Nix Transfer Speculation 2019-20

Reno Piscopo, 21 year-old Aussie/Italian striker.

Sounds really promising.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_Piscopo

13 appearances for Italy at u-15, u-16 and u-17 level.

Current Aussie u-23 rep.

Six years in Inter Milan's youth system, one season in Torino u-19.

Last two seasons in Serie C playing senior football for Renate (51 appeances, 5 goals).

May be a good omen that he played junior football for a club called Melbourne Phoenix.

Sam Sutton

Club has had a look at Semmy and at this stage have said no. Rossi is a class player, wonder if we could offer a min + pay as you play option.

That makes more sense, JHS broke bones in his foot and said he was out for 12 weeks.

We want Bony!!!!! 

Yeah I know he's trialled and we haven't signed him, I'm just saying that would be my preference. Like I said even if you pay Rossi strictly on a performance basis it's not risk free because if he doesn't perform you're still down a useful import. He's also been a year without a club so would be a big gamble on that point alone. Like I said too, I just don't think these sort of signings pay off consistently enough. It's a bit of a paradox but players with more modest backgrounds have tended to be the best imports coming into the A League. Broich, Fornaroli, Ifill, Berisha... Not terrible backgrounds necessarily but hardly at the level of a guy who's played 20+ times for Italy and so on

To be fair, not all of those players have same or even similar background. Broich has 80+ appearances in the Bundesliga, another 70+ plus in 2. Bundesliga, and was on the verge of making the German national team around 2005. Ifill has 300+ appearances in the Championship, plus a bit of time in the Premier League too, that's a pretty successful professional career.

Berisha and Fornaroli came from much more modest backgrounds, and had excellent success here - Berisha in particular came from a very undistinguished background and became a superstar in this league. 

Pedigree-wise, Rossi is ahead of all of them, but hasn't played for over a year, and that is probably the only reason why he even seems a possibility for us at this stage. If there weren't doubts about his fitness and ability to stay on the park, someone in Europe would have picked him up by now on his pedigree alone. 

I'm not saying they all had the same background, just that none of them were established stars. Rossi's career is more similar to that of Heskey or Fowler

Both Fowler and Heskey were older when they came to the A-league though - they were both 34, and pretty much on their last legs as professional footballers (Heskey was probably already done by the time he got here). Rossi has two years on them at this stage, but his health obviously has to be a huge question mark. As I said in the previous post, he's someone who should be able to easily get a gig in Europe on his pedigree alone, so the fact he's been without a club for a year suggests that there are some concerns about him.

I just feel this striker visa spot is crucial for our season. We have such a young team and are unlikely to have a 10+ goal player among us, so my preference would be to take someone who has scored lots and performed with consistency in leagues like Serie B, Spain's segunda division, Denmark, Eastern Europe and hope they can replicate their goal scoring form. And they have to be fit and have no major injury clouds over them.

What type of import ST do we think we need? a poacher? target man? or a pacey Krishna like one?

personally, I'd like to see a pacey one since Ball doesn't seem the quickest and seems like he'd be made for good link up play with someone that can run in behind

Agree that we need an import striker who can get 10+ goals, but realistically we'll have to take a punt on someone. Guys who have a good scoring record in decent leagues are always in demand, and cost decent money. I suspect our options will consist of either a) someone younger and hungry who hasn't been able to get fully established in a decent European league (and you're hoping to find a next Berisha under that scenario) or b) someone who does have a decent track record but has a bit of a question mark over them for whatever reason (be it fitness, attitude, whatever). 

I think we need a physical presence actually, we are quite small team with a number of youngsters.  Could get a bit bullied

We could always get a old striker like what Bris Roar done a few years back with the import from Italy?.

Yep and I would far rather the first option than the second. Rossi is definitely in the second category. Give me a young hungry player who's grateful for the chance to put themselves in the shop window for a bigger club

Kinda already got that in Callum McCowatt and potentially Reno Piscopo

I don't think Piscopo is a striker? But yeah on McCowatt. We still need another one though. A little more experience would be nice. It doesn't have to be at a high level though. Smeltz was playing conference football before he came here right? I'm thinking a guy maybe early 20s with at least a couple of seasons in a pro environment but not necessarily at a high level. Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, English low leagues etc

I'm thinking a bit on the pace side, make opposition teams sit a little deeper and give us a bit more space.

Given the way it appears we're trying to play, I think we will be after a mobile striker.

I don't see us knocking high crosses in, so having a target is not essential, but a player with good movement, touch and vision are.

We need Roy Krishna back basically

I think we need 15 goals from said striker

I would be happier with 20, when you think how many we lost last year and what its been replaced with a 20 goal striker would be ideal but I think out of our range

Given the golden boot of the league has only twice ever scored 20+ goals, and the season has been reduced, that is asking a lot!  This isn't the 38 game premier league.

Personally I would like a 30 goal a season striker

McCowatt scored 18 in 18 games last season, and now he's 1/1 this season. Therefore, 26/26 in the regular season, 3 more in the playoffs. Done.

20+ goals a season is super difficult to achieve in the A-league, but Rori's point about the production we had last season and the difficulty of replacing it is still a good one. 

And to be fair, even if Krishna and Williams had stayed, I'm not sure they would've got 30 goals between them again this season. 

I'd be happy with our front 5 players scoring 10 goals each and the rest of the team chipping in with 2 goals a peice. 

I don't give a rats arse who scores however many goals individually, as long as our team scores more than our opposition on more occasions than the reverse occurs.

I agree but nothing in the current signings has given me confidence that this will be the case, I really hope I am wrong.

OK but what if we had a 40 goal a season striker

This conversation just shows the attitude of football in this country. We should be striving for a 100 goal a season striker, nothing less.

I don't want an attack that scores more, but a defence that concedes fewer. 

I think both might entail a winning team...

Can we expect Piscopo to be annouced later this week?

I'm thinking more like "Jesus Maradona Gandalf"

Runs box to box, gliding over puddles.

Scores miracle goals at one end and attackers shall not pass at the other.

Currently playing for Vatican FC. 

And we all know who their keeper is - the big guy that always saves.

Rubbish on crosses though

oh boy. 

"Jesus saves but Pearson nets the rebound!" Man U banner at the 1975/76 FA Cup final v Southampton.

Those who have lived in Wellington long enough will recall the billboard opposite the Basin Reserve (just before you turn to go up to tunnel), which for a time in the 80s had a similar refrain. Pearson was substituted for Lineker though. 

I've heard that joke from the US, with ice-hockey superstar Wayne Gretsky in the starring role