANDS, 4 (0)
Tomi JURIC, FC (Luzern) SWITZERLAND, 32 (8)
Matthew JURMAN, (Suwon Samsung Bluewings) KOREA REPUBLIC, 4 (0)
Robbie KRUSE, (VfL Bochum) GERMANY, 60 (5)
Mitchell LANGERAK, (Gk) (Nagoya Grampus) JAPAN, 8 (0)
Mathew LECKIE, (Hertha BSC) GERMANY, 49 (6)
Massimo LUONGO, (Queens Park Rangers FC) ENGLAND, 32 (5)
Jamie MACLAREN, (Hibernian FC) SCOTLAND, 5 (0)
James MEREDITH, (Millwall) ENGLAND, 2 (0)
Mark MILLIGAN, (Al Ahli SC) SAUDI ARABIA, 64 (6)
Aaron MOOY, (Huddersfield Town) ENGLAND, 31 (5)
Andrew NABBOUT, (Urawa Red Diamonds) JAPAN, 0 (0)
Dimitri PETRATOS, (Newcastle Jets) AUSTRALIA, 0 (0)
Josh RISDON, (Western Sydney) AUSTRALIA, 5 (0)
Tom ROGIC, (Celtic FC) SCOTLAND, 33 (7)
Nikita RUKAVYTSYA, (Maccabi Haifa FC) ISRAEL, 16 (1)
Mathew RYAN, (Gk) (Brighton & Hove Albion FC) ENGLAND, 41 (0)
Trent SAINSBURY, (Grasshopper Club) Zurich, SWITZERLAND, 33 (3)
Aleksandar SUSNJAR, (FK Mlada Boleslav) CZECH REPUBLIC, 0 (0)
James TROISI, (Melbourne Victory) AUSTRALIA, 36 (5)
Daniel VUKOVIC, (Genk) BELGIUM, 0 (0)
Bailey WRIGHT, (Bristol City) ENGLAND, 21 (1)
1 Like
No Touple-Stanley? Are we finally moving on and getting better?
2 Likes
Adelaide United is on the verge of being sold to a Chinese consortium. Payment of $15m received today with the rest to follow. People in the know have said that the group are looking at investing $40m into the club in the first 12 months
So will there be a name change to Adelaide Evergrande or something? 
Will do sweet ■■■■ all with the cap in place.
awwww Mitch 
That’s actually a very decent squad. Only addition id add would be Arzani. That kid is the next big thing