Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

So potentially could free up 2 import slots at the end of the season by letting Smith and Benji go.

Or potentially 3 if we think we do better than Sanchez in the euro player market, in the state that its in.

Updated:  

Oh god, we've got Lia for another season.

still a big list of players we can get rid of, or at least renegotiate their salary,

Except Totori has a player option and you just know he is not going to say 'Thanks, I don't want to get paid to play football and would rather go back to Honiara'

not sure what you mean by player option? as long as we get rid of him off our books I see no issue.

It means he can choose whether he wants another year here or not, the club doesn't have any say on the matter. I don't remember hearing that Totori was on this kind of deal though.

why would a club ever give a player that much power, unless they were definately going to want him to stay.

How is it any different in that regard to offering him a two year contract? 

I guess, except he doesn't have a contract unless he wants it. Which suggests that maybe Totori negotiated it suggesting he might like to go back to the Solomons next year.

If a player was unsure they wanted to stay for the extra year, or thinks they may be up for a payrise that year. That's why the player may demand it. As far as the club is concerned, it's like a 2 year deal which they probably wanted to sign them to anyway. So there are reasons. 

I don't remember Totori being signed with this though? A more likely scenario for him would be the club option, if he turns out good we get the option of extending his contract a year. 

When he was first signed it was said "One year deal with an option for a second" (Can't find sauce), no articles mentioned if this was a player option or a club option at the time.

Edit: Sauce found

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10814040

You'd think that was a club option given the nature of the signing. Totori would have just taken the 2 year deal. More likely the club wanted to see how he went before committing to 2 years. 

Just for clarity, ADP's contract is also "One year with option for a second" 

Sauce: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hy-zFYiw98yS2tzqwUOGjt1sYODQ?docId=CNG.22896170ef1e89224934e5a2c6907ecf.5e1

Usually if it is a Player option it is because the player is unsure they want to commit for 2 years, and want to be able to check out options after a year. Club Option would be because the club is not sure and they want to see what they have for a year and then commit to longer without the player being able to say no.

This was my assumption at the time as well, would like clarity, but can't find any.

The only person I have heard it from is Jeff, maybe he can offer some confirmation?

*goes looking for Jeff. Finds him hunched over a toilet, covered in his own vomit*

Um, maybe give it a while...

Its been mentioned a few times (and I am trying to find you some Heinz Black Pepper sauce to salivate you all) but it was always a 1 + 1 with the 2nd year being a player option. I have bemoaned it a couple of times because that 2nd year should have been a club option cause then the club could say 'thanks but no thanks'

Either way, I would rather they find the cash to pay him to stay away. A serious waste of a squad and import slot. Its not too far a reach to suggest a couple of the youth kids could do better than this guy. 

Edit: Still working on it.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10864259

http://www.3news.co.nz/Totori-signs-Phoenix-A-League-deal/tabid/415/articleID/258296/Default.aspx

so nothing really clarifying whether we'll have to put up with totori next season or not. As you say JV if he stays it's a waste of a import spot and he is probably unlikely to get a start if Fenton/Boyd keep improving and we sign some better players for next season.

Can anyone ask the club?

Seriously, if its a club option and we exercise it, then they need to be fired. Can't complain that we don't have the players to compete in an improving league if we sign complete hacks. Totori fits squarely in that category

 Totori is back next year. Clause in this contract has been triggered.

..is that Boxy's head I hear exploding.

 oh god really? only leaves smith or Sanchez to go if the new signing is an import for next season.

 That's the major announcement ?? LOL

 Nope it isn't

So that kinda verifies that its a player option because there is no way the club would trigger it..

Imagine that! 

True lets see

Minutes played? Unlikely

Goals scored? That's a nope

Turn up to training on time? Well that's should be a given

Trips over his own feet? Definitely.

No other A League club would sign this guy, so why on blue fuck would we trigger it for an import that's done 5 fifths of fuck all? It makes zero sense. It has to be a player option.

He definitely fits in the category of 'not up to standard'

 I am so with you on this JV - the only way the option could have been triggered in my mind was if it was a player option - which for me means that whoever negotiated it on the nix side got well and truely screwed. Or we have become the WINZ for football "players"

Ricki felt too fuckin sorry for him. 

Ricki saw a few goals at the ONC and got all excited, we know how this happened.

Well I think Sanchez will know to pack his bags.

On the Totori [and others] front; to my mind when I saw him play vs HBU, he was a definite step above NZFC. Question is then - if you're too good for the NZFC, where can you play? or does that make you capable of being an A League player or on the fringes? [as I'd suggest Totori is]. 

I didn't see Siggy play NZFC and can't really remember Boyd and Fenton [didn't stand out in the game I saw]. Have seen Vicilich play a few times and he fits the too good for NZFC IMHO.

Thoughts?

Actually Fenton might have scored against us at Park Island. If he did, then I do seem to recall that I thought he looked special.