Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

His strike rate at state league level was appalling, especially given it crowded out spots and opportunites for young kiwis

How many U21s are playing in the other 9 teams? Are they top tier too?

Two new signings David Williams and Mitch Nichols.

https://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/news/phoenix-sna...

So with the addition of Nicols and Williams, what does our starting XI look like now?

Suggestions for starting XI and bench for the FFA Cup game coming up fast.  Include both Poles but no other imports as not yet signed.  Assume everyone fit and available.  Trialists allowed?  Not sure on that.

Lets go

Nichols for 2 years. Ugh.

Really really happy with Nichols, Williams is a good signing too. Great to see that just like last season we're not only scrounging the state leagues again

I imagine triallists would have to sign a pro contract, even a short term one and would have a stand down before returning to winter clubs.

For the FFA game, which Rudan has already said is not going to make him rush signings, Cacace, Singh and possibly Smith aren't available. That leaves 11 outfielders and 2 GKs. 

                Kurto

Fox Taylor Durante Doyle

      Fenton Kopczynski

                Nichols

    Williams           Burns

                  Krishna

Subs Lowry, Sail, others (wouldn't sign anyone specially for this game, unless it's a promising youth player signed to of the youth spots, which aren't included in the 23)

Front four are fluid, except Burns, who should stay wide. 

Fox and Dura could swap.

That's a good lineup. If Cacace were available would you have him as an AM ;-)

I wonder if we will see Te Atawhai Hudson Wihongi signed before then, in which case he might come in for Fenton.

Have I missed something, why aren't they available?

Some junior All Whites thing I believe

Oceania under 19 tournament coincides. 

I'm assuming with this tournament so close, that NZF have not named a side yet.

Cheers, had forgot about the tourn

In camp this week til Thursday. 

Traveling squad named after camp.

Leave for Tahiti August 1st.

Thanks for putting this on here. A good listen. Looks like Rudan enjoys characters like Mitch. I think they could be a very good combo.

I think characters like Nichols and Taylor are needed in a team environment, esp one like the Nix where they can spend a lot of time on the road in airports, hotels etc.

If everyone is too serious, you have a bad streak of games, morale can fall apart. Experienced campaigners who can be jokers off the pitch are invaluable.

From the way Rudez is talking, it sounds like Nichols will start and Sarpreet will be on the bench. 

We need Singh starting!

He's good enough for the A-League and will only get better.

He could be the new Marco Rojas - an exciting young Kiwi creating a buzz about town for the Nix.

Singh is young (19 and 6 games?) and will have a big role but in a head to head right now, let the coach decide.

I think one of the things I am wary of with Singh, and this is said over and over about the A League is that good players get kicked off the ball so much. Roly, Felipe... Those are two that come to mind and Singh is a good (slight) footballer. Lets not send him to get killed if he is not ready for it.

If Nichols starts over Singh, we riot. Fudge that. That was one of the main issues I had with Darije; obvious young talents and didn't bother playing them. Singh has shown quite a few times now that he can compete at this level and doesn't mind a bit of push and shove. How will get used to that without playing? He won't just magically turn into a guy who's built like a brick sharkhouse.

I personally think we will see them playing together with Singh a little higher.

The biggest problem we have had in recent years in attack is that we don't have the movement of other teams IMO... I like the idea of being more mobile in the middle of the park... Nicholls needs to add some donkey work to his game.

So chaps, we is going to be the go to player for us to blame when we don't win/play well this year?  There is always one at least.

Ridenton has gone.  Who is it going to be?

Interesting side note looking at the draw.  We have got Newcastle at home first round in October.  Ridenton's first A league game for Newcastle.

Ernie's first game at Westpac since leaving.  The only Newcastle home game last season was in Auckland.  I would like to think that we give both a decent welcome.  Ernie especially.

I think it's already established that it'll be Dura.

This is what Mark Rudan said when asked about Nichols linking up with Singh, if he is to stick with his two numbers 10s, as we saw in preseason. I didn't take it that Singh will be on the bench.

"It's going to be interesting to see how you guys think we play. I don't read a lot of stuff but I do read, I'm not going to be one of the Graham Arnold types who says they don't read anything and listen to the media, I do know what goes on, information does filter back and I'm interested to see how you think we will be playing because it's a little bit different to normal. Certainly, to have two creative players of that ilk, Sarpreet and Mitch, you can just see little things like this morning they team up together in the same group and you can just see immediately that they've got a feel for each other. Those kind of guys have that sixth sense about them anyway. Sarpreet is a talent, a long way off with a lot of work to do, but he's certainly a talented footballer and you could just see in his eyes when Mitch was on the same pitch that there's something there. Whether that translates into them both playing on the pitch at the same time we'll see. Time will tell. That depends on how Mitch and Sarpreet perform in pre-season. But it's great for that to be a possibility."

I don't mind reasoned analysis of who is doing well and who isn't; after all every player has different traits, levels of ability etc and things fluctuate through a season. Observations and analysis develop into opinions, and we're all allowed to have them

But it gets icky when opinions become crusades and crusades get personal pretty quick

https://twitter.com/ByPhillipRollo/status/10215970...

Rollo: Cacace and Singh available for Bentleigh Greens game. 

Yeah here's my take on the starting lineup we'll see come the start of the season, using Rudan's preferred front three system. 

Singh and Nichols I feel will be excellent in those roles together, especially considering Rudan saying they have good chemistry in training.

No place for Williams or Burns but I feel Burns could easily replace one of Singh or Nichols and either be pushed out from an AM to a wide position, or attempt to go central. Williams being Krishna's backup. Alternatively, we could go with one DM and two CMs, where we'd play the import and Nichols together in central midfield, and bench TAHW for Burns. Or even a 4-2-2-2, again benching TAHW for Burns up front.

Looks good on paper but in reality I think there would be too much pressure on having a single goal-scorer in the run-on squad. Both Singh and Nichols have solid records in-front of goal, but neither of them are going to give 10+ goals a season.

drop nichols further back to (import) slot and bring burns on to suppoty krishna - solved

Yeah that works for me.

          Kurto

??? Fox Taylor Doyle

       Kopcynski

     Nichols Singh

Krishna          Burns

            ???

The third ??? is if Nichols can do the donkey work or share it with Singh

I like the idea of Nichols looking after Singh

You touch our boy, you know what's coming

Think Singh is starting to show that he may well be  a 10+  goal season player.

^^^^ +1

Has a real knack for those outside the box shots - has certainly shown his first goal was far from a fluke. Midfielders that can actually score are a bit of a premium in the a-league.

He has scored at level he has played at... no reason for it to stop.

The great thing is, with Nicholls who can also shoot from distance, it should free up space for Burns and a Krishna as opposing teams will want to shut them down. In previous years we never had that option, so defenders could sit a little deeper and take away the space for our attackers.

That isn't really the formation he's used. Swap Krishna and Singh and then drop Singh deeper into midfield, or as a false nine or second 10, and it's more accurate. 

Not surprised we took this option, I only hope he hasn't taken a hit financially by doing this

Can confirm the Phoenix are on the hunt for a third under-20 player as Keegan Smith remains on a youth scholarship and his contract doesn’t count towards the 23. Only trial player (so far anyway) in that age bracket is Callan Elliot.

— Phillip Rollo (@ByPhillipRollo) July 24, 2018