2015/16 Transfer Speculation

So what is the deal here anyway. You have a contract like Krishna for a couple more years and Sydney come in with a screamer of a deal. You sign.

The Nix the next day get a license. 

Who has the player? 

It has to be Sydney right?

Fenton can't beat players one on one which is a major problem for him.

Actually I disagree, when he first started he had more confidence and he was playing higher up the field. But with the injuries he has had and with Ernie dropping him back to Right back it makes it hardier to attack

I wouldn't be adverse to giving Fenton some time in midfield this season.

I guess when you have a right back that has really no options up the line, of course you turn inside all the time.  Don't blame him to be fair but it is very frustrating to watch 

the Nix have been pretty narrow in attack for the last two seasons which doesn't make your full backs look good going forward. They have moved away from wing backs making overlapping runs and putting crosses in for strikers to balls coming from central positions from 8 and 10 to wingers making cross field runs. Also with a 3 man midfield unless we are winning the midfield battle our wing backs get very exposed by a 4 man midfield if they push up too far. 

So tactically 4 3 3 does not suit your conventional wingback IMO. 

I don't think the players are playing badly but we are too predictable. Look at the victory- they have real variety in their front half- players with speed, ball players and also a guy who does an ok job at holding the ball up and pinching goals. 

Ernie needs to mix it up. Nothing wrong with having a number 9 in the team rather than a bunch of wingers. 

and which one of Riera, Roly, A-Rod, Lia and McGlinchey would that be at the expense of?

I wouldn't. He is a winger thats been converted to FB. What now makes him a midfielder?

victory are hardly the model this season.

You can only pick two of A-Rod, Riera and Lia. McGlinchey has been relatively poor for us. McGlinchey got 25 assists in 3 seasons at CCM - since coming here he only has 6 in a season and a half. That just isn't good enough output. I would be offering McGlinchey a significantly reduced contract when it comes up for renewal. 

If I was picking Fenton, I would clearly be picking him as a winger. I don't think I would do it but as I said at this point we have nothing to lose. The season is over so we need to spend the rest of it working out who we can retain for next season.

Not sure you have thought this through properly lad

Or who we should have kept from last season!

When did the season change to 13 games? Last time I checked there were 42 points still to play for. We're only 2 points behind what Sydney had this stage last season and they ended up 2nd. Still a long way to go

Victory went through a bad slump just now. Wanderers and Brisbane both had a horrid start. We are having one right now. I would rather have one right now than late in the season just when we are trying to scrape into the playoffs. As long as other clubs have a late slump!

New year's resolution. stop slumping!

http://www.3news.co.nz/sport/phoenix-unlikely-to-m...

Maybe I'm the eternal optimist but there is no shortage of footballers out there wanting a go, and quality too.

Recruitment has been iffy of late. Perhaps there is a problem there?

It is a fact that there is 1 spot available in the squad for the rest of the season with Rufer out, so we don't need to part ways with a player to bring someone in, who can be assured that they will have good amount of time to fit into the squad and show what they have to offer.

You are right that we can get an injury replacement for Rufer - but not a visa player, and Merrick is not keen on AUS/NZ players available.

In my humble opinion, the best option at the moment is to bite the bullet and pay Sarpong out for the rest of the season. There may indeed be decent players available in European leagues where money or job security may not be that great at the moment (Spain, Greece).

While I appreciate that some good visa players need a year before they produce on the park in the second season, I see keeping a poor performer beyond one season as bad investment. I would almost prefer a visa player to peak early, as it allows to only have a short extension to a contract if needed. Consider that both Huysegems and Cunnigham had good first season each, and I rate them higher than Sarpong.

If we want to reach the playoffs and go past one game, I do not see Sarpong as part of the solution. If instead we are all (YF, Welnix, Ernie) happy with just surviving the season and not think of the playoffs, then Sarpong better be cheap.

I agree with Sarpong. Not sure about people who appear to so heavily rely on the whims of an invisible sky or ground wizard.

We have let players go that are far better than he's looking. Huysegems and Cunningham are two. Send him home. If he was honest he would know it's not working out and send himself home.

Maybe we should instead  find a better quality defender. And someone who doesn't defer personal responsibility to imaginary beings would be a bonus.

This is a football forum mate.

Shark. We must be in a rough patch if AusKiwi is posting. 

Nathan Burns, the 2nd coming.

(dp)

Montgomery Burns would do better than our likely attackers against Brisbane next week.

That's good because I'm commenting on football.

Football like sports in general is not just physical but mental also.

I'm sure you know this

lol, I also comment when we travel well.

Quite possible you haven't noticed as it's with the hordes that come out of the woodwork when it happens and jump on the bandwagon

I'm not going to appoligise for expecting more than the average Joe on here than seems to think 6th is an achievement to be proud of :)

the problem is its that he is after money, it's his career don't forget and he was struggling for a contract in Europe which is why he (reluctantly) came down under. He definitely won't be throwing in the towel and jumping. He needs the Nix to push.

Take a look around at the angst dumbass, no one is happy with 6th.

I am

Nobody is happy because we underachieving

What about a guest player doesn't count against import spot but has limits of 14 games could get striker in from MLS on loan #Goals+Metrics

Obafemi Martins!

;)

Actually, remember how Brockie went on loan to Toronto? Well, Nelsen might not be there anymore but I wonder if we still have contacts there from that deal. Get Giovinco over here for a guest stint!

Right now the way we are playing I would be very happy with 6th.

What concerns me is that we could go lower quite easily and quickly

Problem is the ffa need to approve a guest player, and we are unlikely to be able to afford one of the quality required.

Ivan Vicelich - the 3rd best player in the world?

Great guy and an excellent player, but past his best days. Not a visa player though!

Sadly, Vicelich would not last a full game against the A-League pace merchants - I reckon we may be the slowest league team especially now that we lost Boxall and Roy is off the park.

Victory played well in a lot of those games during the slump, especially the derby.

Ryan, the Victory are a team that more people are familiar with on this forum than other teams. Yes they are in the chasing pack midway through this season but they are consistently there at finals time. Hence using them as a reference point. 

Ernie can't be expected to sign anyone with the licence in doubt- footballers are after all employees looking for the same things we are and one of those is some form of security. 

But we desperately need a Smeltz, Berisha, even Hesegems (sp) type player. Personally I think Ernie needs to recruit players who have set positions - we are starting to look like a team of midfielders who are versatile but lacking. 

it's funny how the solution is always just 'let's go sign some players' like there is a never ending conveyor belt of quality footballers sitting idle for the Phoenix to call and ignoring all other influencing factors.

that would have been a solution a year ago but they chose poorly when the chance was there to replace Burns(who ant doing that great in Japan btw) More and more this season is just wait and see what develops with what we have..we may make 6th..we may not.  One proven goal scorer might secure that chance.

In this case Jeff, we have been lacking a genuine 6'4" Center Forward and or straight out striker - Powell kinda qualifies but is not getting used unfortunately as I think he is better than Sarpong.