Anxiously waiting for the result of Krishna's citizenship, because that extra visa spot is a game changer. First, another DM, then a striker. Hopefully Tratt impresses Rudan as much as he impresses us, so we don't need to use an import spot on a right back. I genuinely think if we sign Tratt, and then two more quality imports ( a DM and a striker) we have a good chance at making top 4. These are my (not so) hot takes on the squad and signings:
- defensively I think we will be miles better this season; Fox improves every week, we know how good Tratt can be, Doyle is always solid and gives 100%, and Taylor is potentially one of the league's best defenders. Kurto is an unknown, but for now I choose to trust Mark and believe he's decent.
- The defensive midfield partnership is only half complete so far. In terms of Kopczynski, Ekstraklasa is no easy league, and I think any Legia Warsaw midfielder deemed by their fans "average" will still be class in the A-League. Partner him with a similar or higher level DM and I think we have a really strong holding midfield.
- Attacking output of the squad is already fairly solid. Krishna, Burns, Williams and Nichols combined have scored 124 A-League goals, which for 3 wingers and an attacking midfielder is pretty good. While we still do need that striker, the burden won't solely be on him to score all of our goals. We also know Singh loves a goal too, so having 4 or 5 or 6 goal threats on the pitch at once is a real luxury, and I don't think we've had that in quite a few seasons.
- Whoever the striker is, I hope it's one with pace and who is good on the ball. Kalu was too slow, and didn't seem to fit the fast paced system that Burns and Krishna prefer. I don't mind having a big lump of a number 9 in the squad, but only as a plan B
Great analysis as always mate. I was thinking, does the player specifically have to be a strict DM? Could we get away with a more creative centre midfielder, a la Kroos, Thiago, Modric, etc and just have him sit back with Kopa pinging balls forward? Do we even need someone like that when we have Singh and Nichols? TAHW could be a backup option in that position
Kopa looks like a better Paracki - confident on the ball, good passing and interceptions, not afraid to tackle - but not exactly a big, tough tackling cod of a DM. Ultimately I think that was Goran's downfall, he was left with too much defensive work for one man to do,and I worry if we sign a deep lying playmaker to partner Kopa, he will end up having the same problems as Paracki did. I'd like us to sign either a similar Kopa/Paracki type player to to partner him (O'Neill/Brillante style), or have a hard man, Riera-esque player who can do the dirty work and recycle the ball to Kopa, letting him be that midfield engine linking the defence with the attack.
In his press conference, Kopa was asked about what part of the game he enjoys (or something along those lines) and he replied with defense; and he saw himself as a physical, defensive minded player. I'm not sure where the idea that he's not a strong, hard-tackling type came from? There's not a lot to go with on whoscored.com but he was their top defensive player in the most recent Europa League campaign.
The stats from the Ekstraklasa are a bit of hard work, but for the16/17 season where he played almost every game Kopa was normally partnered in midfield with Frenchman Thibault Moulin as the deepest two players in either a 2 or 3 man midfield. With Kopa being deployed in the tough tackling role, and Moulin a bit more of a deep-lying play maker. This was the year Legia Warsaw made the Champions League so he must have played pretty well.
It look as though he only fell out of favour due to a managerial change, his position being taken by 31 time Polish international Krzysztof Mączyńsk.