2017/18 Transfer Speculation

How is Lewis' development an indictment on Ridenton or the Phoenix?

One is in a professional environment, the other and amateur one.

Obviously not like for like, but are our young pros, Rufer / Ridenton / Fenton developing as well as expected. That's a fair question.

Ridenton absolutely controlled a number of ASB Premiership games last season for the WeeNix.  He had others where he didn't do much.

Lewis absolutely controlled a number of ASB Premiership games last season for Auckland City. He had others where he didn't do much.

If they're both playing in the same league week in/week out then what's the slight on Riddenton? I imagine there is more pressure on Lewis to step up as Auckland City are in there to win the league and compete at OFCCL level, where as the WeeNix guys won't have those kinds of expectations/pressures on them. Yes the Nix environment is more professional with a higher quality of players, but City isn't just turn up twice a week and kick a ball for a couple of hours with a game on Saturday either.

Even if Ridenton is worse than Lewis now that's not necessarily an indictment on the Nix's coaching/youth development. Developing youth players has a large degree of luck involved. Even the top academies and clubs in the world still produce more misses than hits, and world class talents develop in random places.  You'd have to see a consistent failure to develop talent before you could say that the Nix are getting youth development wrong. At the moment we simply haven't been doing it properly (academy, reserve team etc) long enough to judge the outcomes

Apparently Rufer has developed well enough to go to the Confederations Cup with the national team!

We don't know if Ridenton would have as well or instead because he's injured.

I think Ridenton would have done equally as well as Lewis, based on what I saw last year.

What I meant to say is he is finally up to All Whites standards (or what id expect from a full mens national team player), for a long time he wasnt mens international standard even if he was a good u20 player.

Let me put it in a different way taking aboard the statement of Hard News about how they both owned premiership games last year

Lewis in an AW shirt - pretty much a starter

Ridenton in an AW shirt - hmmmm

You can put these two side by side in terms of teams and leagues and Lewis has been the better player

Essentially Lewis has done better with his lot as an amateur than Ridenton has done as a professional. The Phoenix hierarchy should recognise that there is a better player in their own backyard that is not signed anywhere and make the effort to get him sans overseas trials. Its an improvement to the squad.

I also have to state my own bias that I think Ridenton is hugely over rated and too slow for the A League and much like Fenton, would not be in my squad.

Few issues with this for me - Lewis hasn't looked passable in an AWs shirt until very recently, where Ridenton hasn't had opportunities due to injury. Ridenton may have made the step up Lewis did, its impossible to know (although unlikely).

We also don't know what efforts have been made to sign Lewis by the Nix, he may well not want to play for us and its naive to assume we haven't made an approach.

Lewis almost certainly is the better player at this point but in no way is that an indictment on the Nix system, individual players develop differently. 

Ridenton for me is comfortably a squad player for us and I think he has the quality to kick on and feature for us in a regular role, so we're approaching this from different viewpoints in the first place anyway. He also performed well in the games I saw him play for the WeeNix, where he is surrounded by inferior teammates to the ones Lewis has.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/94206647/wellington-phoenix-sign-australian-youth-international-fullback-scott-galloway

So, Scott Galloway, eh? Impressive first signing, considering Darije and Rado managed to tempt him away from the Eredivisie. Happy with this!

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/94206647/wellington-phoenix-sign-australian-youth-international-fullback-scott-galloway

Lads.  Galloway now signed so chat here: 

https://www.yellowfever.co.nz/categories/wellingto...

Conjecture stays here.

Four senior spots left, Paartalu/Tuiloma, Burns/Vidosic and 2 visa forwards please Darije.

Atm I think we line up as:

Mambo

Galloway Dura Rossi Doyle

Rufer Ridenton

WeeMac Finkler Parkhouse

Krishna

Those wide forward options really are a worry, with only Rogerson as a back up. Getting a Aussie/Kiwi DM would be huge right now.

I hope with the new regime whatever problems Rufer had will be resolved.

...and if that problem is a lack of talent?

I'd like that resolved. Why have a player on the books who lacks talent?

I thought that was a requirement as much as having several under-20 players was??

All that aingst about replacing Tratt and we get Galloway. Noice.

Can't see how they'll improve on Lia though ;)

For a Striker, what about JET from QPR? Not good enough for the Championship, But League 1 ok, but not expensive to buy or pay. Emmanuel-Thomas. I think he would be a good one for us and our level in the A League.

Intresting paragraph written by stuff, sounds promosing.

''The Phoenix had previously re-signed goalkeeper Lewis Italiano, following Kalezic's appointment, and in a statement on Thursday, they said they have identified "at least four more targets," and that discussions had begun with those players, "with a visa-spot signing expected to be announced in coming weeks"

Article.

Lewis is that since this last tournament only. 

He definitely wasn't before. No one would have considered him a shoe in starter.

Also I think it is fair to say that the players have slightly different skill sets. I defer to people who have watched a lot of WeeNix, but for the 'Nix Ridenton has been asked to do a lot of defensive work that Lewis didn't have to. And he has done a reasonable job being played out of position and all over the place at a senior level. He doesn't shoot from distance so much, but he can pass the ball just fine. 

I'll take what Darjie thinks of him as an indicator thanks. I guess well see.

Might be some good pickings in non league in England..Boro have just signed an attacking midfielder u23 who scored 35 plus goals in last 57 games.

Galloway sounds promising. Not keen on. Italiano at all unless he's a back up.

Fair play, a decent first signing.

I know this sounds a bit old school football but I think we need to sign some "men" for want of a better word.  At times I think we've looked a bit rudderless so we need some players with a bit of personality and a winning attitude who are going to help us dominate games.  Tom Doyle was part of the leadership group last season, maybe there are other reasons for that but he's been in football for 5 minutes and has more to worry about holding down a starting spot I would have thought

Whats the posistion we need to fill most at the moment?

personally I'd like to see a good def/central midfielder

a 10 goal plus striker also

If we have to use the visa slot on a DM, we could always take a gamble on Gameiro. He has the potential to by a 10+ goal scorer, that is if he can have some luck with injuries.

I'm crying

I think Gomeiro is worth a punt as well, but we can't rely on him and would need to sign a foreign striker as well.

Gameiro on a one year deal with a one year option - but we get him for next to nothing. 

If he has a break out year, awesome, play the extension option the sell him and move on before he does another knee. Lets get ruthless.

Getting a couple of top CM's is an absolute must - we basically need to replace our entire midfield from last season except for WeeMac, who I think does better out wide anyway.

We have a top AM in Finckler, a topCM in WeeMac, and backups for both in Singh and Ridenton. We have limited slots and two CMs would be a luxury that we don't need IMHO.