Phoenix Transfer Speculation 2013/14

I was looking more at the way forward but you are entitled to view it as you do.

Yeah that's where you went with it eventually but you still said the blinkers have come off for some people, which really was just you saying everyone is finally agreeing with you.

Didn't someone say that Boxall was looking at options away from the club? Was that just to get a loan or to actually leave? I would have thought he was suitable CB cover, Siggy and Dura just stayed fit a lot.

I'm a big fan of Siggy but I totally agree he sucked dead puppies through a straw this season. And JV should in future remember something about glass houses and stones when he tells me off for twisting facts to make myself right. :)

I think we missed the work rate of Tim Brown in front of the back 4 this season. Although Dura and Siggy were below their best, at times everyone was streaming through our nonexistent midfield. Makes the job a lot harder! Boxall was on a hiding to nothing in the limited chances he got for the same reason and also back combinations take time to click so the odd game here and there isn't really a fair reflection of his ability.

Sorry if this starts the usual resulting 10 page discussion, but Our midfield was just as infuriatingly bad and empty with Tim brown in it. 

Edited for lack of strikethru effect after striking thru - even after doing so in preview.

It's the Fernando Torres of text effects.

yep

*facepalm*

People have realised that as much as he is tenacious, he is technically deficient, more so on the ball. I know late in the year season there was a call for Boxall because he is better on the ball and I think more so, would have been inclined to hold the line and not rush out. I do wonder what he plans to do with Sigmund because I don't think he can turn him into a technically better footballer. Perhaps discipline and positional awareness?

Essentially, if you are not named Muscat or Durante, you probably should be worried if you are a defender under Merricks regime. In some respects Pedi Bojic would be nice but you bring a massive headcase into the mix and why would he come here?

Probably why Ernie wants another CB....

Bojic to Sydney up in the air now. Phoenix to swoop?

However, Ernie has said he wants to play with fullbacks effectively acting as wingers and 4 creative attacking players. If you want to play with your fullbacks bombing forward on attack then you need at least one defensively solid holding midfielder, possibly 2, who can cover and slow down counterattacks if you lose possession with your fullbacks far up the pitch. Therefore there might be potential for either Dura or Boxall to pop into a DM role to screen the defenders and cover the inevitable open space caused by having attacking fullbacks. I wouldn't want both Muscat and one of Boxall or Dura as a DM pairing because I would doubt their ability to distribute the ball to those attacking players. But I do think that Manny could be an effective attacking fullback - he's got a decent cross on him and has played the role a fair bit under Ricki anyway (although maybe not as attacking as Ernie is planning). So if Manny is at RB then I think Boxall or Dura at DM plus a ball-playing deep lying midfielder (Simon Ellliott from 4 years ago would be perfect) could be effective. The key being, of course, to find that deep lying distributing ball-playing midfielder...

I think the reason perhaps why there is talk is because Merrick raised this as a position we need a player. Coupled with the fact the Phoenix have allowed Boxall to go to China to trial (I read on here) and is out on loan, doesn't bode well for him staying around. I am just speculating of course

I also think the owners would let durante go on trial in china if they thought they would get some coin from it so I wouldn't read much into that. Pre Merricks  time anyway

I don't know his words sorry. I'm going on what was mentioned on here

Fair enough. If he did not mention CB directly then as you say, we are/I am talking bollocks.

He said he likes RB and LB to be pretty much wingers. "Bye Bye Lochy..PLEASE ! don't let me go...."

You should no better than "going what was mentioned on here".

Most of it is uneducated guesswork at best.

Snap

I'm picking a right back who can cover centre back or vice versa. Apparently the club have signed Rowe and Lochead and Hogg are options so don't think the left hand side is an issue. Also think Lochy will go and Merrick will put faith in Hogg/Rowe

Siggie had his worst season for the 'Nix, but so did Dura. As some have pointed out prior to that our team has been one of the best in the league for defence on a couple of occasions. Don't think it's only Siggie that is the problem. Which is why it's reasuring that Merrick is talking about some serious rebuilding. Hope he has better luck getting his targets than Ricki.

Would also be unhappy if we lose Boxall. But then the new coach needs to be happy with his players, and his ability to attract players was one of the reasons why he was signed, not his ability to develop NZ talent.

Wonder how Lochhead's injury is going? He's got a bit of a history of them as well so wouldnt be surprised if its a drawn out recovery

Hopefully we'll see a more professional approach to underperformance in the first team with Ernie.  Sigmund should have been dropped for Boxall last season for eg... etc etc