Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

Yeah, it's not an either all, providing we can afford it it's good to have depth.

I agree with what you are both saying - can have both. 

I guess I pine for us buying a true No 1 striker - I think Smeltzy can do a job when called upon but feel Watson is too limited a player to become that (but a decent squad filler all the same). 

Also think big Watto looked best when he had another striker playing next to him (e.g. the Blake Powell games)

The reason Watson has a contract is he holds the ball up well, has a big physical presence, has an eye for goal, links play well, has a bit of vision and is tidy with the ball at his feet. 

Now, he's not all those things all the time every game, but I don't think he's anywhere near as limited as it is being claimed here. We're really hoping he'll develop a bit further and become a decent/top quality A-league striker a la Matt Simon, Breen, D Mac etc.

He is out of a bit of form, but so is much of the team. I think he's a good player to have in the squad and he should be given a chance to force his way in. Could improve with his head in front of goal IMO. Smeltz keeps it simple- back where it came, across the keeper. A jink to the right and shoot. 

for me Watson needs Smeltz to get better. Watson without smeltz is a big guy with no guidance.

Couldn't ask much more from Smeltz the last two games. He's been superb.

Hi,

I've stalked these forums for a few years, only just recently created an account and I am only posting because I can't seem to find an answer.

But in regards to A-Rod, does anyone know if there is a chance of him gaining NZ Citizenship? He has been here a few years and plays in a role where we seem to be lacking in the All Whites. This would be my #1 reason to re-sign him to the phoenix, given how he has performed in a regular starting role.

Hey Simi,

I don't see why not. For FIFA it depends on how long he's spent out of the country in that period (i.e. if he's spent time back in Spain), for NZ it depends on if he's filed the right paperwork, or if the NZ government is convinced that it's important for NZ.

There hasn't been a lot of talk about it because he won't be eligible until 2019 IIRC.

Yeah he only came to the Nix in 2014 so we will be looking at 2019 before he is eligble and in that time he would have to stay here

I think I remember reading in an article that he went back to Spain for the off-season in his first season (?)

Cool thanks for the answers everyone. I really hope he stays until then, even if it means a short stint at ACFC.

He's been told to deflate his head. Hasn't done it so far. My balls my word.

How anyone could consider retaining both of Lia and Rodriguez when they have been the core of the great disappearing midfield of 2017 is beyond me.

WHy is Moss being offered only a pay cut to stay?  He's probably been our most consistent player over 2-3 seasons plus he's a kiwi?

I really like A-Rod but we need to make some hard choices, he is a visa player and we need much more from them than he is providing currently. If we want any improvement for next season, we need to find two quality replacements for Roly & A-Rod for our midfield. If we could manage to let Finkler go as well, that would be a bonus.

Seems like Moss is definitely gone.  That feels like a big loss

Struggle to understand where all these quality replacements are going to come from.While the idea is great just dont see it happening so is it wise to discard some of these guys before we have any replacements.Then you have the whole issue of signing players before any coaching decision has been made.All makes for what could be as depressing off season as it has been season.LOL

So what's your solution? New boss, same players, same inept attitudes and performances. How do you fixit when those players pack a sad? Sadly I think a clean out is actually required.

I think it's a myth that we can't attract good players, I just think that our recruitment strategy has been off since the Burns signing. Tratt, Muscat show that there is talent in the NPL; Siggy, Riera, Krishna show that there is talent in the SSP; Ifill, Roly, Rossi show that we can attract quality imports from overseas; Dura, Burns, McKain show we can get quality Aussies. We had a lot of talent in our squad going into this season, they just didn't fit into an effective game plan together, and now the continued failure seems to have created a vicious feedback loop of finger pointing and no confidence.

NZ is regarded as one of the best countries in the world to live in, and Wellington is regarded as the best city in NZ - of course we can attract good players. The competitions we're competing with internationally often are often in financial strife or are in parts of the world which aren't great to live in, and we have net positive migration from Australia which isn't just returning Kiwis but also Australians moving here for a superior quality of life.

Because the rest of the team has disappeared more and then we at least know we have two players on the books?

I think Moss going might be a blessing for us- we are going to have to make a completely new team with a new leadership group. Moss and Dura have been with us for ages. They shouldn't be there in two years time. It may be good that Moss is going and forcing us to look to the future. 

There are a lot of good keepers in the A-league and NZ. We should be able to find a decent keeper IMO. 

This is going to change the dynamic of the squad. 

Moss is great and I hope he gets some really good paydays so he has something in the bank for all this service he's put in. 

But having a different keeper will change the relationship with the defense and team and kick off a bit of a fresh start. 

... by Wellingtonians. Look, it is a good city but many European players who come to the A-League are fed up of snowy winters and are looking for a beach lifestyle, and Lyall Bay surfing doesn't cut it.

I know that no Wellingtonian is allowed to ever admit the city is less than perfect (a far cry from the 80s when it was known as The East Berlin of the South Pacific) so it's up to us expats to inject a note of realism. Fire away with the abuse, tell me I'm on the rag, etc.

Must be that fantastic weather. :)

It's not a zero sum game.

All of your arguments above would be spot on for foreign recruitment drive for Yellow Fever...

May not be enough to recruit new players to the Nix.

So you think we get a new manager that Moss and Dura should still be the senior players? For how many more years do you see that lasting? These guys have been the leaders and senior players in  some weak efforts by the team over quite some time now, as well as the reasonable year too. It's amusing that these guys are leaders, but no one here questions their leadership while blaming fairly much everyone else. 

Professional players will play wherever anyway - look at all the Kiwis going to South Africa, I was once had a great conversation with one of those single serve airline friends who was a US professional volley ball player that was based in a tiny city in the Russian far east. He liked it well enough but didn't speak a lick of Russian and the winters were hard.

Reality is it's about pay and exposure - and NZ is just a long way away frm Europe or South America.  But even as a Wellingtonian I definitely don't think Wellington is regarded as the best place to live in NZ!

Exposure is probably the big thing, but that is something every A-League team would struggle with. We're competing in pay against leagues like the lower divisions in Western Europe and some of the top divisions in the East. Most are struggling to even pay their players, some are in places which are dangerous and not pleasant to live in.

Wellington definitely tops most of the surveys about best places to live that I've seen. It also has the highest wages, statistically the happiest residents, the most educated residents, and holds second place in the Governments regular quality of life survey (one point behind Dunedin) - maybe some of the smaller regional cities might be seen as better, but only if money isn't an option. When you factor in lower wages and less jobs I doubt there is any competition to the cities in the Wellington region and Auckland.

Remembering that Sydney is also ranked in the top five most expensive cities in the world to live along with London, Tokyo, Zurich....?

Christchurch isn't that awful either, if you can handle earthquake damage and the occasional Nazi.

I don't think anyone is dispute that Welly is one of the best places in NZ, but I'm not sure that means a lot.

Well, if you have offers from FC Donetsk and Wellington Phoenix it kind of matters.

A politics nerd notes: FC Shakhtar Donetsk haven't actually played in Donetsk since 2014, what with the war. So the question is what is Kharkiv like?

And full of politicians and hangers on.

......While Wellington Phoenix have played in Wellington ..... oh wait a minute...

The public sector only makes up 9.5% of Wellingtons economy, our biggest industry is the tech industry.