Michael Eagar (Port Melbourne SC | Australia)

Well at least Neil has kind put out there what he feels he needs to work on. Would it be fair to suggest that the concern around his pace is valid? (and I'm not really concerned how it looks in comparison to others that have been picked)

My concern is that he is earning rave reviews by numerous football brains who see him week to week and then the coach who has the power, sees something different. Hard to know how much he has seen Eager play or how recently. He may have done due diligence. I would think that it is more likely that Emblem has it wrong and all the others have it right, based on numbers alone.

Valid concern maybe if you're talking about playing him at CB, but what about as a DM? Pace far less important there and we really could do with another option in that role

Disagree heavily with that statement.

If you're a good centre back you shouldn't end up in many footraces.

Eags is a good centre back.

But, at least we know where Embers stands on it now. Good on him for being tactfully honest.

As a DM, your chances of ending up in a footrace are a lot slimmer

If you're at CB and genuinely don't have pace, then any footrace is one too many.

Only to say down 1 to SA by a penalty. 

Slow tackle

http://www.verlete.com/michaeleagar

Anyone got emblems email address, comparisons to Ryan Nelsen have to be made... 

Skeptical Mike is skeptical

Any way South Melbourne are 11 wins from 11 games this season - into 1/4 finals of Dockerty Cup - Have not conceded a goal while Mike is on the field -  It is the National Premier League and not at State league. AAlthough like Chatham cup it it regional (State) based for a time.  

would've been called up for the sth Africa game if he was fully fit but had an injury niggle.  the NZFA are definitely watching him.  has been brilliant for us this season.  stood up immensely vs Dandenong in the cup midweek.

Dont think so. Emblen said he had pace issues for int. level. But obv better prospect than Adams

South Melbourne FC - Now 12 wins from 12 games. Mike played 120' of Docherty Cup win. And 70' of last nights 12th win.

Musa  scores in 5-0 win.

Surely there must be some a-league interest?

Not until he gets aussie citizenship. No one will waste a foreign spot on an unproven CB at the professional level.

has been superb, will definitely play a league eventually.  NZ defs is looking at him, as I said, if he hadn't been injured he as well as musa would've been called up.  WPHX would be smart to try get him before other a league clubs take advantage of his aussie citizenship.  in saying that I'd much prefer if him and Musa stayed with us.

I look at this situation with an interesting slant.

On one hand, there is a whole bunch of fans that are saying this guy has the goods to play.

On the other hand, there is Herbert, Merrick and Emblen that say he is not.

Considering our track record with calling for the signing of Tim Payne recently (and your could throw in Clapham and *cough* Krishna) I do wonder if maybe us fans have it completely wrong. To give Emblen some credit, he laid out why he thought Eager was not a player he looked at in a tactful manner. Does Eager now get a sprint coach and work on his pace off the mark? Most foot races are lost in the 1st 20m.

Actaully Emlem is the only one who has commented on him. And that was in reference to international football.

Do you have some insider knowledge?

I cant see eags losing a footrace over 20-30 meters. especially with his ability to read the game. also wasn't it the Yellow fever who forced Marco into the Nix? and look at him now! Herbert was the one who never utilized Marco in the way the victory did...
I hope an Aussie team picks him up too! there must be a few people watching now with the 14 wins in a row record>?? 

fair statement!
but I wonder if the nix will claim Eags was on 'the radar' if he signs for another A league club? as he use to train with them when numbers needed to be made up under Ricki (during the world cup faze 2010)

Merrick has come out and said publicly we are not interested in james or payne... but has not said anything similar about Eager... so does he have an interest or has he simply never heard of him before?

This is the thing. Just because a player isn't wanted by the Phoenix doesn't mean he isn't good enough or has an attitude problem. It probably just means the club has other options. I think it would be best for Eager if he just sticks it out in the NPL for a while. He will certainly get a chance for New Zealand one day if he plays well enough.  He would be a prime candidate to be picked up if a club had a lot of injuries mid season. Eager is the type of player who will probably get better as he gets older too and he still has plenty of years left.

Boxall you could argue is more a RB now in his eyes meaning we are light at CB potentially.

And how can we state he will get better... all we can do is speculate...

Which is the point of this forum after all : )

I was hoping Fenton as a RB was finished.  With Paul possibly no longer a Nix player I'd rather see him utilised as a L/R midfielder/winger.  He's not shown to me that he has the goods to be a decent wing back yet, and he might not in the future either.

Michael did play well at CB for the AWs, if I was Seamonster or even Dura I'd be watching my back now.

I'd like to see Boxy get a decent crack at CB, but don't think it will happen.

I guess we will seeduring pre season who Ernie thinks has the goods to be our best RB

Mike did not appear on the team sheet for last nights 3 nil loss to Oakleigh. The teams win run ends at 11 NPL games.

No Eagar. No party

This just got posted in the fan club haha...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNdjn2B3Wz8

Eags highlights of 2014

 @smfc: 1960s SMFC captain Andreas Roussis spoke to the team post-game. Here he is with Michael Eagar 

I'm pretty sure Eager himself has always known this is a weakness.  I remember he was doing specialised sprint training at one point to try and up his speed