TITLE-chasing Central Coast is plotting an
audacious swoop for the Socceroos' unsettled Barclays Premier
League wing Ahmad Elrich.
They may also face competition from Wellington Phoenix and overseas, with Elrich having received lucrative offers from the Middle East plus two trials in Turkey.
The Mariners were last night making enquiries into Elrich's fitness in light of the serious knee injury which has blighted his last 12 months.
Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna, who was assistant coach with NSL club Parramatta when Elrich burst onto the scene, said he would be a valuable asset.
"I coached him all those years ago and he's a good lad. He's potentially brilliant with his pace and he'd fit in well with the way we play football," McKinna said.
Fulham are understood to have agreed to release the 26-year-old and will pay out most of his contract, which was due to expire at the end of the season.
The Mariners are believed to have enough room in the salary cap and have a spare spot on the list.
Elrich has been sidelined since September last year, when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Australia's Asian Cup qualifying loss in Kuwait.
Elrich's Australian representative Tony Relis said Elrich, who narrowly missed out on a place in the 2006 World Cup squad, was favouring a return to the A-League.
"Ahmad would take a significant pay cut if he returned to the A-League but it's going to be a football decision," he said.
Meanwhile McKinna has revealed how on-fire striker Nik Mrdja is still having to work constantly on the knee that has left his A-League career on hold for most of the past two seasons.
While the Mariners squad toiled away in their first session of the new week yesterday Mrdja was cooling his heels in the pool.
"We don't want to get to a stage where, because we're training him the same as everyone else, he needs a week or two off," McKinna said yesterday.
"Monday is usually a hard day so we ease him through - he does a swimming session and then he's right for the rest of the week.
"We'd rather just nurse him through so as the season goes on he gets stronger. It's usually just the first session of the week - his knee gets a wee bit tender. We have to monitor him so that we don't load him up too much."
They may also face competition from Wellington Phoenix and overseas, with Elrich having received lucrative offers from the Middle East plus two trials in Turkey.
The Mariners were last night making enquiries into Elrich's fitness in light of the serious knee injury which has blighted his last 12 months.
Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna, who was assistant coach with NSL club Parramatta when Elrich burst onto the scene, said he would be a valuable asset.
"I coached him all those years ago and he's a good lad. He's potentially brilliant with his pace and he'd fit in well with the way we play football," McKinna said.
Fulham are understood to have agreed to release the 26-year-old and will pay out most of his contract, which was due to expire at the end of the season.
The Mariners are believed to have enough room in the salary cap and have a spare spot on the list.
Elrich has been sidelined since September last year, when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Australia's Asian Cup qualifying loss in Kuwait.
Elrich's Australian representative Tony Relis said Elrich, who narrowly missed out on a place in the 2006 World Cup squad, was favouring a return to the A-League.
"Ahmad would take a significant pay cut if he returned to the A-League but it's going to be a football decision," he said.
Meanwhile McKinna has revealed how on-fire striker Nik Mrdja is still having to work constantly on the knee that has left his A-League career on hold for most of the past two seasons.
While the Mariners squad toiled away in their first session of the new week yesterday Mrdja was cooling his heels in the pool.
"We don't want to get to a stage where, because we're training him the same as everyone else, he needs a week or two off," McKinna said yesterday.
"Monday is usually a hard day so we ease him through - he does a swimming session and then he's right for the rest of the week.
"We'd rather just nurse him through so as the season goes on he gets stronger. It's usually just the first session of the week - his knee gets a wee bit tender. We have to monitor him so that we don't load him up too much."
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22357896-23215,00.html
valeo2007-09-04 12:45:42
a.haak
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Bout time he left. Hes bloody class. Would be awesome if we got
him!!!!
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He's no Right Back.
That story has 'lunatic' written all over it incidentally.
Hard News2007-09-04 12:54:31
That story has 'lunatic' written all over it incidentally.
Hard News2007-09-04 12:54:31
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Then that makes it all the more valid, lunatic was right quite a
lot in the past.
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Elrich's Australian representative Tony
Relis said Elrich, who narrowly missed out on a place in the 2006
World Cup squad, was favouring a return to the A-League.
Tony Relis = Lunatic
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WOW! Imagine your midfield with him!
FORMER Fulham and Socceroo midfielder Ahmad Elrich could be on
his way to the A-League after the English Premier League club
released him from his contract.Elrich still had a year left on his
deal with Fulham, but they agreed to release him after the transfer
window closed with no offers coming in for him.
He missed all of last season after injuring himself playing for Australia against Kuwait in September 2006 when he twisted his knee badly after his boot got caught in the turf.
Fulham allowed him to return to Australia while he recovered, but Elrich was hoping to make a first team impact in the coming season alongside fellow Fulham Aussie, Adrian Leijer.
In May, he revealed he was well on the road to recovery, and added: �The knee feels fine. I�m now looking forward to coming back next season, bigger, better and stronger."
However the club has now confirmed on their website that he has been released.
Now he is tipped to sign up with Central Coast Mariners after Fulham reportedly paid out most of his outstanding contract when they released him.
The Mariners still have one spot left in their squad and room in the salary cap to fit the cash-rich Elrich.
Mariners' coach Lawrie McKinna coached Elrich when they were at NSL club Parramatta and is at the head of the queue to sign him now.
He admitted to Fox Sports: "Ahmad would take a significant pay cut if he returned to the A-League but it's going to be a football decision.
"I coached him all those years ago and he's a good lad. He's potentially brilliant with his pace and he'd fit in well with the way we play football."
However McKinna is also said to face competition from Wellington Phoenix as well as Turkish and Middle East clubs for the 26-year old's signature.
Although the transfer window is now closed, clubs are still allowed to sign players who are currently without a contract.
He missed all of last season after injuring himself playing for Australia against Kuwait in September 2006 when he twisted his knee badly after his boot got caught in the turf.
Fulham allowed him to return to Australia while he recovered, but Elrich was hoping to make a first team impact in the coming season alongside fellow Fulham Aussie, Adrian Leijer.
In May, he revealed he was well on the road to recovery, and added: �The knee feels fine. I�m now looking forward to coming back next season, bigger, better and stronger."
However the club has now confirmed on their website that he has been released.
Now he is tipped to sign up with Central Coast Mariners after Fulham reportedly paid out most of his outstanding contract when they released him.
The Mariners still have one spot left in their squad and room in the salary cap to fit the cash-rich Elrich.
Mariners' coach Lawrie McKinna coached Elrich when they were at NSL club Parramatta and is at the head of the queue to sign him now.
He admitted to Fox Sports: "Ahmad would take a significant pay cut if he returned to the A-League but it's going to be a football decision.
"I coached him all those years ago and he's a good lad. He's potentially brilliant with his pace and he'd fit in well with the way we play football."
However McKinna is also said to face competition from Wellington Phoenix as well as Turkish and Middle East clubs for the 26-year old's signature.
Although the transfer window is now closed, clubs are still allowed to sign players who are currently without a contract.
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...one page was all you had to check for this thread.
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So is this a wind up? Can't see it personally...
Normo's coming home
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When he was at Paramatta (admittedly a few years ago) he was bloody
fast. But not much else as far as i can remember
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