No more votes for George (or Clebo)

Sacrificial lambs..its tuff being a squad player when there is no reserve league to show u have the goods.

Actually the Phoenix reserves have played significantly more lately helping Team Wellington prep than pretty much every other A-League side.

Oh, didn't know that, cheers.

Still hoping for Ziggy.

I liked both players but I think that the correct descion was made if Herbet wasn't going to play them then they have to go.

It is a positive move I think on many fronts.
One: While the reserve strikers aren't getting more game time at the moment (Coveny, Brownlee, Costa, and Draper) it leaves less of a selection headache. Less players in your spot=more potential chances=players of a more content nature (not suggestiong they aren't already).
Two: IF they find a CB and a RB I don't think it necessarily means Christie moves into the mid-field. He started the season well and only the last 3 games, has he not been as good as the start. The mid-field has plenty of players sitting in there at the moment. Christie adds depth, he just needs to find his mojo again and an experienced CB alongside him may fix that.
Three: Releasing two imports that sat on the bench means that they are more than like to shop for two imports that are good enough not to sit on the bench. They were basically dead wood. Two imports, would have been paid import rates and sat on the bench. By releasing them now, we save 3-4 weeks salary than if we released them end November.
Four: It allows them to find other work, which is rare to see a club do the better thing by their players and also it shows that the upstairs crew are thinking. They have spent a fortune this year and pretty much done everything right off the feild. Why not save a couple of weeks wages to players that weren't being used.

Some of it stated is rather obvious, but all positive.

^^^ Have to agree with MrQuack. It's shows that management are thinking and acting (I'm sure they have sound reasons for all this and a way foward). What I like is they they are acting and constantly challenging/changing what they are doing rather than settling with what they have got. Thankfully they have learnt lessons from the Knights...if the Knights had managed to offload some players early on (like Devine) Im sure they would not have finished last, but don't start me on that.

I'm gonna miss Clebs :( I thought he was awesome. Shouldn't be judged on the game where he played fullback. Was part of the reason the first game vs Melbourne was such a success in the 2nd half.

Him and George always looked too damn happy though. That's probably why they got let go. Can't have happy people in the team :@

I've been a great fun of Clebo throughout the season, although he really did fail to impress. To his credit, he hasn't played much, and sometimes he has been played as a right-back which really wasn't his role...anyhow, good luck to him and to george. I hope the Nix made the right choice, cause it'd be awful to realize we got someone even worse.....

james dean2007-11-07 17:14:37

OH sh*t, hes a genius idea

I'll miss Clleeeebbboooo, as a character in the club - but he lacked a bit of composure and mobility perhaps (thought he brought us back into the Melb home game tho!! - a blood and thunder 20 mins after 1/2 time.

quacky summed it up in my view,

I think we didnt see the best of Clebs.. Such a character - great smile and dancer..will always remember that 20m after half time vs Victory where he won tackle after tackle...changed the game...sad that they go but I think its best for the club. Now we can fill so gaps.

A defender and Chris James or 2 defenders please

surely they had to pay them out something to break the contract....so maybe they arent saving money by doing it, but anyway it will be great to get some import defender that is worth the bizniss..

It sounds mutual... so the club and the players obviously agreed a compromise

Jack Hobbs the young Liverpool central defender would be ideal replacement for Cleberson Imust tell Ricki to ring Raffa and organise it.

You joking?

I think their release is a clear sign that something else is in the pipeline already.. It's too short-sighted to release players mid-season without more involved. Watch this space I guess.

Would be great to see someone like Cassio (of adelaide utd) join the Nix

I've been quite impressed with Cassio. He'd fit in quite well I think, from what we've seen of him. Good call.

DOn't you think you're pushing the Bobo Balde angle just a little much?

Next you'll be saying Tommy Smith for NZFC....

Are you lot on drugs or what? Why would Cassio come here?

We said SOMEONE LIKE CASSIO not Cassio himself

This suggests otherwise.

IMHO it's high time cleberson went. His heart is in the right place, he's just too slow for this league.

While I can understand the decision on a professional level, it is very hard not to feel sorry for Cleberson and George.  They both seemed such genuinely nice people and George in particular really seemed to put his heart into it whenever he got onto the field.

I think Cleberson has been very harshly treated at Phoenix. I question Herbert's favouritism of O'Dor. Cleberson played a brilliant second half in the first game of the season. I was surprised he was taken off at half time against the Mariners, as it was O'Dor that was the right back and all 3 goals had come from there. I feel for him.

you have not seen Clebo's attitude at training, etc

On that CCM match.  Once O'Dor was moved in to CB and Christie came on we didn't concede another goal.  Maybe that is an indication ?

I'd rather have a good skilled quick slightly temperamental player, rather than a slow, error prone and ponderous player with so called good attitude. If Cleberson's attitude wasn't good, he had a point.

I'm about 95% certain that O'Dor is faster than Cleberson, he's run down any number of opposition forwards this season.

james dean2007-11-08 16:03:09

If in doubt kick it out.

cleberson you will be missed ....a player with come character who apparently sound like chewbaka ( not sure if it is spelt right)