Starting 11 -first round- new season

Just for some light relief, can anyone a name the coach and put together a starting 11 for round one of the new season.

Will be interesting to see how close anyone gets. Obviously a lot of guesswork required at this stage. 

 We have heaps of players including internationals still to sign but 50% of the starting 11 would be a good effort i think. Guessing the unsigned internationals is probably the hardest but someone might get one or two of them right.

            TBC

TBC TBC TBC TBC

    TBC TBC TBC

    TBC TBC TBC

Coach: TBC 

How did I go?

Team will hopefully be built around Singh. Here's what I'll go with:

               Velaphi

Galloway-Fox-Doyle-Cacace

           Import-Ljujic

      Import-Singh-Burns

               Krishna

I can't see Ljujic sticking around - we need a hardworking midfield who can tackle as well as pass - he simply isn't it.

no one cares anymore what a joke of a club

Velaphi (or new keeper)

Tratt -- Fox -- Doyle -- Cacace

Import -- Singh -- Import

Krishna -- Import -- Burns

Want to post this in any other threads? Because I can't get enough of hearing this.

You obviously do, you're posting on this forum.

Sail

Gulley - Fox - Doyle - Cacace

Import - Paracki (Import)

Krishna - Singh - Burns

Import

Whilst I don't agree, I think many people share winklepicker's view. The club needs to sort out its issues (I know, easier said than done with FFA still in charge, the possibility to break from them, the license issues etc) and sign a coach and some players to drum up some interest otherwise next season's gonna be a very bleak one.

Think I saw he was learning Portuguese on his instagram story, maybe he's already got a gig elsewhere? 

Ok, from our confirmed players for next season:

                Sail

Lowry - Fox - Dura - Doyle

        Fenton - Cacace

Krishna - Singh - Parkhouse

                Burns

Bench: Smith (?) .... and that's it

Thought the same thing when I saw that. But it seems he's on a worldwide tour on the offseason across the Balkans and Africa, so wouldn't be too surprised if he was just holidaying to Portugal

Midfield support for Boyd?

Wrong forum. What you want is here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league

I hope Velaphi will also stay on. He was much improved from his previous seasons. 

I know Fenton is ready to return, but not sure if he is anywhere near A-League level.

and Fenton was never a DM was he??

And he is not Paracki, let alone Ridenton.

If Fenton gets anywhere near a start we are more poked than his shoulders!

Maybe he has worked on his Coaching Licence during the season

Only 5 of the 11 contracted players make my starting 11.

  ?

? Fox Durante Cacache

? ? Singh?

? Krishna

Doyle (is he contracted?) would be OK too, and Sail as reserve GK. 

Of the off-contract players, I'd happily take (if available) Ljujic and Kalu, and Velaphi if no better goalie can be found.

That's only eight players. 

Question is does Rudan know what talent looks like? His record suggests maybe he does.

The biggest problem last year was fielding the wrong players, one in particular, and both coaches failed badly there. 

They got it right, by accident, in the last game of 2018 - and won.

Good news is Rudan's got 15 places to fill (assuming no Fenton). Up to 5 can be non-Australasians.

That's a whole team and most of the reserves.

Who he chooses will decide the season.

Calvin Harris looked promising for the Phoenix at the Hong Kong 7s.

That's a lot of lines to slag off a player who is now an import for a rival club.

Similar approach, but going whole hog and assuming Krishna doesn't take up an import spot          

                Velaphi

Import  Fox  Import Cacace/Doyle(/Gulley)

            Import Import

     Krishna Singh  Burns

                Import              

Only two home grown kiwis starting, but that's where we are right now.  Let the rest of the academy kids fight their way in at a high standard.  

Any international quality kiwi for any of the import spots is good for me, but I'm assuming there are none we could attract?

Not sure about keeping Ljujic (or Paracki).  I felt neither did enough last year, but just maybe, with a better organised team and a more constructive environment and coach, there might be more in them.  Regardless, we need better than what we got with them last year. 

Mostly agree with that. Will depend on how good Rudan's 15  new players are.

I wouldn't pick Burns on last year's form. Durante still looked good.

NZ Football needs the Nix for young NZ players to aim for, but there's no point fielding NZ players who cost points. Much more of that and there will be no Phoenix.

Here's hoping Rudan finds some more talents like Cacache and Singh from the lower leagues - and starts them.

Krishna and Rojas were overlooked talents, and they both had trouble getting a start when the Nix did sign them (as did Cacache and Singh). Wonder how many more like them there are out there?

Hint: they might not be playing in the Phoenix Academy. 

Doyle might get shirted to a CB role - depending on how Rudan looks at him - I don't think he starts ahead of Cacacae currently.

Harris will be eligibal as a kiwi in another year?

                                    Tbc

                        Dura.  Taylor   Fox

Tbc                                                            Doyle

                                  Tbc

                                 Singh

            Krishna.                          Cacace 

                                  Tbc

Durante was the nix's best defender last year imho. 

Two CBs and two CDMs is possible but means Fox misses out. Don't see him as a wing back option. 

Four TBCs could all be imports.

Leaves two (?) slots for Australasians. Probably midfielders. 

Other contracted players:

Lowry, Fenton, Parkhouse, two keepers, Burns

I doubt Cacace would be deployed so far up the pitch.  My understanding is that he's a DMF come LB. Unfortunately for him, similarly to Fenton, that tag is probably going to stick and I can see him moving out wide for the rest of his career. Not that I'm complaining.

Beaten too easily at LB, but looks dangerous when running at defences. Skilful and can keep a move going. 

Wonder how he would go at CDM. Also hope Rudan has an open mind. 

Would like to see him given a go at CDM. 

I do wonder if I watch the same games as other people sometimes...

Totally disagree. He bettered Arzani in an open game when he had no protection in front of him. And even if this area of his game was a weakness, he's only a kid and it will be ironed out very soon.

In fact Arzani and another guy  beat Cacace with ease several times in the first half. Arzani got cocky in the second half and tried a couple of nutmegs, which didn't work. 

Also beaten for pace at the HK sevens.

A questionmark over his defence imo. 

He's 17...

Is Taylor Swift?