Transfer Talk, Rumours and Speculation

[TheStig]

On 22/08/2019 at 10:05 AM, belaguttman said:

We'd also need to impose a limit on the number of teams that a player could play for, stop the endless recycling. That would potentially create space for youth players

May I suggest an alternative but similar proposal.

How about mandate that each senior team must play a minimum of say 4 youth players each game and match this with a raising of the salary cap somewhat. The cheaper youth players would help finance better quality marquees. This would facilitate youth development and bring bigger names into the sport in Australia. The greater emphasis on youth and Marquees would force mid range Australian players overseas where they would get greater experience.

Stig

  
 

[belaguttman]

27 minutes ago, TheStig said:

May I suggest an alternative but similar proposal.

How about mandate that each senior team must play a minimum of say 4 youth players each game and match this with a raising of the salary cap somewhat. The cheaper youth players would help finance better quality marquees. This would facilitate youth development and bring bigger names into the sport in Australia. The greater emphasis on youth and Marquees would force mid range Australian players overseas where they would get greater experience.

Stig

  
 

The risk is, that once a player reaches an age where they are no longer a youth player, they are likely to get dropped. At least, if you give someone a maximum of 3 teams, they get a good chance to prove themselves irrespective of age

[MHFC-FAN]

37 minutes ago, belaguttman said:

The risk is, that once a player reaches an age where they are no longer a youth player, they are likely to get dropped. At least, if you give someone a maximum of 3 teams, they get a good chance to prove themselves irrespective of age

Liam Reddy would have been out of the league about 4 teams ago... He's onto the 7th A League club now! #ALeaguesl%t

[belaguttman]

1 hour ago, MHFC-FAN said:

Liam Reddy would have been out of the league about 4 teams ago... He's onto the 7th A League club now! #ALeaguesl%t

Yep, exactly. It'd also encourage longer contracts, few players would accept a single year deal

[jw1739]

The players can only do what the structure allows, and I don't think the problems in football are down to players. I concede that some of them are receiving obscene amounts of money, but that's only because the clubs are prepared to pay them those monies.

I contend that the problem lies with clubs, and more specifically, the owners of those clubs. I would be focusing on the ownership structure of clubs, who can own them, and mandating a minimum degree of local community ownership. Once you have obscenely wealthy "foreigners" owning clubs, the problems start.

I'm uncomfortable that the four directors of Melbourne City are Khaldoon Al-Mubarak of the UAE, Martin Edelman of the USA, Ferran Soriano of the UK (born Spain), and Simon Pearce of Australia (born UK), in effect four foreigners who have absolutely no links to Melbourne outside football, and that our ultimate owner Sheikh Mansour is one of the richest men in the world. In reality none of these people care a fuck about Melbourne, or the club's fans, as they have already demonstrated by the dumping of our original colours.

 

[NewConvert]

8 hours ago, jw1739 said:

The players can only do what the structure allows, and I don't think the problems in football are down to players. I concede that some of them are receiving obscene amounts of money, but that's only because the clubs are prepared to pay them those monies.

I contend that the problem lies with clubs, and more specifically, the owners of those clubs. I would be focusing on the ownership structure of clubs, who can own them, and mandating a minimum degree of local community ownership. Once you have obscenely wealthy "foreigners" owning clubs, the problems start.

I'm uncomfortable that the four directors of Melbourne City are Khaldoon Al-Mubarak of the UAE, Martin Edelman of the USA, Ferran Soriano of the UK (born Spain), and Simon Pearce of Australia (born UK), in effect four foreigners who have absolutely no links to Melbourne outside football, and that our ultimate owner Sheikh Mansour is one of the richest men in the world. In reality none of these people care a fuck about Melbourne, or the club's fans, as they have already demonstrated by the dumping of our original colours.

 

I would argue that this is the problem with all sports and has been since the ancient Greek Olympics. In the Louvre there is a sculpture title Mylos which is of an Olympian athlete that refused to retire and to prove his doubters wrong he decides to split the remaining trunk of a burnt tree, the trunk snaps back and crushes his hand and as dusk arrives a lion jumps on him and the statue shows the fangs and claws sticking into Mylos.

You can see a similar effect in the EPL, La Liga, etc. as players try to extract one last paycheck (a big cheerio to Timmy) from whomever is willing to pay it. And then there are the players that are too good for the second division but not good enough for teh first division. Oh and I forgot about trying to avoid relegation - go with youth or go with experienced players?

[jw1739]

You see, you raise an interesting point about promotion/relegation. When I was  playing football, the senior semi-professional leagues (such as the Southern League, the Midland League etc.) did not have promotion and relegation, and neither did the senior amateur leagues (such as the Isthmian League, the Athenian League, the Spartan League etc). Once a member of such a league you remained there unless your situation (resources, ground facilities and so on) failed to meet the standards set by that league.

Elevation to the bottom tier of the Football League was by application to fill one of the four places thrown up for election by the requirement that the four bottom teams in the FL had to apply for re-election. Inevitably they were re-elected (the 92 FL clubs had one vote each, so the old-boys club kept the existing FL clubs in the FL. In the era that I'm talking about, Peterborough United (the "Posh") of the Midland League usually received the highest vote tally for the non-league clubs.

Local leagues might have many divisions, and promotion/relegation, but they were organised on a "village" basis, and the players (like me) had to pay to play rather than the other way around.

Of course those days are gone, but the evils associated by promotion/relegation - particularly the latter - should not be overlooked. Clubs will go into unmanageable debt to avoid relegation. This was not required by the "old" system. Status was almost always maintained.

Edited September 2, 2019 by jw1739

[Mr MO]

Transfer deadline today in Europe - I wonder who we will snap up as an out of contract marquee player to replace Frenchie beyond today and have a good crack at the title!

Edited September 2, 2019 by Mr MO

[jw1739]

51 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

Transfer deadline today in Europe - I wonder who we will snap up as an out of contract marquee player to replace Frenchie beyond today and have a good crack at the title!

We've already signed him. No-one.

[jw1739]

Seriously though, a guy like Lewis Holtby (last club Hamburg) would have been a good pick-up. 28 and loads of experience.

[Heart of oakleigh]

4 hours ago, Mr MO said:

Transfer deadline today in Europe - I wonder who we will snap up as an out of contract marquee player to replace Frenchie beyond today and have a good crack at the title!

Any inside knowledge that we are going to do this? It would be the perfect scenario but i cant see it happening 🤦‍♂️. A man can still hope tho.

[Afif Adam]

guest visa marquee😳

[jw1739]

7 hours ago, Afif Adam said:

guest visa marquee😳

I wouldn't hold your breath if I was you.

[rayv36]

Shinji Okazaki as guest marquee would be amazing

[jw1739]

55 minutes ago, rayv36 said:

Shinji Okazaki as guest marquee would be amazing

I don't think that we will sign anyone else. I think CFG have allowed us a modest budget; we have a capable squad and that's as far as they will go. 

[Dylan]

Floppy will only go in Jan if he does end up leaving before his contract ends. 

[rayv36]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

I don't think that we will sign anyone else. I think CFG have allowed us a modest budget; we have a capable squad and that's as far as they will go. 

agreed, but a girl can dream

[Afif Adam]

we should sign ross back, looking at his transfer history for the past 2 years you'd think he's a nomad

[bt50]

https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/melbourne-city-bolsters-youth-ranks-offering-scholarships-2019-20-season-talented-youngsters

[jw1739]

Just now, bt50 said:

https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/melbourne-city-bolsters-youth-ranks-offering-scholarships-2019-20-season-talented-youngsters

Beat me to it! I'll add the details to "Player Contracts" later today.

[marn11]

52 minutes ago, bt50 said:

https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/melbourne-city-bolsters-youth-ranks-offering-scholarships-2019-20-season-talented-youngsters

The club has extremely high hopes for Borges Rodrigues. 

 

I was talking to a youth team coach this time last year,  and he was the first guy that was mentioned when asked about kids currently in our system. Reckons he's the most talented kid in the academy, of any age group. 

[fensaddler]

2 hours ago, marn11 said:

The club has extremely high hopes for Borges Rodrigues. 

 

I was talking to a youth team coach this time last year,  and he was the first guy that was mentioned when asked about kids currently in our system. Reckons he's the most talented kid in the academy, of any age group. 

And that's saying something, having seen Idrus Abdulahi. 

[marn11]

38 minutes ago, fensaddler said:

And that's saying something, having seen Idrus Abdulahi. 

We've got some talented kids! Good to see. Hopefully they're given opportunities.

[Jovan]

3 hours ago, marn11 said:

We've got some talented kids! Good to see. Hopefully they're given opportunities.

More importantly they take their opportunities. Nothing worse than getting a run and not showing anything. 

[malloy]

4 hours ago, fensaddler said:

And that's saying something, having seen Idrus Abdulahi. 

Really hope Idrus reaches his full potential. Only seen him play once or twice, but he looks very promising and very composed.

[jw1739]

https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/melbourne-city-fc-0

Metcalfe and Najjar now on senior contracts for the next two seasons.

I'll update the squad list this evening.

[Hanz]

Hopefully they give these two some decent game time this year!

[Afif Adam]

Traore’s gonna getcha...

[johnno cpfc]

9 minutes ago, Afif Adam said:

Traore’s gonna getcha...

Well if he's that good what's he doing back in Australia ??

 

[citypool]

6 minutes ago, johnno cpfc said:

Well if he's that good what's he doing back in Australia ??

 

Injury problems isn’t it?

 

if he has a solid year he’ll be back in Europe 

[jw1739]

https://www.ftbl.com.au/gallery/on-the-sidelines-at-melbourne-city-training-530488

Mentions "trialists." Whole heap of training pics.

[haz]

8 hours ago, jw1739 said:

https://www.ftbl.com.au/gallery/on-the-sidelines-at-melbourne-city-training-530488

Mentions "trialists." Whole heap of training pics.

Seems one is Leo Mazis. Aussie kid who spent time at Celtic.

[Mr MO]

14 hours ago, jw1739 said:

https://www.ftbl.com.au/gallery/on-the-sidelines-at-melbourne-city-training-530488

Mentions "trialists." Whole heap of training pics.

The article is over 10 days old but where do we place these trialists if they are any good? Is it a coincidence that only recently Metcalfe and Najjar were lifted to the senior list?

Edited September 13, 2019 by Mr MO

[jw1739]

55 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

The article is over 10 days old but we were do we place these trialists if they are any good? Is it a coincidence that only recently Metcalfe and Najjar were lifted to the senior list?

I missed the date - sorry about that. The answer to your question - I doubt it, especially Metcalfe. My guess is that we're trying to increase the number of scholarship players to the maximum allowed (9, up from 6 in the past). Also "homegrown players" are outside the cap, and I think Metcalfe would be one of those - someone will correct me if I'm wrong about that - so we may still have a bit of cap space.

[Mr MO]

2 hours ago, jw1739 said:

I missed the date - sorry about that. The answer to your question - I doubt it, especially Metcalfe. My guess is that we're trying to increase the number of scholarship players to the maximum allowed (9, up from 6 in the past). Also "homegrown players" are outside the cap, and I think Metcalfe would be one of those - someone will correct me if I'm wrong about that - so we may still have a bit of cap space.

Homegrown outside the cap? So Metcalfe  isn’t in the salary cap?

Imagine the potential of having decent homegrown players in the team, the amount capspace we save.

Edited September 13, 2019 by Mr MO

[jw1739]

23 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

Homegrown outside the cap? So Metcalfe  isn’t in the salary cap?

Imagine the potential of having decent homegrown players in the team, the amount capspace we save.

@Mr MO Well, that's what I understand from here: https://www.a-league.com.au/news/ffa-and-pfa-announce-extension-collective-bargaining-agreements-westfield-w-league-and-hyundai

“The new Hyundai A-League CBA also provides an incentive to Hyundai A-League clubs to continue to invest in youth academies. Next season, the number of scholarship players will increase from six to nine and salary payments for Homegrown players will not be included in the cap.

[AXIOM]

2 hours ago, jw1739 said:

@Mr MO Well, that's what I understand from here: https://www.a-league.com.au/news/ffa-and-pfa-announce-extension-collective-bargaining-agreements-westfield-w-league-and-hyundai

“The new Hyundai A-League CBA also provides an incentive to Hyundai A-League clubs to continue to invest in youth academies. Next season, the number of scholarship players will increase from six to nine and salary payments for Homegrown players will not be included in the cap.

That's reads as it's the scholarship salary payment are not included...which has been the case all along. It's just now they have increased the number to 9. They may have had to increase the amount of 150k to 225k (outside the cap). 

[citypool]

We’re after Adelaide kid Carlo armiento

[jw1739]

On 13/09/2019 at 4:11 PM, AXIOM said:

That's reads as it's the scholarship salary payment are not included...which has been the case all along. It's just now they have increased the number to 9. They may have had to increase the amount of 150k to 225k (outside the cap). 

Then it's badly worded. As it stands it is ambiguous. If all scholarships are outside the cap, then say so.

[AXIOM]

3 hours ago, jw1739 said:

Then it's badly worded. As it stands it is ambiguous. If all scholarships are outside the cap, then say so.

I agree.