Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

I'd also really like to keep Burgess, we should be able to offer him a decent enough contract to stay.

would not be surprised if Rudan takes both Burgess and Mandi

I reckon Mandi heads back to Euro. Burgess deff goes with Rudan.

He certainly was playing as if he was going. His last two games were shocking but he did play well during our unbeaten run at the end of last year and early new year.

And this is the key thing for me. We don't really know how Talay wants to play, whether we have the right players for that formation or style. 

He's got no first team management record (or recruitment experience). And it's not like we have a director of football to guide this side of the club anyway. 

It's going to be an interesting off season!

The way I see it, he's probably already talked to the players he wants to retain as he knows how he likes to play and what players suit his style

More likely, he would have spoken with Welnix about it, as part of his job interview.  Welnix would know his suggestions befor the players would; there might have been also an indication whether Welnix were interested in keeping off-contract ones that he would have liked to.

Kurto gone, thought it doesn't announce were we can probably guess https://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/news/filip-kurto-leave-wellington-phoenix

So it's Kurto, Mandi and Golec so far. Wonder who is next

Western United is pleased to announce the signing of 2018/19 Goalkeeper of the Year, Filip Kurto! #wufc #westernunitedfc #theunitedwest #ALeague #thewestisnowunited pic.twitter.com/NNRZTajwi4

— Western United FC (@wufcofficial) May 14, 2019

please let that be the last player to go to the bitumens

An absolutely shocking development.

I still think Singh is the far more promising player, more goals and more assists.  I think you can build a team around Singh where Burgess is less effective.  I know Singh dined out against the lower half teams but he dominates games in a way that Burgess doesn't

why not both?

I disagree. I think Burgess has shown a lot more hunger than Singh this season. Singh is classy but less versatile and seems to have less of an impact than Burgess on most games. I'd definitely want to keep both

ugh, the old "unsettled partner" ploy. FFS

Burgess can't score, that is my main issue I have with him.

I feel like Burgess looks busier, but Singh actually produces more assists and goals. 

Burgess was good to offset the concrete legs of Mandi; but if we get a midfielder who's more mobile, I can see us doing without him.

Not too fussed about Kurto leaving: 

1) His shot stopping glossed over deficiencies in his game particular in the air and off his line.

2) There are now some possible (Kiwi) options that weren't around when he signed him (and Sail is a year older/wiser) 

3) Almost certainly sought an upgraded contract which WU are able to provide with their higher cap

4) Suspect the foreign spot will be needed elsewhere

Assuming Marinovic comes, and depending on money, I reckon that's a decent bit of dealing from the Nix. 

You're not wrong, and this is basically what I was saying (minus Kurto's flaws as we didn't know them yet) when we signed Kurto. Of course, it turned out that Kurto was the best shot stopper in the league and saved our blushes on countless occassions - but he was still poor at coming for high balls, poor for coming for crosses (ever since he bumbled one v Adelaide away he looked very nervy).

I still think, ideally, as a club - you do not want to spend an import spot on a keeper. Imagine if we had a spare one this season. We only really did it out of necessity because no decent keepers were avaliable.

He's still a big loss.  One of three or four players who directly earned us points this year.  Still think Marinovic is very much an unknown quantity.  Just because you get another import doesn't mean they will improve your team, both Mandi and Sheridan contributed far less than Kurto this year.

every game he has played for the all whites over the years he has performed and yes we have been under the pump even playing island teams

Appreciate we haven't played much recently but if he is signed he would in fact be one of our best known signings

Western United have signed another Wellington Phoenix player. Story coming ?

— Phillip Rollo (@ByPhillipRollo) May 16, 2019

So Burgess or Williams?

My money's on Burgess.

Bingo

Burgess it is while I still expect Williams to follow as well

Just saw this on Stuff. Fudging hell

Rudan the snake strikes again

God, I can't wait till we smash Western United. Genuinely don't like them already. 

Its a shame quite liked Burgess but at least we have Singh so not losing too much

Fudge Rudan and fudge WU.

If we lose Williams to WU and then Rudan turns up there I'll be fuming. Can't blame Max though, I know he's from Sydney but given a choice it's easy to see why he would opt for a move back home

This is good for Burgess. He'll probably get quite a bit of game time. Here he would be competing a lot with Singh.

Also people forget that in the nix's first season we picked the eyes out of the Newcastle Jets.

If we had tabled earlier improved offered them some of these players might not be leaving.

Not really the same tho is it?

starting to get slightly annoyed with a certain team.  1 player i could handle, 2 is slightly annoying, any more and if Rudan turns up he will be the most hated person to ever be assosiated with the club

Boogess

We got 3 players from NUJ and the club was only announced a month after the grand final.

He could do a job in CM, like he often did replacing Mandi. If we play a diamond midfield his energy would be great as a shuttler on one side of the diamond.