Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

Agreed. Assuming it is corrected you'd think that would be in the high 300K area

The wage bills might be a lot cheaper if we just offered our strikers $10000 a goal

And the defenders 10k for a clean sheet? We'd slash the wage bill!

Not worth being our highest paid player. I wouldn't mind signing him for two years if there was another slot available, He's a good and versatile player and can cover a few positions, just not quite who we need to knock in the goals.

Wake me up when they start discussing extending Riera's contract beyond the next season.

... spending serious money on getting seriously good players to mount an A-League play-off place next year.

I really like Michael Boxall at rightback, but we desperately need a new starting quality centre back. Someone to replace Sigmund.

It's easy to be doom and gloom after another heavy loss when we're clearly out of the playoff picture, but I just cannot see the logic in re-signing so many of our players for next year and beyond. Yes Vince Lia has been better this season, but is he really worth another two years? 

I just can't help but think Vince Lia, Manny Muscat, Stein Huysegems, Roy Krishna, Jason Hicks, Leo Bertos and Reece Caira are easy to replace with better players.

At least some of them will be.. 

Hicks was really on it today I thought. A good squad player at the least.

Questions as well for Wellnix. Beaten today by BlingFC- returning socceroos by the score and Del Piero.

We also seem content to build our team round the same old players every year?

Can't believe Lia got 2 years more, and struggle when I hear Durante is talking about contract extensions.

Where is the ambition?

I put 99% of the blame on the owners, not Ernie as he has to
work with what he's got. Also I don't blame the players, they can only play to
the best of their ability.

There is a real culture in society these days that if you
pare everything down to the bare bones then this is a sound business model and
completely acceptable even though it results in businesses and organisations
being forced to their knees barely functioning

Welnix have done this to the Nix. I don't need to repeat
what has happened this season as everyone on here agrees that most of the
decisions made by the owners have been poor.

They need to seriously look at their strategy for next
season because they won’t have anyone turning up without changing things. Also
it wouldn’t kill the club to actually sound out supporters now and again and
find out how we can help improve things.

edit: hmm not sure why it has come out in a sort of Ted Hughes poetry format.
 

I think siggy and dura were really enjoying their season, like the rest of us, until Reira got injured.  That's not to say we dont need a ball playing centre back....

I really dont think any of the back four will be buying Vinnie a drink for a while, no matter what ace tunes he plays on the bus/steady hand of "leadership" he offers.

I feel a bit sorry for the backline, because they're getting zilch protection from the midfield at times. Then again, I wouldn't be laying all the blame on Lia either as he's looking at a whole lot of grass to cover just by himself (and actually did pretty well last night considering). Which is why I repeat that DM is the area we need to spend most time on finding someone decent during the off season.

And no, I don't think that Riera is going to come back in, wave a magic wand and fix all our problems like some on here seem to think. He is a good player, and will help a lot, but like Lia, can't do it by himself.

Just to further my point. Between that first win against Sydney (22/12) when our team really started to settle, and Riera's injury (08/02) we conceded 6 goals in 7 games with 2 clean sheets. Since then we have conceded 26 goals in 9 games with no clean sheets. All with pretty much the same back line (the major change being Timmins coming into LB which I don't think has been the problem).

The big change has obviously been the loss of Riera, meaning that Lia has had to play in his deeper role, which to be fair he probably hasn't really been as effective at as Riera. With support from with either Manny, who hasn't been as effective as in previous years either, or Ridenton who really isn't suited to that role (yet?). Next year we'll get Lia and Riera back again hopefully, but unless we get more cover, we're just an injury away from it all happening again.

Which is by no means saying that our backline has been without fault. Far from it, and we need to see improvement there too. But I do think that they're getting hung out to dry a lot by what's happening in front.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=11233257

I find that a bit concerning. 

"We've conceded the most goals in the league, who are you looking to sign for next season?"

"More attacking players!"

:P

FT - I 'this-ed" you mostly because of your Ted Hughes reference.

Defensively we are poor. The numbers don't lie but in the last few weeks we have suffered from what we did earlier in the season, namely we do not score when opportunities arise. This ultimately puts pressure across the whole team and inevitably we cough up goals. This was again the case last night. Some good opportunities, not taken, then Brockie breathes on ADP in the penalty area, game over. 

Defending is a much easier prospect if you are putting away the chances you get at the other end of the park.

Is it?

Absolutely it is

I think we've definitely suffered recently by trying to chase the game when we go behind through a dodgy penalty or wonder strike. Our fullbacks/mids press too high too often and we get caught out at the back.