Official Signings(Re or otherwise).

Did we get clarification on the number of imports dropping?  Last I heard it was up in the air.

If it has (or if Greenie has some player in his contract) then we have one spot left for an import and that will have to be a right back - see above - as there are no A-League and no NZ options.

That leaves an overage Aus player to cover Centreback (youth hasn't worked) and two yoof.  One probably back cover and one probably attacking cover.

We might go beyond the bare 20 but it doesn't look like they will be imports if we do and an imported Striker is what we need to go the next step.

Do you really think they wrote into his contract what his position will be? Seems pretty silly when he is the most versatile player in the team, if not league

it's been discussed at length when he re-signed, that he wanted to go back to the midfield, from memory I recall the rpess release stating that part of his reason to stay on was cos he got the promise he'd be playing in the mids again

If he wants to play there then I imagine he made some demands or re-signed based on some promises that he can play where he is happiest.  That is certainly the message that has been coming from the club.

It is 5 imports again. Confirmed.

I doubt we will be signing an overage player as backup CB -  I can see your point, but I find it highly likely that we will get another youth CB. 

I actually dont mind Manny at RB, gives him more freedom and space to attack compared to as a holding mid. But its his choice to play DM - just means we now HAVE to find a good right back. 

Which means if we don't get an adequate RB we will be playing someone else other than Manny to the detriment of the team to please one player? Signing Smith seems to indicate, at this stage anyway, that Manny might have to be at RB for next season because otherwise you sign someone like Clapham or an Aussie to cover Lia and Manny in midfield and have more options to cover difficult positions like RB/striker

Number of imports seems most likely to stay at 5

This is how I feel. I know Manny wouldnt force the team to do that, but yeah i would be keeping him as a defender until we can sign a rightback. No Downey please

Maybe Ricki will pick up an extra CB and play with with 3 at the back and wingbacks like he does with the AWs:

                                  Moss

                    NewCB   Durante  Siggy

Bertos        Smith            Muscat           Lochhead

                                Sanchez

                       Brockie             Ifill

Seems like there's a lot more decent Kiwi/Aus CBs around than RBs

would not like to see a 3-5-2 swhape for the nix, although our current cbs are good, we'd need an excellent third to come in somewhere. There'll be a decent RB signing on the horizon.

He was showing signs of his old self in the two All Whites games, helped set up the second goal against El Salvador when he took on a beat a defender.

I agree with 2B

Pleased to announce that I have re-signed with @WgtnPhoenixFC for another year...can't wait for preseason

At this stage it looks like we are going to have exactly the same squad as last season.

Cant recall Mossy or Brockie being here last year, maybe wrong though

Same squad without Brown & Daniel but with Brockie & Moss.

I'm happy to have Smith on board despite my opinion that we probably needed to improve on one of Smith or Sanchez. 

So this is our right back?

Happy!

This is what I mean. Moss in for Warner, and Brockie in for Brown. 

Not enough to have a real crack at winning a championship.

Sanchez moved to the middle. Another quality addition or two. We'll be up there. 

Totally agree with you, but those quality additions are looking more and more unlikely. Our right back and UK striker have both fallen through, and we aren't hearing anything from the club indicating that there are more options.

I'm also getting the feeling that Ricki is at the point where he's gonna have this one last season and then hand over to the new manager to make wholesale changes. Hence the one year extensions for not so key players

Nice to see Alex Smith re-sign? Kinda torn on this one, quality player, but we could do better with out import spot I feel

That's just too much information.

really? one year deal to smith makes sense, he was only ever here as an injury replacement, so you give him a 1 year deal to make his mark. Sanchez was only here on a 1 year deal to start with, once again an extension to see how he goes before really committing. Nothing in the current signings would indicate that Ricki is going anywhere soon.

1 year extensions to players who take up foreign spots is also fairly common, and makes sense.

I'm fairly happy with the resignings, I mean they have already played and aren't a gamble as to whether they'll fit or what not.

I guess its the slight lack of ambition im sensing. And there have been reports ricki will move upstairs after this season

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/5952116/Ricki-Herbert-signs-Wellington-Phoenix-contract

Feeling chipper than Smith has re-signed.

I think that with the excellent spirit the team has and that they seemingly broke the away game jinx that we will go far next season.

i'd like to see smith push a little this season and not have to sit so far back

I agree, with Muscat into midfield maybe he can

Never really rated him last season but with Brown gone it's almost a necessity that we keep some stability in the middle of the park.

Jason Pine‏@pineyzb

Following

The ?#wgtnphoenix? have confirmed they have signed Solomon Islands striker Benjamin Totori on a two-year deal?#aleague? @radiosportnz

Must say im shocked, lets hope the pacific Paul Ifill has the same impact as the original.

well, well, well

The debate about the merits of this could be interesting! For a start, with Sanchez re-signing, and Brockie and Totori joining now, what style is Ricki gonna look to play this year?

Should we have held out for a higher profile import striker? Or at least a bigger targetman type who would suit the crossing-focussed style we played a lot of last season?

Does this mean there's more $ left over for a fancy-pants imported RB?

crazy in my opinion. Seems like an impact player rather than a starting striker. However it does leave us with the ability to play a front 3 with him, ifill & brockie all able to play on either flank or the middle.

He's not the Pacific Ifill.  That is Reg Devani.

Not pleased.  Two years on a player who was a good ASB Premiership player but not at the level Sigmund was.  This is a huge step down from what we were given to believe we were going to see up front.

Look for another season of Manny at the back, a couple of State league rejects, an ineffectual midfield and no one who can score the goals we need to make us better.

New dawn my fucking arse.

yeah we still dont have that goalscorer. 

Im not as quick to condemn totori but am feeling similar to News in terms of the clubs real aspirations.

I'm not condemning him and if we hadn't re-signed Smith and Sanchez and spoken in the press about not using all our import spots I'd be happy with the signing.  Based on statements to date that fills our expected import slots and we still don't have a Right Back or a striker who will score double figure goals.

With Brown gone our squad currently has taken a step back from last season and all we have left to fill it are local's and Aussies and we need two starting players.

If they do chop the finals to four sides in half an hour there is zero chance we'll be one of the four.

On the other hand, a lot of big money strikers haven't really delivered in the A league (Dwight Yorke: 4 goals from open play). I think we should at least reserve judegment on him until he's played a few games and we've seen how Ricki uses him and how he fits in to the team in general. At least he's not gonna have a culture shock and get homesick or anything because he's already lived here for years before, or have pretensions about being the star of the side like some of those European strikers (Rigters for example) who have been around.

It's a tough situation balancing the need to build the squad, the quality of players we can attract, the types of players we (the fans) want, the types of players that Ricki wants, the amount of money available for that, and so on.

Who knows, Totori might tear the league up! Or at least make it harder to mark Ifill so he can have more space to play in. Our team could now look something like this:

                                     Moss

   New RB       Sigmund            Durante      Lochhead

                   Muscat                  

                                                  Smith

                               Sanchez

           Totori               Ifill             Brockie

IMHO those front four could create a lot of goalscoring chances if they are given the chance to play with the ball at their feet

New club strategy.....Play our home games in Honiara

Hoping for major income from shirt sales ?