A-League tipping Round 3: Perth on the ropes after Zdrilic sacking, early pressure for Wanderers and Victory

Three cheers for both Texi Smith and Andrew Prentice who went bananas in A-League tipping last weekend. Just a lone result cost them a perfect round, yet the roar of the crowd has taken the early lead on the ladder.

Brisbane will look to confirm their improved state on Friday night against City, Perth will be hoping for a care-taker coach win against the struggling Victory later that evening and Auckland, Newcastle and Macarthur host intriguing matches on Saturday.

The Mariners welcome the Phoenix on Sunday and this looks a mighty tough week for tipsters. Be sure to enter your tips in the sheet below and have a say in the voice of the people. Here are the thoughts of the panel heading into the third round of play for the season.

Stuart Thomas

City, Victory, Auckland, Newcastle, Macarthur, Central Coast

Brisbane will battle hard against the champions on Friday night, yet City are looking ominous early and in good form. It is hard to see Perth being able to overcome the bombshell news around their ex-coach and being focused enough to beat a struggling Melbourne Victory. They could do it, but the visitors will be ruthless in this one.

Adelaide disappointed me a little on Monday night against the Bulls and Auckland did precisely what I predicted in their 1-0 win over the Wanderers. They will be defensively supreme again and the Reds unable to crack them. The Jets to beat Sydney based purely on form and the home team’s potency in attack.

The Wanderers have failed to fire a shot this season and the Bulls looked decent against the Reds on Monday. In a spiteful game, a lone goal will win it for the bell-ringers. The Mariners dropped the ball against Sydney last week and need to bounce back. I think they can against a Wellington side that sometimes struggles on the road.

Andrew Prentice

City, Draw, Auckland, Newcastle, Western Sydney, Central Coast

The Roar are making all the right noises about change, but City haven’t had to change much at all. They are just rolling right on.

Max Caputo is loving life up front and will torment a Brisbane defence that was too generous to the Phoenix last week. There is more to sort out for the home side before they can convince their fans that the club is on the upswing.

The Glory are a mess. Whoever the new coach happens to be (unknown at press time), I don’t think  the dead cat will bounce high enough for a win over a bruised Victory. But a draw could be achievable, as long as Adam Taggert brings his shooting boots.

Auckland’s imperious home form continues to this season. They’ve erected the Black Knight “None Shall Pass” defensive wall and unless the Reds have signed Arthur, King of the Britons during the week, they’ll find it as hard to break down as everyone else has. 2-0 to the home side.

Auckland FC players celebrate (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

The Jets are the most talked-about side of the season thus far. Alex Badolato is white-hot and Blues coach Ufuk Talay will have been pondering how to keep him quiet all week. That said, Sydney clicked last start with some of the new signings finding their feet.

This looks like a great game in prospect and there should be goals. The Jets at home have a good record against Sydney and I’m leaning towards them – just.

The Greater West derby looms with Macarthur buoyed by a Monday win over Adelaide. The Wanderers hit the wall that is Auckland and a winless first two games is not what coach Stajcic would have preferred. However, they have bullied their neighbours in past contests and have the firepower to upset the Bulls in Campbelltown.

The Phoenix have started well. They travel to Gosford with goals and points in the bag. The Mariners were sunk late by Sydney but can take heart in a start that has far exceeded the gloomy pre-season expectations.

A win here will ensure the locals become acquainted with Moon-ball on a more permanent basis. Andrew Redmayne guiding the youngsters from the back has a Vukovic-like feel to it.

Texi Smith

Brisbane, Victory, Auckland, Sydney, Macarthur, Central Coast

How Brisbane won the first game of the season against Macarthur is anyone’s guess, and with City having a walk in the park against Perth Glory last time out, that masks a dour performance at Commbank Stadium the week before. Jay O’Shea to tee up Chris Long for the opening goal, before Georgios Vrakas settles it after a siege by the visitors in the second half.

Brisbane Roar’s Jay O’Shea lobs over a corner. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Two clubs smarting from heavy defeats last week meet at HBF Park in the late game, Perth Glory having disposed of their manager and going into the weekend rudderless and with little expectation. Melbourne Victory were found out defensively last week, and they will have a torrid time up against Jaiden Kucharski and Adam Taggart in a first half of open flowing football.

Trailing at the break, an unlikely second-half brace from Jing Reec sees Victory return to winning ways and heap the pressure on the Glory hierarchy to sort things out.

Auckland FC’s stacked team has barely started to gather momentum, but the single-goal success against Western Sydney last weekend will have given them a timely boost. Saturday’s visitors Adelaide United toiled industriously against the Bulls on Monday but were lacking in the final third.

In the bright Auckland sunshine, the Reds will be demolished, completely outplayed from start to finish, Sam Cosgrove bundling in two goals to make him look like a world-beater. Further goals will rightly inflate a scoreline that embarrasses the visitors and sends a strong message to the rest of the A-League that the reigning premiers are no one-hit wonder.

Newcastle Jets made Melbourne Victory look pedestrian last weekend, and it was what we expected of them this season despite their opening day blip on the Central Coast. Some positive changes for the Sky Blues will give them an edge early on, Jordan Courtney-Perkins with a rasping effort in the opening five minutes to stun the home crowd.

Instead of the usual soaking up of pressure in the fixture, the Sky Blues are consistently on the attack, and the tricky Piero Quispe dances a merry dance through the Jets’ defence to add a second. A big finish from the Jets almost gets them back on level terms, but it’s Sydney who leave with the spoils.

The glamour Saturday night spot is finally given to Macarthur FC, and with Western Sydney Wanderers in town, it’s a big occasion for both teams. For all the quality in the Wanderers starting line-up, they can play some really unenterprising football, but they will click in the first half; Kosta Barbarouses fizzing up front and nudging the visitors ahead at the break.

Rafael Duran equalises in the first minute of the second half to gee up the bumper crowd, and Zane Helweh smashes in the winner, arriving unmarked at the far post to finish off a sharp counter-attack.  Troubled times at the Wanderers.

Kosta Barbarouses of the Western Sydney Wanderers A-League team (Photo by Texi Smith).

Central Coast Mariners have work to do to convince the rest of the A-League that they really have come through a difficult pre-season with heads held high. They were unconvincing against a patchy Sydney FC side last weekend, while Wellington Phoenix were celebrating an unlikely last-minute winner from Carol Armiento.

For a second successive home Sunday game, the Mariners give a fabulous show for their embattled fans; Ryan Edmondson scores at the end of the first half just as Phoenix are turning up the heat, and when the game plan changes and the visitors are chasing the game, Abdelelah Faisal pops up with a goal from a lucky ricochet to settle it. Troubles? What troubles?

Round 3StuartAndrewTexiCrowdBRI v MCYMCYMCYBRI?PER v MVCMVCDRAWMVC?AUK v ADLAUKAUKAUK?NEW v SYDNEWNEWSYD?MAC v WSWMACWSWMAC?CCM v WELCCMCCMCCM?Last week3554Total5667

As always, take on the experts by inserting your tips into the form below.

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