Max Mata

I heard a rumour from a not particularly reliable source that we are looking at signing Max Mata now that he is a free agent. I hope not as in my mind he is a really frustrating player who has the ability but never lives up to expectation

I dont think there is room in the current squad of 26. Maximum senior contracts is 23, I assume we have at least 3 on a youth contract or scholarship. 

Peverell

I heard a rumour from a not particularly reliable source that we are looking at signing Max Mata now that he is a free agent. I hope not as in my mind he is a really frustrating player who has the ability but never lives up to expectation

He's done OK in a A-FC team studded with star performers, and was a proven if sparse goalscorer. He would not look out of place in the Nix frontline, and would not take up a visa spot. I do not think we have any room anymore in the contracted squad though.

theprof

I dont thhknk there is room in the current squad of 26. Maximum senior contracts is 23, I assume we have at least 3 on a youth contract or scholarship. 

We are at 24 contracts, 19 Senior and 5 Scholarship (Unless I'm missing 2?). So plenty of room in the squad for him. 

As long as he's cheap Mata would be a great pickup. 
Him and Eze together could be a real handful.

Plus if Eze was injured, it would be a big big drop off to young Supyk. 
Max M not so much.

But it could be late November before Mata was fully match fit enough to make much of an impact - if he did return to where it all began.

RR

theprof

I dont thhknk there is room in the current squad of 26. Maximum senior contracts is 23, I assume we have at least 3 on a youth contract or scholarship. 

We are at 24 contracts, 19 Senior and 5 Scholarship (Unless I'm missing 2?). So plenty of room in the squad for him. 

Yeah definitely still room in the squad and we only have Supyk as a backup to Eze who probably still isn't quite ready for first team footy. So getting Mata in would be good for depth and brings a different option off the bench being a bit taller than Eze and Supyk.

wilbaker

RR

theprof

I dont thhknk there is room in the current squad of 26. Maximum senior contracts is 23, I assume we have at least 3 on a youth contract or scholarship. 

We are at 24 contracts, 19 Senior and 5 Scholarship (Unless I'm missing 2?). So plenty of room in the squad for him. 

Yeah definitely still room in the squad and we only have Supyk as a backup to Eze who probably still isn't quite ready for first team footy. So getting Mata in would be good for depth and brings a different option off the bench being a bit taller than Eze and Supyk.

Corban Piper's the No 2 No 9 as things stand

andrewvoerman

wilbaker

RR

theprof

I dont thhknk there is room in the current squad of 26. Maximum senior contracts is 23, I assume we have at least 3 on a youth contract or scholarship. 

We are at 24 contracts, 19 Senior and 5 Scholarship (Unless I'm missing 2?). So plenty of room in the squad for him. 

Yeah definitely still room in the squad and we only have Supyk as a backup to Eze who probably still isn't quite ready for first team footy. So getting Mata in would be good for depth and brings a different option off the bench being a bit taller than Eze and Supyk.

Corban Piper's the No 2 No 9 as things stand

Corrected:
"Corban Piper is the No. 2 any outfield player as things stand" :-)

The thing about Mata is to look at the attack around him in Auckland. 

He helped improve them all. In particular Rogerson and May’s goals were helped by Mata being a difficult customer in the box and the players around him getting space. 

When you look at Ishige, Najirine, Armiento, Mileusnic, LBS and others it’d be fantastic if he could create space for them, as well as chipping in a few himself. 

Perhaps frustrating as a goal scorer, but as someone to hold your shape together and occupy CBs, sure. Plus he’s shown he can score a bunch of goals if he gets in the zone. That’d be a bonus if he could settle and do that, to be honest. 

He can play close to Eze, but I thought he also played wide sometimes? And he can be a back up for Eze. 

I’d love to see him do well in Welly.

You have to ask yourselves though, if Auckland or the Nix havent signed him by now, are they likely to pick him up after a few more weeks? The longer he remains not playing footy the less "attractive" he becomes. He's a free agent so can sign with anyone, yet no club has come knocking? Is his agent doing their job? or is Mata being difficult?
He's had no off season build up, no pre-season with a club, few more weeks and a few more pints and he'll basically be a fit fan.

Depending on what sort of programme, if any, he has been doing to regain his own fitness.

He was in Auckland on a loan deal, not on a contract, so I would be interested to know what happened when he returned to UK.   

Got injured, fiance didn't want to go??

Regardless, I would take him in a heartbeat. Even as a bench option to go long if we needed to in order to chase a game.

Assuming AFC and the Nix and even other Aleague clubs have space in their squads to pick up a squad player of Mata's ilk, why haven't they? Does he not want to come to the Aleague? At 25 does he see himself as too good to be just a bench sitter/squaddie?

theprof

Assuming AFC and the Nix and even other Aleague clubs have space in their squads to pick up a squad player of Mata's ilk, why haven't they? Does he not want to come to the Aleague? At 25 does he see himself as too good to be just a bench sitter/squaddie?

How many Aussie clubs have visa spots?

no idea, I'd assume they have already been filled which limits his options in the aleague.

It's Wiki, so take the info with some grains of salt, but unfilled visa spots (Foreign Players) currently look like

Jets 3
CCM 3
WSW 3
Roar 1
VUC 1
SFC 1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%9326_A-League_Men

theprof

Assuming AFC and the Nix and even other Aleague clubs have space in their squads to pick up a squad player of Mata's ilk, why haven't they? Does he not want to come to the Aleague? At 25 does he see himself as too good to be just a bench sitter/squaddie?

Salary cap

andrewvoerman

theprof

Assuming AFC and the Nix and even other Aleague clubs have space in their squads to pick up a squad player of Mata's ilk, why haven't they? Does he not want to come to the Aleague? At 25 does he see himself as too good to be just a bench sitter/squaddie?

Salary cap

which takes me back to my original point - neither AFC or the Nix are signing him anytime soon as they dont have the room to do so.
Salary cap/squad size limits fit into the "clubs have space for him" statement.

Amortisation (what a word, solves all woes) with team and personal achievement bonuses? Some this year and more next? 

And not an import. 

I think it depends on both parties’ expectations. If he comes it isn’t as a starter. He’s fighting for a place and got to show his stuff.

I got confident enough at one point to say he’d be my back up for Wood in our current AWs set up because he’s bigger than Kosta and would be the best targetman we’d have after Wood.  

The motivation would be there. No FdV, but we’ve got Payne who’s handy. And Nagasawa continuing his renaissance. 

To me it would be something of a statement signing, medical report dependent. 

"Bigger than Kosta"- them's fighting words.  Max Mata is 25, and I am not sure he would compare well right now with Kosta at 25, who was then at Victory and in his prime.  But I get your point. As for myself, I would rate him higher than Ishige at present form, due to similar skillset but better physicality, and god knows we we could use an extra attacking player.  

I think 'bigger' is indicating that Mata is taller (1.86m) than Kosta (1.71m) and therefore makes him a better replacement as a target man for Wood.

 "size does matter" :-)

Mainland FC

 "size does matter" :-)

That’s what she said…(sorry)…someone had to.

Bring him on board at the right price and having done a thorough medical. He's an A-League winner. 
Granted, he wasn't ACFC's star striker, but he did his part. We can't afford to turn our nose up at any half decent player

If we could take Mata I would. I thought he was great for AFC and they were noticabley less threatening when he was off the pitch. He is also young and if he gets some goals he would become an extremely dangerous player, his positioning is top notch.

As AV alluded to above, the salary cap might be an issue for the Nix. 
They have filled all 5 visa spots, plus recruited reasonably experienced ALM players in Armineto, Najjarine and Mileusnic.

Looks like CCM, Jets & even WSW have a few visa spots open. Heading to NSW might be more realistic for Mata.

I thought he signed when I saw activity on this thread. Damn, that's disappointing, he would be great for us.

WanderingSheep

Mainland FC

 "size does matter" :-)

That’s what she said…(sorry)…someone had to.

the length     you went to get that comment in

coochiee

As AV alluded to above, the salary cap might be an issue for the Nix. 
They have filled all 5 visa spots, plus recruited reasonably experienced ALM players in Armineto, Najjarine and Mileusnic.

Looks like CCM, Jets & even WSW have a few visa spots open. Heading to NSW might be more realistic for Mata.

..........And they tied up further money last season in young players who were not anywhere ready for A League Football in the hope that they would be able to sell them on.  As things stand, they will get zero return from the vast majority of them. 

dick le roc returns

WanderingSheep

Mainland FC

 "size does matter" :-)

That’s what she said…(sorry)…someone had to.

the length     you went to get that comment in

 Come again??

It would be nice he they did get him though, He'd be able give some pay back for them not trying to get him a permanent deal after his contract ran out.

Footballtragic

coochiee

As AV alluded to above, the salary cap might be an issue for the Nix. 
They have filled all 5 visa spots, plus recruited reasonably experienced ALM players in Armineto, Najjarine and Mileusnic.

Looks like CCM, Jets & even WSW have a few visa spots open. Heading to NSW might be more realistic for Mata.

..........And they tied up further money last season in young players who were not anywhere ready for A League Football in the hope that they would be able to sell them on.  As things stand, they will get zero return from the vast majority of them. 

You must be writing to us from 2027. 
Is D Trump still alive, or has someone finally pulled the trigger successfully?

Who at the end of the 2022/23 season, saw Surman, Paulsen and Old being sold for very healthy transfer fees only 12 mths later? 
That trio were all bit players or non starters 22/23 season.

The club's financial model is openly dependent on transfer fee income from selling young Academy grads. Even more so given the APL's pitiful annual disbursement from last season.

Way too early to write off the prospect of some from Conchie, LKH, Sheridan, Hughes, LBS, Walker, GSR not being sold for nice transfer fees. All are in their 2nd-3rd season around the first team. That seems to be the sweet spot re someone having a breakout campaign.  

Footballtragic

coochiee

As AV alluded to above, the salary cap might be an issue for the Nix. 
They have filled all 5 visa spots, plus recruited reasonably experienced ALM players in Armineto, Najjarine and Mileusnic.

Looks like CCM, Jets & even WSW have a few visa spots open. Heading to NSW might be more realistic for Mata.

..........And they tied up further money last season in young players who were not anywhere ready for A League Football in the hope that they would be able to sell them on.  As things stand, they will get zero return from the vast majority of them. 

Any chance that crystal ball of yours does the lotto numbers. Given the ages of some of them think you may find your crystal ball may have let you down this time.

ballane

Footballtragic

coochiee

As AV alluded to above, the salary cap might be an issue for the Nix. 
They have filled all 5 visa spots, plus recruited reasonably experienced ALM players in Armineto, Najjarine and Mileusnic.

Looks like CCM, Jets & even WSW have a few visa spots open. Heading to NSW might be more realistic for Mata.

..........And they tied up further money last season in young players who were not anywhere ready for A League Football in the hope that they would be able to sell them on.  As things stand, they will get zero return from the vast majority of them. 

Any chance that crystal ball of yours does the lotto numbers. Given the ages of some of them think you may find your crystal ball may have let you down this time.

Well for starters I am not referencing Hughes, Sheridan, LKH nor Conchie....similarly to Old, Surman and Paulsen they received contracts after paying their dues in the Reserves, unlike some of the more recent signings. For anyone to come in for the youngsters they need to be playing decent minutes and starting regularly. Of the other younger players who do you think, besides LBS, will get decent minutes this season? Conchie and/or Supyk are both on frees at the end of this season....as a starting point do you really think anyone is going to come in and pay decent money for them?

Can you name the names you're thinking about? Because the ones that jump to mind - Supyk, GSR, Jayden Smith, AKH, Walker, Loke - all have significant minutes in the reserve side. Dues paid.

They'll probably get less minutes than last year due to a deeper first team squad. At the same time, a player not continuing to develop after getting first team minutes/contract (Van Hattum, for example) doesn't mean that it was incorrect to give a contract at the time they got it. Development isn't linear and crystal balls tend to be hit or miss.

There is no perfect science to contract lengths for young players. Sometimes you will get it bang on right, and others not so much.

If I was Supyk I'd be looking at a Nix contract extension (if the club want him after this season). He's done nothing in the ALM, to suggest he'd do more in the UK than play U21s and then fade off to the LOI or wherever. For now Welly is the best place for his development, rather than the brutal English pyramid.

Conchie who knows. Early days this season, but I'm sure talks about a new contract will commence before Xmas. A 1+1?

He'd do well to remember Callan Elliot who hung off commiting to a tabled Nix contract extension, in the hope of getting a European offer. Nothing up north transpired, the Nix lost patience, withdrew their offer and Elliot basically spent 12 months playing zero football.

A devil's advocate might say that Elliot ended up with the ALM premiership winning club, where he is a backup for Sakai, and regardless he is also the All Whites No.2 right back (backup to Tim Payne).  You might argue that in hindsight Elliot played his cards right, getting enough exposure and playing well enough to not be released by A-FC (unlike Max Mata) .  

Elliot was certainly fortunate Auckland FC came to exist. 18 mths in Europe over 2 different spells (Xanthi & Motherwell) without playing a league game. 

Is he the no 2 RB to Payne? I don't think so. It's Tuiloma for me.
We will find out I guess with Baze's November window selection.


But yes Conchie will be mindful, that unless he's outstanding this ALM season (like Surman, Paulsen & to a lesser extent Old all were in 23/24), he might be best to take any Nix extension offered, before thinking about Europe.

I reckon this could be Roa Conchie's year to shine, he's had a few good starts over the last two seasons, just seems to go off the boil or do something rash, he needs to model his game on Rufer and he'll be set. As for Mata, we will not be seeing him in the Aleague -  this season, in fact I'm gonna call it and say he ends up in some pub football team in the UK.