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Harry Kewell poised to sign with Melbourne Heart

 

David Davutovic & Matt Windley

May 28 12:00AM

 

HARRY Kewell is on the verge of signing for Melbourne Heart.

 

In a move that would add spice to the cross-town rivalry with Kewell's former club Victory, the celebrated Australian player would bring Heart enormous on-field benefits and publicity.

But confusion surrounds the deal as a press conference for tomorrow has been called off.

Heart chief executive Scott Munn yesterday confirmed Heart's interest in the Australian international.

"We are keen to sign him, but no deal has been done," Munn said.

"I'd be lying if I said (coach) John Aloisi hadn't spoken to him, but he spoke to several players while in Europe.

"We believe he'd be a fantastic addition and we need players with a winner's mentality."

Aloisi, who played with Kewell in the 2006 World Cup, met him to discuss a potential move in November.

Kewell scored eight goals in 25 matches in the 2011-12 season for Victory which generated huge interest in the club.

Many Victory fans still wear his No.22.

Kewell was on the verge of signing a new two-year deal with Victory worth more than $1 million a season, but instead returned to England to be closer to his family and ill mother in-law.

He failed to attract interest from English Premier League clubs last season.

Kewell arrived at Stoke for a trial, but was turned away.

The club said at the time: "(Kewell) turned up out of the blue, wasn't expected by anyone, had a five-minute conversation with our manager and left."

The Socceroos legend was reportedly against a move to the English Championship.

Kewell split with long-time manager Bernie Mandic in late 2011. He linked with Shane Warne's manager James Erskine, but their short-lived arrangement ended earlier this year.

It had been rumoured the Newcastle Jets was a likely destination if Kewell was to play in the A-League next season.

The 34-year-old signed a short-term deal as an injury replacement for Qatari club Al-Gharafa in April. He played three games for the club -- the only three he has played since his last match for Victory in March 2012.

Kewell was last year voted Australia's greatest footballer, but national team boss Holger Osieck insisted he was not fit enough to play in World Cup qualifiers against Japan, Jordan and Iraq.

"But the door is definitely not closed, that's a fact as well," Osieck said last week.

Kewell will become the fourth Victory player, after Mate Dugandzic, Aziz Behich and Kristian Sarkies, to defect to Heart.

 

 

 

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/harry-kewell-poised-to-sign-with-melbourne-heart/story-fnddgn65-1226651732908

 

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The only word I can use to describe my emotions about this potential move is 'conflicted'.

 

I think Kewell, voted by many as Australia's best footballer of all time, could offer a lot to any A-League club, whether that club is the Wanderers, Victory, Sydney, Newcastle or Heart. He is the type of player who'll have quality until he retires, and Kewell could probably play on till he's at least 37 IMO (assuming he avoids major injuries). Also, I do think that Heart's current squad would be improved if we had Kewell as our AM.

 

On the other hand, no to Kewell, and simply because he played for Victory. I don't especially care about 'sticking it to them'. He played for them and I really don't want us to sign another Victory player.

 

Finally, if the club thinks that Kewell is the only 'big' signing that Heart has to make for next season, then I'll be criticising the club wholeheartedly. If we have one or two real 'big signings' than I wouldn't really care about Kewell. If they just sign Kewell and players like Hoffman, then I think we'll really struggle next season and each and every criticism that Heart receives will be more than deserved. 

 

Maybe the club is only talking to Kewell to bargin/negotiate with another player.

 

I hope the club knows what its doing.

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Finally, if the club thinks that Kewell is the only 'big' signing that Heart has to make for next season, then I'll be criticising the club wholeheartedly. If we have one or two real 'big signings' than I wouldn't really care about Kewell. If they just sign Kewell and players like Hoffman, then I think we'll really struggle next season and each and every criticism that Heart receives will be more than deserved. 

 

Hell yeah. Even more so if we lose Garcia.

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Another point. Last season we signed Tadic, because (as Heart said) "having won three titles on the bounce during his time at Dinamo Zagreb alongside Luka Modric, Josip will bring a winning mentality" and Gerhardt because (once again, in the club's words) "He played in Bosnia last year and won the double, the league and the cup, so he brings a winning mentality."

 

Heart also signed Steven Gray last season, and almost certainly forced him to cough up this statement: “Getting straight to the point, wherever I’ve gone, I’ve won. I like to think I bring that hunger to the team. Being a success on the pitch is very, very important to me. I don’t want to just come here and make up the numbers, I want to win.”

 

Where did we finish? Second last. Then we released Gray and Tadic.

 

A 'winning mentality' is important, you can't achieve success if you don't really work for it, but it can't replace QUALITY. 

 

 

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As if you all bitch about this! We are lucky to have our country's greatest ever player to don our kit. Yes he played for Victory, but he'll retire a Heart legend.

If you honestly didn't cheer for him, you'd be embarrassing our club. You'd be part of the reason why we aren't moving forward.

But I call bluff anyway. Give him ten minutes and a couple of silky moves and you'll all be 'oooooh'ing and cheering for him.

This is great news in my opinion. Incredible even. Lets hope there's some more quality to come!

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If you honestly didn't cheer for him, you'd be embarrassing our club. You'd be part of the reason why we aren't moving forward.

Moving forward by living in the past.

This has to be the most elaborate troll ever by the club, it's too perfect not to be.

No fucking way.

'Fuck off'.

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Another point. Last season we signed Tadic, because (as Heart said) "having won three titles on the bounce during his time at Dinamo Zagreb alongside Luka Modric, Josip will bring a winning mentality" and Gerhardt because (once again, in the club's words) "He played in Bosnia last year and won the double, the league and the cup, so he brings a winning mentality."

Heart also signed Steven Gray last season, and almost certainly forced him to cough up this statement: “Getting straight to the point, wherever I’ve gone, I’ve won. I like to think I bring that hunger to the team. Being a success on the pitch is very, very important to me. I don’t want to just come here and make up the numbers, I want to win.”

Where did we finish? Second last. Then we released Gray and Tadic.

A 'winning mentality' is important, you can't achieve success if you don't really work for it, but it can't replace QUALITY.

To be fair gerhardt, tadic and garcia are the only three who can attempt to claim showing

Moments of quality last season. Tadics return for the crap supply he got was pretty decent. Put him in one of the top teams in the league and he probably would have been near on top scorer in the league IMO.

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That doesn't even make sense. Yes, you have very right to disagree with the club's decisions, but ultimately we've got to be pulling in the same direction.

Not cheering our biggest name player who new fans would come to see would create a great deal of disharmony. It wouldn't be helpful if you want our club to prosper.

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And re: kewell. I'll be happy to have him. Has known quality will improve the squad, provide goals and assists. As stated by others we need to sign others around him. But on the purely football level we would have to be idiots not to look at him. Shame he's played for victory but if he helps deliver results in a heart shirt then I could care less. He has ambition to perform and make the world cup so don't need to question his motivation.

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That doesn't even make sense. Yes, you have very right to disagree with the club's decisions, but ultimately we've got to be pulling in the same direction.

Not cheering our biggest name player who new fans would come to see would create a great deal of disharmony. It wouldn't be helpful if you want our club to prosper.

The new 'fans' that will come to our games are the same ones who I'm sure have a victory top nestled in the back of their cupboard with kewell on the back.

And just like how they fucked off once the kent stopped playing for the tards, they'll fuck off yet again when he's got his money out of us.

I realise the board and co are probably getting frustrated with the lack of growth and performances, but there are literally one million other players out there that we could have gone for. The last thing we need is some washed up flog who continues to demonstrate he has no respect for any club he plays at.

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I see the funny side of this story. ( If we happen to sign him )

Round 1 against Victory with Harry now being one of us and scoring the winning goal. :lol:

Plus what about all the Victory people who have his name on the back of there shirts. ( Idiots )

Probably one of the few who can see the funny side. Mind you, supposedly we had signed lucash Neil as well and looked what happened there. Maybe we're signing him as a replacement for Hoffman

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First post... just had to put two and two together.

 

Heart clearly went to the FFA and asked for as many Friday night games (free to air) as possible to grow their membership base. In return, the FFA would've wanted to see a marquee on the table before they locked Heart in for prime time viewing across the country. Kewell was readily accessible, and I'm sure the FFA put some money on the table to see it done. From the ALeague's perspective, they get to showcase Kewell across the country (still the most marketable Aussie short of Cahill) and they can try to grow a club that is clearly struggling in one of its biggest markets.

 

When I saw our fixture, I knew that we must already have a name locked in.

 

The only reason we would back out of this now, would be if we could convince the FFA that we had a bigger name in the pipeline.

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Harry Kewell is Australia's greatest ever player. The lack of respect here is embarrassing. Sure he played for victory which does piss me off but so did behich and he become a terrance legend. Some people need to wake the fuck up! Some of you are such drama queens that u would complain if we signed messi!

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