Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

Appears so as this was tweeted from the Nix

"It could be several months at this stage - we're hoping Louis can either get an NZ Prem or an Australian NPL campaign under his belt"

You cynic!  Feels like they are trying to do the right thing by him...

Oh yeah I think they are too. Think they have done extremely well to treat him with respect, while upgrading the squad while he recovers.

Mambo/Sail

Galloway/Mullen Dura/Fox Rossi/Lowry Doyle/Abbas

Paracki/Rufer McGlinchey/Ridenton/McGarry

Vidosic/Rogerson Finkler/Singh Krishna/Parkhouse

Kaludjerovic/Watson

More depth than we have had for a few seasons, even with the AWs away during international breaks we should still be able to put out a decent side.

I think he needs games and to recover his self-belief.  I'd love to see him in the NZFC hopefully dominating as an attacking player

Except goal keeper

Apart from Sail and Paracki, everyone has played A-league. Youd think Paracki would be up to it and Sail hopefully wont get to much game time (Hopefully Italiano plays well). Pretty experienced squad really. Good chunk on the bench warmers i.e parkhouse, mullen, fox and mullen have had decent exposure at this level.

Fenton has a new 1 year deal starting September 2018. Would like to know what is wrong with him.

Squad certainly feels more thought out and I sense more purpose behind all the coach/ managements/ players  media comments about this seasons goals, etc.

This is probably our best squad ever, in terms of having depth.

I think we still lack that super star, although I hoping Krishna might be that guy with a better squad around him. Can Abbas play WB?

I still think we lack width and can see us playing with a back 3.

EXPIRES END OF 2017/18:

Andrew DURANTE
Gui FINKLER (f)
Scott GALLOWAY
Lewis ITALIANO
Andrija KALUDJEROVIC (f)
Roy KRISHNA (f)
James McGARRY (u21)
Michael McGLINCHEY 
Daniel MULLEN
Goran PARACKI (f)
Matthew RIDENTON
Logan ROGERSON (u21)
Marco ROSSI (+1) (f)
Alex RUFER
Dario VIDOSIC

EXPIRES END OF 2018/19:

Ali ABBAS
Tom DOYLE
Louis FENTON*
Dylan FOX
Ryan LOWRY
Adam PARKHOUSE
Oliver SAIL
Hamish WATSON

EXPIRES END OF 2019/20:

Sarpreet SINGH (u21)

* Fenton's contract begins September 2018

Pretty decent signings overall. Could have sworn Abbas was older than 30 but maybe that's just because he's been around for yonks.

Very pleased with this signing. A great addition to the team. Looking to be quite stacked this year! I think we just need that extra striker

.... we always need an extra striker....

Actually, I think we're done. We have enough upfront to do a bit of damage since now we are likely to let in fewer goals at the back.

Fair enough, but we dont have much in reserve if Krishna or Kaluderovic get injured or suspended. Whilst this defence Darije has put together looks really promosing, if we cant back it up with goals, then we might as well play for draws. I think the extra striker would be useful thats all

Finals football anyone?. I think it's going to be a good season this one.

winning all 10 home games would do it.

So many new faces and with new coaching, we are going into unexplored territory here with the exception of our very first season. I really hope it works out. The fans deserve it, the club deserves it too. It would be brilliant if we showed some form and made top 3. The potential is there, let's make it happen as a club and as supporters lets give these guy all the encouragement. 

This is the fresh start we've needed for a long time

I thought it was Merrick, I remember reading an interview with him where he had a chat with Merrick about his future and was pretty shocked when he was told that he was going to be converted to a full back.

Maybe Rickie played him there when he had no other options but in the Rickie Phoenix Fenton was a forward, under Merrick he was a full back and then midfielder.

Correct.  Ricki had tried to convert Leo.  Ernie arrived and said "Leo isn't a right back".  Then tried to convert Louie...there was a discussion about whether he or even Vince Lia were going to end up at right back.

If my memory serves me right, Louis' first season was Ricki's last, and it was Leo who was playing right back that season. Then after Ernie came in, Leo was phased out, and the Louis Fenton, Right Back, experiment commenced.

There were many positives about Ernie's tenure (just read Siggie's book about how Ricki let WC success go to his head in his last years), but his attempts to shoehorn players into the wrong positions were not among them. He had one lucky break with Nathan Burns but apart from that it was a washout.

It's funny isn't it.  Ricki had his eureka moment when he played the 3-4-3 with the All Whites.  Then he tried the same thing with the Phoenix after the World Cup and even recruited that third Aussie centre back (can't remember his name) and it didn't work at all.

Ernie got Nathan Burns firing and then thought that he had to convert wingers into goal scorers instead of signing proper strikers.  

Right, thanks. Our fullbacks who weren't fullbacks have all kind of blended together in my head

Abbas- squaddie or starter? Better than Ridenton? Or Lia?

Played at Sydney and Newcastle? What do their fans think? Can't remember being blown away by his play, but seems an experienced professional

I would say he's a squad player, but one who I would be perfectly fine with starting, and one who is much better than those Ridenton-level players

We got some actual fullbacks, though we've lost Manny. Those days of inventing fbS are past. And as tough ass it was on Louis, if he had not been a FB he wouldn't have been a pro footballer.  He had some good games going forward and Ernie tried to play advanced fullbacks. When it worked Louis was attacking the by-line

Definitely a fan favorite at sydney. Probably a squaddie and very much a team player

The younger guys like Singh, Ridenton, Rufer will benefit from the “squad” players. The will subbed in when we win and gain confidence playing with the experienced guys. At least my theory.

Overall we have good team, and think the season will be great. I hope for consistency with some unexpected wins and the occasional ugly draws and the 4th place is a done deal.