Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

Thanks A Rod, I could see your potential to have a team built around you. Sadly not to be. Best of luck in Portugal.

He's gone to Portugal

really rated A-rod. do wonder why he left? was it he wasnt wanted? better offer? or just does everybody and their dog want to leave

Portugal vs Wellington, easy choice.

He had every opportunity to stamp himself on our midfield and never showed enough for me.  Tidy passer but fundamentally he was never more than that, very little showing in an attacking sense, couldn't beat a man and I always felt that beyond a fifteen yard pass he struggled.  It will be interesting to see him in a different league, and whether he is a first teamer or otherwise

Didn't know he was still alive! Who was that other guy who played for the Kingz their last season when he was 18, Jason Rowley? He'd only be 32 or so.....

EXPIRES END OF 2017/18:

Andrew DURANTE
Gui FINKLER (f)
Lewis ITALIANO
Roy KRISHNA (f)
James McGARRY (u21)
Michael McGLINCHEY 
Matthew RIDENTON
Logan ROGERSON (u21)
Marco ROSSI (+1) (f)
Alex RUFER

EXPIRES END OF 2018/19:

Tom DOYLE
Dylan FOX
Ryan LOWRY
Adam PARKHOUSE
Oliver SAIL
Hamish WATSON

EXPIRES END OF 2019/20:

Sarpreet SINGH (u21)

on a one year contract...so is the next season a long trial for him then?

No need for contracts any longer at the Nix these days.

Players will just call Dome and say their misses is unhappy and be allowed to bugger off anyway 

That seems unnecessarily harsh.

Are you wanting us to key players who aren't happy at the club at the club? and what, force them to play or some shark? 

 
Or are you complaining that they are calling Domey and not ...you?

I get the frustration at good players leaving. Players like Tratt and Kosta are players you want in your squad if you want to win a title. But I dont get it blaming the GM or the club for it. 

Seems like an odd gripe to have....

Very underwhelmed with this call. All we've done is replace Glen Moss with Oli Sail, who isn't good enough to start yet so Lewis Italiano gets the gig.

Mambo will be on far less than Moss wanted, freeing up cap space to spend elsewhere. And lets not forget he has had 3 clean sheets in 6 games, he isnt the next Crowther. He has one year to prove he is up to this level and I think he will.

I'm not sure if goalkeeper is where we should be looking to save cap space.

It's more of a bargain - a good goalie for less of the price.

Will need good defensive players in front of him, specially DM

Jesus what flavour of happy juice are you on?

The team obviously know Lewis well and think he can do the job. It's not like he's an unknown or another teams reserve keeper.

The question mark is the length of his contract.

Obviously a different sort to yours

....You make it sound like a bad thing....

how so?

Just mean, can't let Brett Holman shoot from outside the box with him there...

...or inside.

I'm fine with trying Italiano but having only Sail as back-up makes this a big gamble.  

What about any of the other NZ goalkeepers (Woud,Tamati WIlliams, Gleeson) who all seem to be ahead of Sail?  I'd much prefer to see one of them as backup given Italiano's inexperience 

I also doubt that Woud/Gleeson would be keen on coming even to be the first team keeper.

May be true.  Italiano/Sail leaves us nowhere to go if Italiano isn't up to it though.  My point is if you go with an inexperienced number 1 who has never played at this level you need a solid back-up, otherwise you're taking a big punt

*crosses fingers and prays for Sail to pull a Maty Ryan*

As always there's an opportunity cost to consider. Italiano will be cheap which will free up money for other squad spots. Once the squad as a whole has come together we might be happy with a worse keeper if it means we are strong across the park otherwise. Other teams in the league finished above us with worse keepers than Moss.

I don't understand why people think that players who are the number one keeper in better competitions than the A-League would come back to be the reserve (or even first team) keeper for the Phoenix.

for everyone saying this frees up space to get better outfield players a) Is this wise for the crucial position of keeper than can win you games b) How do you know that the money is going to be spent elsewhere? pretty sure we are going to have a thrifty budget (so I am told)

Yeah if you were a gambler you'd say that "this move saves money to not be spent" is more likely than "this move saves money to be lavished on further signings."

But we live in hope.

I agree with Normo that an unproven keeper with a not-a-league-quality backup is a pretty dangerous place to be. Once Moss left it was always going to come to this. So fingers crossed Mambo brings his form from his handful of A-League matches and not his form from his two (I think) seasons of NZFC (The Weenix have conceded 101 goals in 48 games in the NZFC).

Italiano did fine in the games towards the end of the season and deserves a crack at being the number one.

Whilst I think Moss is a better shot stopper, Italiano dominates the box more and seems more assertive in coming out to get the ball. There are plus and minuses for every player. 

He's done brilliantly in Aussie by all accounts, did well when called up. Deserves a shot.

A howler either way