2016/17 Transfer Speculation

Hmm....Well, have to be honest and say it seems like another stop gap option. RB looks like it will be a weak position again. Also- we only seem to sign young guys- Manny had a bit of experience when he was signed right? Hope to be proved wrong. Not sure he'll be much improvement on Gulley, Louis et al...

EDIT: just been watching a few highlights and wondering when WELnix are going to splash the cash and just sign Seamus Coleman already. Be our missing piece of the puzzle.

Manny was 23 and played 90 odd VPL games before signing with us according to wikipedia.

Pah, facts.

He just looked like he was 45 and had spent a life bar brawling in dockside pubs...well should give him a fair chance. Let's hope he can do a job. Hope he's more Manny than Nixk Tsatts or Jimmy Downey.

Fair to say this type of signing misses more often than it hits. But we've run out of more experienced options so needs must. Hope the lad bucks the trend!

Overview:

2016 (year of the Monkey) turns to be a good year for the people under the Rat zodiac sign. According to the Chinese zodiac compatibility astrology, the Rat and Monkey are the most compatible animals. So, in the monkey year, you Rat people could go smoothly and be lucky in most aspects. You'll do fairly well in work and are expected to be promoted. There will be many social activities and parties waiting you to participate which will make you have a merry mood at the same time some sumptuous feast. What you should remember in 2016 is not to advance hastily and try to make good relations with others

I sure hope it's one of those sleeper-hit signings like Manny. We can only wait and see. 

Looks mobile and at 6"2 it heightens our back-line. He captained the Sydney FC Youth Team which shows some leadership and was in the Leagues 2015 team of the season so there's some positives. 

Thanks for the Highlights Reel Jordanamous.

I guess everyone looks pretty good in their highlights reel - but - he does get forward - can cross - can header and can do his main job - defend - fingers crossed - will be great to seem him play live - and at the A-League level vs CCM.

I hope Doyle doesn't get pushed out of LB if Parkhouse - the other Aussie transfer - starts playing really well there, however, if both of these Aussie transfers can get up and down the wings and put some good balls into goal scoring areas - it would be an improvement on the right side of the Park for a start. Competition for places is a good thing :)

Congratulations to the winner of Nix Fullback Idol 2016

I'd rather that we change things up a bit this year, set our defensive line a little further back and not push our full backs so high up the pitch and use wide forward players for width.  I think that's essential given the makeup of our midfield where Lia will never cover the ground Riera did

I think I read in an article they are going to play a high line and squeeze the oppositions midfield? May have been just the tactic for the one game?

I'd be cautious about playing a high line with Durante behind Lia. Major pace issue

There is no way we can play a high line with Dura and Doyle (turns like a truck)

I hope he's not the guy defendning the goals

with a sound track like this, i can see him fitting in at the Ave just fine. 

RIP Electric Ave.

<sobs>

NO WAY!

Is this true?

Worst. Off. Season. EVER!

4-4-2 would be a great formation for us.

Merrick quote after the loss to WSW in the FFA - WellingtonPhoenix.com

"“They played a high line and caught us offside six or seven times while we didn’t catch them once which showed we were playing too deep.” 

Merrick said it confirmed for him that he needed to sign a quality defender and a quality centre back. 

Arrh = sorted those players out now.

Say it aint so! That's the only reason i come back to Wellywood these days

I never got to say goodbye...

I smell a rat

So have we given up on signing a quality RB?

Just the nutter midfielder left to sign, can't be James Holland as he just signed for Adelaide. Any clue where Hudson-Wihongi is atm? He would probably be the best option available.

Joey Barton may be on the hunt for another club...

Signing Joey Barton would be the capitulation of the no dickhead's policy, maybe Yaya Toure? Oh wait...

I do not like the look of our defence at all.

Unless Rossi turns out to be the next Maldini and Tratt the next Cafu, I think we're going to have a lot of problems - especially without Riera.

I genuinely don't think Dura has the legs for it anymore; especially with pretty poor full backs outside him. I hope he proves me wrong.

I don't think we will miss Riera nearly as much as people seem to think... 2013 Riera yes, but not 2015 Riera.

Yeah...but the alternative is Lia, who's even slower and less able to make up for it with good positioning.

Well. I think what is being said is- we were honking last season and all we've done is got rid of a couple of players who were half decent so what on earth are we going to be like this year?

Gonna find out soon enough.Cross them fingers

will miss 2015 him once vincenzo becomes our regular cdm

I hope in the future there will be more kiwis in the a-league, especially in the straya teams. It would be great if the straya teams had a look at some the kiwis in the ss prem. Players like TAHW and dyer are soon to be a league quality. 

Import quality though?

Unfortunately without an Ausy passport the only way NZ players are going to get picked up is if they do well with the Phoenix.