The Roar's A-League Men tips and predictions: Round 26 - the jostle for finals positions is on in earnest
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
Marquee signing Josh Kennedy is excited by the prospect of playing a key role in helping rescue Melbourne City’s A-League campaign.
The towering striker has arrived in Australia to begin training with his new club, although he won’t make his A-League debut until the competition resumes in February after the break for the Asian Cup.
Kennedy – a veteran of Australia’s 2006 and 2010 World Cup campaigns – has been named in Ange Postecoglou’s expanded squad for January’s Asian Cup, but is unlikely to make the final cut.
The 32-year-old has signed for one-and-a-half seasons with Melbourne City after a five-year stint in the J-League with Nagoya Grampus, where he scored 63 goals in 128 appearances.
He has spent the previous 15 seasons playing overseas.
“It’s been good to be back with the family and I’ve come in here to the club to do a few individual sessions so it’s been good,” said Kennedy.
“I really want to come in and fit into the team as quickly as possible, play my part in the team and do my job on the pitch – score a few goals and hopefully set a few up.
“The opportunity arose and I think the club is headed in a really exciting direction.
“The way that the coach wants to play, getting the ball out wide and getting the ball in the box, I think that’s going to be really beneficial for the way I play and hopefully I can slot in there and finish things off.”
Kennedy is confident he has recovered from the back injury which ended his hopes of playing in the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.
Kennedy has scored 17 goals in 33 internationals.
Melbourne City sit in seventh spot on the A-League table with nine points from as many games.
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Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
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