Phoenix Transfer Speculation 2012/13

Why not play him at left? Couldnt be any worse than Lochhead, who has peaked. A good defender should be able to play anywhere across the back line.

I couldn't agree more. While most players are suited to (or prefer) certain positions, being absolutely unadaptable is pathetic.

Pique could play CF

I don't agree with that statement. There are different attributes needed for different positions. How would Jordi Alba do at CB or Vidic at FB? Vidic might be ok at FB but his lack of pace and agility would be exposed at FB while his aerial strength wont be fully utilised. Modern FBs have more in common with wingers than CBs and can be shown with the amount of converted wingers into FBs, like Coentrao and Evra.

Yes. Make him right back!!! He played it in high school. Won't bring much going forward but I'm sure he would be defensively sound.

Do it at training... experiment Ricki, might play off.

how about we sign a RB to play RB? or that to radical...

But I would still like Boxhall, but i think it would kill his career if he came and rode the pine. 

anyway the heart are apparently in talks with Owen, no sauce tho.

https://twitter.com/ozsportsInsider/status/222645354930245632

I don't really understand why coming to the Nix would kill Boxall's career, it's not like it's going fast anywhere. If anything, it's a chance for him to remain a professional footballer.

Completely agree here. I just wondere whether Boxall has other offers on the table (or is hoping for some). Maybe he'd be happy to join a 2nd div USA team so he could be picked up again next season? I don't understand the whole draft-system etc.

He was getting paid peanuts in USA, so we should be able to meet his demands I reckon. And he would be a good addition to the squad. He would def get his chance with Siggy and Dura getting older every year, there's always the chance of injury. If not, bookings will provide Boxall with a chance to start

Surely this would be ideal for him. Closer to RH. And a third choice professional CB, rather than a 6th choice or whatever he was over there. Will be on better money here too.

With Ricki in the UK, we have a much better shot at signing some decent UK players I'd say. It must feel quite good having a manger come across the world to help seal the deal and would make the player feel very wanted.

I imagine it had the same effect on Ifill & Greenacre when he went over and met them in person. 

Pretty much.

Boxall is in almost exactly the same position now as Tony Lochhead was when he signed for the Phoenix.

Drafted into the MLS > Played less than 20 games > Waived.

This has probably been talked about before, but skimming through an article in the Listener about Gareth Morgan going to North Korea, he just casually drops in a bit about meeting the football president to talk about "potential player exchanges and loans".

Imagine that - "Pav, we've decided to loan you out to a big international club"

"Oh sweet, where to coach?''

"Pyongyang City"

Maybe Ricki can use the North Korean prison camps as a motivational tool?

ok saying that have boxall here on the bench would kill his career is a bit harsh ill admit, but if i was him id be lookin at a club where he could start in his fav position, for instance most other Aleague teams he could start. Id be very happy to have him but I just think hes young and needs to be playing not sitting. 

Would they use the import spot?

Big call for him either way. Maybe this could get him in the shop window again. e.g. Kosta

It's not like other A-league clubs are chasing him - he's an import slot for them, and a largely unknown in this league, so hardly seems like a good option for them. Like I said, it's not as if he has plenty of options in front of him, his main concern right now should be if he can maintain a professional football career, and the Nix is his best chance to do so.

Still got my money on the last two signings are going to be

Robert Earnshaw and Brent Griffiths

If Boxall has an offer on the table he doesn`t appear to be in a rush to sign it

He's probably just waiting for his agent to finish ringing around the MLS clubs.

And his agent probably doesn't give a flying f**k about doing that in a hurry because it's not like Boxall's making big money, even if he ends up here.

Well, no-one claimed him off waivers, so there appears to be no interest in him in the MLS.

Yeah seems unlikely anyone would want him now after not taking him when given the chance.

Yeah, I don't quite understand how the waivers work as opposed to someone just picking him up now?

There's this one Colorado blogger still talking him up as a good pickup for the Rapids:

http://www.burgundywave.com/2012/7/2/3129544/michael-boxall-mls-transfer-window-colorado-rapids

That blog's nearly two weeks old now though and as you say it doesn't look like anybody who matters is actually that interested.

Still, can't blame Boxall for waiting. Presumably the Phoenix have the offer on the table for at least a couple of weeks if not longer?

Yeah I understand how the waivers work in principle. But if every club doesnt get him, thewn I guess they could all go and get him now.

I think that if you get him off waivers then you drop down to the bottom of the pecking order for waivers. So when a star becomes unavailable you are gonna have last choice. 

So wasting your spot on a foreign unproven reserve CB probably isnt attractive

Basically, being put on waivers by a club means that a player's contract is up for grabs for the rest of the league. Other clubs in the league have 48 hours (after the league announces a player has been waived by a club) to claim the player and his contract with the club that just waived him. If more than one club claims the player in the 48-hour waiver period, the player goes to the team with the worst record of all those that claimed him. If the player clears the waivers (i.e. if no other clubs claim him in the waiver period), he becomes a free agent.

This is a common procedure in all American professional sports.

Essentially right, although if you're hoping to land a star player through the waiver process, you're probably hoping for too much. There's sense in not claiming players from waivers at times, especially if they have big contracts - if they clear the waivers, you can probably get them cheaper (with obvious risk of someone claiming them through the waivers process if they're desperate enough).

Boxall was cheap, but as you say, he's foreign and very much a reserve player over the last couple of seasons, so he's not a very attractive option. 

How about Louis Saha to the 'Nix?

"Everyone asking where i gonna play next season. Hopefully I should know soon. Im free like bird, a free phoenix. Lol" - https://twitter.com/louissaha08

pretty much confirmed then

Something tells me that that will be the only thing about Saha that's free...

He had me at "Lol"

Would be great - as he was on loan to Spurs last season I could wear my last century Spurs shirt to the games in honour of him.

#betterthanrobbiefowlerlol

Might be a aiming a bit high to suggest a striker at an EPL club, but what about Jay Bothroyd?

Mark Hughes didn't rate him when he was at Rovers earlier in his career, and has lost his squad number at QPR. He is into the last season of his contract, so they will be looking to off load him.

He isn't an EPL level player but has done pretty well in the Championship, so probably head back there on loan. His profile wouldn't be big enough to get a big money Chinese deal but if he wanted to go that way, the A-League would be a decent shop window.

http://twominutessport.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/david-beckham-to-play-for-wellington.html

Lol

April 1st says it all

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/wellingtonphoenix/news-display/Phoenix%20Confirm%20Boxall%20Signing/48057

Boxall signing now confirmed

Even though he's not a star signing, I am quite please about having him as CB cover. He was good for the AW's when I've seen him play. He might find that A-League is more his depth and he enjoys it more

With Boxall's signing, it now means we only need to sign 2 u21 players to complete the roster. Obviously another import is gonna help too though.

However what two positions dont we have cover for currently?

LB/LM
AM
RB/RM

I think it depends on what formation Ricki wants to play, but for me the answer is Rowe & Fenton. Offers cover for most of the above areas (except maybe RB). 

LOL, there is actually a Pyongyang City FC, founded by Kim Il Sung his own self no less. But the football in DPRK page says that North Korea doesn't "do" loans, unsurprisingly, so I'm not sure what Gareth was on about.