Start planning for 2016-17 now

[Tommykins]

I'd hope the Maltese experiment makes people once bitten twice shy about signing players from sub-standard leagues. There are 33-0 beatings in the cup and games that have 10 goals in them fairly often in the Phillipines. Do not want.

[Murfy1]

IMO people shouldn't be so quick to dismiss players just because they seem to have played in 'smaller leagues'. For instance, Carlos Hernandez just played in the Costa Rican first division before he joined Victory, whilst Marcos Flores played in the Chilean second division. Both of those leagues have many or most of their stadiums at 6,000 capacity or less (that is, the leagues are pretty small time), and both Hernandez and Flores went on to be Johnny Warren medal winners in the A-League.

 

Now admittedly I don't know much about the top leagues of the Philippines and Hong Kong (apart from Josep Gombau coaching for 5 years in the latter), but players shouldn't be written off simply because they play in an unassuming or seemingly lower leagues.

 

I agree though with regards to Mifsud and the Maltese league. I understand attendances in the Maltese league are in the hundreds. Probably another example of a truly minnow league that is sub-standard, and hence it's appropriate to write off players who play there, is the New Zealand league where Roy Krishna (of the Phoenix) is from.

 

Given that there will only be 4 VISA spots by the season after next (2015-16), and possibly an Asian spot by then, I reckon clubs will have to become very smart in their scouting and signing of international players, and clubs will need to look far and wide to secure the best international talent that can play in the A-League by then

[Tommykins]

Marcos Flores was at Newells Old Boys when Oscar Cardozo was and then went back to the top League of Chile which has a bunch of good clubs and produces great footballers on a regular basis, to compare that with someone who plays against a team which is composed of actual members of the armed forces of The Phillipines isn't fair in my mind.

 

Costa Rica has players in leagues all around the world who started in their system.

[alexli]

No. Simply No players from either Filipinos or Hong Kong clubs. Dylan Macallister looks like a top grade player in Hong Kong top league so please no. Only recommend asian players from J.league 1 or K-league classic. As a ambitious club we should look at names like Server Djeparov, Zheng Zhi, Shunsuke Nakamura, Yasuhito Endo, Park Chu-Young or Lee Dong-Gook if there is possible that FFA exclude Asian player wage out of salary cap

[jw1739]

I can only repeat the words of Txili: "It's not about the names. It's about the player. We don't need a big name, we need a big player and a big player will develop into a big name."

 

There's no magic recipe for a marquee. The trick is to find a player who matches the football that you want to play/are playing and has the personal attributes, football and otherwise, to fit seamlessly into your squad and team. It's too easy to sign someone who looks good because the players around him make him look good. Take him out of that team and he may be very ordinary indeed.

 

I'm hoping to see Heart getting some longevity into our coaching team, settling into a style of football, and building a squad to deliver that style. Up to now I've had the feeling that we've made quite a few signings "because the player is available" rather than to a carefully thought out plan. I'm pleased City have put a moratorium on signings and re-signings while we sort things out for the future.

[belaguttman]

 I'm pleased City have put a moratorium on signings and re-signings while we sort things out for the future.

This is the only way that we can sort out both the potential of the present players and also the potential of JVS. The more new variables we introduce (new players) the harder it is to establish the value of what we already have as we have already changed 1 variable (coach)

[Murfy1]

Marcos Flores was at Newells Old Boys when Oscar Cardozo was and then went back to the top League of Chile which has a bunch of good clubs and produces great footballers on a regular basis, to compare that with someone who plays against a team which is composed of actual members of the armed forces of The Phillipines isn't fair in my mind.

 

Costa Rica has players in leagues all around the world who started in their system.

 

Flores had a mere 16 appearances at Old Boys between 2006 and 2008, and thereafter his career went on a very different trajectory to that of Oscar Cardozo. Before he started playing for Adelaide in 2010, he had been loaned out to a second division side in Argentina, and he had ended up in a team in Chile's second division (Curico Unido in the Chilean Primera Division B ).

 

Prima facie (on the face of things), Flores in 2009 was just a player who in his mid-twenties could only get into a second division side in Chile (playing in an 8,000 capacity stadium), and many A-League clubs might have overlooked him if they were superficial with their recruitment, as A-League club's have historically been.

 

My point is simply that clubs have to look at each player case by case, and can't afford to use broad criteria to recruit players (for instance, he played in Europe, or he's Brazilian, or a footballer has dozens of international caps).

 

I'm not championing the top division of the Phillipines or the top division of Hong Kong. I'm just saying that if the FFA introduces the 3+1 rules in the 2015-2016 season, where A-League clubs are only allowed 3 VISA players (from any countries) and 1 player from an Asian (AFC) country, A-League clubs should look broadly and smartly at what to do with the Asian spot. I agree that the J-League and the K-League are currently the best leagues in Asia, but duds have come from those leagues to the A-League (such as Byun Sung-Hwan and Do Dong-Hyun). Especially because I'm NOT talking about a marquee spot, it might be worthwhile to at least initially look beyond the J-League and the K-League, for instance to the Chinese Super League and possibly the Thai Premier League (where Victory got Surat Sukha from). Also, J-League and K-League players will still likely be very expensive by 2015-16, so if only because the better J-League and K-League players will be too pricey for the +1 spot, A-League clubs should think carefully about what to do with that spot. Think carefully and maybe just be a bit open-minded is all that I'm saying, and clubs might unearth more 'diamonds in the rough' like Flores.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Murfy1

[marteaux]

Younghusband fuckin kills it on FM12 in the lower leagues. Had both brothers as C and VC - took me to the championship with a bluesquare team until I had to get rid of em.

[alexli]

 

Marcos Flores was at Newells Old Boys when Oscar Cardozo was and then went back to the top League of Chile which has a bunch of good clubs and produces great footballers on a regular basis, to compare that with someone who plays against a team which is composed of actual members of the armed forces of The Phillipines isn't fair in my mind.

 

Costa Rica has players in leagues all around the world who started in their system.

 

Flores had a mere 16 appearances at Old Boys between 2006 and 2008, and thereafter his career went on a very different trajectory to that of Oscar Cardozo. Before he started playing for Adelaide in 2010, he had been loaned out to a second division side in Argentina, and he had ended up in a team in Chile's second division (Curico Unido in the Chilean Primera Division B ).

 

Prima facie (on the face of things), Flores in 2009 was just a player who in his mid-twenties could only get into a second division side in Chile (playing in an 8,000 capacity stadium), and many A-League clubs might have overlooked him if they were superficial with their recruitment, as A-League club's have historically been.

 

My point is simply that clubs have to look at each player case by case, and can't afford to use broad criteria to recruit players (for instance, he played in Europe, or he's Brazilian, or a footballer has dozens of international caps).

 

I'm not championing the top division of the Phillipines or the top division of Hong Kong. I'm just saying that if the FFA introduces the 3+1 rules in the 2015-2016 season, where A-League clubs are only allowed 3 VISA players (from any countries) and 1 player from an Asian (AFC) country, A-League clubs should look broadly and smartly at what to do with the Asian spot. I agree that the J-League and the K-League are currently the best leagues in Asia, but duds have come from those leagues to the A-League (such as Byun Sung-Hwan and Do Dong-Hyun). Especially because I'm NOT talking about a marquee spot, it might be worthwhile to at least initially look beyond the J-League and the K-League, for instance to the Chinese Super League and possibly the Thai Premier League (where Victory got Surat Sukha from). Also, J-League and K-League players will still likely be very expensive by 2015-16, so if only because the better J-League and K-League players will be too pricey for the +1 spot, A-League clubs should think carefully about what to do with that spot. Think carefully and maybe just be a bit open-minded is all that I'm saying, and clubs might unearth more 'diamonds in the rough' like Flores.

 

Besides the name I mentioned before, we could have a look at young South Korean Player from Korea University League. All South Korean young players have to play U-League before get drafted to play K-League. Some of the top talents usually decide to play in Japan to develop themselves. As we will have state-of-art training facility and the connection with Man City there is possibility that we recruit top Korean talent develop them and make profit from selling them to Europe

[kingofhearts]

Don't know why suddenly we're all keen to sign an Asian player for the sake of using the Asian spot?

outside of shinji ono what other Asian player ever has has an impact on the a-league?

The a-league is too physical for Asian players and this is why I would always put a young Aussie prospect in front of any Asian player any day of the week

[LR9]

For a long time clubs have put it in the 'too hard' basket and neglected the the Asian market. The league has never fully attempted to use the spot to its fullest.
 

outside of shinji ono what other Asian player ever has has an impact on the a-league?

Sergio van Dijk, Song Jin-Hyung, Byun Sung-Hwan, Seo Hyuk-Su, Ryo Nagai, Hirofumi Moriyasu, Surat Sukha, Ali Abbas, Qu Shengqing, Mohamed Adnan...
 

The a-league is too physical for Asian players and this is why I would always put a young Aussie prospect in front of any Asian player any day of the week

Generalisation doesn't do any good, everyone should be judged on merit not race.

On that reasoning, I reckon Mate Dugandzic must be pretty strong because he's Australian with a Balkan background. 
 
Edit: Kazu was pretty good in his loan at Sydney FC too.

Edited February 19, 2014 by LR9

[jw1739]

Once again, the definition of "Asian" in this context is a player eligible to play for a nation that is a member of the Asian Football Confederation.

 

Nothing to do with the conventional generalized stereotyped image that many Australians have of an "Asian" person, which is confined to people from a number of countries in East Asia.

[cadete]

For a long time clubs have put it in the 'too hard' basket and neglected the the Asian market. The league has never fully attempted to use the spot to its fullest.

 

outside of shinji ono what other Asian player ever has has an impact on the a-league?

Sergio van Dijk, Song Jin-Hyung, Byun Sung-Hwan, Seo Hyuk-Su, Ryo Nagai, Hirofumi Moriyasu, Surat Sukha, Ali Abbas, Qu Shengqing, Mohamed Adnan...

 

The a-league is too physical for Asian players and this is why I would always put a young Aussie prospect in front of any Asian player any day of the week

Generalisation doesn't do any good, everyone should be judged on merit not race.

On that reasoning, I reckon Mate Dugandzic must be pretty strong because he's Australian with a Balkan background. 

 

Edit: Kazu was pretty good in his loan at Sydney FC too.

Says the guy who posted Anti Semitic comments towards Miron Bleiberg on this same forum a couple of months ago.

[kingofhearts]

For a long time clubs have put it in the 'too hard' basket and neglected the the Asian market. The league has never fully attempted to use the spot to its fullest.

 

outside of shinji ono what other Asian player ever has has an impact on the a-league?

Sergio van Dijk, Song Jin-Hyung, Byun Sung-Hwan, Seo Hyuk-Su, Ryo Nagai, Hirofumi Moriyasu, Surat Sukha, Ali Abbas, 

Let's go through all the players you listed, shall we?

 

Sergio van dijk: Born in the Netherlands, became an Indonesian citizen to play for there team. Doesn't count

Hirofumi Moriyasu- Born in America but hey, he's asian chuck him in!

Ali abbas- Yeah ok, average player at best

Surat Sukha- Average

Ryo Nagai- Good player, would take

Seo Hyuk-su- Would take also

Byun Sung-Hwan- He's ok, probably would take as well.

Qu Shengqing- The best player you've listed, would take

Mohame adnan- Another good player. Would take

 

 

I don't see personally how many of these players are better than local Aussie prospects? While i agree we should look for someone to sign in the asian region, unless we are getting someone of shinji ono's ilk, i wouldn't bother. And the thing is you can't afford to fuck up the asian marquee spot signing, because you'll be out of pocket double compared to having to cut a young aussie prospect.

 

 

The a-league is too physical for Asian players and this is why I would always put a young Aussie prospect in front of any Asian player any day of the week

Generalisation doesn't do any good, everyone should be judged on merit not race.

On that reasoning, I reckon Mate Dugandzic must be pretty strong because he's Australian with a Balkan background. 

 

Edit: Kazu was pretty good in his loan at Sydney FC too.

 

I didn't mean for that to be a generalization, i was just alluding to the fact that some Asian players have problems adapting to the physicality of the league compared to other leagues in asia, which is more about finesse and skill. Asian players wouldn't be used to players like Matt Simon and Jacob burns and the way they play.

[billyheart]

Threads turned shit. Too much hypothetcial around an Asian +1 that isn't relevant to us.

A name that hasn't been thrown up for next season, out of contract at Atletico Tiago Mendes???

Edited February 20, 2014 by billyheart

[Tbitm]

David Bentley anyone? 

[El Cunado]

David Bentley anyone? 

Fuck no. 

Makes Samaras look like a hard worker. 

Horrendous bloke too by all accounts. 

[jw1739]

 

 I'm pleased City have put a moratorium on signings and re-signings while we sort things out for the future.

This is the only way that we can sort out both the potential of the present players and also the potential of JVS. The more new variables we introduce (new players) the harder it is to establish the value of what we already have as we have already changed 1 variable (coach)

 

I think I'm probably anticipating more changes than many other people are. IMO City/Campbell will want to stamp their authority on Heart fairly obviously and fairly quickly, to demonstrate that they want the club to move in a particular direction. I'm not expecting instant success, but I reckon by season 3 they'll want to see us challenging for the Premiership, and to do that they'll have to remove the deadwood and roadblocks in the present set-up. So the sooner they do that the better.

[Murfy1]

Given that the thread is about the 2014/2015 season, here's something relevant to next season: A rough list of marquees available for next season.

 

The big thing about Man City getting a marquee for Heart is that they might pay a transfer fee, whereas in the past all marquees came to the A-League on a free transfer (Del Piero, Heskey, Ono). I've also listed players that are available on free transfers this summer, as they should be quite possible. And since Man City pretty much said the most important thing is commitment to the club, and hence they might prefer 'big players' to 'big names', I've distinguished b/w 'big names' (although somewhat subjective) and 'big players, but not big names'. Here it is:

 

Name age [if around 35, Bday in square brackets] (end of contract in parentheses)

 

Strikers

 

Big Names

 

Dimitar Berbatov 33 (June 2014)

Miroslav Klose 35 [36 June] (June 2014)

Didier Drogba 35 [36 March] (June 2014)

Claudio Pizarro 35 [36 Oct] (June 2014)

Raul 36 [37 June] (June 2014)

Dirk Kuyt 33 (June 2015)

Fabio Quagliarella 31 (June 2015)

David Villa 32 (June 2015)

 

Big Players, Not Big Names

 

Hugo Almeida 29 (June 2014)

Johan Elmander 32 (June 2014)

Andriy Voronin 34 [35 July] (June 2014)

Peter Odemwingie 32 (June 2015)

Peter Crouch 33 (June 2015)

Nelson Haedo Valdez 30 (June 2015)

Helder Postiga 31 (June 2015)

Mounir El Hamdaoui 29 (June 2015)

 

Midfielders

 

Big Names

 

Frank Lampard 35 [36 June] (June 2014)

Ronaldinho 33 (Dec 2014)

Tomas Rosicky 33 (June 2014)

Rafael van der Vaart 31 (June 2015)

Elano 32 (Dec 2014)

 

Big Players, Not Big Names

 

Kim Kallstrom 31 (June 2015)

Ibrahim Afellay 27 (June 2015)

Theo Janssen 32 (June 2015)

Yoann Gourcuff 27 (June 2015)

Zoran Tosic 26 (June 2015)

Robert Snodgrass 26 (June 2015)

 

 

It's difficult to gauge what's 'plausible' when it comes to marquees. I omitted a number of names because I judged them to be 'implausible' (e.g. Kaka, who's contract finishes in June 2015, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who's contract also finishes then), but some of the names above have in recent years dramatically gone down in price, for instance David Villa, who moved to Atletico Madrid for 3.8 million Australian, for the first season, in July 2013 (however, the fee rises to 7.8 million Australian if Villa plays for 3 seasons).

 

I'm of the opinion that Man City will take the international marquee option very seriously, as apart from the coaching position is it the only non-restricted way to directly, and dramatically, improve the football of Heart. Also, given Heart's unimpressive seasons to date, I think signing a quality international marquee just makes a lot of sense.

 

I'd like to see Heart sign a marquee striker, because the striker position has always been a problem position for us (we've never kept a 1st choice striker for more than a season: Aloisi/Sibon season 1, Babalj season 2, Tadic season 3, Mifsud season 4...). Also, the A-League has arguably never really seen a real marquee striker (Del Piero plays too deep to be a conventional striker, and Heskey,well, he hasn't scored this season), so I reckon it would really 'wow' people and put 'bums on seats' for Heart.

 

Out of the above, my preferences are: Hugo Almeida and Mounir El Hamdaoui (who Heart targeted in our 2nd season. He's a former Ajax player), as they are both quality players at goof ages, and they both could probably give us 4-5 impressive seasons. Begiristain did say in one place that "We don't need a big name, we need a big player and a big player will develop into a big name", and IMO both of those players could be perfect examples of that.

 

At the same time, as I've pointed out, they haven't ruled out a big name (and Marwood did use the example of Del Piero when suggesting the marquee they want). Many of the 'big name' players I've listed are still playing at a high level or regularly, so even though they are on the wrong side of 30 I reckon they could probably still play impressively in the A-League for 3 maybe 4 seasons, players such as: Berbatov, Klose, Pizarro, Drogba.

 

After looking at possible marquees for a bit, the conclusion I've reached is there's a lot of very good options for next season, and I'm sure whatever way Man City go with the marquee (whether a big name like Klose, or a big player like El Hamdaoui) that we'll have a pretty impressive marquee that will significantly outdo the likes of Gerald Sibon, our 1st season international marquee. Exciting times ahead.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Murfy1

[jw1739]

Good work Murf. I was thinking myself last night about the transfer fee issue. If City want to splash the cash, they can pay what they like for infrastructure, coaching and administrative staff, the two marquees, and transfer fees for players. FFA cannot regulate these things.

Edited February 20, 2014 by jw1739

[Shahanga]

Great post murf.

 

Villa really stood out to me on that list.

 

Think we'd need to be careful with the striker.  In the past we've seen poor service has been a problem and a high striker who is only interested in the final touch into the net (eg Berbatov) might fall asleep up front, so I think we'd need to cover ourselves by (if we went for a striker) by having one with a decent work ethic, as they may need to play a role in building attacks too.

 

PS Robbie Fowler was a marquee striker.

 

If I had my druthers I'd want a classy "link man" midfielder, like Rosicky, to make sure we did actually get the ball forward. 

[Defibrillator]

To add to this Murf, I've heard (and mentioned in another thread) the marquee budget from MCFC will be in the order of AUD $2.5 million for the two or three marquees (the number of marquees depending on squad costs). It was a very good source. I'm not sure how this would fit with your list but, for example, Rosicky would probably earn more than this alone in the MLS if he chose to (my Gooner bias??).

I like your list but am curious to know who you think would fit this budget?

[Embee]

I'd love Rosicky here as much as the next guy (he's my favourite current player) but he's still one of Arsenal's better players and has all but put pen to paper on a new one year deal at the club, can't see us getting him.

 

I link MCFC may be flexible with the budget depending on who they can bring down, if they felt they had a chance at someone like Rosicky who can still perform at EPL level then maybe they'd be willing to pay over the odds, it's hard to be sure.

Edited February 20, 2014 by King Malta

[Murfy1]

To add to this Murf, I've heard (and mentioned in another thread) the marquee budget from MCFC will be in the order of AUD $2.5 million for the two or three marquees (the number of marquees depending on squad costs). It was a very good source. I'm not sure how this would fit with your list but, for example, Rosicky would probably earn more than this alone in the MLS if he chose to (my Gooner bias??).

I like your list but am curious to know who you think would fit this budget?

 

If $2.5 million is the total budget (including any transfer fees), then you are looking at the more affordable names on that list.

 

Big variables include things like if Heart also get an Australian marquee, history of injuries, whether the club of the international marquee is looking to keep or offload the player and perceived value (including things like whether the player is perceived to be past his 'peak'; pretty much the player's age).

 

If Heart gets an Australian marquee, things could be much tougher. For instance, Bresciano and Scott McDonald are both contracted until the end of next season. I was hoping that Bresc getting banned for his transfer might sour things at his current club, but that doesn't appear to be the case, meaning it would probably take a respectable transfer fee to secure him from his current club.

Meanwhile Scott McDonald is currently not settled in at his current club Millwall (he's even been banned from training), and his club seem open or even willing to get rid of him. As Milwall might want to offload McDonald, there might only be a small transfer fee, or the club might even agree to mutually terminate his contract. The case with McDonald is pretty much the best case scenario, as McDonald could be acquired very cheaply, and then hopefully his salary might be rather cheap (Australian marquee salaries seem to really vary, but my ballpark guess is we could sign McDonald for around $300,000 to $500,000 a season).

 

So that's roughly $2 million Australian a season for an international marquee.

 

It is being reported by a website that Miroslav Klose might sign a further 1 year contact with Lazio for around $2.3 Million Australian. In my judgement, that sounds about right, approximately $2million a season for a big name player like Klose.

 

Hugo Almeida signed a fairly lucrative deal with Besiktas in December 2010 to secure him for 3 1/2 seasons, paying him $3.8 million Australian for each full season. IMO this looks like a case of a Turkish club overpaying to lure a European-based player east to Turkey (something that doesn't seem to be too uncommon). Given that he's aged 3 years he should be much cheaper, and Besiktas are reported to be shopping for a replacement at the moment (his contract finishes at the end of this season), his price has almost certainly depreciated significantly, and hopefully Almeida could be signed for around $2 million Australian a season or less.

 

I'm not too sure what midfielders like Lampard, Rosicky and Kallstrom are on now and might be tempted to player for next season, but I'd guess it's roughly equivalent to Klose and 29 year old Almeida, so conceivably we could sign both Scott McDonald and a international marquee midfielder.

 

With that amount of money we couldn't pay really pay transfer fees IMO, except for cheaper players like Theo Janssen, who cost $900,000 Australian when he was transferred to his current club Vitesse in August 2012. If we were to get an Australian marquee like Macdonald, we could only afford to pay transfer fees and sign international marquees like Janssen, so we'd much rather get players on a free transfer if we're talking around 2.5 million.

 

There are international marquees in similar positions to Scott McDonald, who have clubs that seemingly want to offload them, such as Mounir El Hamdaoui and Helder Postiga. Both of them have been loaned out, with buy-out options in their loan contracts, so they could possibly be acquired cheaply. 

 

 

So I reckon that kind of money could get us a quality international marquee, and maybe a good Australian marquee. But if Man City happened to spend a bit more, say another million or 2, then options increase exponentially. Even if City do spend a somewhat limited amount, I reckon they have enough smarts to locate players who are keen to be a marquee in somewhere like Australia, and are maybe prepared to do so for somewhat modest money because they will be enthusiastic about Man City's A-League project. So I reckon City will make the right calls, and will use their smarts and incredible resources to find and bring quality players to Melbourne who are committed to playing football here.

 

P.S. On Rosicky, he might well stay at Arsenal. I'm pretty much hoping that Wenger can't help himself and aims to sign 2-3 midfielders for Arsenal, such as Julian Draxler and some others, in the summer transfer window, and consequently makes Rosicky redundant. A bit like Hugo Almeida becoming a real possibly if Besiktas sign another striker, Heart getting a marquee could well depend on other transfers occurring.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Murfy1

[wombegongal]

 

To add to this Murf, I've heard (and mentioned in another thread) the marquee budget from MCFC will be in the order of AUD $2.5 million for the two or three marquees (the number of marquees depending on squad costs). It was a very good source. I'm not sure how this would fit with your list but, for example, Rosicky would probably earn more than this alone in the MLS if he chose to (my Gooner bias??).

I like your list but am curious to know who you think would fit this budget?

 

If $2.5 million is the total budget (including any transfer fees), then you are looking at the more affordable names on that list.

 

Big variables include things like if Heart also get an Australian marquee, history of injuries, whether the club of the international marquee is looking to keep or offload the player and perceived value (including things like whether the player is perceived to be past his 'peak'; pretty much the player's age).

 

If Heart gets an Australian marquee, things could be much tougher. For instance, Bresciano and Scott McDonald are both contracted until the end of next season. I was hoping that Bresc getting banned for his transfer might sour things at his current club, but that doesn't appear to be the case, meaning it would probably take a respectable transfer fee to secure him from his current club.

Meanwhile Scott McDonald is currently not settled in at his current club Millwall (he's even been banned from training), and his club seem open or even willing to get rid of him. As Milwall might want to offload McDonald, there might only be a small transfer fee, or the club might even agree to mutually terminate his contract. The case with McDonald is pretty much the best case scenario, as McDonald could be acquired very cheaply, and then hopefully his salary might be rather cheap (Australian marquee salaries seem to really vary, but my ballpark guess is we could sign McDonald for around $300,000 to $500,000 a season).

 

So that's roughly $2 million Australian a season for an international marquee.

 

It is being reported by a website that Miroslav Klose might sign a further 1 year contact with Lazio for around $2.3 Million Australian. In my judgement, that sounds about right, approximately $2million a season for a big name player like Klose.

 

Hugo Almeida signed a fairly lucrative deal with Besiktas in December 2010 to secure him for 3 1/2 seasons, paying him $3.8 million Australian for each full season. IMO this looks like a case of a Turkish club overpaying to lure a European-based player east to Turkey (something that doesn't seem to be too uncommon). Given that he's aged 3 years he should be much cheaper, and Besiktas are reported to be shopping for a replacement at the moment (his contract finishes at the end of this season), his price has almost certainly depreciated significantly, and hopefully Almeida could be signed for around $2 million Australian a season or less.

 

I'm not too sure what midfielders like Lampard, Rosicky and Kallstrom are on now and might be tempted to player for next season, but I'd guess it's roughly equivalent to Klose and 29 year old Almeida, so conceivably we could sign both Scott McDonald and a international marquee midfielder.

 

With that amount of money we couldn't pay really pay transfer fees IMO, except for cheaper players like Theo Janssen, who cost $900,000 Australian when he was transferred to his current club Vitesse in August 2012. If we were to get an Australian marquee like Macdonald, we could only afford to pay transfer fees and sign international marquees like Janssen, so we'd much rather get players on a free transfer if we're talking around 2.5 million.

 

There are international marquees in similar positions to Scott McDonald, who have clubs that seemingly want to offload them, such as Mounir El Hamdaoui and Helder Postiga. Both of them have been loaned out, with buy-out options in their loan contracts, so they could possibly be acquired cheaply. 

 

 

So I reckon that kind of money could get us a quality international marquee, and maybe a good Australian marquee. But if Man City happened to spend a bit more, say another million or 2, then options increase exponentially. Even if City do spend a somewhat limited amount, I reckon they have enough smarts to locate players who are keen to be a marquee in somewhere like Australia, and are maybe prepared to do so for somewhat modest money because they will be enthusiastic about Man City's A-League project. So I reckon City will make the right calls, and will use their smarts and incredible resources to find and bring quality players to Melbourne who are committed to playing football here.

 

P.S. On Rosicky, he might well stay at Arsenal. I'm pretty much hoping that Wenger can't help himself and aims to sign 2-3 midfielders for Arsenal, such as Julian Draxler and some others, in the summer transfer window, and consequently makes Rosicky redundant. A bit like Hugo Almeida becoming a real possibly if Besiktas sign another striker, Heart getting a marquee could well depend on other transfers occurring.

 

 

My guess is Wenger can help himself and does every season. That man's wallet strings are extremely tight.

 

I think some of the names you have listed here are great options and I'm sure Man City's list is even longer. I would expect a decent player or two to arrive with some of our now decent looking squad retained. Things are on the up. I'd really like to see a creative midfielder employed. Of you list I think Yohan Gourcuff is a brilliant player although I suspect just out of our price range (they will want a decent transfer fee).

 

Who ever they sign I'd expect a substance over name player. Potentially we might get both though.

[M13]

We should remember that what Txiki want is a marquee that not only contribute on the pitch but also acts almost like an assistant coach at times.. someone willing to lead by example but also eager to act as a mentor.

We really need to see a list of players that got their coaching badges already before I make a guess

[Dylan]

Also hope they put to the player when negotiating that they have an opportunity to create something for themselves in a country with an emerging football league and that they have the potential to become a household name. It's something I probably liked most about the del piero signing. If only Sydney wassnt a basket case he could have made an even bigger impact.

[jw1739]

We should remember that what Txiki want is a marquee that not only contribute on the pitch but also acts almost like an assistant coach at times.. someone willing to lead by example but also eager to act as a mentor.

We really need to see a list of players that got their coaching badges already before I make a guess

I'd just like to repeat this.

 

‘The marquee player is a tool we have to bring a high quality player to Australia, we will use that. It's too early to say who. They're not marketing tricks, this is about playing good football. It's not about the names, it's about the player. We don't need a big name, we need a big player and a big player will develop into a big name. He has to add something more than a name – commitment with the group and the football in Australia, experience to teach the players and help the coach.’ (Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City Director of Football).

 

That's what Txiki is quoted as saying.

 

So IMO we can delete anyone from the list who is already a "name" and who will require a big wage. I reckon we're looking for someone around 26-28, a good ball player, probably currently with somewhat of an unfashionable club, not a prima donna but someone good with young players and those around him, prepared to commit to spending some years with us and even perhaps ending his career here and going on to be part of the club in retirement (e.g. with the Academy or as a future coach).

 

It sounds simple enough, but Txiki knows it's not and that's why he said "it's too early to say who." I don't think they will rush this. They'll know the player when they see him and then they will move. And I think they will be prepared to pay a transfer fee for the right man.

[perthheart]

Would absolutely cream over signing Theo Janssen.

[perthheart]

And while Mounir El Hamdaoui is a beast of a striker when he can be bothered, I wouldn't be keen on a striker who has been slated for being fat and unprofessional at almost every club he's been at. If he can't get off his arse to be bothered for clubs like Tottenham, Ajax and Fiorentina how is that going to work out in the A-League?

[Dylan]

Not going to lie. Looking more forward to the off season than the rest of this one ahah

[Rellum]

 

We should remember that what Txiki want is a marquee that not only contribute on the pitch but also acts almost like an assistant coach at times.. someone willing to lead by example but also eager to act as a mentor.

We really need to see a list of players that got their coaching badges already before I make a guess

I'd just like to repeat this.

 

‘The marquee player is a tool we have to bring a high quality player to Australia, we will use that. It's too early to say who. They're not marketing tricks, this is about playing good football. It's not about the names, it's about the player. We don't need a big name, we need a big player and a big player will develop into a big name. He has to add something more than a name – commitment with the group and the football in Australia, experience to teach the players and help the coach.’ (Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City Director of Football).

 

That's what Txiki is quoted as saying.

 

So IMO we can delete anyone from the list who is already a "name" and who will require a big wage. I reckon we're looking for someone around 26-28, a good ball player, probably currently with somewhat of an unfashionable club, not a prima donna but someone good with young players and those around him, prepared to commit to spending some years with us and even perhaps ending his career here and going on to be part of the club in retirement (e.g. with the Academy or as a future coach).

 

It sounds simple enough, but Txiki knows it's not and that's why he said "it's too early to say who." I don't think they will rush this. They'll know the player when they see him and then they will move. And I think they will be prepared to pay a transfer fee for the right man.

 

 

I don't want a name, I want players who are going to take the game here to a new level. I would rather a no name form Eastern Europe of South America who is great on the ball than some near retirement player from the EPL, Serie A or Spain. I want the team to stand out rather than one player.

[Murfy1]

On players around 26 to 28 years of age, it's my opinion that it might be really tough to find a quality player around 25-27 years of age, because players at such ages have very high prices (even if they aren't that good or proven, because they might get better and have sell-on value), and they might not be keen to leave Europe (as so many player around that age still hope to be the 'next big thing'). However, as players get towards 28-29 years of age they are much more of a possibility to sign, as their price has significantly declined (unless they are performing really well or have a reputation) and they probably realise by then they might not be the next Messi or Ronaldo.

 

I think the idea is a very good one, to find the next Broich, so to speak (between 26-29, no reputation but can really star in the A-League), or an even better version of Broich. But I think it's pretty chancy going after a player like that, and such players might not dominate the A-League as much as one would hope. So personally I'd like to see a player around 28, 29 or 30 years of age, who is really proven and is pretty certain to be a top performer in the A-League (like Engelaar, if he were 4 or 5 years younger).

 

And while Mounir El Hamdaoui is a beast of a striker when he can be bothered, I wouldn't be keen on a striker who has been slated for being fat and unprofessional at almost every club he's been at. If he can't get off his arse to be bothered for clubs like Tottenham, Ajax and Fiorentina how is that going to work out in the A-League?

 

Mounir El Hamdaoui is a really interesting possible international marquee. Heart actually targeted him (and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink) at the start of our second season, while he was at Ajax and not a regular starter (http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/heart-looks-to-snag-former-celtic-striker-20111027-1mm5z.html). I reckon JVS probably knows a lot about him and was keen to bring him over, probably believing that he could get El Hamdaoui to thrive in the A-League. 

 

It's also a bit of a sad reminder how much bigger JVS was thinking than the board and management at that time. Instead of a player like that, the board brought in Paul Reid 

 

Especially if JVS stays on as head coach next season, I reckon El Hamdaoui could come to the A-League and be a top performer.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Murfy1

[perthheart]

No doubting his pedigree that's for sure. He always starts off well at clubs but the second the first curve ball is thrown at him he generally spits the dummy and does fuck all. Would be perfect for a possession based game with 1 up top. Holds the ball up well, decent with his back to goal and a deadly shot. Just with what Txiki spoke about wanting players that will contribute in all ways to the club, including helping bring young players through with their experience, I don't think Mounir is the man for that.

[mulhollanddrive]

You'd think with that budget indication, that JVS would be the best manager you could get with say 600k.  It would fit in with a purely hypothetical split between the marquees into 250k for youth, 500k Australian, 1.75m oversees.

 

You wouldn't set a budget like that for marquees, then pay 5m for a big name manager like a Rijkaard for example.

[Murfy1]

Rumours about Melbourne Heart

 

DAVE BURGESS

 

21/2/2014

 

A couple of good things came out of Wellington Phoenix’s 5-0 ugly loss at the hands of Melbourne Heart last weekend – well good for the A-League in general.

 

Reliable sources tell me Heart, now majority owned by Manchester City, are in the process of signing a world class player from Spanish powerhouse Barcelona as their marquee man for next season.

 

Fitting the bill, and nearing the end of his career, is 34-year-old Spanish World Cup winning midfielder Xavi Hernandez.

 

He has played more than 700 games in Barcelona’s colours winning scores of trophies including multiple La Liga titles and Champions League triumphs.

 

The international media is already saying Xavi’s days are numbered and speculating on who will replace him at Barcelona.

 

The signing will be a loan deal. My understanding is that Xavi, or whoever Heart’s marquee signing may turn out to be, will also play for the New York City Football Club.

 

New York is a new club also majority owned by Manchester City set to play in America’s Major League Soccer competition from 2015.

 

Adding credibility to the story is the fact that Manchester City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano was previously at Barcelona where he was credited with transforming the off-field fortunes of the club.

 

The Heart news doesn’t stop there. I understand there is truth in speculation that the club will next season change its name to Melbourne City and the colour of its playing strip to sky blue - to match that of Manchester City.

 

It is exciting times for the A-League.

 

- © Fairfax NZ News

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/budgie-on-the-ball/9749929/Rumours-about-Melbourne-Heart

Edited February 21, 2014 by Murfy1

[xXJawsaXx]

I was leaning towards believing the things said in that article until our colours changing came up.

[Embee]

 

Rumours about Melbourne Heart

 

DAVE BURGESS

 

21/2/2014

 

A couple of good things came out of Wellington Phoenix’s 5-0 ugly loss at the hands of Melbourne Heart last weekend – well good for the A-League in general.

 

Reliable sources tell me Heart, now majority owned by Manchester City, are in the process of signing a world class player from Spanish powerhouse Barcelona as their marquee man for next season.

 

Fitting the bill, and nearing the end of his career, is 34-year-old Spanish World Cup winning midfielder Xavi Hernandez.

 

He has played more than 700 games in Barcelona’s colours winning scores of trophies including multiple La Liga titles and Champions League triumphs.

 

The international media is already saying Xavi’s days are numbered and speculating on who will replace him at Barcelona.

 

The signing will be a loan deal. My understanding is that Xavi, or whoever Heart’s marquee signing may turn out to be, will also play for the New York City Football Club.

 

New York is a new club also majority owned by Manchester City set to play in America’s Major League Soccer competition from 2015.

 

Adding credibility to the story is the fact that Manchester City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano was previously at Barcelona where he was credited with transforming the off-field fortunes of the club.

 

The Heart news doesn’t stop there. I understand there is truth in speculation that the club will next season change its name to Melbourne City and the colour of its playing strip to sky blue - to match that of Manchester City.

 

It is exciting times for the A-League.

 

- © Fairfax NZ News

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/budgie-on-the-ball/9749929/Rumours-about-Melbourne-Heart

 

 

 

 

Completely lost me there

[FB.]

A lot of big names being bandied about on here, but these are the same owners who so far have renewed Velaphi and Hoffman's contracts.

Hate to be a wet blanket, but people are getting carried away if you think they're going to sign the world for us.

[Murfy1]

No idea what to make of the above article. I had to check out the website and the author to ensure that they are both a proper media outlet and an actual football journalist, and they seemingly are.

 

One poor journalist, Val Migliaccio, has already suggested that a colour change is intended. My opinion is that whilst it might have been the default wish/intention of Man City when they took over the club to change the colours, they will not do so and will follow through with their many statements that they will "listen and learn", which demand that they inevitably will keep the club Red and White.

 

The marquee comments are interesting, although they seem a little confused. Xavi was already linked with NYCFC, and he has completely rejected the idea. Maybe another player though is possible (the article does make clear that it's not certain that Xavi is the player). And the thing about the marquee also playing for NYCFC sounds like bizarre rubbish.

 

I wouldn't mind if the article was correct about Man City being ambitious with an international marquee signing. That sounds plausible to me, as well as the name change (sadly). The rest sounds like confused rubbish in my judgement, though.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Murfy1