Transfer Talk - 2018/19 Season

Already listed with the Phoenix on Soccerway!

https://int.soccerway.com/players/reuben-way/41624...

Hardly strikes fear as a forward with that tally... so hopefully is a midfielder more so than a forward.

Sad really that we are signing huys like him over kiwis who do not want to play for the NIX. One assumes he would be on comparable coin to the NZFC players at Auckland etc, so why does he want it??

I really hope the kiwi players who have said no get grief from their firends!!

Who the... is that guy?? seriously worried about Right back/RWB depth.

Why would you say yes? 

Move away from home to play for a wooden spoon contender.

Not much more money.

No chance of playing in Club World Cup  (much bigger stage)

give all that up to come and trial without any guarantee of a payday.

Not the most attractive proposition.

He isn't a forward, he is the replacement/backup RWB to Fenton

We’ve signed Wayne Rooney under a fake name to get him under that salary cap!

What a head

Interesting. Everywhere says he is a forward.

Appears he has been moving back down the field, was a forward, then was in midfield for Heidelberg. Now Rudes sees him as a RWB

Looks like a last minute signing to fill the roster.

Disappointing that good young kiwi talent has been passed over in favor of a 'mortgage broker'.

Something about this makes me feel like he will have all the agression of Muscat and Siggy but not really any of the defensive skill. Hope he proves me wrong though. Also appearance wise looks like a knock off version of Mandi that you'd buy in a South East Asian Market  for a cut price

Perhaps young kiwi talent should've given more of a toss, then

Really struggle to believe how Tratt and Gulley were deemed inferior to this bloke. Not trying to write him off before we've seen him play but still. Cool to see a guy become a pro at 28 though, so I'm happy for him in that sense

Looking forward to seeing Callan Elliot develop and thrive in a professional environment.

On the bright side of today's announcement, we now have the min squad required, still got money in the bank and have spaces available when and if the right players come along.

Who said they were inferior to anybody? Everything Rudan has said, pretty much since Day 1, is about players fitting in. Not just about their technical ability but everything about them and their attitude. Tratt, for example, has had personal issues, so maybe he wasn't up to coming back to NZ at this time? Who knows? Nobody on this forum knows why certain players didn't make it through the trials they had. I'm sure Rudan has his reasons for signing, or not signing players, and personally I'll reserve judgement to see whether those reasons appear to have worked out or not.

Yeah all those Kiwi's lining up to sign with the Nix eh...

Crap, just realised I had him on the wrong side. He plays on the left, not the right.

Agreed. Rudan has been pretty blunt/straight up, and I am pretty confident in how he has gone about things recruitment wise - the only issue for me has been the time it has taken, but that has also been caused by the fact we took so long to appoint him as coach 

I reckon he could be a starter (maybe not this weekend) as I don't think Rudes is sold on Cacace as LWB.

Hope he is better than Parkhouse....

If you got bored here's a full match of Reuben Way playing at LB. (He's playing against Manny and Jason Hicks)

I've been fascinated with Rudan's rain man signings - especially this one, skimming through there's nothing that I would personally deem to be any more sensational than a competitively average state league player - even gives away a Pen at 23mins, but obviously you have to trust his eye for how Way can work in complement with our existing players. 

I kind of hope he's the next Manny Muscat in regards to the endearing nature of becoming pro later on in life and being more than capable of playing at A-League level.

Although for now, absolute Squaddie.

Interesting we don't sign Heidelberg's first choice RB but a forward of theirs to play RB for us. 

edit: RWB - I suppose 'forward' could be a wide attacking player.

edit2: not right sided, but left sided? - our right side....

20 mins of Heidelberg highlights from May 2018.

Played R wing in this game, and  again wore the 7 shirt. Not involved much - lost the ball once, made some simple passes, went close with a long shot (he's scored a few that  way). One dangerous looking tackle. No clever passes, interplay or pace seen. Took a couple of corners (but not their penalty -  keeper took it). Looked slow off the mark and a bit flat footed at times.

Can't read too much into a 20 minute highlights package but this just might be the player in a nutshell - strong, direct, commits fouls, gets carded, and the odd left foot screamer.

For now, it's Reuben Why for me. Look forward to seeing what Rudan's seen in him.

Parkhouse Mark II?

Our squad feels scrappy with a real sense that we have got very few of our number one targets in various positions.

'Can't read too much into a 20 minute highlights package, but I have anyway'!  haha

Auckland City won't be at this year's CWC, and if FIFA have their way going forward they will be trying qualify for a tourney held every 4 years.

So in the future it will a big stage for likely 1 knock out game every 4 years - providing they qualify. Whooptee. No one in Europe gives a toss about CWC anyway.

The guys who refused to trial, made a decision to remain a big fish in a tiny pond. They have their reasons, and maybe in the future they will hopefully change their minds.

Is disappointing however way you look at it, or whoever you blame, that the Nix are signing more Aussie NPL players, than locals.

Can we still sign players?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/10...

Meanwhile, the Phoenix have also lured Gianni Stensness and Taci Kumsuz across from Australia to join their academy set-up. Rudan said both players were open to the prospect of representing New Zealand in the future and although they will primarily play for the reserves team, they remain in the running for first team contracts.

"If there's a chance and an ability to bring them over then why not? They've both spoken about the opportunity of representing New Zealand because they've got that lineage in their blood so that's a bonus and I think it works both ways. It's about strengthening and improving and we'll always keep our door open to New Zealand talent, but they've got to want to be a part of this football club as well."

Guiseppi Rossi also being linked 

Quality is quality, who cares about age.

Now we talking

Didn't Rossi fail a drug test recently? Plus his knees are shattered.

His first name is not Marco.  I bet Rudes could get some value out of that one. 

But here's to the future, rather than to the past.