WPM 2022/23 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

Ryan

But is a proven performer for top clubs and will still be worth a visa spot in other teams. 

His contract at Sydney was rumored to be $750,000 AUD per season. So, he was deemed marquee level in a championship winning team. There will be interest, although not that high obviously.

Based on this, I'd imagine we'd be offering around 350-400k NZD.

Weren't we linked to Trent Buhagiar as well?

Made a quick list of released Championship forwards. Wishful thinking? Yep. Bored of the off-season already? Yep.

Fraizer Campbell
Scott Sinclair
Tom Barkhuizen
Saido Berahino
Charlie Austin
Tom Ince
Andre Gray

NZPhoenixFan

Weren't we linked to Trent Buhagiar as well?

Yeah by David Lewis (dunno if he still works for The World Game), he is pretty accurate 

dunnix

Made a quick list of released Championship forwards. Wishful thinking? Yep. Bored of the off-season already? Yep.

Fraizer Campbell
Scott Sinclair
Tom Barkhuizen
Saido Berahino
Charlie Austin
Tom Ince
Andre Gray

I'm not inspired by any of those.

harrymc55

dunnix

Made a quick list of released Championship forwards. Wishful thinking? Yep. Bored of the off-season already? Yep.

Fraizer Campbell
Scott Sinclair
Tom Barkhuizen
Saido Berahino
Charlie Austin
Tom Ince
Andre Gray

I'm not inspired by any of those.

Austin would be a bit of a coup, similar player to Hooper but better and fitter. Berahino was nearly elite but threw it all away, he could either be good or terrible. Also, weren’t WSW chasing Frazier Campbell a year or two ago?

Friar Tuck

harrymc55

dunnix

Made a quick list of released Championship forwards. Wishful thinking? Yep. Bored of the off-season already? Yep.

Fraizer Campbell
Scott Sinclair
Tom Barkhuizen
Saido Berahino
Charlie Austin
Tom Ince
Andre Gray

I'm not inspired by any of those.

Austin would be a bit of a coup, similar player to Hooper but better and fitter. Berahino was nearly elite but threw it all away, he could either be good or terrible. Also, weren’t WSW chasing Frazier Campbell a year or two ago?

Think Austin is the only one I'd be interested in getting.  Sinclair was good, but always struck me as a bit of a lightweight.

I don’t want Kosta anymore, give us Joey Champness Uffie.

Friar Tuck

I don’t want Kosta anymore, give us Joey Champness Uffie.

Red card 8 mins after coming on

If we do hire Kosta, I hope this performance knocks a bit off his value.

1 game does not make a player. He will be hurting more than anyone. No need to twist the knife.

MetalLegNZ

1 game does not make a player. He will be hurting more than anyone. No need to twist the knife.

 It was an idiotic tackle. One of the few things the referee got right.

harrymc55

MetalLegNZ

1 game does not make a player. He will be hurting more than anyone. No need to twist the knife.

 It was an idiotic tackle. One of the few things the referee got right.

The other thing is that it’s a tackle you get away with in the A league. Refs afraid to call a red card a red card.

To be fair on Kosta if the game wasn't going the way it was then he wouldn't have made that tackle, was out of frustration. 

Ufuks the man

To be fair on Kosta if the game wasn't going the way it was then he wouldn't have made that tackle, was out of frustration. 

Understanding the reason for someone doing something fudgeing stupid, does not absolve them from their fudgeing stupid act.

Ufuks the man

To be fair on Kosta if the game wasn't going the way it was then he wouldn't have made that tackle, was out of frustration. 

Compounded by the fact he'd had some bad touches in the short time he was on on.
Edit. Just made good impact when he came on (same time as Kosta). To be honest was surprised that Greive has been getting much more game time than Just of late. Just certainly hasn't done anything wrong for the AW's.

I mean he was woefully underdone. 

Uffie did coach him at Sydney, right? So maybe in the position, as might some around the Nix to know if he’s got the character to get back his fitness and condition and adapt his game.

Edit: on the Just thing I think he would have very much been in Danny’s plans. He rolled the dice on Greive and it almost worked early on against both Peru and Costa Rica. There was a clear plan to play off Wood which yielded a couple of chances. Wrong thread but sorry.

MetalLegNZ

1 game does not make a player. He will be hurting more than anyone. No need to twist the knife.

I just want to be able to have more money available for the team as a whole, assuming Kosta would be under the cap and not marquee any money saved there is better for the whole team.

It was also a lame joke.

After his performance yesterday are we concerned Lewis may start to get offers? He’s come back well at international level after poor form there. And been reliable for the Nix.

martinb

After his performance yesterday are we concerned Lewis may start to get offers? He’s come back well at international level after poor form there. And been reliable for the Nix.

On the one hand, I always want to see more kiwis succeeding overseas and the Nix getting transfer fees is a lovely bonus too. But on the other, Lewis and Ugarkovic has the potential to be our greatest ever midfield partnership - we could win the league with those two if we get some good attackers.

Glory just announced Ryan Williams, so Uffie can cross him off the transfer target list.

Reid searching for new club surley joins Phoenix and settles back in nz to finish his career 

Reid searching for new club surley joins Phoenix and settles back in nz to finish his career 

taylorcg69

Reid searching for new club surley joins Phoenix and settles back in nz to finish his career 

May need to search for a new groin first. Gets injured everytime he plays.

Honestly may be the time to retire, and I think he knows it - hence why he lost it with the red card. Was the last dance.

martinb

After his performance yesterday are we concerned Lewis may start to get offers? He’s come back well at international level after poor form there. And been reliable for the Nix.

Bit tricky for him maybe as partner and football fan Narelle Sindos has such a good job in the NZ media. They would almost come as a package deal for any overseas club I imagine, needing to find her a good media job as well.

She’s now met Infantino so maybe she can get a FIFA gig, and Lewis can sign for FC Lausanne-Sport, biggest Swiss club near Geneva I think!

But yeah Nix have virtually their whole midfield plus cover Laws off contract this new season. Hopefully Lewis and Laws are big re-signing targets

Yeah i agree. He would have found a club if we made the cup. But whats the point now. Hes done it all and made $$$. I hope he comes down for the aussie game. 

valeo

taylorcg69

Reid searching for new club surley joins Phoenix and settles back in nz to finish his career 

May need to search for a new groin first. Gets injured everytime he plays.

Honestly may be the time to retire, and I think he knows it - hence why he lost it with the red card. Was the last dance.

He obviously has his scholarship that he runs, so although he's spent most of his life overseas he seems to feel a connection to New Zealand and NZ Football, he might decide he'd want to come home for a year to retire and then work closer with NZF. Who knows.

I remember Ryan Nelsen saying he planned to retire at the Phoenix so that sort of thing is in the mind of players as they wind up their careers (although the stars never aligned to make it happen).

Roar chasing Charlie Austin. He could have the same impact as ALF imo.

if the nix were to make an offer for Reid I'd be pretty happy for him to be paired with Wootten, with Surman and Laws as back ups we'd be well served in the CB spot. Plus with Reids experience we'd have a ready made captain for this season - seeing Rufer is likely not to be around.

Ryan

He obviously has his scholarship that he runs, so although he's spent most of his life overseas he obviously feels a connection to New Zealand and NZ Football, he might decide he'd want to come home for a year to retire and then work closer with NZF. Who knows.

I remember Ryan Nelsen saying he planned to retire at the Phoenix so that sort of thing is in the mind of players as they wind up their careers (although obviously that never happened).

Nelsen tells an interesting tale of how he just lost the passion to play pro football almost overnight. Was in an ecstatic QPR dressing room after they had upset Chelsea, and he just felt really flat/numb, removed from all the excitement. Knew he just didn't want to play anymore, plus at that stage of his career his body was failing him. Look at Steven Taylor. Retired just like that.

Winnie after focusing almost solely on that 90 mins against CR for 6-12 mths, may just wake up and say it's over. Would be alot more than just money required to bring him to Welly. Some sort of challenge that motivated him, to do all that endless gym/rehab work. Plus of course such a big move would need to suit his family. He's from Auckland. Don't really see it happening to be honest. But who knows.

Reid said (in post match interview) his body was fine to continue playing and (presumably) is ready for a new club. He would be great at the Nix but I think he might be looking at somewhere else in the UK or even back to Denmark.

Napier Phoenix

Reid said (in post match interview) his body was fine to continue playing and (presumably) is ready for a new club. He would be great at the Nix but I think he might be looking at somewhere else in the UK or even back to Denmark.

Of course he would say that - but he just pulled his groin playing this game!

We all love Winnie but I don't believe bringing him home would make much sense for anyone. He is probably quite happy in the northern hemisphere and we wouldn't want to risk a significant (even on reduced wages) salary on a player whose career had been plagued by injury for the last 4 years. Let's give him a big hand if he can makes it to the Auckland game but let's be smart about this. I'd rather we spent the money on a Championship striker

valeo

Napier Phoenix

Reid said (in post match interview) his body was fine to continue playing and (presumably) is ready for a new club. He would be great at the Nix but I think he might be looking at somewhere else in the UK or even back to Denmark.

Of course he would say that - but he just pulled his groin playing this game!

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/128987342/danny-hay-hopes-all-whites-havent-seen-last-of-captain-winston-reid-after-groin-tear

RR

Roar chasing Charlie Austin. He could have the same impact as ALF imo.

He would have a bigger impact. He might be 32 but he has the speed, experience and guile to be an oustanding acquisition for 2 or so seasons. I was hoping the Nix might show an interest. Charlie is a straight forward guy that tells it like it is. He tries hard and expects others to try hard. He's fit as too, not carrying extra weight. Loved him at QPR. Best scorer I've seen since Adel Taarabt.

Austin x Ball could’ve been the new Ifill x Greenacre

Edit - but I also see that Benik Afobe, Harry Cornick, Gary Madine, Tom Bradshaw, Andy Carroll and Lewis Grabban are all off contract from Championship clubs. I’ve heard of Afobe and I’m plenty familiar with Carroll and Grabban. Not familiar with the others but all put up respectable to very good numbers last season and would all be worth a look I reckon.

On Bradshaw and Afobe, I seem to remember another 29 year old ex Millwall forward once singed for the Nix. I wonder how he did?

Andy Carroll broke Steven Taylor's jaw after they got into a fight at Newcastle.  Bally may not be so happy to see him since he is good friends with Taylor 

Ufuks the man

Andy Carroll broke Steven Taylor's jaw after they got into a fight at Newcastle.  Bally may not be so happy to see him since he is good friends with Taylor 

Yeah he probably doesn’t make the no dickheads policy unless he’s done some real atoning for his actions then.

Krishna being linked to a return to the A-League with WSW

He's  a visa player for them, so a big call I would have thought.