Phoenix Transfer Speculation 2012/13

Its not the fact that we havnt signed the players that is causing the angst, its the fact the club are seemingly not as ambitious as previously inferred.  

What nonsense. Last season the club was going down the toilet during the off-season. At least we know there will still be a WPFC in October 2012. Some people just love to be negative.

You crazy. Waiting for foriegn players who might not come is waaay better than waiting for foriegn money that never comes.

I'm very concerned with all this talk of not using all our foriegn spots. I'm fine with a tighter budget, I'm fine with no marquees, I'm fine with the salary cap and trying to make a profit, I'm fine with not trying to win the league every year.

But you take away the foriegn players! We need those not just for club success but for entertainment!! 

I suppose they're only talking about leaving one spot open but I think the foriegners are worth the cost and the gamble.

I hope this is just talk to bring down our expectations or fly under the radar or something. 

3.1 m divided by 25 = average wage $124000.00 what premier league player would work for that. Forget marque as NZ cann't afford that. imagine the prices for seson passes to pay $10000.00 a week for one player.

The owners need to understand that recruitment is one of the most effective forms of marketing available to you.  

I also don't understand why when we have a 4 month off season, one option from the UK falls through and suddenly that's it, no foreign players!

HN, my point is that Ricki signed almost a whole team in year 2 that's still going to this day.  Basically since there has been only 1 or 2 players who have broken into the squad and about 15 players who have come and gone without making an impact.  

The squad we put together last year was late and on a wing and a prayer, no overseas scouting, just picking up what was available.  I just cannot believe that there isn't a single available midfield player anywhere in the world that isn't an upgrade on Smith or Sanchez.  Both are decent but not league winners.

Also, aiming for the playoffs means aiming to finish out of the bottom 4 in a ten team league (6/10).  It sounds great but not particularly ambitious really is it...

When did they say no more foreign players? Maybe there are some offers on the table... and maybe the owners are just trying to curb rickis tendancy to get a bit too excited in the media about potential signings before they are close to being realised...

I hate football!

I for one think that all the angst has a lot to do with a change in expectations from the fans. There seems to have been a significant shift from wanting to be competitive to wanting to actually win the league. Sure there's a little angst that comes with that, but overall I think it's great

We got Cameron Lindsday instead.

For everyone suggesting we'll have the same squad as last year, don't forget Glen Moss and Jeremy Brockie. Two new starting players. 

I'd also like to know where he went after he not getting a contract with the Nix...

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1084115/premier-league-free-transfers?cc=3436&dfg

List of Premier League players available on free transfers. Also, Neill has been released by his UAE club (lol)

Imagine this guy rip up in the A-League!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3m1W8Ez90A

Thats lovely.......... now wheres the League One list?

Has to the worst promotional video ever, 1 min of him running into trouble and loosing the ball or crossing it to noone, 3 admittedly good goals (but is that all they could find seeing they showed them from at least 3 angles each) and then an interview to pad it out even more!! Class!!

Spoke to Ricki today.  Player from Uk is still in the mix as are 'a couple of young players in the AWs'

Right back or Stiker from the UK?

That's good news 2B. I suspected Ricki's All White drive to blood youth players will continue through to the Nix too this season.

Yes, the injection of youth was imperative with the AW's, you could argue it's the same with the Nix. I'm hoping Ricki's had some valuable experience in these last few weeks to blood a few youth and even academy players in the Nix too this season. Fingers crossed.

Thats good news....we have kind of replaced Greenie with Brockie, Daniel with Pantellis(now available).....so we still need to replace Ward, Brown, Griffith and Tsats.

Its only early June so there is time to get guys in. Possibility too that Ricki will wait and trial players when the squad is assembled for preseason stuff.....unless he has another "Ifill" lined up.I assume Ricki will be in the UK for the Olympics so he might get more time to line up players. At the moment his focus is elsewhere.

Before Ricki went to the UK he was quoted saying he would be looking at someone for the assistant coach job....this story has now gone cold. It would be good to have an experianced no2 coach appointed now, who could help out with recruiting. Other A-League coaches are all now busy using the off season to line up their squads for next season, players have already been signed. Once again the Nix are behind the 8 ball. This seems to happen every year.....which might explain the cast off duds that we seem to sign on a regular basis(often at the last minute).

Our best recruiting year was when Tony P and Ricki took a decent amount of time in the UK and we ended up with Ifill and Greenie.

Are there right backs in the mix of UK players? Any word on right backs?

Hope the club has a right back up plan. Our chances of picking up a quality local A-league RB are looking slim and a foriegn option might be our only go at freeing up Muscat to midfield.

Roy Krishna plays for Fiji and he played for them yesterday against us.  Doesn't qualify as a Kiwi. 

So the available options would be McGeorge, Myers & Hogg? Thought that might be the case

Ian Hogg would be perfect replacement for Niko Tsattalios.

Tim Myers for Brent Griffith and Adam McGeorge for Nicky Ward.

this...keeping the chatter up-

here's the theory as these guys are marketing genii- everything will be talked down until two weeks before the season tickets are available to buy, when a series of remarkable key stone signings will be unveiled taking us from grudging battlers to the title hot tips...

seems good. Hogg seemed an upgrade on Niko for sure. Don't really know the others that well, but risking HN hate Ward did step up on a couple of occasions for us. And perhaps Brockie for Pav.

on a practical side think we need at least two more proven goal scorers. And one more solid midfield player with a good engine. and to convince Manny to stay at right back.

4 more months...

Agree, there was way too much hype after that first game. Rowe would be my pick, but wouldn't mind Hogg.

So Myers & McGeorge wouldn't qualify for u21 spots?

Is Payne being released by Blackburn?

I like your theory, and it may well unfold like that.....

The angst on here with so much of the off season still to go amuses me. I am quietly confident we will have a stronger squad before the season starts

From a purely marketing perspective, signing a big name now would be a waste. It would make headlines this week, but then be completely forgotten about amidst Euro 2012 and then the Olympics. If they were too sign a big name after the Olympics I imagine it would have a far greater effect on season tickets.

If he had dual then he would not be an import, but why would you want a player who had trials both with us before and NQF and was not picked up. Has he improved significantly since?

Luke Rowe is back playing for Miramar. You would have to assume he's talking to Ricki.

If Luke Rowe does not get Tsats place then you begin to wonder what he's done to offend. At the very least Rowe should get in the Academy 8... but he deserves a full youth slot. As for Ricki looking at "young All Whites".... can we have Costa and Rojas please! 

I honestly can't figure out who the young All Whites would be? Unless they arent going to be u21?

Because by my calaculations, the only young All Whites that could be counted as youth players are Howieson, Payne, Rojas and maybe Gleeson and Myers?