Kiwi Players Elsewhere

Eli Just (Motherwell FC | Scotland)

720 replies · 188,675 views
07 Oct 20:05
Marto
martinb
Marto
coochiee
As expected no Just.

Edit - Motherwell lose 3-2. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos a double for the losers. Stamatelopoulos still not really in Socceroos conversations. He'd be handy for the AWs.

He’d probably start beside Chris next week if he was available for us. Sad to this at the last WC we played in we had 4 strikers all at a good level playing well and scoring, now we have just one and he’s the wrong side of 30.

To be fair though it’s like we swapped our midfield and striking resources. Perhaps even our midfield/defense. 

Then we had Vicelich out of retirement and Barron, an amateur player, on the bench. 
If we count Just and McCowatt, Garbett, Singh, Bell, Stamenic, Thomas, Rufer, and Ben Old we have 9 quality players there. And Parker-Price emerging from hibernation to boot! 

I’m sure Ivan would have still been pro had Auckland had an A League team then. 

We were significantly stronger up front, midfield is stronger now but Elliott at that time was better then any one currently IMHO (Stamenic to hopefully better his level while Thomas and Just are different sorts of players) and at the back, then easily, though in 2030 I think that will be our strongest position again. Keepers are better now and our bench is much much stronger. 

Elliot had constant injuries at that stage of his career and was in Wellington playing wasn't he. He'd make the squad, but would be a squaddie, not a starter IMO.
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08 Oct 00:08 · edited 08 Oct 00:16 · History
The game plan was Elliot (Simon) pinging the ball long to the three big lads up front and possibly McGlinchey or Bertos too picking up the loose ball. 

Neither Ivan or Elliot did a heck of a lot of running at that point. Ivan marked space and passing lanes. 

If we compare our movement in the last couple of games against Aussie, neither Elliot or Vicelich at that stage of their career would have had a guarantee of any minutes. Good players in their twilight years.

I mean the overall point being we’ve got no strikers scoring behind Wood and we’ve a bunch of very gifted midfielders in the Eredivisie, Championship, Norwegian top flight, Scottish top flight and others not far away…


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08 Oct 06:11
martinb
The game plan was Elliot (Simon) pinging the ball long to the three big lads up front and possibly McGlinchey or Bertos too picking up the loose ball. 

Neither Ivan or Elliot did a heck of a lot of running at that point. Ivan marked space and passing lanes. 

If we compare our movement in the last couple of games against Aussie, neither Elliot or Vicelich at that stage of their career would have had a guarantee of any minutes. Good players in their twilight years.

I mean the overall point being we’ve got no strikers scoring behind Wood and we’ve a bunch of very gifted midfielders in the Eredivisie, Championship, Norwegian top flight, Scottish top flight and others not far away…
An interesting thought experiment that just occurred to me - if Bertos was born twenty years later and had access to quality of youth academies we have now, what kind if player would have he become? What other players potentially have found greater success with access to a professional academy from a young age? Siggy? 
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08 Oct 08:27 · edited 08 Oct 08:28 · History
djtim3000
martinb
The game plan was Elliot (Simon) pinging the ball long to the three big lads up front and possibly McGlinchey or Bertos too picking up the loose ball. 

Neither Ivan or Elliot did a heck of a lot of running at that point. Ivan marked space and passing lanes. 

If we compare our movement in the last couple of games against Aussie, neither Elliot or Vicelich at that stage of their career would have had a guarantee of any minutes. Good players in their twilight years.

I mean the overall point being we’ve got no strikers scoring behind Wood and we’ve a bunch of very gifted midfielders in the Eredivisie, Championship, Norwegian top flight, Scottish top flight and others not far away…
An interesting thought experiment that just occurred to me - if Bertos was born twenty years later and had access to quality of youth academies we have now, what kind if player would have he become? What other players potentially have found greater success with access to a professional academy from a young age? Siggy? 

I think a lot of AWs from yester-years would have been a lot better with two (soon 3) pro clubs, modern sport science and decent academies. Take Herbert, McGarry, Evans etc. as good as they were, they would have been much much better.
Supporter world's best and worst football teams: Waikato/WaiBop, Kingz, Knights, Phoenix, The Argyle, The Whites & the All Whites

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13 Oct 07:16
Marto
djtim3000
martinb
The game plan was Elliot (Simon) pinging the ball long to the three big lads up front and possibly McGlinchey or Bertos too picking up the loose ball. 

Neither Ivan or Elliot did a heck of a lot of running at that point. Ivan marked space and passing lanes. 

If we compare our movement in the last couple of games against Aussie, neither Elliot or Vicelich at that stage of their career would have had a guarantee of any minutes. Good players in their twilight years.

I mean the overall point being we’ve got no strikers scoring behind Wood and we’ve a bunch of very gifted midfielders in the Eredivisie, Championship, Norwegian top flight, Scottish top flight and others not far away…
An interesting thought experiment that just occurred to me - if Bertos was born twenty years later and had access to quality of youth academies we have now, what kind if player would have he become? What other players potentially have found greater success with access to a professional academy from a young age? Siggy? 

I think a lot of AWs from yester-years would have been a lot better with two (soon 3) pro clubs, modern sport science and decent academies. Take Herbert, McGarry, Evans etc. as good as they were, they would have been much much better.
True, but a few of our top players always went off overseas when teenagers to pro environments: Brian Turner as an 18/19 year-old joined Chelsea in 1968 and went on to play for Pportsmouth and 92 games for Brentford; Mike McGarry had a season in Newcastle United's youth team with Paul Gascoigne in 1984; Leo Bertos was at Barnsley from age 18, Rory Fallon was at Barnsley from the age of 16,; Peter Whiting (ex Mirimar) was a young All Whites goalie who went off to become Charlton Athletic's reserve goalie in the mid 1960's; a chap posted recently on the All Whites Facebook page about how he was a NZ u-18 international in the 1960's and went off to England to further his career on his own initative, ending up playing several seasons in the lower leagues and winning the Fourth Div.

Big Pete 65, Christchurch

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18 Oct 13:47
Just back and straight into the starting lineup.
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19 Oct 01:06
Off at 64 mins (1-1) in a 1-2 loss.

36 yr old Scott Arfield who played with Tuiloma at Charlotte the winner for Falkirk.
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23 Oct 02:08


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25 Oct 13:41
Just starts
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25 Oct 15:56
And potentially has the winner! At 90 + 3 taking Motherwell 2-1.  Kiwis in the stats tonight with some key contributions!


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26 Oct 00:32 · edited 26 Oct 00:49 · History
Match highlights. Motherwell in the light blue away strip.

Worth a watch, plenty of action. Just heavily involved in the 2nd half.
He's marginally offside twice through VAR, first incident an assist for a non goal for Aussie Stamatelopoulos, and 2nd time Just himself has a diving reaction header goal ruled out.

Makes his late late winner all the more sweet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuUAbrekxaA

Motherwell sit 6th. 
If not for Eli's late heroics it would have been 6 draws in 9 games!

Some caution though. Livingston are a poor side, bottom of the SPL.
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29 Oct 06:32


He's going well this lad. 

Just and McCowatt our most in form players in Europe at the minute?
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29 Oct 07:08
YoungHeartHM


He's going well this lad. 

Just and McCowatt our most in form players in Europe at the minute?

I'd add Bell to that list too. Solid in the midfield of a team leading their league. 
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29 Oct 07:11
Elemenop
YoungHeartHM


He's going well this lad. 

Just and McCowatt our most in form players in Europe at the minute?

I'd add Bell to that list too. Solid in the midfield of a team leading their league. 

Yep, fair call.

Those deep lying playmaker midfielder types never get the accolades and recognition they really deserve though do they? 😅
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29 Oct 07:42
Will be interesting watch for the 3 mentioned above in the next transfer window or potentially after the World Cup. 25/26 and all performing very well and consistently too. Could all 3 be getting eyes from EFL Championship clubs or maybe leagues just below that like MLS, Eredivise and Belgium? Feel like they’re all a level above where they’re currently playing respectively. 
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29 Oct 12:07 · edited 29 Oct 12:08 · History
Sh817
Will be interesting watch for the 3 mentioned above in the next transfer window or potentially after the World Cup. 25/26 and all performing very well and consistently too. Could all 3 be getting eyes from EFL Championship clubs or maybe leagues just below that like MLS, Eredivise and Belgium? Feel like they’re all a level above where they’re currently playing respectively. 

Particularly watching Libby I’m not sure the Championship is the best move. Early days for Libby though, but I wonder if staying in Serie A might not have been better in the medium term. 

We saw Bell move, be unhappy and then move back to Norway and is playing great football. Boxall is as good as anyone and that’s come from playing at Minnesota. If you’re in a strong league and are simpatico with coach and fans it’s a big call to risk the grind of the Championship.

I’m surprised Devlin hasn’t moved from Hearts btw! Starter for the team upsetting the Old Firm. 

But yeh we’ll see. If not the Championship is there a better way to the EPL? Straight from the MLS was Nelsen, from from Denmark Reid’s and almost from Serbia and Greece was Stamenic’s. 

But yeh it will and has been great to watch the ex-Ole and ex-Nix players moving all across Europe…


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29 Oct 15:29
Yeah I see you’re point. I was among the lot that wasn’t happy to see Stamenić and Cacace in the championship. I think they’re easily capable of starting for mid table teams in Serie A/Bundesliga levels. But I guess the Championship is the best path right now and they’ve made their intentions clear by moving to the UK. Fair enough, with a World Cup year ahead too you want to build the minutes and put yourself in the shop window of Prem Clubs.

The championship is now ranked the 6th best league in the world. The level is ridiculously high but so is the intensity and physicality of these games. I just hope our boys don’t go there and burn out because they’re both (Marko and Libby) so important to their teams and play so many games.

martinb
Sh817
Will be interesting watch for the 3 mentioned above in the next transfer window or potentially after the World Cup. 25/26 and all performing very well and consistently too. Could all 3 be getting eyes from EFL Championship clubs or maybe leagues just below that like MLS, Eredivise and Belgium? Feel like they’re all a level above where they’re currently playing respectively. 

Particularly watching Libby I’m not sure the Championship is the best move. Early days for Libby though, but I wonder if staying in Serie A might not have been better in the medium term. 

We saw Bell move, be unhappy and then move back to Norway and is playing great football. Boxall is as good as anyone and that’s come from playing at Minnesota. If you’re in a strong league and are simpatico with coach and fans it’s a big call to risk the grind of the Championship.

I’m surprised Devlin hasn’t moved from Hearts btw! Starter for the team upsetting the Old Firm. 

But yeh we’ll see. If not the Championship is there a better way to the EPL? Straight from the MLS was Nelsen, from from Denmark Reid’s and almost from Serbia and Greece was Stamenic’s. 

But yeh it will and has been great to watch the ex-Ole and ex-Nix players moving all across Europe…
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29 Oct 23:15 · edited 29 Oct 23:22 · History
Eli an unused sub as Motherwell (go 5th) beat Dundee United 2-0 in the SPL

Motherwell host St Mirren in a League Cup semi final this weekend.
Old Firm derby in the other semi.

Just was playing in the Austrian 2nd tier last season. I'd hold off on any talk about playing in The Championship or wherever for abit.
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01 Nov 23:22
Eli gets a full game at Hampden Park, but it's a sour memory.
Motherwell get thrashed 4-1.

St Mirren into the League Cup final. Old Firm matchup semi is tonight.
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09 Nov 21:38
Gets Motherwell’s goal in a 1-1 draw
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09 Nov 23:33
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11 Nov 04:33
He's doing well. Hope he can put together 3 or so decent seasons here..  💪 
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11 Nov 05:28
I'd hope that Just is somewhere better than Motherwell in 2 years' time myself 
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11 Nov 07:42
He needs to build up his rep.
 What's he got. 2nd division Austria? 2nd division Denmark? Bit of first division footy in there.. 
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11 Nov 09:42
He's building his rep very quickly. Could easily see a move to a top SPL club (Celtic/Rangers) or Championship side next year, especially given the upcoming World Cup.
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23 Nov 01:07
Just bragging rights as Motherwell win 3-1.

Eli came off the pine at 63 mins (2-1). Stanger an unused sub for Killies.
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25 Nov 20:57
Just scores in the 22nd minute, Motherwell up 2-0 over the Hibees
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25 Nov 23:05
His shot led to the penalty before that as well - handball. Not sure if the shot was on target. Just continues to go well.
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25 Nov 23:23 · edited 25 Nov 23:32 · History
Finished as a 2-0 win, with Eli off at 62 mins.
Hibs went down to 10 men at 34 mins (2-0).

Aussies galore in the SPL.
Oscar Priestman (ex WSW) and Koutroumbis (ex Jets/Glory) both started for Motherwell. Priestman's starting debut.
Jack Iredale & Boyle ditto for Hibs.

Motherwell (21 pts) tracking well, go 4th behind Hibs (21 pts) on GD. Rangers (also 21 pts) 5th have 2 games in hand on Hibs, and 1 on M'well

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/cwyny8wgqzvt

Unbeaten in their past five league outings, with four wins, Motherwell have plenty of momentum as well as a game in hand on Hibs.

(coach Jens) Askou enhanced his growing reputation, with his side running rings round Hibs for most of the evening.
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26 Nov 23:21
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