2014/15 Transfer Speculation

ffs take this shit somewhere else. Most of us don't care about your opinion of Israel. Not in this section of the forum anyway.

Yeah, lets leave that there. Slinging mud for either side is a fools game.

Yeah sorry I can't help my self. I'll go vent on stuff or something, get it out of my system. Nothing to angst about at the nix, squad almost complete, looking really good in preseason, have to get worked up about international relations instead.

Just saw this on the OFC youtube feed about a young bloke called Bong Kalo (age 17) from Vanuatu.

I imagine they're going to be doing a video per the odd player from the recent U-20 tournament.

Interested me somewhat, thought I'd share.

How do you all think our signings stack up against the other A League teams?

I think we're in with a shout to surprise a few. And I mean that in a good positive way.

Yep. It all depends on the cut of your jib.

Agreed. If I wanted to discuss international politics I would have stayed in a pub in Wellington.... oh wait

He looked promising enough when a bit younger to warrant a selection for the Socceroos. However, it seems that opportunity has now passed him by, and he did not get a look in with Angie Postecoglou. He played a bit in Europe early on but seems like a premature has-been by now.

We don't have enough Tui

I think most of the bad teams last season have improved and the good ones have got worse. I think it will be a close season.

If your name is Bong you are definitely gonna end up doing more than your fair share of random drug tests.

With him on board, our team would be sssmoking.

Blazin

I think we won't be bottom of the pile for once (yay!), we won't challenge for much either.  Solid mid table finish (4th-7th)

I guess you can look at the other teams that finished close to us next year and figure who has got better. Can't see Melb City finishing anywhere other than top 6 also Arnold will surely get Sydney to be less crap.

So I guess its the Nix, Perth, Jets, Adelaide and CCM battling to make that 6th spot. It will be us battling for mid table unless someone in the Nix turns into a 10 to 15 goal striker.

I can easily see heart finishing outside the top 6. I think Adelaide will be a lot better than them anyway. But the a-league is always a bit misleading on paper, I think it will be an extremely close season. 

I'm optimistic, I believe Brockie can deliver and I think our midfield will be strong enough to relieve a lot of pressure off the defense this season. I think we will surprise people and come top 4. Maybe we should move all this to a prediction thread.

I think it will be an enjoyable season either way - we haven't had a passing midfield like this before; last season we put some good stuff together until Riera got injured too.

The big thing is Brockie.

I know now that we are all pretending to think we've not an issue with him after the scapegoat thread, but if he's not scored after 3 games it will be pitchfork time. Maybe even 2 games.

Yes, getting some goals will be great for his confidence. Yes, he is going to miss some he should have scored from. Yes he is a prime scapegoat target. But whether or not it's pitchfork time on the yellow fever message board has very little to do with how many games we are going to win or how many goals Brockie will score. I was very impressed with how hard he worked against Newcastle (seemed to be much better than last year) and how many good positions he got himself into. If he can keep that up goals will come.

Funny reading quite specific comments saying stuff like teams x and y will definitely be up the top and teams a, b and c will be competing for 6th etc etc

Has the prediction thread taught us nothing?

We'll all be completely wrong. Several teams will surprise, several teams will hugely disappoint, and maybe 1 or 2 will finish where you expect. This is the A-League. 

Lets hope the Phoenix are the big surprise. 

How many shots did he have?

One went wide of the post, the other was straight at the keeper?

Were there others?

You underestimate the power of pitchfork time.

There would be no cats left in New Zealand if it wasn't for "the yellow fever message board".

Which Brockie do you want to see?

a) Brockie that scores 10 goals a season but does f*all on the pitch?

b) Brockie that puts in neat crosses (x1), looks great, hassles the keeper, works hard but the team don't score?

Yeah his play was better, but I'd rather he scored and did f*ck all like he used to do than look good on the pitch but not get anything. He also spent a lot of time stood in front of the keeper when the goalie was trying to distribute the ball - probably about 75% of his game time was doing this.

Also he needs to get rid of the beard.

Yeah I know it was Newcastle I just want Brockie to score some goals!!!! There I've said it... I want Brockie to score some goals.

It's not an either or thing. If he is working hard and making good runs he is much, much more likely to score more goals. If he creates a goal for someone else, I don't care one bit if he didn't score it. Finishing is important and there is a question mark over him in that regard. But I think/hope he will score quite a few. I believe he is definitely capable of it.

As an aside, I wouldn't want player A.

Beards repel goals. Fact.

Yes.

I do think though that you probably have a point on balance of things. He was a lazy fucker last year and if he does put himself in positions, knowing the talent he does have for slotting the sublime, goals should follow.

If he was scoring regularly and winning us matches I'd take Brockie "a" any day.

Scoring 10 goals a season isn't that many for a center forward that does nothing else, particularly if he is taking penalties. 

you know what I mean, regularly scoring goals

Agreed with you. Any goalkeeper should be expected to have made the saves. If you don't get your head up and go for power Goalkeeper will save it more often than not. 

Why he spends all his time trying to charge down the goalkeeper i have no idea. Hasn't worked - and then consequently is too tired to participate in the next play either staying offside or stands in a position where the ball will never get to him.

He doesn't fit in a possession based style. Calling for long balls over the top when Rodriguez and Riera are in possession on our own side of halfway proves that.

Perhaps he's been told to chase down the keeper and is following team orders?

Why assume he's just been a headless chook. pretty sure Ernie would nip the practice in the butt if he didn't want him doing it.

The second save against Brockie by jaskelinen was world class. Brockie nailed the ball and he got a very strong hand to it quickly. I don't think many A league keepers would have got it.

You chase down the keeper not expecting it to work, but for the one time in 100 it does and gets you a goal or the more likely situation where he rushes a clearance and you get the ball back. I would also point out that we were behind and needed to force the ball to be contestable again and he seemed tireless the entire game. I can't even see where that criticism is coming from.

I completely reject this. 

More than once during the Football United tour the pressure put on the keeper or the defenders resulted in rushed clearances either:

     (a) to a contested possession which we won and got the ball back in the middle of the field, or 

     (b) that went out, and we got the throw, or 

     (c) that went into space, and we picked up the loose ball.

It doesn't have to result in a deflection into the goal for it to have "worked".

Not to mention the amount of donkey keepers in the A-League ... ive lost track of the amount of times 'dodgy keeper' has rung out from the zone after such instances. Every round

There was an example of it for the first goal in the Newcastle v Sydney match. Terrible start for the a-league representation in the Football united tour.