Was - Phoenix Transfer Speculation

And I totally agree but do you think we can get someone of his quality in the few weeks? And he is only 50/50 right? It's just a scare I read somewhere

Hernandez will get the hump with the Tards soon if he's not selected...

by the weekend?

Melbourne Victory's Kosta Rican star Carlos Hernandez has given his A-League coach a selection headache by making a surprise early return from international duty.

Hernandez, who won the Johnny Warren Medal as the A-League's best player in 2009-10, played for his national side against Brazil in Kosta Rica on Saturday.

The Victory had expected him to stay on for a friendly against Cuba on Wednesday, which would have ruled him out of Friday night's clash with Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium.

But the attacking midfielder was instead released back to his club after the Brazil game - without the Victory being informed - and surprised coach Mehmet Durakovic by turning up to training on Tuesday.

"It was a fantastic surprise for us and he trained really well this morning and he's in the mix for the Adelaide game," Durakovic said.

While welcome, Hernandez's return brought forward a selection poser.

The Kosta Rican's ideal position - sitting behind the strikers as a provider - is already filled by the Victory's star recruit Harry Kewell.

With Melbourne's attack also boasting accomplished strike pairing Archie Thompson and Danny Allsopp and talented 19-year-old New Zealand international Marco Rojas, there is no obvious candidate to make way.

Even on the bench in the Victory's season-opener against Sydney FC on Saturday night, they had attacking strength in ex-Brisbane Roar striker Jean Carlos Solorzano and Isaka Cernak.

Durakovic planned to wait until match eve to decide if Hernandez would make Friday night's starting side and, if so, in what position.

"It's a good headache to have, I've got a fantastic squad and everyone's in the mix and whoever trains well will play," Durakovic said.

Thompson shrugged off any doubt about his fitness by training well on Tuesday, despite having six stitches in his shin after being injured on Saturday night.

Durakovic said Hernandez's appearance at training on Tuesday was further evidence of the excellent attitude and commitment he had displayed since being sanctioned in the pre-season for failing to return on the agreed date after an overseas trial.

Could one of you well informed beings please confirm or deny for those slower ones like myself, whether or not we are in the market for new players or is this as good as its going to get?

So many contradictory reports and quotes over the last couple of weeks!
cheers!

From what I understand- we are no longer in search for players- apart from injury replacements.

Marquee may come in Jan / next season

Wonder what shows up first?.A couple of replacement players or my season membership pack.Hmmm

Why can't we get a marquee now? Why wait? We must have plenty money left if the entire salary cap is available so I am mystified at the lack of true quality signings compared with many other clubs in the league?

I got the impression the new owners opinions are that signing a marquee at this stage of the season wouldn't give them time to market him, to try and sell more season tickets based on who we signed. So more commercial than football reasons.
Ryan's Rovers2011-10-12 23:28:15

[/QUOTE]I got the impression the new owners opinions are that signing a marquee at this stage of the season wouldn't give them time to market him, to try and sell more season tickets based on who we signed. So more commercial than football reasons.
[/QUOTE] That's bollocks though if they splash out for a couple of players (at least as able as Greenie and Ifill) and we do some damage,maybe even win the comp.Won't be able to scrape the punters off with a stick then hamezilla2011-10-12 23:45:24

I sincerely hope the new owners aren't planning to do the A-League on the cheap.

I think rather than a mid-season marquee what we might have to hope for is a guest player of some sort

Fred is busy...

Well we're bound to sign an injury replacement before the end of the season.

Your season membership pack arriving though... well...

I don't think they are going to try and do this on the cheap, it would be about getting the most out of the outlay for a marquee player. They took over so close to the start of the new season that they may have decided a marquee player wouldn't justify the outlay. With a full off season to work with, I am sure next season we will have one. Given the problems at Blackburn, Nelsen could be a chance.

Smith looks to be signing on as an injury player for the season, so that uses our last import slot anyway. So unless we move Warner or Greenacre to the backroom, the only way we will get a overseas player would be as a guest.

That leaves us chasing aussie & kiwi strikers that are off contract or at clubs they wont be getting much game time at, such as Killen, Joel Griffiths, Allsopp.

Think Smith has the ball in his court now, if he can super impress then maybe he will be able to be worth a full time gig for the rest of the season.

Having warner as an import is rediculous.
But I was just thinking-
when Gouldy was our GK coach, did he actually have NZ citizenship?
Because he sat on the bench a few times for us, but was he actually eligible to play for us without being an import?

Griffiths supposedly tipped to stay on in the CSL for another season (but not necc Beijing). No word about Killen since his thigh injury a few weeks ago.

For injury cover wouldn't we be better looking at the VPL and NSWPL? Quite a few kiwi's there if they fit the bill and as they're registered in Asia they wouldn't have the same issue going back to clubs after a short stint that ASB Prem players would have. Hayne/James?

Frogs kissed = n (where n is a large number)
Rate of Mannys discovered = 1/n

I'd love to find the next Manny in the ASB Premiership as the All Whites need one for when the one we have (Ivan) retires again.

"We're hearing Danny Allsopp has been left out of the Victory squad to play in Adelaide tomorrow night. Carlos Hernandez is in"

Keat to take over from Vicelich.

Perhaps I'm blowing this horn too much, but Lindsay is versatile, young and good enough for Blackburn Reserves so perhaps his versatility over the back line and as a holding midfielder could be quite valuable for the nix and the AWs???

I think we should be giving guys from aus state leagues and asb prem a go when we get the chance - think hungry players who come in as injury replacements have a lot to prove and could work out, we can test them in A-League games if needed, but also release them when they dont work out

Well, he's clearly not good enough for them since he's here.

Btw, he wasn't with the Blackburn Reserves but with their development team, and he made very few appearances for them last season. Which is probably the main reason he's here.

ahh oh dear. maybe not as good as I am hoping he could be?

Many horrible players have been good enough for EPL reserve sides. One Michael Ferrante was a part of a West Ham youth side with Carrick and Joe Cole that won the FA Youth Cup Final 8 or 9-0. I'd like if we could ease him into the team a little - few appearances off the bench to start with. Not sure we will be able to have that luxury with this many injuries though. valeo2011-10-13 17:43:01

Imagine if we still had Smeltz, Rojas and McKain.. add those three to our squad and we'd look like title contenders.

Kosta, as well

Fred (?)

assuming Kosta wouldn't still be sitting on the bench

No real basis for this except hope and wild speculation but I have a feeling that the Killen transfer might have some legs.

....and not better than Daniel and Leo...I know who I would have my team out of those 3 players

Leo

Yeah except Leo & Daniel are both wide players, rather than a striker. Also both are contracted so I see little to no logic in your argument

The thing about Mehmet is that Ricki keeps saying again and again he wants a small speedy striker, not a targetman. If we'd wanted a target man we could have stuck with Offside MacAllister.

Melbourne Victory squad for this week....

.......wide players who do f..all...in my view both are past there used by date...but will play because we have no other bugger....but again I hope they prove me wrong ChopperHarris2011-10-13 21:38:24