Good left sided defender, can play CB, LCB in a back 3 or LB in a back 4. Tall, confident on the ball and not afraid to get forward.
Expect this puts paid to any Francis de Vries signing.
Sounds like a good signing based on what you're saying. Looks like he has plenty of room to grow having only turned 18 in March. AND he is on a 4 year deal! Good business I say
Good left sided defender, can play CB, LCB in a back 3 or LB in a back 4. Tall, confident on the ball and not afraid to get forward.
He was part of the U20s (as was his twin brother, a GK).
Expect this puts paid to any Francis de Vries signing.
I like this a lot. Raw, but has bags of potential.
As the Argentinians would say "He'd make a good basketballer" 😏
Also I hear that de Vries has attracted interest from other A-League sides, so if he takes a spot away from an Aussie in the process I'd be happy for that to happen too.
Trying to work out what this means for our backline signings to come - still expecting an RB to compete with Payne and an international CB, which would suggests to me that Chief sees LKH as Sutton backup. Though, if we've decided to use the visa spot in a different position for any reason FDV might still be a chance.
Well we were hoping the Nix would sign up some of their better players in the NZ U20s, so they wouldn't leave on a free transfer. Taking that into account a 4 year deal is good business. Where does this leave Issac Hughes who was around the first team briefly last season?
A good basketballer? That's what the Nix need, our own Mason Cox
as a big collingwood & nix fan, if this guy is half as good as Coxy has been for us this season, were in a good place. If he has a basketball career, he will be more like Scott Pendlebury & that will be amazing ;)
Chiefy said in his press conference that it's likely they won't sign anyone else until after the game with Peninsula Power as he wants to give the young players a chance first. Also may not sign an import CB if other players step up and would use the money elsewhere that needs it. Used CCM as an example of a young team and they won the comp
Chiefy said in his press conference that it's likely they won't sign anyone else until after the game with Peninsula Power, he wants to give the young players a chance first. Also may not sign an import CB if other players step up and would use the money elsewhere that needs it
Yeah will be interesting to see what we do with the last visa slot as defense was a glaring issue last season but maybe with a different setup and a local player stepping up their game could mean it won't be as big of an issue. We still have an import CB on the books and most teams don't usually sign two so if Wootton can show why he's worth an import slot too we may have other areas which could benefit more.
I think midfield is probably the other weakest area, especially after losing Lewis and Ugarkovic but also attack could struggle if Ball and Kraev aren't helping out Zawada with the goals. So it is definitely one where you'd have to wait and see where the biggest hole in the team is and then make a decision but I'm not sure if we'll play enough FFA cup games to know before the season starts.
And then I don't know if waiting till January to identify the weakest area and getting an import for that position would be the smartest move either as it could set us off the pace in the table by then.
Payne, Surman and Kelly-Heald should provide enough competition, but if they provide enough quality is the question, particularly if Wootton gets injured.
Unless that’s the plan for the back 4, in which case we need more depth and cover.
Any sign of Duncan? I ask as there was chat going on twitter a week or so back about a recently moved keeper already looking to break contract. But it didn’t name names.
Any sign of Duncan? I ask as there was chat going on twitter a week or so back about a recently moved keeper already looking to break contract. But it didn’t name names.
Ummm... are you referring to this? Agent A-League is a parody account which has fooled more than one person
(If it is true, Oli Sail got a better offer from England, you heard it here first)
An A-League goalkeeper who has just joined a club looks set to leave the club before he even plays a game for them.
Happy the club has signed a promising kiwi! hopefully they play him! some good kiwis out there. Surman will be a beast in a year or two he reminds me of a young Danny Hay. Dont know much about Kelly Heald but reports are hes the business.
Any sign of Duncan? I ask as there was chat going on twitter a week or so back about a recently moved keeper already looking to break contract. But it didn’t name names.
Any sign of Duncan? I ask as there was chat going on twitter a week or so back about a recently moved keeper already looking to break contract. But it didn’t name names.
Ummm... are you referring to this? Agent A-League is a parody account which has fooled more than one person
(If it is true, Oli Sail got a better offer from England, you heard it here first)
An A-League goalkeeper who has just joined a club looks set to leave the club before he even plays a game for them.
Sounds like the youngsters will be given a good go in the Australia Cup, as Chiefy tries to mirror CCM. Also it was rumoured Weenix want a cheaper team than last season??
With imports Zawada, Bozhidar Kraev, David Ball and Scott Wootton locked in, Italiano had previously indicated he would use his only free visa spot to sign a new centre-back.
However, after promoting academy graduate Kelly-Heald on a record four-year contract, Italiano is now keeping his options open.
The Phoenix still have big holes to fill at central midfield and at left-back and right-back following the departures of All Whites Clayton Lewis and Callan Elliot and the conclusion of Lucas Mauragis’s loan deal.
As well as young gun Kelly-Heald, they have also added defensive midfielder Mohamed Al-Taay and veteran goalkeeper Jack Duncan, both via the Newcastle Jets.
The Phoenix play Queensland NPL club Peninsula Power in the Australia Cup on August 4 but Italiano said he was in no rush to finalise his squad with the A-League Men season still three months away.
He planned to see the round of 32 cup tie to trial some of the club’s academy players.
“My focus is to give these younger players an opportunity and there may be one or two that actually cements their position so I don't need to look elsewhere and it means I can focus more resources into areas I think need to be addressed.”
Okay so what I read from that article is that we won't win the Australia Cup this year, as it's a trial run, but we will win it next year instead. Good plan Chiefy 🫡
Okay so what I read from that article is that we won't win the Australia Cup this year, as it's a trial run, but we will win it next year instead. Good plan Chiefy 🫡
Seems like that's been the plan since the FFA cup has been around, apart from last year when we seemed to make an actual effort to do better.
Okay so what I read from that article is that we won't win the Australia Cup this year, as it's a trial run, but we will win it next year instead. Good plan Chiefy 🫡
He never said that. He said he’s going to give players an opportunity to stake a claim. Maybe he believes in some of them. Seems like a better plan that the previous incumbents first FFA cup foray, where he thought it better to leave a couple of players hobbling in the centre circle.
Okay so what I read from that article is that we won't win the Australia Cup this year, as it's a trial run, but we will win it next year instead. Good plan Chiefy 🫡
He never said that. He said he’s going to give players an opportunity to stake a claim. Maybe he believes in some of them. Seems like a better plan that the previous incumbents first FFA cup foray, where he thought it better to leave a couple of players hobbling in the centre circle.
I was joking, for what it's worth.
About not winning it this year, because we're going back-to-back :)
