The Scout makes a bold prediction: dump your Mariners and fill your fantasy team with men in orange.
Last time I checked, penalties are supposed to be the easiest way known to footballers the world over to score goals. You step up to the spot, pick a spot and smash the ball past the keeper. It-s not that hard! Yet another week has passed and now the Mariners have missed five spot kicks straight.
Michael McGlinchey becoming the latest in a long line of failures from 11 metres. His penalty against Kashiwa Reysol in ACL action every bit as feeble as a 90-year-old with a zimmerframe.
Look at the list, McBreen (x2), Montgomery, Ryan, McGlinchey it-s pretty embarrassing. McBreen and Monty have all the experience in the world, Ryan fancied himself a Chilavert type of keeper (minus the stomach) and McGlinchey is a current NZ international.
The question has to go out there, do the Roar just hack a Mariner in the area this weekend and watch Michael Theo sap the Mariners- collective confidence even further? In truth maybe they don-t have to.
Central Coast have blown the Premier-s Plate are stinking up the Asian Champions League and have an appalling record against the Roar as it stands.
Brisbane are their kryptonite. They may have knocked the Roar off early in the season but Brisbane have hit form and even when they weren-t in form they escaped Suncorp with a draw, the Mariners are sinking right now and all it will take to crack them is an early goal.
If it happens watch the head of every Mariners player drop.
Here-s the skinny on the Mariners, they will likely go into this with very little to play for. The Wanderers will likely have taken care of the poorly-performing Melbourne Heart side, (those guys need a defibrillator to revive their season) and thus claim the Premier-s Plate.
Brisbane however are marching towards the finals and have found whatever they lost before this season started. I think it-s called desire!
The message this week gets some Roar attackers into your side.
Thomas Broich, Ben Halloran, Mitch Nichols, Ivan Franjic and the enigmatic Besart Berisha have all been good of late and they can expect to continue their charge to the finals against their favourite whipping boys.
Buy: Iain Ramsay The mercurial midfielder has hit form yet again and make no mistake when he hits it he holds it, the Reds are also looking to go into the finals in-form off the back of a significant slump and Ramsay can lead them.
Sell: Emile Heskey Dodgy calf, less games to play than anyone else except Wellington and a team who are misfiring in the final third makes it time you sacked the Englishman from your team.
This week our VISA Moneycard goes to Oscar, whose team collected 164 points in a tough week, thanks to a reliance on Adelaide United player. He-s been keeping the faith almost as long os Bon Jovi, given Adelaide-s recent woes and deserves to be rewarded for sticking with his side.
While Oscar took the round, the big question remains can anyone catch the ‘Budgie Smugglers-? With just three rounds left to play they have skipped out to a 58-point lead and are looking about as close to claiming the Premiership as the Wanderers are.
Team of the Week: The highest scoring, cheapest team in a valid formation (It may not actually be possible to select this team)
Formation: 4-5-1 | Total points = 234
Vedran Janjetovic (SFC 14), Michael Thwaite (PG 20), Ivan Franjic (BR 18),Cassio (AU 22), Seb Ryall (C) (SFC 52), Dario Vidosic (AU 22), Iain Ramsay (22), Terry Antonis (SFC 18), Matias Cordoba (PG 16), Shinji Ono (WSW 16), Mark Bridge (WSW 16)
