Phoenix Transfer Speculation 2012/13

I think we have all seen the negitive side of the club making noise for noise's sake both in previous and this season.

Remember it was not that long ago they were saying a striker and a RB were almost signed up for both to flop.

I don't mind the odd quiet patch if the news they do give us is cold hard fact.

Speculation is what we are here for, not them :p

People seem to have forgotten this. All I can remember from the last few preseasons is making up the bare minimum squad numbers only a few days before before the start of the season.

Could be an import youth. Then they can get residency and become kiwis

Theres a guy called Neymar who could be an investment.

No way, Neymar's way overrated.

www.blogs.theprovince.com/2012/06/22/whitecaps-waive-centre-back-boxall/

Boxall released by the Whitecaps......

Should we sign him? I think so. He ticks a few boxes. CB, young, experienced in pro football environment, Kiwi, could probably be had for around 100k (I'm guessing, is this a good rate?) known quanity and gives a progression plan as well as learning from the captain, playing under the AW coach....

Negatives... Probably would be best to be a starter week in week out for his development - would he be that here? Would he be better served playing MLS, a noted better standard? (I'm guessing again)

If he would come back (maybe, maybe not) but I think if he is open to it, grab him.

He couldn't break into the MLS side, so maybe the A-league is a better level for him. He wasn't on a lot of money there, think we should be able to get him for less than $100k.

Agree that he ticks a lot of boxes - Kiwi in a position we need cover for, already experienced in a professional environment, I say go for it.

Can he play RB? I'm only half-joking when I ask that.

Not sure if he can but Siggy can...

So a Lochy-Dura-Boxall-Siggy backline could work?

Not sure you'd want to break up a Dura-Siggy combination.

Lochy-Boxall-Dura-Siggy? 

Agreed. I wouldn't want to see Siggy at Right Back either.  It was a could rather than a should.

Would be happy with Boxall, as long as Ricki doesn't get the urge to play a back 3.

Absolutely yes for Boxall. We need experianced backup at CD. There is no way Dura and Siggy will go through the whole season without injury/suspension. You don't want a youth player as CD.

He would be on SFA $$$ in MLS so the extra money would be an incentive. Not sure if he has any other alternatives lined up .

We need extra depth in the squad, Boxall would provide that...sign him up!

Definitely go for Boxall. In fact, if he doesn't get picked up anywhere outside of Australia and New Zealand I'd be pretty disappointed if we didn't get him. New Zealand All White is available in a position we are lacking. He's cheap, young. Makes sense.

Definitely fits with what I reckon seems to be part of the new owners philosophy. 

Boxall = yes please.

However he is not youth so unless we no longer sign a rb when we sign him then we still need 2 yoofs and a rb and we only want 20 players allegedly.

I would be happy too, in fact I heard somewhere that he has played at RB and Defensive mid.

I personally think he has the right skillset to play DM and RB. Although doesnt have the natural go-forward that Siggy seems to have. I really hope he can come. 

for boxall professional career, I reckon he should try and stick tough in the MLS for a bit, tho I would love to see him back, I think he can grow to be a top pro.

We already had the discussion about signing Boxall at the start of June - go back to page 65 of this thread. I think the general consensus was he has played DM and RB before and most of us would be happy to have him. I say Ricki should sign him up and get him playing RB, he's still young and could potentially play there for the AWs for years to come too, plus he would be CB cover for Siggy and Dura

The problem with converting him to a RB is, what if he sucks? We would still need a RB and we would already be into the season. It could be another Mulligan situation.

Its back to that argument of is he being playing regular minutes at a lower level or being training fodder at a higher level.

I threw the 100k figure out because I don't really have an idea of what salaries are. I was thinking that if the cap is $2m with 20 players that makes an average of $100k.

I think in terms of skill set, I think Boxall has probably a better 'football' skill set for a RB than Siggy and looks a bit more comfortable on the ball than Siggy. Siggy always looks like a possum caught in the headlights and you can almost see his cogs turning internally when he has to think to find an option. In that sense, I would rather Siggy stayed at CB. Not his biggest fan but he is effective there. I'm not sure that Boxall would be adequate as a RB considering his main position has always been CB.

Boxall would also be competing for an import slot in the MLS whereas here he would be a local.

Remember Ricki saying he was looking at signing a young All White? And not using up our import quota?

I would be more surprised if we didn't sign him than if we did, all things considered.

Yeh this. Hope he can pick up another MLS team. He seemed quite good and wouldn't be necessarily starting for us, unless it was as a holding midfielder in the John McKain, errrrmmm ummm...Karl Dodd kind of role. He really needs a starting berth.

But would still give Dura and Siggie some competition and cover for their positions. Not sure I'd care to see him converted to an outside back. We want to attack down the flanks- Manny, Lochy (Hogg??) seems the way to go.

Doesn't violate the 'No Dicks' policy?

This is true, and although I intepreted it as being a u21 player, this makes a whole lot of sense. 

Haha I wouldn't know. But he hasn't been a complete asshole to me (yet) so hes ok so far :p

They published all the salaries of MLS players up for draft last year and Boxall was on only $42,000. Presumable US even though he is in Canada. I think he would be a good pick, only issues is that he is a CB in the position we haveare probably most sorted so he might not get a lot of time. He isn't a RB so we would still need one those although he may be able to cover in a pinch. It also creates an even bigger problem when the international dates are ignored by the a-league. But I still think it would be good to pick him up, as well as a senior RB, and free up a youth position for something more speculative, maybe even a youth RB as well given the problems we have there.

If you had a choice,      Michael Boxall  or  Brent Griffiths  ??

Take away the NZ v Aust, I think it would be a tough call.

I think Griffiths doesn't have as much potential as Boxall, but thats just from the games Ive seen.

Boxall looks capable of adapting to this level quite well and is a bit more versatile than Brent. The only thing Brents got is he is 2 years younger.

But regardless of countrry of representation, I would take Boxall

Griffiths is more comfortable on the ball but his actual defending and positioning didn't strike me as good as Boxall. Nor does he have that physical prescence. I don't think he would be a terrible option either though.

Boxall has experience over Griffiths, but that comes with age.

I would prefer Boxall personally

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/7168530/Two-A-league-spots-dangled-in-front-of-young-guns?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter