Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

Maybe more like this now?

Surely he'll be sticking to the 4-2-2-2

Question marks over:

Piscopo - if he's a winger, I assume he's not great defensively

Davila - more of a #10, so same as above

They'd both need to rack back and watch runners in behind in this formation.

Question mark over how McCowatt fits in exactly, too; especially if we sign another visa striker.

Starting to like the look at whats beginning to take shape.Bit optimistic to think Fenton will be good to go at season start isnt it.

Two slow CBs and a just back from injury Fenton. Concern there.

Still wana see a video of the Strikers game...

Yes, that's true, I guess.  Though I presume the front four will be pretty fluid, given Ball can play second striker, Davilla is fairly flexible and Piscopo can play winger or more central - if I've picked up the right stuff from interviews and the web.  So I presume 4-2-3-1 will be how we look at times.  And 3-5-2/3-1-4-2 at others with a FB/Rufer forward.  I agree McCowatt is the odd one out in the 4-2-3-1 I posted, and it would seem strange to have him as our primary striker.  So your 4-2-2-2 makes sense, though I am not sure exactly how that works in reality. 

Seems like the best starting 11 from the squad is looking fairly useful, with potentially a further import to come.  How do people think we're shaping up vs other squads?

Agree re Fenton, just looking at what the squad best 11 might look like now with Piscopo expected.

Why couldn't McCowatt be our primary striker?

His goal scoring record at the NZPL shows he knows how to find the net - give him the chance?

Talay has played him in the AM roles so far in pre-season, so I assume that is where he feels he is best suited in this formation.

I don't think he was the primary striker at Eastern Suburbs irrc. Hes not really big enough or quick enough to be a main ST imo

Our best pre-season recruitment ever Y/N?

Looking solid AF and we still have a visa spot up our sleeve

It looks promising, with Steinmann, Davila and Piscopo (rather than Ball) the highlights for me.

Talay's value will be shown in his ability to make a team out of a bunch of strangers.

While i agree to certain degree i just hope people give him a chance to blend "a bunch of strangers" into a team. Patience isnt something that many on this forum seem to have.

To me that visa striker will make or break this season.

I'm certainly impressed wit the overall recruitment - we're taking a new approach and I love it, including paying a transfer fee for someone whom we think could make a difference in our team - but we've got to get that last visa spot (striker I hope) right - we've lost Roy and Williams (and Singh) and we MUST bag ourselves a 10+ goal striker or someone who can create as many assists for others to score.

Love the Steinmann signing, feel he could be one of the better players in the league. I also love the McCowatt signing, if there was one young Kiwi player that I really, really wanted us to sign, it was him. At the same time we as a fan base have to appreciate that he's stepping up a level now, and not expect him to bang in 20 goals this season. 

The squad still doesn't seem to have a lot of goals in it for me, and getting another forward is an absolute must. I also feel that Davila is a bit of a punt, and we really need him to work out.

Dont see why McCowatt cant be seen as a 10+ a season striker really like what i have seen so far and wouldnt be surprised to see him step up.Also seems like many have already written Ball off think its way to early to make that call.About 6 weeks to the first real test so plenty of time for some combinations to be worked on.

A lot of talented players that have never played in the A-League before, a lot that need to step up as well. Really promising but it might be a rocky start to the season while they find their feet.

I would honestly rather see the last visa player in the backline. Ball is our import striker (and if he's not good enough that's Talay's muck-up).

2014-15 we got Burns, WeeMac, Roly and A-Rod. That was pretty decent

All I'm saying is - this is his first time in a professional environment, he'll be playing against the level of opposition that he hasn't encountered with any regularity before, he's a young player, and history tells us that even the best Handy Prem players require a bit of bedding in time (6-12 months) before they're ready to make a notable contribution (Krishna certainly did).

Although that wasn't the case for Cacace and Singh. They looked pretty comfortable stepping up to this level.

Getting regular game time is the key I think. Certainly in Cacace's case I think that has made the difference. 

If our last visa player is going to be a striker/forward then there is going to be plenty of competition for places. McCowatt will have to show his worth to Talay at trining and with any opportunities he gets. But I certainly hope we see him selected in front of Sotirio.

I see everyone talk about McCowatt as a striker but Talay is using him at AM and I think he's better off there. It means if we get a visa striker we'll have 5 genuine threats to score at any time with the yet-to-be signed striker, Ball, Piscopo, Davilla and McCowatt all on the park at the same time.

Ball looks to me like the kind of player who will be much more successful as part of an established combination than through any solo heroics. The final visa signing needs to be someone who gives the team as a whole the best chance to gel as a team.

In Steinmann's press conference, it was noted that while signed for midfield, he could play CB if needed, or even as a 10. It would be really good if we could get someone else who could overlap some of that versatility.

I'm not sure that's quite an applicable comparison. Both Singh and Cacace were in the WeeNix set-up for a number of years and exposed to the A-league standard through training with the first team on and off during that time. They certainly had a pretty prolonged bedding in period, and even then were introduced into the first team slowly, with not a lot of expectation at the start (although a lot of people were quite excited by Singh). Let's also not forget that they both started playing first team football under Kalezic, it wasn't as if they got underway under Rudan and were A-league stand-outs straightaway. 

Like I said, there is a definite bedding in period when stepping up from Handy Prem to the A-league. Riera is pretty much the only player who moved up and was an impactful starter right off the bat. 

Wasnt aimed at your post hadnt seen your post when i posted.See people keep saying Talay is using him in an AM role that dosnt mean he isnt going to score. 

Dont expect him to be a 20+ goal scorer and not really sure why that figure gets mentioned as they have been few in the A league. From the little i have seen him play he looks like he isnt afraid to have crack and its that i like.  L ets face how often is the there ashoot call from the stands as yet again we try and walk it into the net.

Wasn't Singh second highest goal scorer under Kelezic?

Watson started well straight out of the HandyPrem but then wasn't so good in his second season.

He got 4 that season, as did Vidosic and Krishna, so guess second equal. 

Considering where we started, I think we've done a very impressive job Steinmann and McCowatt the highlights for me. 

I look forward to seeing Davila in action, and not in early preseason games but after maybe a game or two of the season proper once he had a chance to find his feet against some real opposition.

Slightly worried he's already picking up injuries.

Do we know it was a real existing one, or was he rested against Brisbane to protect him from picking up one?

I think our recruitment has been really exciting..

It mainly depends on whether the players can step up to this level and to perform as a team. 

One thing im worried about is ufuk being on a short term contract, isn't he only on a year? 

If he nails setting up a young, team in a short amount of time I don't want him buggering off next season.. 

Was real because he only got back to training recently

2 yr contract from memory

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/115107117/wellington-phoenix-defender-louis-fenton-returns-to-training-after-injury-hell

Piscopo finally confirmed

https://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/news/wellington-phoenix-sign-skillful-australian-winger-italian-side?fbclid=IwAR3SM_G-4rLiygOVigzK3wQhRt8e1vuNrwpOvKZkmblzIwDA9fI2ZZ24Yok

EXPIRES END OF 2019/20:

Liberato CACACE [u21]
Luke DEVERE
Callan ELLIOT [u21]
Te Atawhai HUDSON-WIHONGI
Liam MCGING [u21]
Callum MCCOWATT [u21]
Tim PAYNE
Alex RUFER
Walter SCOTT [u21]
Jaushua SOTIRIO
Matti STEINMANN [V]
Steven TAYLOR [V]

EXPIRES END OF 2020/21:

David BALL [V]
Ulises DÁVILA [V]
Cameron DEVLIN [u21]
Louis FENTON
Stefan MARINOVIC
Oliver SAIL
Ben WAINE*

EXPIRES END OF 2021/22:

Reno PISCOPO [u21]

* Waine signed a 1 year Scholarship deal + 1 year Senior deal.

Import ST, Ulitity attacker and ulitity defender to round out the squad i reckon

I would go for a visa striker and another domestic forward myself. Waine is still at least a year off being able to contribute at A-League level.

If you had've offered me this 3 months ago I would've (Googled the visas and then) bitten your hand off.

This is pretty pie in the sky but let's say you need 40 goals minimum to be competitive.

If you'll allow me to be crazy speculative.

Ball= 8-10

Sotirio=4-6

Attacking Mids=6-8

DMs and defenders=6

Still about 10 goals short.

Sottiro has to be on the bench, the guy can't shoot for shark. All he has is pace in dribbling, he needs to find the finishing touch to start as a striker. 100% has to be McCowatt.