Nix Transfer Speculation 2019-20

Leaving the Nix and HAL aside, that's the very question most of us All Whites fan have been asking for a while.

How can a player that lights up the A-League each and every time, struggle when playing in fairly average European leagues (Switzerland, II.Bundesliga, Holland, Denmark etc).

I don't know the answer to that. Perhaps he is good and it helps that MVC very always very competitive while he played for them, but he's just not cut out for Europe?

I still hope he can make it and help us in the next couple WC cycles but time is starting to run out for him to have his big break to be honest.

Marco isn't the only top A-league player who didn't make a big impact in Europe. In fact, that's very much the common experience for most A-league players who go to Europe - you can probably count on fingers of one hand those who have actually been successful (Mooy, Ryan, etc) and still have some spare. 

I'd say the primary reason is that we (both pundits and fans) both overestimate the quality of the A-league, and underestimate the quality of so-called average/middling leagues.

Out of curiosity is he married? Or long term partner? Otherwise do his Kiwi-Chilean parents live with him wherever he goes?

Having a close stable relationship with someone, just generally leads to more stability full stop.

I see his Danish side SønderjyskE were based in Haderslev (3 hour drive to Copenhagen, 2.5 hours Hamburg), a small Sth Danish city of 22,000 inhabitants. That's just bigger than my old home town Masterton. Maybe he just got a bit bored/lonely under 6 mths of grey Danish skies. Happier back in a happening Melbourne of 4M folks, mates around, and plenty of summer sun.

Many talented South Americans struggle in Europe and head home due to home sickness, weather, cultural differences, big fish in a small pond etc. Marco's family are from South America too so maybe he has the same faults.

Marco was born and raised in the Tron, and his folks are from Chile, which has climate esp in the south, not that different from NZ or parts of Europe. Plenty of towns & cities with cold/wet winters. Desert/arid in the north though.

It's just that a lack of sunlight means less Seratonin (the happy hormone) wherever you live, and can therefore exacerbate any general unhappiness.

I'd be a bit more curious to know Rojas's off field family situation. I note Wood, Reid & Thomas are all coupled up, or married. Last 2 with kids.  Plays a big part I reckon to settling in overseas. A single Thomas coming back from a 12 month knee construction, might have thrown it all in and returned to NZ, without a partner and child at home to brighten him up daily. Tyler Boyd has the big guy upstairs. 

There are way more mismatches in ability in the HAL.

I've heard quite a lot of talk about a lack of mental strength, in the A-League man management and a family and friendly environment is often a quality of successful sides, in Europe it's more cut throat and competitive. In the A-League if your a talented player you may be the focal point of a team but in Europe you're on the bench and having to fight with other talented players. 

Rojas's last team also said something like they wanted him to stay but he wasn't worth his wage demands because even though he was technically one of the best players at the club he wasn't always able to show it because the pitch in the middle of winter got all cut up.

so they were inadvertently calling him a "flat track bully"??

Fully agree with the above (the first part) - it is way more competitive because it is the destination for a football talent from all around the world. Consider in contrast that Davila is the first (ever?) Mexican to play in HAL, and Mexico has what, 130 million people? Imagine that this would be a natural pool of excellent players for us.  Language and cultural barriers are important, so maybe it is also the case for our folk like Rojas in Europe.

FFS. I see new post activity in NIX TRANSFER SPECULATION and it’s still fukn conjecture on Rojas’s personal and professional life! 
Go and chat in the Vuck’s thread. 

Unless there is injury/baby/Libby2Napoli/Hoopz to the Championship, news, I think we’re done n dusted for the window. Agree?

I guess ppl will speculate until he is a totally signed sealed and delivered.

I'm inclined to agree with Doloras here (and I make it a rule to never agree with her)

For that kind of income, I would expect him to be getting himself into better shape quickly. Its not difficult to shift 10kg in 3 months. He has been injured so lets say he has had 6 weeks. In that time, 5 kgs is not out of order

I just have many speculative questions around this. You can't deny his quality but what would he be like 10kgs lighter? I wonder if we are going to see THAT Gary Hooper at the Phoenix. If not, then you I think you can question the spend.

End of the day players aren't always paid directly according to their contribution, a guy with big league experience will have a higher "going rate" than Davila who hasn't. Partly it's about their external value. He does need to get fit though. He's always a threat though and we've scored goals when he's on the park

considering Hoopers injury record over the last 18 months I think it is a case of slowly slowly. If he were younger or didn't have the history then we may have seen a quicker program in place for him. 

Come the end of the season if he is fit and firing I'll be happy as that's when his value will be at its greatest.

At the end of the day Hooper created buzz around the phoenix again (In media and football circles) when he was signed, this then helped crowds a bit, the Davilla kicks in and those people get more engaged and the crowds increase again, its a cumulative effect and only the owner know if they consider the wage worth it.

Do you think Hooper manages this himself? If anything, that's on the club, unless he's actively refusing to exercise more which seems absurd.

Marco and hooper weren't available at the same time. 

Hooper = Striker = 2 games = 2 goals 

WTF is he meant to do to make some happy? He attacks, he defends and sets other Nix players up with chances.

If he peaks during the finals series then who cares really if he played at the start, the a league is all about peaking at the right time.

amen to that

So the A-League is just like in bed, we know when to peak but usually do it a little early

Oh my

Not really, in bed you have to peak at the start.

Stop. Just stop. Stop now.

Declan?  ;-)

SST reporting that a Dutch club has an eye on Sam Sutton. Does he have a Dutch/Euro passport lying around somewhere?

https://twitter.com/SocStoppageTime/status/1219438905516163082

There will be indirect benefits to having a guy like Hooper in our squad, too. I'm sure the young players like Ben Waine can only benefit from training and playing alongside a guy who's been around and has extensive experience, and goals, at a high level.

He's also had time in Scottish football.

That's a 450-footer Newsy. Straight out of the park.

I expected better from you, mate. I knew someone would say it, but I'm sad it was you. 

You knew it would be me... temptation is a harsh mistress.

Yeah, I did. 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/118997628/why-wellington-phoenix-passed-on-aleague-bound-all-whites-star-marco-rojas

Not a fit for Uffie.

Read between the lines and he's saying 'he wanted to go to Melbourne'

that non-penalty goals is a bit of a dodgy stat. Bit of a disservice to regular penalty winners. 

you could put Marinovic on pens, bring a good diver into the squad and he'd be the top goalscorer in the league. Removing penalties is necessary

Nah.

Yeah he's a fantastic penalty taker, but I don't see the point here lol

And you'd say well done to him and hope we don't concede too many on the counter. A goal is a goal, winning a pen is almost as good as scoring one when Davila is taking them (knock on wood).

Discounting penalties from goalscoring stats is the dumbest shark cos they count exactly the same as any other goal and a player has to earn the right to take them.