This especially for me.

My mate Longbottom! Yes!

Same, probably the first time this season I got genuinely excited, jumped out my seat. 

So last game they lost 5 -1, hopefully they can improve on that.

I would not count a 4-1 loss as an improvement, unless our play was that much better.

Keeping them to 2 or less would be a good start. Us scoring would be a bonus, but I think we can score at least one.

I honestly want them to go all out this game, show some passion and heart and get a win, no point parking the bus and eventually losing anyway.

It would be nice if they went all out, but at this stage in the team's development, wouldn't ou be happy with a 1-1 or 1-0 scoreline against the Sydney juggernaut?

As it looks right now, after half a season gone - we don't deserve to be in the six. Entertainment wise we're right down the bottom.

Hoping for an improvement but we're still short of quality players to get there.

Yep, pretty much how I see it too.

Anything but roar getting smashed by sydney is a win.

As usual I will hope for a win ...but I guess a loss in on the cards .
A draw... very acceptable as long as we don't park the bus for 90 mins . If we make a game of it and park the bus for the last 15 or 20  I will still be happy . 
I will be Ok if it is a tight match and we lose by one . 
A loss by two would make me unhappy but would probably be expected .
A loss by more than two would be poor ....but I am always hopeful ... maybe Sydney will have an off day and we will have a good one ..

The lack of quality is still obvious, but there is certainly more belief in the team now, and that goes a long way in any football game, as we all know.

No way around it - our best 11 is pretty ordinary, but they are fighters and they are fit.  If they get in the faces of the Sydney players, they could surprise.

its a real shame we couldn't sign Brattan he would have been a really good get. hopefully oneils time with the ollyroos has sharpened his focus coming back here. we have been on the improve since he left so will have to prove himself to get back into the team. 

I am sitting just about exactly in that space too.

He would have been a great signing and added a lot to the Brisbane MF.  Maybe Akbari and (as you said) O'Neill can step up and surprise.

He's getting older and give akbari another year and I think he will be starting most games. 

I honestly believe that Akbari, given regular games will be as good as if not better than Brattan.

Hard to say given the lack of game time he's had.  I hope you're right and hopefully he does develop and the Roar hold on to him.  With Brattan you could tell almost immediately how good he was.  His passing and work in the MF was very good from day 1.

Brattan started with a lot of good players around him in the Roar team of the Ange era. Akbari unfortunately doesn't have that benefit. So yes, hard to say how Akbari will progress at this stage.

yes and probably most importantly you could see how quick he was between the ears. he has always had a very good read on the game and even if he was never the quickest player over the ground he was always one to read the play and be where he needed to be (something that broich was very good at)

I'm with those that think Akbari is on the up. 

We thort that with Caletti but didn't seem to eventuate. 

Given the game time I think he'll do well. 

He appears more thoughtful in his play and passing than O'Neil. Not saying better or worse just different but more like Brattan. IMO.  

Im happy to start him. 

Caletti had plenty of chances but unfortunately he struggled due to his size. Akbari isn't that much bigger though but I just get the feeling that he can push on and become an important player for us. 

Historically speaking, "he can push on and become an important player for another club" would be more accurate.

Those who knock the roundabout of Australian football often forget that some of those players are on their way up or at their peak - not necessarily only journeymen and squaddies.

I often think about how good a side we could build using only players in other A-League clubs that have previously played for us. It seems to me there is usually quite a good team out there of ex-Roar players.

Redmayne/Reddy
Franjic Devere Donachie O'Toole (too soon?)
Brattan
Berisha  Barbarousus McLaren

Possibly throw an Ingham in there too for numbers.

if you are throwing ingham in there then why not Kruse. there are definitely a lot of pretty good ex roar players floating around, jurman, yeboah, zullo, daggs, Dimi, fitzgerald, lauchie jackson, acton, barnett, tommy oar, halloran. pretty decent lot of players

anyone know if Mauk transfer is effective immediately or at the end of the year? if its immediate then surely that means someone else on the way in. 

Now to just  get rid of ROD, AAH and Mcging and we will be rid of most of our dead weight. 

The biggest dead weight will always be Bowles and Pepper.

According to the Marco article, appears to be immediate. Also says his contract was back-ended, which is interesting. 

Peppers on about $80k. That’s a lightweight on the cap. If you replace him you’ll only get another lightweight player

Wonder how that works when a mutual happens, I guess it's done on a case by case basis. 

Seems odd that a player asks to leave for nothing when he got paid unders for a season as it was meant to increase.

I guess it's a case of cutting your losses if your career would otherwise stall?

Perhaps he had to play a certain number of games to trigger the increase and that's why he wasn't getting a run if Fowler knew he didn't want him etc

Shows that the club has all the aces in negotiations with players. I'm disappointed as I thought Mauk was a good signing.