2015/16 Transfer Speculation

Thanks for the backhanded compliment... I usually "don't mind my analysis on things" either, but equally I don't claim to be a know-all or to get it right every time. However, I don't think I "lost it" here.  I was not comparing Bertos with Muscat as right-backs, as Bertos clearly was an attacking winger / midfielder with lots of goal assists, and Manny is a defender, mostly a fullback or an occasional CB. 

I simply compared two players who are over thirty. At that age, players in this relatively fast and increasingly skilful league need to have some inherent speed to remain useful as they age, or to limit the ground they can safely cover without leaving their area exposed. Bertos kept up with speed until he was 31, which is what age Manny is now, before he went to that hub of skill and excellence, the Indian league. 

Bertos was a faster player than Manny so even as he aged he was able to track back and be useful defending if necessary. Muscat is taller, heavier and slower, so I would prefer not to see him run up the pitch so far that he can't track back in time, especially that he is foul-prone.  He might have been able to track back fast enough in the past, he can't do so as easily now. That does not make him a useless player of course; but it makes him a more limited player and he needs to recognise it, unless the team gets the word that it's an all-out attack time and damn the torpedoes (much like against the Jets where we saw Siggy as an attacking mid all of a sudden in the dying minutes).

Harsh on Mossy! I would like to see him take some penalties before he's binned.

Two sad facts about football.

1 - You cant win matches by not conceding goals unless you are scoring more than you concede.

2 - The casual supporter is more likely to pay money to see goals being scored as opposed to a decent defensive unit.

So Ernie has it right when he bangs on about needing a striker because even if you give away 3 soft goals in a match, you can still take all 3 points by scoring 4!

Just as a comparison, Sydney,  who have the best defence in the league, have only started 5 different players in the backline. 4 different combo.

I also went back and looked how much was due to injury or suspension. There have been 15 instances where the backline changed the next week, 11 seem to have coincided with an injury/suspended player either out due to injury/suspension, or coming back. But can't say whether a change would have happened regardless of injury/suspension.

I would keep Manny/Lia. As others have mentioned, they are valuable squad players, gold dust at this level. 

I am leaning towards binning Fenton. If he doesn't look like he can be a starting right back for us at this level then I'm ready to turf out. For me he's not good enough to play in the attacking end. Kosta is the level we're now looking at in those attacking roles, and Fenton's miles away from that. 

Been saying the same thing for 4 seasons.  Too reliant on the same players who haven't done the job.  Time to move on a rebuild

Reality is though even our best back 4 isn't very good.  Both Manny and Doyle collect regular yellows and our centre backs are both 35. 

Dura is 33. But I take your point.

The thing about Fenton is we have no idea what level he would be at as an attacker if he hadn't had to re learn his craft as a defender.

Perhaps. He's been unlucky with his shoulders. 

Although last season our back four was mostly, Muscat, Dura, Siggy, Fenton (and a bit of Doyle) and it was only 4 goals away from being the best in the league.

great point

Could be Ernie's one big mistake so far.

One of the reasons I don't think the personnel at the back is the issue. Last season the Nix were consistently on the front foot with majority of possession and constant pressure in the front third. This year we consistently turn over the ball in the midfield close to our goal without being able to transition to attack, opponents winning the ball and able to free it into space bypassing the midfield while the defense are still scrambling.

Fix the impotent front third and you'll see a much improved defensive effort.

I felt it was more out of necessity than anything else.

It's because we aren't willing to sign foreign defenders and there was no one from Australia or NZ good enough. This is why you sign up foreigners - to plug gaps locals cannot fill.

I was never good on the details

What has changed this year I think is that Dura has had a really bad season.  Not just average, really bad and off the pace.  I have been a huge fan but I wonder whether Siggie has carried him a bit - he is definitely more of a pure defender

Maybe. But Fenton still isn't any good as a defender.

Didn't you say you barely watch a game this year? ;)

I can't imagine having a new guy either side of you every week helps your game. Perhaps he is trying to do more to cover the inexperience of other?

Not so simple to purely lump all the blame on the defence. On top of the ever changing make up of our defence as 2B has pointed out, we have as a unit (possibly again the ever changing line ups in all positions) never adequately worked out how to reduce the risk posed by counter attacks which often leaves our defence out of shape/under manned and ability to score/defend set pieces. There was some crazy stat from the Wanderers game, something like the first time we had scored before the 60th min since the Victory win (?) - chasing games so often plays to our weakness to the threat of counter attacks.

I had earlier pointed out Moss's inability with the ball at his feet, it often means that when we try and play possession football our CDs only have forward options and when those are closed down well, as the Jets did well last weekend, we struggle for fluency and result in low percentage options. 

Not many games IN FULL - I have tended to get very frustrated and switch off!

All those things are possible - I just think we need to be a bit hard nosed about this and accept that he might not be first choice next season and plan accordingly.  These guys can't go on forever!

I suspect they are looking for a starting centre back to partner Dura, because while they seem to have found a roughy in Fox, I doubt they seem him as a long term starter just yet. Then when Dura retires next year, hopefully Boxall returns from South Africa. Or maybe Musa.

Keep Fenton! I think he is a player for the future. Must admit, he had not the best year.

I would say that Riera is a vital part of our defence too both in terms of screening them and covering for fullbacks when they advance, but also for giving them a secure outlet to pass to if they get pressed in possession by opposition strikers. And I think this year Riera has just seemed less mobile than last year, which has made our backline more vulnerable to counterattacks and pressing. Hopefully it's just him carrying niggles and not his age catching up with him.

Fenton is still on contract next season, so he isn't going anywhere.

I wish there was a touch map, heat map, or average position graphic on the Nix's stats page because I'd be interested to see how our shape has changed this year vs last year, especially the shape of our midfield

We need a locked in starter in the other CB position leaving Durante and Fox to fight it out for second spot.  Would improve us out of sight considering Manny has played there this season!

I think it has depended on the make up of the midfield, when Vinnie was there Riera was the more 'attacking' of the two. 

Do you think he's had enough of a run? Or that the injury liability is part of the decision to be made?

and Boxall? or am I getting my wires crossed entirely? thought he was quite good at times- strong on defence and suprisingly handy barging forward. Got goals too IIRC?

Cut Fenton he's injury prone and not A League standard he's lucky Ernie fell in love with him right at the start but has done nothing since he couldn't tackle a fish supper and to think he's also an AW.The joke at training is to ask him to take a long throw

I am sure we'll keep Fenton, but I am worried about his mental and physical sturdiness since his shoulder injuries.

My question is, is his rehab complete and this is the best we can see of him? If so, maybe it is time to let him play up the paddock again, and get a proper fullback now that we are likely to have a few to choose from. 

Or accept that he is still on a road to full recovery and he'll be a good & useful local player in future, as he is still quite young.

So Fenton is definately the new Lochhead right? Might as well just copy and paste this comment into every match thread from now on.

We need a big ugly brute of a center back like Topor Stanley or Paddy Kisnorbo ,you can build around that kind of player ,and useful at corners and free kicks into the box as well.

At present we are way too pedestrian at the back far  too soft  and with no Siggy theres no fire in the belly ,he was never a brilliantly technical player but you would have him in any defence simply  for his sheer blood and guts attitude!

The wheels fell off the bus after we demolished Adelaide at home,no coincidence that we lost Siggy and Krishna about the same time,a decent striker to compliment Kosta and some back bone in the shape of a decent centre back along with the reasonably decent midfield we have at present and I think we would become top three challengers!

Bring back Boxall and offer him the captaincy after next season.

Is he still struggling in sa?

Fox is looking very much like regular first team material to me....

An abscess will make your farts go "Honda"

So which player are we piling on today, while ignoring that they have a contract for next year?