Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

All A-League clubs are very reliant on two or three players.

We were heavily reliant on Krishna, Bonevacia and Burns - Burns left, wasn't replaced adequately, and Krishna got injured. Roly had to shoulder too much of the burden. Despite Roly's obvious skill, he still isn't a natural goal scorer. (but does have a taste for the spectacular)

I'm hoping with Krishna, Bonevacia and Kosta all fit and firing we'll be a bigger force next season.

I do think a good import defender at the calibre of a Zwaanswijk or a Delpierre would completely change the way this team plays out from the back too. Easier said than done to find that kind of player however.

In the corner, with a box of Lego, can't quite make the pieces fit together though

We need a total overhaul and you are blind if you don't see it.

We are getting a complete overhaul, half our defence is new, and half our attack will be new. Our midfield tends to be pretty good, although we do lack a playmaker sort of player.

Other than the fact that we're getting an overhaul, we don't need one. The bulk of the same team with a few extra players of a high standard was leading the league until around this point last season.Although much higher than us the Roar go up and down fairly regularly with largely the same squad. They win it then barely make it to the six then win it again with the same core. It's just the A-League, look at Victory this year compared to last.

Go on then JD, give us your alternate squad that would be capable of winning the league, yet also fitting under the salary cap

(I'll be kind, use both marquees if you need ...)

Erm, any of the other several squads that have won the league playing under the same cap we adhere to?

I do not see filling the team with untested youths and other journeymen as the overhaul we need.

We need a new right back, a centre half, a couple of midfielders and at least one more striker. And maybe a new coach of things don't improve.

Ignore 2nd Best there Steve-O. You are right. Everyone wants to play here but we are just shark are recruiting. We just can't turn these quality players away fast enough.

Ernie postures as if this is the case.

We've had / have several Aussies in the squad.

We've also got the (supposed) advantage of having as many Kiwis as we like in the squad, unlike the Aussies.

There is no point asking posters on here to identify realistic signings.  We are not the ones with scouting networks and whose job it is to find these players.  We have unearthed decent players before, and we can do again.

I am not a scout, nor do I have time to scout.  Are you seriously suggesting fans should unearth players themselves now?

No,  but if the squad needs an overhaul you should have a good idea of what kiwi players you think should,  and would, come here. 

Remember how bad we were in season one? That's what happens when you try to find an entirely new squad in 6 months.

Although WSW did it quite succesfully, twice.

Which players would you keep in the starting lineup Steve-O?

Players I'd still start.

Moss - Doyle - Riera - A Rod - Bonevencia.

Maybes

Durante (poor season) McGlinchey (missing too often) Powell (has some technical ability) Watson (depending on formation)

Not a chance

Lia - Fenton - Ridenton (getting better but still to lightweight)

That's fair but if you are saying we need a complete overhaul then surely you have an idea that there are better players that are available for us to buy.

If you have seen players that would be available for us to buy that are better than the players we have then please advise.

If you haven't seen any better players and conceivably we might have the best squad we could have all things considered then saying we need a complete overhaul would be a silly comment to make and stand by, wouldn't it?

Need at least another 8 players start at the back and work forward.Need another keeper for a start someone that's going to push Moss, the boy at the moment must be getting a good wage to make up for his lack of ambition. Moss hasn't had a great season and needs to be pushed to keep his place.

I think there's a few things which have changed since last season which have affected our performances.

Our FBs are not advancing as much as they were. Last year Muscat would bomb down the left and Boxall/Fenton down the right. That hasn't really happened this year, and when it has our FBs have not been wide enough, so they run into traffic. They need to be hugging the touchline. I think Fenton has lost pace and agility, not to mention confidence, since bulking up after his shoulder injuries, and Manny is just maybe too old for that sort of role. Doyle is improving and could hopefully do that job down the left for us.

Our midfield has gone from being a diamond with a DM, 2 CMs, and an AM/false 9 to a box with 2 DMs and 2 AMs. Consequently Roly and WeeMac are struggling to gel in the AM roles. If one has a good game the other probably won't because they are both trying to do the same thing. Also, a box midfield can make it harder to play penetration passes because the natural angles between your attacking players are too horizontal or vertical - as in, they are either sideways in a line or backwards and forwards in a line. Coupled with a lack of width and fullback who won't get forwards in wide areas it means that it is hard to break teams down.

Finally, when we had Burns and Krishna we had plenty of pace up front. Neither Watson or Powell is as quick so we lost the opportunity to play dangerous through balls behind the defence.

So, next year we will have Kosta and Krishna up front so plenty of pace. If we switch back to a diamond midfield then Roly and WeeMac should both play better and we should be less linear on attack. Doyle can hopefully do the job down the left, and we can pick up a pacy RB with a decent cross to do it down the right.

Granted, we might still struggle to break teams down sometimes, like we did at the end of last season but we could potentially switch to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with Kosta and Krishna wide and Powell or Watson in the middle. We would have to drop a midfielder out to do that, but it could be a decent plan B.

This why I think we are only a good RB and CB away from a competitive team.

But I disagree with you, Moss has had a fantastic season in my opinion. Kept us in matches so many times, and let down by some an unstable defence in front of him.

Yes and no, has made errors that have resulted in goals and is not confident with the ball at his feet which means we are not able to build play and have to adjust how we play out from the back, putting midfielders into the backline like ARod on the weekend. But that is the challenge of a salary capped league.

Moss is a good shot stopper but theirs more to keeping than that, His distribution is average and how we haven't let in more at corners he's not great at picking out crosses but I do agree about the defence its sharke.

I'd keep, in the squad, not necessarily all to always start:

Moss, Doyle, Fox, Roly, Riera, Watson. Maybe McGlinchey, despite an extremely inconsistent season.

Why should I? Any decision to sign players will have nothing to do with me. How could I possibly know who would come here?

You'd ditch Krishna?

Whoops, no! Knew I'd forgotten someone.

So you'd keep 8 of our starting lineup? Not really a wholesale clean out. You're not worried too much about the starting 11? Considering Ernie has already said we're targeting four starting players he largely agrees with your assessment of how many players in our squad are starting calibre, but your concerns lie with the depth of the squad?

A league teams are always thin, you have to pad them with up and coming players like we have by and large, and hope they can step up. We had much better depth last year than this because we had players with a few seasons under their belt. But players like Ridenton, Rufer, and Fenton now have the required experience to be good impact players, and push for starting positions.

Maybe COMPLETE overhaul was too strong. The eight I mention though are by no means automatic starters though. 

Main issue now is that we have some who I'd consider squad players starting every week. Some of them are playing knowing that there are few options to replace them so not much in the way of competition for places.

If we sign 4 quality players who are definite starters, great.

We have to look at a succession plan for Dura so one of the players we sign has to be a starting quality CB that will push Fox and Dura. Otherwise a good full back, and a couple of players up front. With the exception of A-Rod I'd say you aren't too far off the mark.

Does anyone want to keep Fenton and if so why I don't

Yes, I do.  He is a useful squad member able to fit in anywhere on the right flank.

OK, he can wilt under pressure (he is no Muscat), but he is a relatively clean player and can score the odd goal.

OK, he suffers from low confidence right now, but that can be worked on and he might improve with time, especially with good players around him.  And final reason, he does not need a visa.

Yes, and hope this year was just a blip and he continues the trajectory he showed last season. He is very useful as a utililty anyway, and can play midfield, as a winger, wide striker, and wing back.

Plus when he's on form is a good attacking player- from 39 seconds in. There have been some better examples too- I think against VIctory somewhere? He's gotta rebuild his frame and confidence, but he's done a job in our squad.

OK so most people here want to keep Fenton, Watson, Ridenton,Italiano even young Blake and if fit Rufer but how do they improve its not buy just training and sitting on the bench its about getting quality game time so that they do improve and we are not having the same conversations about the same players next year.LOAN them out to a state league side over the winter and see if they improve I don't think some would but some may not. I would even send Doyle and Fox

Ok, so we send Doyle and Fox away, Sigmund is retiring and Muscat is going to City. So just Durante at the back for us then? 

Where would we find squad depth if all those players went out on loan, and what would happen if Glen Moss, Kosta/Krishna get injured during the season? Loaning isn't a great option with a salary-capped squad.