R4: Away to Smurf Village

[dibo]

We're not going to have a lot of the ball. When Arnie was coaching us, the times we struggled the most were the times we were asked to take the initiative and try to win the game off our own bat. He's probably got a better squad now than we had at any point in his time here, but he hasn't really taken the game to anyone.

His side were more aggressive without the ball than with in on Friday, after they got a goal they really sat back. He only went after the Derby when they were behind and the match against City was broadly a stalemate.

This Sunday, we *really* don't want to concede. Our defence is ropey but our attack is more so. We're making too many errors with the ball (starting from the back 4) to be able to play through any deep-sitting, organised block defence the way we're playing at the moment. Our strength in attack is speed, so the best option is to soak and counter. Sharp vertical balls to Duke, Fitz and Mane who will look for wide spaces to receive and then run at the line, hoping to get some supporting runners.

That also means that for large periods we will be sitting deep and making life as unpleasant as possible for Sydney FC attackers, possibly re-hashing the back five we saw three times at the end of last year. This means it's possible we might have Caceres instead of Monty at 8, but Monty drops to 6 in place of Hutch and spends a lot of time sitting between the CBs.

If anyone wants to describe that as "being a cock", good on them (and Melbourne Victory will point to their two championships, and WSW will point to a league title and an AFC Champions League first-leg lead), but in reality we're playing against a defensive team who will happily score and then park the bus. If SFC get an early goal you might as well head to the pub, there won't be a lot more to see. Frankly, if we get one, same deal. This one ain't gonna be a thriller (but I'll be very happy if I'm wrong).

----------------Reddy-------------
Roux-Anderson-Bosnar-Rose
--------------------Monty---------
--------Caceres--------------------
Fitz---------Trifiro--------Mane
---------------Duke----------------

 

[nebakke]

I'm really curious to see too... In any of the discussions I have seen this far, it seems to be taken for granted, that Arnie knows the Mariners really well and that it'll be one of his big advantages.
But to me, looking at the team, it's changed quite a bit since he left AND he left it in a shambles, so, at times at bit, even the playing style feels different...
But you would think that he does know Moss...

 

[localpom]

We're not going to have a lot of the ball. When Arnie was coaching us, the times we struggled the most were the times we were asked to take the initiative and try to win the game off our own bat. He's probably got a better squad now than we had at any point in his time here, but he hasn't really taken the game to anyone.

His side were more aggressive without the ball than with in on Friday, after they got a goal they really sat back. He only went after the Derby when they were behind and the match against City was broadly a stalemate.

This Sunday, we *really* don't want to concede. Our defence is ropey but our attack is more so. We're making too many errors with the ball (starting from the back 4) to be able to play through any deep-sitting, organised block defence the way we're playing at the moment. Our strength in attack is speed, so the best option is to soak and counter. Sharp vertical balls to Duke, Fitz and Mane who will look for wide spaces to receive and then run at the line, hoping to get some supporting runners.

That also means that for large periods we will be sitting deep and making life as unpleasant as possible for Sydney FC attackers, possibly re-hashing the back five we saw three times at the end of last year. This means it's possible we might have Caceres instead of Monty at 8, but Monty drops to 6 in place of Hutch and spends a lot of time sitting between the CBs.

If anyone wants to describe that as "being a cock", good on them (and Melbourne Victory will point to their two championships, and WSW will point to a league title and an AFC Champions League first-leg lead), but in reality we're playing against a defensive team who will happily score and then park the bus. If SFC get an early goal you might as well head to the pub, there won't be a lot more to see. Frankly, if we get one, same deal. This one ain't gonna be a thriller (but I'll be very happy if I'm wrong).

----------------Reddy-------------
Roux-Anderson-Bosnar-Rose
--------------------Monty---------
--------Caceres--------------------
Fitz---------Trifiro--------Mane
---------------Duke----------------

That would be my side too.

 

[tsd]

Moss has had 2 weeks to hatch a plan, but i suspect he would have been thinking about this since Arnold's appointment, got to get one over the old boss!

more than happy for the bus to be parked at away games, countering has proven to be our most successful tactic of late, i don't care if sydney fc fans don't find that entertaining if we win

what I'm looking forward to the most, rose v ibini

 

[dibo]

I'm looking forward to Mane vs Bojic. $10 says Mane puts him on his arse at some point.

 

[McGrime]

Funny I'm away in Orange playing golf this weekend. Which is exactly where I was when we whipped Syd FC 7-2 way back then.
The difference this week is that we were playing at home that afternoon.

BUT, that's not the only difference here.
Firstly the opposition is the Favorite tag cannot be used by Arnie this weekend because he's coaching the raging favorites.
Our equal leading goalscorer this season plays for that pesky NZ side.
This is our 1st away A-League game since getting touched up 2-0 by the Wanderers last April.
13 of the 17 players in our match squad that day should get a run this week end (One of course will be in Sydey colours)

Are Sydney FC that GOOD ?
Are we The Mariners that BAD ?
I am positive that the Mariners can get a lot better. I also belive Sydney FC has improvement in them.

I suppose we are a bit of a hoodoo team for them where as we should improve with a week to concentrate on this game.

With that in mind I see a tight one maybe a 1 - 1 draw

 

[Capt. Awesome]

Was just watching the Smurf vs Roar game. Sydney effectively used a good press on Roar which stopped them playing out bust also created all of their attacking opportunities. Sydney never created any chances from playing out from the back and used a lot of speculative vertical balls down field. If they didn't regain possession from these passes they pressed and stole the ball off Brisbane and then mounted their attack in a dangerous possition.

Like others have suggested we are best to sit back and force them to play though and then counter when we get it. If we don't give them a chance to press us we will have a better chance of winning the ball game. It will come down to losing the ball in the right areas. If we to play out we will lose ball where we don't want to at the back.

Will be an interesting battle. I like the team that Dibo suggested. Will be good to have Tricky in there to add some mongrel to the midfield.

 

[style_cafe]

This game is probably more about Mossy v Arnold than CCM v SFC
Will Arnie underestimate Moss or can Mossy outfox Arnie..
I think if we are to beat SFC now is the time.
We`ve had 2 weeks preparation. Plenty of time to get things right & to come up with the tactics that can do it for us.
We just have to overcome any self doubt....

 

[Roy Law]

I do expect us to park the bus; I also expect Matt Sim to be in the starting line-up and am fairly certain Kim will be too

 

[justafan]

We're not going to have a lot of the ball. When Arnie was coaching us, the times we struggled the most were the times we were asked to take the initiative and try to win the game off our own bat. He's probably got a better squad now than we had at any point in his time here, but he hasn't really taken the game to anyone.

His side were more aggressive without the ball than with in on Friday, after they got a goal they really sat back. He only went after the Derby when they were behind and the match against City was broadly a stalemate.

This Sunday, we *really* don't want to concede. Our defence is ropey but our attack is more so. We're making too many errors with the ball (starting from the back 4) to be able to play through any deep-sitting, organised block defence the way we're playing at the moment. Our strength in attack is speed, so the best option is to soak and counter. Sharp vertical balls to Duke, Fitz and Mane who will look for wide spaces to receive and then run at the line, hoping to get some supporting runners.

That also means that for large periods we will be sitting deep and making life as unpleasant as possible for Sydney FC attackers, possibly re-hashing the back five we saw three times at the end of last year. This means it's possible we might have Caceres instead of Monty at 8, but Monty drops to 6 in place of Hutch and spends a lot of time sitting between the CBs.

If anyone wants to describe that as "being a cock", good on them (and Melbourne Victory will point to their two championships, and WSW will point to a league title and an AFC Champions League first-leg lead), but in reality we're playing against a defensive team who will happily score and then park the bus. If SFC get an early goal you might as well head to the pub, there won't be a lot more to see. Frankly, if we get one, same deal. This one ain't gonna be a thriller (but I'll be very happy if I'm wrong).

----------------Reddy-------------
Roux-Anderson-Bosnar-Rose
--------------------Monty---------
--------Caceres--------------------
Fitz---------Trifiro--------Mane
---------------Duke----------------

Good side but unfortunately Moss will play Pascoliero instead of Zac, Hutch instead of Monty and Kim instead of Trifiro.
I would swap Mane for Matt Sim.

 

[shipwreck]

What did Zac do wrong?? I'm so confused

 

[dibo]

Good side but unfortunately Moss will play Pascoliero instead of Zac, Hutch instead of Monty and Kim instead of Trifiro.
I would swap Mane for Matt Sim.

We've seen Pascoliero start once and he didn't have a great game; not a strong sign to me that he's starting this week.

He may well play Kim, and if Sim plays this season's selections tell us that Fitzy misses out rather than Mane.

If Hutch plays, he plays at 6, Monty moves to 8 and either Caceres misses out or Caceres moves to 10 and Trifiro misses out. It would be unlikely that we'd use Monty as the deep lying DM in that case though, we'd be in our normal shape.

 

[justafan]

What did Zac do wrong?? I'm so confused

Imo he did nothing wrong. He was our best defender v the scum.

 

[nebakke]

What did Zac do wrong?? I'm so confused

I figured that it had more to do with game time, than with doing anything wrong. It wouldn't be the first time that I was wrong, but I figured that Moss saw it as an opportunity to rest Zac a bit after the last two games, while trying out a player that looked fairly promising in the pre-season, in a competitive situation where we still have the rest of the season to claw back any serious draw-backs, if we need to... Better than getting to the business end and only trying him out then... Here and now he knows how his cover behaves.
And I suspect he picked him over Bosnar because he sees Poscoglieri as more of a backup for Zac than for Bosnar.

So, I also rekon we'll see Chesty back in action this weekend... Unless I'm wrong, in which case, obviously... I'm wrong

 

[dibo]

For this weekend - we know what our reaction was to McGlinchey, but what of Bernie?

For mine, I think he moved because Sydney were the ones who were willing to pay the loan fee that Shanghai required (and we weren't/couldn't). So Shanghai made the call, but he was willing to go.

He really came of age as a footballer under Arnie, and he's a Sydney boy. Add to that he lost his dad not that long ago and probably wanted to be close to his mum and siblings, so I don't at all begrudge him his move to the sky blues.

He's also said he won't celebrate if he scores, so I think it's appropriate in the circumstances that there's some mutual respect shown. We won't cheer him, obviously, but we won't boo him. If he claps us, I reckon we clap back.

He's not said a bad word about our club, so I reckon he should be recognised for what he did with us and wished well on his journey.

 

[sydmariner]

I won't be booing him but I will be booing arnie,clarkey, & bojic

 

[dibo]

One of your worst posts yet.

Bojic there's no point - we're better off without him. He's now a hat salesman who miskicks a ball for money at the neighbours' place. Would you swap Roux for him? I wouldn't. Point and laugh, maybe. Boo? Nah.

With Arnie, why boo? He took another job when he was unemployed and ours was unavailable (unless you think we should've demoted Moss, which would have been an utter cock of a thing to do). That's like being pissed off at your ex for moving on when you're happily married. Did you think he was going to stay unemployed so he could say he never loved another club after ours? f**king hell, he's a coach, he will take coaching jobs when they're on offer. Still delivered our first Grand Final win. Want to see him lose three games a year against us, but other than that good luck to him.

Clarky: Same deal as for Arnie but more so. He played for us for years as well, he was a real favourite of mine, and a coastie to boot. We've got Tim Knight on board, and he's going well, so wish Clarky well for the future.

 

[dibo]

BTW - Hutch seems set to play (article in the paper talking about him being keen to lead the side against Arnie), so I think it's unlikely we're playing Monty in the super-deep role. I reckon we'll be playing our normal shape, with:

----------------Reddy-------------
Roux-Anderson-Bosnar-Rose
--------------------Hutch---------
--------Monty---------------------
Fitz---------Trifiro--------Mane
---------------Duke----------------

 

[rbakersmith]

With Arnie, why boo? He took another job when he was unemployed and ours was unavailable (unless you think we should've demoted Moss, which would have been an utter cock of a thing to do). That's like being pissed off at your ex for moving on when you're happily married. Did you think he was going to stay unemployed so he could say he never loved another club after ours? f**king hell, he's a coach, he will take coaching jobs when they're on offer. Still delivered our first Grand Final win. Want to see him lose three games a year against us, but other than that good luck to him.

Except in this case the ex skipped off after renewing their vows, publicly declaring that they'd never go out with anyone in your family only to shack up a few months later with your sister who lives down the road after things went bad with the other woman. You might have found someone else, but the pain and problems that the ex caused by leaving are still present.

 

[Gratis]

I would be very happy with that line up.

also I agree, at first I was angry about sfc's accumulation of our staff and players but I don't blame any of them. no hard feelings.

keen to kick their ars.es though!