Phoenix Transfer - speculation (Part 1)

 remember that smeltz was a suprise but that does not mean the rest will be as good

You're right.  Bugger risk taking, from now on if you haven't won a World footballer of the year title we don't want you.



Ivan can play anywhere across the back line as well.
Hard News2008-03-31 19:52:52

And let's hope Mulligan is another Smeltz - struggling player who comes good in the Nix environment.

Mully is currently playing 2 levels above where Halifax were and he's been injured so quite different - he actually started the season in the Championship and played a bit for Sc**thorpe

David Mulligan is a tremendous player. He achieved was more in England than Shane Smeltz did (no disrespect to Smeltz) He has amassed well over 150 league appearances since 2000 and is just the type of playerthe phoenix will benefit from. Everytime i have watched him he is determined, enthusiastic and skillfull! At 26 he has already 8 years of full time professional football behind him and played an integral part in Sc**thorpes League one win (making 24 appearances) IF we get him at the Phoenix we can count ourselves extremely luckyas he will bring a lot to the team!

well that being said. would siggy be able to cover for mully if he does bad

I don't quite get this, so will appreciate your educational reply, because   back in my day (no pun intended!, and don't ask how long ago it was!!!) a right back was on the right at the back.

His job was to stop and/or to contain the left winger, or whoever else had the gumption to get down that side of the field.

To me, there is a difference to how you play if you have the cover of a wide midfielder who is supposed to come in and offer protection down the side when on defence.  If an opposition side attack with two wide players and two forwards a three man defence is over-powered. 

Rees was a Centre Back, one of three as opposed to a true Right back who's role is to defend but also get forward and create attacking options.  It's the reason why Rees is tall, built like a brick-sh*thouse and slow, whereas Mulligan is kind of short, and supposedly nippier.

Back three formations tend to rely on three centrebacks, rather than one centreback, a LB and a RB. Rees was a CB. He was the rightmost of the three CB's, but that doesn't automatically make him an RB.

Classy news item on Gascoigne.  A way to start the first day in April.

Doesn't this "news" item mean Frankie has been spending time in mental institutions? No great surprise there I guess... KTBW2008-04-01 09:30:34

should have used I want to be banned I want to be banned instead to get a certain person's hopes up 2ndBest2008-04-01 10:04:28

 cheers mods 2ndBest2008-04-01 10:05:21

Nice touch with the Gascoigne "article"...

I almost fell off my chair ... do you really expect me to believe that Frankie "refused to be interviewed"?

Damn, the article is gone. Anyone got it saved?

Former England star Paul Gascoigne has put pen to paper on a lucrative deal with the Wellington Phoenix in a marquee capacity in what is believed to be a 5 year deal.

Gascoigne, whose former clubs include Lazio, Rangers, Tottenham, Everton and Middlesborough said it was a Wellingtonian living in England who was instrumental in convincing him that his future career path lay in the New Zealand capital.

"I met this guy in me Mam's bingo hall who spoke all funny like, and he told me his name was Frankie and he was from New Zealand" Gascoigne said. "He told me to forget about mickey mouse leagues like the MSL as there was no way that they could compete with the changing rooms of the cake tin."

A Reuters reporter was able to uncover the identity of the Wellingtonian, but he declined to be interviewed. However, he did release the following statement:

"Gazza is a top geezer and he seemed a little subdued when I saw him at bingo. I went over to have a chat and cheer him up and the next thing I know, I'm giving him Tony Pignata's phone number and he's on his way to Wellington."

One of the terms and conditions involved with the deal is believed to include having a dentist's chair in the residence being provided for Gascoigne.

Endorsement offers are already rushing in, with Irvines Pies being a front-runner to have the geordie man representing their brand.

Gascoigne is due to arrive in Wellington next week.

tony P on radio sport today-

Have a feeling we aint going to be able to get a decent right back again

When did we have a decent right back to start with?

could this be another famous Tony P smokescreen?

I meant again - as in, we also didn't have one last year.

dksv2008-04-01 16:15:09

Actually it is kind of tricky to find an A-League right back.

Last season Sydney used Fyfe (primarily a Centre Back) a lot, Newcastle used Tarek (previously an attacking midfielder), Queensland have converted Seo, Melbourne had to blood Seb Ryall a youngster that I know the Phoenix knew of... pretty much the best Right back in the league was Alagich in Adelaide and he's retiring.   Hard News2008-04-01 16:19:53

Man I reckon they should hold an open trial (like on the movie invincible with Mark Wahlburg) see what the public throws up.  I'm sure I could play right back given a bit of fitness work within the squad... energy24.72008-04-01 16:47:14

Couldn't do worse than Christie.

Bear in mind that movie was incredibly inaccurate - Vince Papale played professional minor-league gridiron, which lead to him trialing with the Eagles

It doesn't need to be accurate.  It's about the Eagles and that alone makes it about greatness.

the top left corner is disappearing fast..

Karl Dodd was playing RB for QLD before he went off to Romania...

You could have a situation like:

------------------------Moss

Dodd-----------McKain---Durante------Lochhead

With Sigmund or such signed to sit on the bench as cover?

As HN said, pretty much every fullback in the HAL is converted. The only ones who aren't converted midfielders or CBs are:
*Alagich (retiring)
*Cassio
*Lochhead

There are plenty of succesful conversions (Matthew Thompson at LB for Newcastle, Iain Fyfe at RB for Sydney [after plenty of practice]), but equally less succesful ones (Jamie Coyne at RB for Perth stands out).

So if you do end up with Dodd at RB you'll not be alone in having to convert a player. He won't do much (if anything!) going forward, but at least you've got one proper fullback - which is more than many teams.

I have that poster up at work with big crosses through all the players leaving the club. Was contemplating adding Rees and El**ch to get in perspective how many people have left the club already.

true, i know we all want a specialist right-back, but at the end of the day, if we can't find one, we could do a lot worse than someone like Lia at right back, especially now as the other 3 positions are solid. if we arn't going to be able to find a suitable right back i'm sure Lia will be trained up before the season starts

you make me feel a whole lot more confident about it.

true, the thing is with someone young like lia, he's already played at RB before, and could develop a lot more in that position, while offering a lot more than christie, that said christie is good in that he can be chucked on anywhere in midfield. but at the end of the day, signing a specialist right-back increases our depth a heck of a lot

Big Nix announcement Thur at 2pm.

https://www.yellowfever.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5228&PID=180049#180049

For all your conjecture and innuendo.

Think of it as our own 4-4-2 Rumour Mill.