WPM 2021/22 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

theprof

I'd be more upset if we lose Devlin, he has been crucial for us in the midfield. Davila has been brilliant for us but in reality he is an import and we have a younger, potentially better player in Piscopo who can play that wide 10 role that Ufuk likes. I'm amazed that MacArthur have that kind of money to throw around though with the cash they had to spend to get into the league with limited TV money.

Personally I think Devlin is a little overrated. He's good at one job - being scrappy and making tackles - but often that's required because he's a bit out of position or he's given away a sloppy pass. He also can't pass long to save himself.

Good player for particular situations but not someone to build around.

re: Hemed, I think in the last couple of games he's really risen to the occasion as Waine has predictably dropped off a little. I was not a fan up until now, but he's largely proven me wrong. I think with a proper pre season he could be very good in this league. He has something about him in and around the box even if sometimes he's strangely weak going for headers etc otherwise.

think that's a bit harsh on devlin, sure he's no lewis with his passing, but his aggression and tenacity in the tackle is immense and important to our defensive efforts. 

valeo

theprof

I'd be more upset if we lose Devlin, he has been crucial for us in the midfield. Davila has been brilliant for us but in reality he is an import and we have a younger, potentially better player in Piscopo who can play that wide 10 role that Ufuk likes. I'm amazed that MacArthur have that kind of money to throw around though with the cash they had to spend to get into the league with limited TV money.

Personally I think Devlin is a little overrated. He's good at one job - being scrappy and making tackles - but often that's required because he's a bit out of position or he's given away a sloppy pass. He also can't pass long to save himself.

Good player for particular situations but not someone to build around.

re: Hemed, I think in the last couple of games he's really risen to the occasion as Waine has predictably dropped off a little. I was not a fan up until now, but he's largely proven me wrong. I think with a proper pre season he could be very good in this league. He has something about him in and around the box even if sometimes he's strangely weak going for headers etc otherwise.

Devlin is no Riera but I reckon an argument could be made that he's our second best ever DM behind only Albert (although Matti is certainly in the conversation).

Friar Tuck

valeo

theprof

I'd be more upset if we lose Devlin, he has been crucial for us in the midfield. Davila has been brilliant for us but in reality he is an import and we have a younger, potentially better player in Piscopo who can play that wide 10 role that Ufuk likes. I'm amazed that MacArthur have that kind of money to throw around though with the cash they had to spend to get into the league with limited TV money.

Personally I think Devlin is a little overrated. He's good at one job - being scrappy and making tackles - but often that's required because he's a bit out of position or he's given away a sloppy pass. He also can't pass long to save himself.

Good player for particular situations but not someone to build around.

re: Hemed, I think in the last couple of games he's really risen to the occasion as Waine has predictably dropped off a little. I was not a fan up until now, but he's largely proven me wrong. I think with a proper pre season he could be very good in this league. He has something about him in and around the box even if sometimes he's strangely weak going for headers etc otherwise.

Devlin is no Riera but I reckon an argument could be made that he's our second best ever DM behind only Albert (although Matti is certainly in the conversation).

There's not much competition there if you're talking pure DM. If we're just talking midfielders, A-Rod, Bonevacia etc. are far better. Vinnie Lia, Mandi, even Kopczynski were all more rounded players.

I actually think Devlin is the most useful higher up the pitch making interceptions and helping our press.

Anybody who thinks Devlin is "a bit overrated" will be asked for their opinion once he turns out for another team, playing against us.

Big call from Valeo there. 
I don’t know much about midfield positioning etc. but Cammy seems to be a fairly influential player. If he could sling a long pass too he’d have been in an EPL academy long ago.

martinb

Big call from Valeo there. 
I don’t know much about midfield positioning etc. but Cammy seems to be a fairly influential player. If he could sling a long pass too he’d have been in an EPL academy long ago.

Does need to improve that aspect of his game. There was a moment with about 15 minutes to go the other night when Sotirio made a great bending run in behind. Devlin was under no pressure and should've played the long ball over the top and set him in on goal but ignored him and passed sideways instead. I was cursing that it wasn't Lewis with the ball at feet.

Having said that Devlin and Lewis do compliment each other in a way all of the other midfield combos we've tried haven't. Over the past two seasons Devlin has proven himself time and time again with a fantastic ability to hassle, tackle and break up attacks.

Devlin is streets ahead of of Lia who was just a journey man

valeo

Friar Tuck

valeo

theprof

I'd be more upset if we lose Devlin, he has been crucial for us in the midfield. Davila has been brilliant for us but in reality he is an import and we have a younger, potentially better player in Piscopo who can play that wide 10 role that Ufuk likes. I'm amazed that MacArthur have that kind of money to throw around though with the cash they had to spend to get into the league with limited TV money.

Personally I think Devlin is a little overrated. He's good at one job - being scrappy and making tackles - but often that's required because he's a bit out of position or he's given away a sloppy pass. He also can't pass long to save himself.

Good player for particular situations but not someone to build around.

re: Hemed, I think in the last couple of games he's really risen to the occasion as Waine has predictably dropped off a little. I was not a fan up until now, but he's largely proven me wrong. I think with a proper pre season he could be very good in this league. He has something about him in and around the box even if sometimes he's strangely weak going for headers etc otherwise.

Devlin is no Riera but I reckon an argument could be made that he's our second best ever DM behind only Albert (although Matti is certainly in the conversation).

There's not much competition there if you're talking pure DM. If we're just talking midfielders, A-Rod, Bonevacia etc. are far better. Vinnie Lia, Mandi, even Kopczynski were all more rounded players.

I actually think Devlin is the most useful higher up the pitch making interceptions and helping our press.

Outpost

martinb

Big call from Valeo there. 
I don’t know much about midfield positioning etc. but Cammy seems to be a fairly influential player. If he could sling a long pass too he’d have been in an EPL academy long ago.

Does need to improve that aspect of his game. There was a moment with about 15 minutes to go the other night when Sotirio made a great bending run in behind. Devlin was under no pressure and should've played the long ball over the top and set him in on goal but ignored him and passed sideways instead. I was cursing that it wasn't Lewis with the ball at feet.

Having said that Devlin and Lewis do compliment each other in a way all of the other midfield combos we've tried haven't. Over the past two seasons Devlin has proven himself time and time again with a fantastic ability to hassle, tackle and break up attacks.

You do often see Devlin ignore passes like that, but he plays to his limitations which is smart. If he started attempting more long passes he'd probably lose possession a lot more and wouldn't be as effective a player. 

Whether he is 'overrated' really depends on what you think his 'rated' is to start with... But he's probably one of the best in the league at 'battling away' in midfield. Plays a big role for us. 

Devlin's strength is his pressing and work rate but lacks in his passing ability
Rufer's strength is his passing and weakness is the pressing and work rate.
Lewis is a mixture of both work rate and passing. 

It all depends what you want from your midfield. I would like to keep Devlin but I wouldn't say he is irreplaceable. 

RR

Devlin's strength is his pressing and work rate but lacks in his passing ability
Rufer's strength is his passing and weakness is the pressing and work rate.
Lewis is a mixture of both work rate and passing. 

It all depends what you want from your midfield. I would like to keep Devlin but I wouldn't say he is irreplaceable. 

Rufer's strength is his passing backwards, his weakness is he's a magnet for yellow cards. That's a shame. He promises a lot but is yet to achieve some form of finese.

A number of good comments here; yes Devlin has limitations, but so does the rest of our midfield crew. Everyone is replaceable "theoretically", but replacements are rarely perfect or ideal.  It is far better to be able to have a bit of depth in the squad and have the right option on the bench depending on what the opposition presents on the field.

Agree on the comments re: Rufer.  Both Cammy and Rufer will improve further with good influence and coaching, and Rufer is already a better player than he was last season. However, I think that progression is simply taking a long time for Rufer.  As he is at this point in time, I would be surprised if he was offered a good gig in a better team / better league (visa factor aside), while most A League teams would be happy to snap up Devlin way ahead of Rufer.  

Mainland FC

A number of good comments here; yes Devlin has limitations, but so does the rest of our midfield crew. Everyone is replaceable "theoretically", but replacements are rarely perfect or ideal.  It is far better to be able to have a bit of depth in the squad and have the right option on the bench depending on what the opposition presents on the field.

Agree on the comments re: Rufer.  Both Cammy and Rufer will improve further with good influence and coaching, and Rufer is already a better player than he was last season. However, I think that progression is simply taking a long time for Rufer.  As he is at this point in time, I would be surprised if he was offered a good gig in a better team / better league (visa factor aside), while most A League teams would be happy to snap up Devlin way ahead of Rufer.  

I’d want Devlin in the mix, simply because like Payne, Sail and Fenton he’s a player who is all in. You don’t want a better player on paper who doesn’t fit in or takes a season to adjust. If we can get him to stay it’s a part of the puzzle we don’t have to worry about. Also he seems to get away with a lot more than our other midfielders! But I guess if he makes a lot of great challenges the refs will give him more leeway. 

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Now they're back in Aotearoa, I'm expecting another signing announcement!

I'm just pleased to see them back in New Zealand. 

Devlin is also a bit of a goal threat out of the 6 yard box. Only a good save from Margush denied him a 2nd screamer against WSW this season. Rufer still continues to frustrate in that department.

Plus he loves a good bear hug of a team mate, with a big smile across that cheeky face. I like that, great for the whole team spirit thing. Would hurt to watch him run around for another A League side, baiting opponents and riling officials.

scribbler

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Now they're back in Aotearoa, I'm expecting another signing announcement!

I'm just pleased to see them back in New Zealand. 

Kia kaha mate.

Beautiful clear day in the 09

Really hope we continue with the Taylor-Payne centre-back combination for next season.

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

Jazzy Jeff

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

People that probably know zip about football

Jazzy Jeff

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

That was the opinion of Ball too, then Davilla.

Leggy

Jazzy Jeff

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

People that probably know zip about football

So you were completely happy with him for his first 14 or 15 games then?

Think there's a difference between thinking someone is underachieving and that they were the worst visa signing ever. But then, I sincerely doubt anyone actually thought that.

I don't think it is a coincidence that Hemed's best games have been the last 3-4 whilst Davila has been absent. Without Davila we have tended to attack from wide areas, finding Hemed in space in the box. With Davila on the park, we attack more centrally and Hemed can't find clear space cuz it gets really crowded.

RR

I don't think it is a coincidence that Hemed's best games have been the last 3-4 whilst Davila has been absent. Without Davila we have tended to attack from wide areas, finding Hemed in space in the box. With Davila on the park, we attack more centrally and Hemed can't find clear space cuz it gets really crowded.

Was thinking the same thing after the sub was made. In fact you could see the two of them running into the same space 

Outpost

Leggy

Jazzy Jeff

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

People that probably know zip about football

So you were completely happy with him for his first 14 or 15 games then?

like all of the international players it takes time to get into the league. He had no preseason or buildup.
Compare him to fornaroli and they have very similar goal scoring stats for this season.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what’s the latest with Davilla?

Steph1000

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what’s the latest with Davilla?

Gone

Has Marinovic just signed a 2 year for a team in Israel? 

67463B06-98F3-4C05-85BA-6A2B6CEA0783.png 2.72 MB

Can confirm Stefan Marinovic has signed with Hapoel Nof Hagalil in Israel. A newly promoted club to Israel Premier League based in the sea of Gallile area. The club is owned by a big property developer and we’re in the 3rd division only 4 years ago. A strange move. In saying that, they have a few Ghanaian and Togolese International players so probably same level as A League.  

not a huge loss for us, good news for Marinovic, hopefully he's their number !

Stefan has definitely just signed for FC Hapoel Nof Hagalil. Maybe Tomer helped him out

Outpost

Leggy

Jazzy Jeff

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

People that probably know zip about football

So you were completely happy with him for his first 14 or 15 games then?

With his pedigree he was always going to be good for us. Over 130 games in the UK,an international and quite a few goals.Yes I was confident 

Leggy

Outpost

Leggy

Jazzy Jeff

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

People that probably know zip about football

So you were completely happy with him for his first 14 or 15 games then?

With his pedigree he was always going to be good for us. Over 130 games in the UK,an international and quite a few goals.Yes I was confident 

That also describes Gestede, and he's not going so good for Victory. 

no-one is really doing that well at MVC.

Some kiwis overseas that are coming off contract, would be interested in seeing what you guys think about prospective signings. Note that the players in the American system are off-contract at the end of the year.
Deklan Wynne - 14 cap international 26 year old CB/LB. Has made 36 appearances in the MLS, but has recently fallen off the radar at USL club Phoenix Rising, having not played a game since mid 2019. 
Elliot Collier- 2 cap international 26 year old LM/ST. Currently in the MLS with Chicago Fire, he has made 38 MLS appearances, usually off the bench, with one assist and one goal.  
Dan Morgan - 30 year old LB/CB playing for Maritzburg in the South African league.
Max Mata - 1 cap international 20 year old ST/LW playing for Real Monarchs in the USL.
Niko Kirwan - 25 year old. LB/RB/LM/RM. Played 27 times in Serie B, Italy's second tier last season as the team was relegated. 
Nikko Boxall - Brother of Michael Boxall, 29 year old CB starting for SJK Seinäjoki in the top Finnish league.
James Musa - 3 cap international 29 year old CDM playing for Phoenix Rising in the USL. Made 3 appearances for the Wellington Phoenix back in the day, and played 6 appearances in the MLS last season for Minesotta United.
Kyle Adams - 24 year old CB playing for Real Monarchs in the USL after coming through the US college system.
Logan Rogerson - 23 year old winger, ex-Phoenix, recently signed for HJK Helsinki in the top Finnish League but is yet to make his debut.

Other players include George Stanger, Moses Dyer, Noah Billingsley, Luca Scimia and Hunter Ashworth. 

These 2 may also be of interest, as getting no playing time where they are.
Callan Elliot - (2 years left on his contract with Xanthi)
Andre De Jong - (1 year left at AmaZulu)

Colvinator

Leggy

Outpost

Leggy

Jazzy Jeff

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

People that probably know zip about football

So you were completely happy with him for his first 14 or 15 games then?

With his pedigree he was always going to be good for us. Over 130 games in the UK,an international and quite a few goals.Yes I was confident 

That also describes Gestede, and he's not going so good for Victory. 

As already mentioned he is playing in a poor side. Much easier to show out playing with good players.

Leggy

Outpost

Leggy

Jazzy Jeff

I know the topic of whether we can and should re-sign Hemed has been discussed pretty thoroughly already, but he continues to impress week after week. 5 goals in his last 4 and looks every bit the pedigree of his CV. Funny looking back now at multiple people questioning weeks ago whether he was the Nix's worst visa signing ever, or at least worst visa striker. 10 goals, 2 assists, a goal contribution every 104 minutes. Desperate to keep him next season.

People that probably know zip about football

So you were completely happy with him for his first 14 or 15 games then?

With his pedigree he was always going to be good for us. Over 130 games in the UK,an international and quite a few goals.Yes I was confident 

I was keeping a track of the stats comparing Hemed, Ball and Waine and Hemed was poorer, when removing penalty goals, for min/goal as well as shot accuracy, min per key pass, passing accuracy (and a couple of others) compared with Waine after the last time I updated the spreadsheet - which had Hemed on 14 games and Waine on 15 games played.

His form has drastically improved in the last couple of weeks.

As someone has said, Hemed gets better service from wide players - which we've had to do more of since Uli got injured. Uli plays neat balls through for pace, which Hemed does NOT have - Waine also benefits from Uli, and his form has dropped off since the injury.