2014/15 Transfer Speculation

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Brockie will find form and lead the scoring for us this season. *waits for lolz in my direction*

Thats a different website

Pretty much Germany's formation in 2014 and Spain's in 2010. 

Works for me

Germany played Klose a fair bit, including for almost 90mins of the final. He is most definitely a striker :P

More like Spain in 2014 and that went well...

Its the 4-2-4-0 formation. 

I don't know what we're all worried about. Scotland once played a World Cup qualifying tie with a formation that had no strikers in it. Oh, wait.....

3-0 against any Australian side we play? I'll take that.

I don't much like to continually go over things discussed before but if we go with that team you would have to ask some questions re Fenton. We would have converted our best young attacking player into a defender and then not even picked him to be a defender. Fenton would definitely be a better option than Brockie given time to perform.

Spain were actually playing a traditional center forward in the first 2 games.

I think there are formations that don't require a traditional target man but of more concern is we just don't have enough players with that feel for where the goal is. I am worried that outside of the counter attack we are going to have a tough time scoring.

Yeah i want to see Fenton up the other end of the pitch again. The best footall ive ever seen him play has been in the front half of the squad. Im actually amped for this season now, 100x more so than even 1 week ago. Bonevacia, Gorrin, Burns, McGlinchey, Cunningham, Riera all contesting for that middle.... fuuuuark

I like that Ernie has shown some flexibility re Fenton, Tried him as a RB with mixed results although improving last year. The couple of times I saw him this year he was Pants at RB. He is young enough to adapt and transition back to an attacking role

No, Spain introduced an out and out striker for 2014, Diego Costa, and he was a flop. Klose was pretty much a plan B (only "striker" in Germany's squad of 23), and was largely inneffectual by the time of the final (and wouldn't have got a look in if Reus was fit).  Mueller is not a "striker", Goetze is not a "striker", Reus is not a "striker".

Maybe it's just a matter of semantics.  Teams just need ways to find goals, and use of a "target man" / back to goal type player is just one option.   I'm quite comfortable about not having such a player in our squad, as that's not the way we'll be playing (as I read it).

Do we have the necessary goal scorers?  Different question, but it's hard to know how many goals players have in them until they are well-served.  And that's where the focus is.

I think the comparison between the top teams in the world and how the Phoenix should play are off the mark. The elite players in those top sides have reached a point where their technical ability, fitness, and tactical awareness have meant that traditional centre forward and centre back roles have largely disappeared because those players have to contribute more to the team - much like the ethos behind Total Football, although rather than the players constantly interchanging it's more that the distinctions between roles have blurred.

However, our players are just not that good. Germany, Barcelona, etc might often play without a traditional no9 but that's because they can have players like Messi or Mueller who can contribute what that type of player would have, as well as being more involved elsewhere on the pitch. It'd be great if the Phoenix could play like that, but are our players good enough? I'm not convinced.

Yes we should be really concerned, we only managed to score 2 goals against an EPL side.

Yep, fair point.  

I guess Ernie has determined a way he wants to play (and I admire him for that).  Is he being ambitious / naive?  We'll see.  Why we all love football.

There are signs for optimism but I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from one game. Specifically not where the other team wouldn't have been bothered to analyse our weaknesses or be prepared to play in a way to exploit them. And neither of our goals came from any of our front third players.

Yeah all this worry about a lack of a central striker is a bit over the top I think. The game plan seems to be using our shiny new midfield to provide for our fast front 3 interchangeable strikers who can swap around and drag defenders out and hopefully make space for each other and late runs for the likes of Gorrin and weemac. We have enough wide strikers to maintain a fresh legs.
That said someone who can hold the ball in the front third would be nice but it looks like the aim is break quickly.

lol

I think we all know they had a striker in theory...much like we will.

dont compare nix to that shit

I like that! although Spain were ranked #1 and lost to #15 and #14

Trouble is we probably wouldn't have been able to afford the new midfield if we had signed him.

Muller had an instinct for goal, head and foot.  So did Gotze, Klose and Schurrle.  They all had a decent shot and ability to make space to get a clear strike.  All had the strikers attitude and skill-set, if not played positionally at striker.

It comes down to can we get 35 minimum goals out of Brockie, Burns, Cunningham with Krishna and Boyd as back up and Gorrin and Weemac also contributing?

Burns and Gorrin have both already shown they can shoot; 

who knows with Brockie - 5 or 15; 

Cunningham should be reliable for around a half dozen and could do better. 

So say six from Kenny; 

a couple of bonus goals each from Krishna and Boyd;

a couple from Sig and Dura between them from the back;

=10. 

That seems all reasonably possible, give or take a goal or two.

That says we need at least 25 goals out of Brockie, Burns, Gorrin, Weemac.  

Averaging six or so each. 

Not impossible, that 25 from your front four, especially if Burns or Brockie get a dozen, but a bit of a challenge.  Someone is going to have to have a good season, you'd think.

Maybe someone like Riera, Fenton, Manny, Hicks pokes a goal or two in, but that's neither here or there when we are trying to get to only 35. A few extra will be needed in any case.  

Just how much difference would one marque striker make, thrown in with that lot eh?

I think Fenton has been screwed over

Yep we've often fought for the golden boot and also the wooden spoon at the same time, Smeltz, an in form Brockie, and Stein all didn't help us, better to have a few goal scorers on the team.

Would Hamish Watson still be considered an option?

Fair call but at the same time I wouldn't be starting any of the front 3 that started in that game

I have no idea whether this guy is going to be good or not, but I'm glad that finally, for just about the first time in our history, we are going into the season with a  proper technical midfield.  With this guy's background you assume he can pass the ball so that's already a pretty big step up from the Manny/Lia stuff we've seen previously

im just glad we are going in with a full squad, not still having 17 players a few weeks before the season starts.

This

You can assume that this dutch guy is technically up to it. Ajax has one of the worlds best development schools for young players. That fact that Ernie has gone for a DM rather than more attackers suggests he has one eye on our biggest failing over the last two seasons...defense. We have leaked 50+ goals in the last two years. The back guys got lots of flack but our disfunctional midfield can be blamed as well. The Dutchie will strengthen our defense.....and you can bet he knows how to pass a ball as well. With Rodriguez, Riera, Weemac and Roly in our midfield it now appears the days of fielding low skilled hatchet men like lia and Muscat are long gone.

I think Boyd and Brockie will both score a lot of goals this season. Big difference being we have a fast midfield supplying them.

2 roster spots left to fill, they seem earmarked for Doyle and McGlinchey. I think Watson will still be around outside the squad, as there will be injuries and All Whites call ups that might require replacement players.

I see Gorrin, Roly, Wee Mac, Burns, Kenny and Riera all in the 6 in front of the back 4 in my starting team. Just play the two holders and tell the other 4 to attack and play. That's a lot of talent.

Anyone still think we'll be shit this year? Even JD sounds optimistic :o)

Agree

*waits for Steve-o to say what a shit signing this is*

I know nothing about this Dutch boy, but you dont get through the Ajax academy for being crap. We now have him and Gorin which the A League teams in genefal, know nothing about. I think they will give them plenty to think about in the first few weeks of the season. Riera back is like a new signing and so too with Fenton. This could really be a decent season for us. Well,  the potential is certainly there. I like the style Ernie is trying to get them achieve and his signing has to be seen as a major plus for the club. Route One has been banished. Fingers crossed. 

I worry about our goal scoring, but with the midfield we have I don't see us shipping goals like we have for the past couple of seasons.  Our defenders might actually be able to relax and breath a few times during the game.

I don't think Ernie wants us to build slowly, but to press and counter attack quickly- hence Krishna, Burns, WeeMac, Boyd, Fenton etc etc...

We gotta sign Doyle, he is miles ahead of Caira imo.