WPM 2021/22 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

WanderingSheep

Did I see the Nix's Fezbook page put up a photo of Krishna randomly the other day? Was there a particular reason for it?

New social media guy does things for the metrics. Don't read anything into it. 

martinb

The other thing Pennington may bring is a goal threat that Lewis and Rufer potentially have, but haven’t demonstrated this year at all, though both have made fantastic attacking dribbles and passes. 

Anyway, hope to see a bit of KungFu Panda celebrating on here, because it’ll mean Pennington has been top notch and the Nix have continued their march up the table. 

I don't think Pennington has ever been within 5m of the box

Don't rate Niccy P at all personally, so sad to see Rufer get injured.

RR

WanderingSheep

Did I see the Nix's Fezbook page put up a photo of Krishna randomly the other day? Was there a particular reason for it?

New social media guy does things for the metrics. Don't read anything into it. 

Ah that’s a shame. When did the metrics become an official thing? 

📝🔜

👀

— Wellington Phoenix (@WgtnPhoenixFC) March 20, 2022

Hopefully a Piscopo extension 

Signed until end of 2024/25 & NZ Flag, so guess its Fenton or McGarry then.

RR

Signed until end of 2024/25 & NZ Flag, so guess its Fenton or McGarry then.

 
Come on down Matt Ridenton

Deserved hopefully he can get a transfer to a European team in the future

Pleased, would like to see a few more sign up, if only to protect the club and hopefully get some fees in. He thoroughly deserves his deal though, one of the ones who really has grabbed his chance.

WanderingSheep

RR

WanderingSheep

Did I see the Nix's Fezbook page put up a photo of Krishna randomly the other day? Was there a particular reason for it?

New social media guy does things for the metrics. Don't read anything into it. 

Ah that’s a shame. When did the metrics become an official thing? 

The Krishna photo was from an ON THIS DAY post about an old Phoenix win. Nothing sneaky about it.

WanderingSheep

Pleased, would like to see a few more sign up, if only to protect the club and hopefully get some fees in. He thoroughly deserves his deal though, one of the ones who really has grabbed his chance.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/128114099/wellington-phoenix-secure-form-leftback-sam-sutton-for-next-three-seasons

EXPIRES END OF 2021/22:
Matthew BOZINOVSKI [Loan]
Louis FENTON
Gary HOOPER [V]
James MCGARRY
Kurtis MOGG [Scholarship]
George OTT [Scholarship]
Reno PISCOPO
Gael SANDOVAL [V] [Loan]
Jaushua SOTIRIO

EXPIRES END OF 2022/23:
David BALL [V]
Callan ELLIOTT
Joshua LAWS
Clayton LEWIS
Nicolas PENNINGTON
Alex RUFER
Oliver SAIL

EXPIRES END OF 2023/24:
Ben OLD
Alex PAULSEN
Ben WAINE

EXPIRES END OF 2024/25:
Tim PAYNE
Finn SURMAN
Sam SUTTON
Oskar VAN HATTUM
Scott WOOTTON [V] 

EXPIRES END OF 2021/22:
Matthew BOZINOVSKI [Loan] -  send back from whence he came
Louis FENTON - keep him he's a legend
James MCGARRY - id be ok if he wasn't kept
Kurtis MOGG [Scholarship] - keep
George OTT [Scholarship] - keep
Reno PISCOPO - keep at all costs
Gael SANDOVAL [V] [Loan] - I'd keep him even if it meant exteding the loan
Jaushua SOTIRIO - worth keeping around
Scott WOOTTON [V] - absolutely keep.

andrewvoerman

WanderingSheep

RR

WanderingSheep

Did I see the Nix's Fezbook page put up a photo of Krishna randomly the other day? Was there a particular reason for it?

New social media guy does things for the metrics. Don't read anything into it. 

Ah that’s a shame. When did the metrics become an official thing? 

The Krishna photo was from an ON THIS DAY post about an old Phoenix win. Nothing sneaky about it.

I, for one, need all the help I can get with my memory and any good Nix memory immediately makes me happy…

Realising who the list of people signed until the end of next season or beyond is makes me a bit happier. Would love to see Hoops find his shooting boots- amazing striker who looked human in the last match. You could see missing isn’t something he’s accustomed to. 
Someone said Howieson on an injury replacement loan? That sound like a silly idea? 
Or Manuel can be trusted and that’s enough? 
Any other injury replacement ideas? Uffie suggested he hadn’t seen anyone he wanted to bring in. 
Someone told me not to worry about Pennington and Hoops- they’re our main guys to drag us to the finish line now. 
Wonder if there are any international clubs who were following Rufer’s progression? His passing is probably better than Scrappy’s…

martinb

Realising who the list of people signed until the end of next season or beyond is makes me a bit happier. Would love to see Hoops find his shooting boots- amazing striker who looked human in the last match. You could see missing isn’t something he’s accustomed to. 
Someone said Howieson on an injury replacement loan? That sound like a silly idea? 
Or Manuel can be trusted and that’s enough? 
Any other injury replacement ideas? Uffie suggested he hadn’t seen anyone he wanted to bring in. 
Someone told me not to worry about Pennington and Hoops- they’re our main guys to drag us to the finish line now. 
Wonder if there are any international clubs who were following Rufer’s progression? His passing is probably better than Scrappy’s…

We have a visa slot open & Mario Barcia is about a month into the Vic NPL season. If we were to bring in anyone, he would be my pick. Someone we have seen a lot of in the past & is match fit.

Scott Wooton signed a three year extension. Quite surprised by that to be honest but definitely won't complain. Will be nice to have some consistency in the back and possibly even avoiding the traditional off season complete squad rebuild 

Scott Wootton commits to Wellington Phoenix for three more seasons | Stuff.co.nz

Excellent news IMHO.  Been impressed with him so far

Rock Hopper

Scott Wooton signed a three year extension. Quite surprised by that to be honest but definitely won't complain. Will be nice to have some consistency in the back and possibly even avoiding the traditional off season complete squad rebuild 

surprised we offered such a long contract? or that he accepted?
this is great news! really good to see a longer term contract being offered too,

Has been a solid addition. 

I haven't been super impressed with him but also question if we could get better.

valeo

I haven't been super impressed with him but also question if we could get better.

Has been solid and certainly hasnt been the disaster some were suggesting. Have been a couple of occasions in recent games where he has looked suspect. Also think we take what we can get would rather Talay look at getting another striker and maybe midfielder. 

I think we've (finally) learned we're better off with a reliable core squad than trying to rebuild and hope for a wonder signing. Enough of making excuses for poor early season form while players get to know each other and the system.
He's no Steven Taylor but he's certainly up to the task in the A league and is importantly a natural leader type that we need for the young guys coming through

He's a very decent A League-standard defender, so I'm pleased we've got him long term. Sure I'd like him to be a little better but then I've spent the past 15 years wishing the vast majority of Nix players were a little bit better.

Outpost

He's a very decent A League-standard defender, so I'm pleased we've got him long term. Sure I'd like him to be a little better but then I've spent the past 15 years wishing the vast majority of Nix players were a little bit better.

Like Josh Laws he’s often a guy you don’t notice cos he’s doing his job.

Our defense completely turned around when he arrived, great signing.

Gary Hooper may have played his last game for Phoenix. He's been ruled out of the next six weeks with a calf injury and coach Ufuk Talay has revealed his two-year deal has been reduced to one due to personal reasons. Understand Hooper's family are not with him in Australia.

— Phillip Rollo (@ByPhillipRollo) March 24, 2022

Ryan

Gary Hooper may have played his last game for Phoenix. He's been ruled out of the next six weeks with a calf injury and coach Ufuk Talay has revealed his two-year deal has been reduced to one due to personal reasons. Understand Hooper's family are not with him in Australia.

— Phillip Rollo (@ByPhillipRollo) March 24, 2022

I mean, fair enough if true, and while he's not been the same player he was in his first stint with the nix it still adds to the sentiment that being "contracted" doesn't really mean anything

Bloody sad if its true about Hooper loved watching him display his skills when he gone somewhere near being fit. Was pretty obvious the skills of the man had it not been for that first round of Covid messing up our charge to the finals i think he could have got us close to that bloody seat.

Smeltz4PM

Ryan

Gary Hooper may have played his last game for Phoenix. He's been ruled out of the next six weeks with a calf injury and coach Ufuk Talay has revealed his two-year deal has been reduced to one due to personal reasons. Understand Hooper's family are not with him in Australia.

— Phillip Rollo (@ByPhillipRollo) March 24, 2022

I mean, fair enough if true, and while he's not been the same player he was in his first stint with the nix it still adds to the sentiment that being "contracted" doesn't really mean anything

I think as employers the nix are very accommodating. Especially when it comes down to personal stuff, like family, illness etc. A contract is only as tough as the people involved want to make it. I'm sure if we wanted to force Hooper to stay and see out his contract we could, but why would you keep a player around if he couldnt give you everything.

Happy for him to get an early release. Its only footy as much as I love it and the reality is, in pretty much any job, employees are entitled to leave should they choose to.

By the sounds of it, he could have left at the start of the season but decided not to, to help out the team, especially given his family is not with him.

I said on twitter he looked like a guy who's ready for retirement so I'm not surprised. When players start getting visibly frustrated by the things they used to be able to do but no longer can, it's usually time to pack it in.

Absolutely no idea if its even possible but wonder if we could make an approach for Champness on loan? He's not really getting much game time with his Turkish club and knows the A League/NZ guys etc. 

Obv not a like for like replacement for Hooper and dunno if he'd wanna come back to the A League but could be a good temporary solution for both parties? 

*Edit - On second thought we're outside the transfer window so doubt that would work. Sigh 

Yeahcoulddo

Absolutely no idea if its even possible but wonder if we could make an approach for Champness on loan? He's not really getting much game time with his Turkish club and knows the A League/NZ guys etc. 

Obv not a like for like replacement for Hooper and dunno if he'd wanna come back to the A League but could be a good temporary solution for both parties? 

*Edit - On second thought we're outside the transfer window so doubt that would work. Sigh 

 Champness and Sotirio in the same team would be at times incredible and at others incredibly frustrating

Any chance of getting Raphael Lea'i? On a short-term deal could potentially work out for everyone

dunnix

Any chance of getting Raphael Lea'i? On a short-term deal could potentially work out for everyone

Good shout. But wonder if he cooked his goose at the Nix by not turning up for the second year of the academy deal they set up for him. 

Mario Barcia on an IR deal now please.

Are we eligible for injury replacements now? 

I'd even be happy with Howeison as an IR for Lewis. Though I really like the look of Sutton as CM so I wouldn't be surprised if we saw out the season with him and Pennington at CM and McGarry at LB