Our Squad

[neio]

3 games, 3 poor results

Is our squad good enough or have we just hastily chucked together a whole lot of players Willy nilly

GOALKEEPERS

Redmayne - as a number 1 he is not good enough, poor positioning and wobbly too often. Keeps his spot cause he makes one reasonable save a game which is obviously enough

Velaphi - same as redmayne, needs to be given a shot though

The solution - A new number one keeper and a young back up who can step in if needed. I'm no more confident in Tando as I am redders

DEFENDERS

Wielaert - expirienced and solid but real pace catches him out. Hasn't been a bad signing but not an amazing one either

Chapman - seems a good prospect but illness knocking him around. Hopefully comes good

Ramsay - why he is playing at LB still puzzles me, not anywhere near good enough positioning and defending is terrible. Either move him back to a LW or get rid of him

Hoffman - he has his flaws but he gives 100% and has got a lot better, probably could find better RB but he is a solid enough back up

Garruccio - can not wait for him to return, looks a star. Please hurry up

Kisnorbo - very solid player, what you want in CB, tough uncompromising and experienced

Archibald - havnt seen much but looks a reasonable prospect

The solution - A new RB and ideally Chapman and garruccio comes through.

________, Chapman, Kisnorbo, Garruccio

MIDFIELDERS

Paartalu - undoubted quality but he is down on confidence from his Asian clubs. Persist with he will come good

Mooy - our thank god for him this year, everything he does is with a purpose and creative. Build our midfield around him

Murdocca - tries hard but there has got to be better than Mass

Koren - we have been unlucky here, got through pre season. But then injured, you don't play a decade in EPL if you can't play

Duff - harsh as it sounds but did we need a 35 year old who will be here for 1 season. High quality but is hegoing to be here for long

Germano - should have gone 12 months ago, too injured

Retre - havnt seen enough to comment

Mauk - another solid prospect but needs to play more to avoid him leaving for more opportunity

Kalmar - too inconsistent and I don't think is up to it

Melling - havnt seen enough

The solution - Koren, Mooy and Paartalu is a solid midfield if all fit and firing. More depth would be good though

ATTACK

Villa - not much needs to be said really

Brown - still don't know why we signed him. Looked a player 4 years ago at gold coast. Can hope he goes back to that but looks unlikely

Williams - has to lead attack again, showed last year us capable

Dugandzic - not the same since his foot injury, can't hit the side of a barn. But does work hard in pressing up in defence

Marino - not enough seen

The solution - Kennedy coming helps but I really believe we need a goal scorer. Someone like berisha who scores regularly once villa goes

Overall the first team squad is ok, needs some tweaking but the main thing is depth. We get injuries were in all sorts of bother

January we need to bring in another quality international to take villa visa spot

[drewmelbcity]

3 games, 3 poor results

Is our squad good enough or have we just hastily chucked together a whole lot of players Willy nilly

GOALKEEPERS

Redmayne - as a number 1 he is not good enough, poor positioning and wobbly too often. Keeps his spot cause he makes one reasonable save a game which is obviously enough

Velaphi - same as redmayne, needs to be given a shot though

The solution - A new number one keeper and a young back up who can step in if needed. I'm no more confident in Tando as I am redders

DEFENDERS

Wielaert - expirienced and solid but real pace catches him out. Hasn't been a bad signing but not an amazing one either

Chapman - seems a good prospect but illness knocking him around. Hopefully comes good

Ramsay - why he is playing at LB still puzzles me, not anywhere near good enough positioning and defending is terrible. Either move him back to a LW or get rid of him

Hoffman - he has his flaws but he gives 100% and has got a lot better, probably could find better RB but he is a solid enough back up

Garruccio - can not wait for him to return, looks a star. Please hurry up

Kisnorbo - very solid player, what you want in CB, tough uncompromising and experienced

Archibald - havnt seen much but looks a reasonable prospect

The solution - A new RB and ideally Chapman and garruccio comes through.

________, Chapman, Kisnorbo, Garruccio

MIDFIELDERS

Paartalu - undoubted quality but he is down on confidence from his Asian clubs. Persist with he will come good

Mooy - our thank god for him this year, everything he does is with a purpose and creative. Build our midfield around him

Murdocca - tries hard but there has got to be better than Mass

Koren - we have been unlucky here, got through pre season. But then injured, you don't play a decade in EPL if you can't play

Duff - harsh as it sounds but did we need a 35 year old who will be here for 1 season. High quality but is hegoing to be here for long

Germano - should have gone 12 months ago, too injured

Retre - havnt seen enough to comment

Mauk - another solid prospect but needs to play more to avoid him leaving for more opportunity

Kalmar - too inconsistent and I don't think is up to it

Melling - havnt seen enough

The solution - Koren, Mooy and Paartalu is a solid midfield if all fit and firing. More depth would be good though

ATTACK

Villa - not much needs to be said really

Brown - still don't know why we signed him. Looked a player 4 years ago at gold coast. Can hope he goes back to that but looks unlikely

Williams - has to lead attack again, showed last year us capable

Dugandzic - not the same since his foot injury, can't hit the side of a barn. But does work hard in pressing up in defence

Marino - not enough seen

The solution - Kennedy coming helps but I really believe we need a goal scorer. Someone like berisha who scores regularly once villa goes

Overall the first team squad is ok, needs some tweaking but the main thing is depth. We get injuries were in all sorts of bother

January we need to bring in another quality international to take villa visa spot

Your kidding if you think Garuccio is the solution to our rb position, he is no better than Ramsey at that position. Anyways that's my two bit

[strider]

Marino is a fucking animal

[cityzen]

3 games, 3 poor results

Is our squad good enough or have we just hastily chucked together a whole lot of players Willy nilly

GOALKEEPERS

Redmayne - as a number 1 he is not good enough, poor positioning and wobbly too often. Keeps his spot cause he makes one reasonable save a game which is obviously enough

Velaphi - same as redmayne, needs to be given a shot though

The solution - A new number one keeper and a young back up who can step in if needed. I'm no more confident in Tando as I am redders

DEFENDERS

Wielaert - expirienced and solid but real pace catches him out. Hasn't been a bad signing but not an amazing one either

Chapman - seems a good prospect but illness knocking him around. Hopefully comes good

Ramsay - why he is playing at LB still puzzles me, not anywhere near good enough positioning and defending is terrible. Either move him back to a LW or get rid of him

Hoffman - he has his flaws but he gives 100% and has got a lot better, probably could find better RB but he is a solid enough back up

Garruccio - can not wait for him to return, looks a star. Please hurry up

Kisnorbo - very solid player, what you want in CB, tough uncompromising and experienced

Archibald - havnt seen much but looks a reasonable prospect

The solution - A new RB and ideally Chapman and garruccio comes through.

________, Chapman, Kisnorbo, Garruccio

MIDFIELDERS

Paartalu - undoubted quality but he is down on confidence from his Asian clubs. Persist with he will come good

Mooy - our thank god for him this year, everything he does is with a purpose and creative. Build our midfield around him

Murdocca - tries hard but there has got to be better than Mass

Koren - we have been unlucky here, got through pre season. But then injured, you don't play a decade in EPL if you can't play

Duff - harsh as it sounds but did we need a 35 year old who will be here for 1 season. High quality but is hegoing to be here for long

Germano - should have gone 12 months ago, too injured

Retre - havnt seen enough to comment

Mauk - another solid prospect but needs to play more to avoid him leaving for more opportunity

Kalmar - too inconsistent and I don't think is up to it

Melling - havnt seen enough

The solution - Koren, Mooy and Paartalu is a solid midfield if all fit and firing. More depth would be good though

ATTACK

Villa - not much needs to be said really

Brown - still don't know why we signed him. Looked a player 4 years ago at gold coast. Can hope he goes back to that but looks unlikely

Williams - has to lead attack again, showed last year us capable

Dugandzic - not the same since his foot injury, can't hit the side of a barn. But does work hard in pressing up in defence

Marino - not enough seen

The solution - Kennedy coming helps but I really believe we need a goal scorer. Someone like berisha who scores regularly once villa goes

Overall the first team squad is ok, needs some tweaking but the main thing is depth. We get injuries were in all sorts of bother

January we need to bring in another quality international to take villa visa spot

Your kidding if you think Garuccio is the solution to our LB position, he is no better than Ramsey at that position. Anyways that's my two bit

[Jovan]

Marino is a fucking animal

I haven't seen enough to really call, but why wasn't he in the squad at least, give him 15 to 20 in the derby may have done wonders for him . Very puzzling. 

[hakz7]

By looking at out bench prior to kick-off, it was obvious that whoever was to come on would not make an impact.

[cityzen]

Is williams injured?

[Jovan]

By looking at out bench prior to kick-off, it was obvious that whoever was to come on would not make an impact.

This. ???? WTF is a bench for. All starting 11 players should be looking and thinking a poor performance and that's it I'm off, and potentially done for next week. last night without being disrespectful sent no fears, entire bench looked like offering zero impact. Williams ?? Marino ??? both of these were needed. Very confused.  

[Dylan]

All the dead wood is still around because of the contracts under the previous coach and ownership. If you cut the contract then it counts toward the cap and id be very very surprised if there wasn't compensation triggers in the contract if it were cut prematurly. This year was always going to be a year of transition and it seems like JVS has started with the midfield. 

Edited October 26, 2014 by Dylan

[rass]

By looking at out bench prior to kick-off, it was obvious that whoever was to come on would not make an impact.

 

Average age of our bench was 21 apparently...

[Captain Obvious]

Pretty obvious before the season started that we still hadn't addressed our three weakest areas, fullbacks, goalkeeper and a target man capable of holding the ball up.

Looks like we finally are getting the latter in Kennedy in a few months, is it too late by then? No idea but he is exactly what we need up top.

Full backs is a baffling one, we've gone into the season with no full backs in the squad?! Just very strange, if we have the cap space a left back with our last VISA is a must.

Do we not have a youth goalkeeper thats better than redmayne or velaphi?! Both have zero outstanding qualities for mine. We have a good base in our squad and starting 11 but the areas we are lacking in are massive areas.

[Victards]

We wont make finals until 90% of the players in our club have fucked off

[InMyHeart]

All the dead wood is still around because of the contracts under the previous coach and ownership. If you cut the contract then it counts toward the cap and id be very very surprised if there wasn't compensation triggers in the contract if it were cut prematurly. This year was always going to be a year of transition and it seems like JVS has started with the midfield. 

So we go and sign brown on a two year deal? 

[mus-28]

Anyone who dares compare the Gooch to Ramsay deserves to be wanked off by Edward Scissorhands. Gooch is a talented young player, regardless of if he's on the wing or full back. Ramsay is just shit.

[Tonyboozeadams]

Anyone who dares compare the Gooch to Ramsay deserves to be wanked off by Edward Scissorhands. Gooch is a talented young player, regardless of if he's on the wing or full back. Ramsay is just shit.

Amen

[mulhollanddrive]

Talent has never been a problem.

 

We have Kisnorbo, Mooy, Paartalu, Koren, Duff, Villa, Kennedy. 

 

That's more than half the team that should be in contention for A-League best 11.

 

We have a problem with everything else apart from our good players.

[drewmelbcity]

Anyone who dares compare the Gooch to Ramsay deserves to be wanked off by Edward Scissorhands. Gooch is a talented young player, regardless of if he's on the wing or full back. Ramsay is just shit.

Garrucio has more talent yes but your kidding yourself if you think his going to solve any of our full back issues

[mus-28]

Gooch, Mauk and Germano starting for youth team. Chapman on bench.

[hakz7]

Anyone who dares compare the Gooch to Ramsay deserves to be wanked off by Edward Scissorhands. Gooch is a talented young player, regardless of if he's on the wing or full back. Ramsay is just shit.

Garrucio has more talent yes but your kidding yourself if you think his going to solve any of our full back issuesAt least he'll offer something for us going forward when we do have possession unlike Ramsay.

[Defibrillator]

Talent has never been a problem.

 

We have Kisnorbo, Mooy, Paartalu, Koren, Duff, Villa, Kennedy. 

 

That's more than half the team that should be in contention for A-League best 11.

 

We have a problem with everything else apart from our good players.

There so much more to this quote than meets the eye. After calming down after last night, the evening confirmed something I've been thinking about since the start of pre-season. We do have good talent in the squad but I think we've been blinded by the brilliant guest player or marquee (even if we can't get them on the pitch!!) or visa (even if we can't....................).

If you look at successful A-league clubs, one obvious point is that they have very few muppets on the pitch. I think success is defined more by the quality of the worst five on the park than the best five. A classic example being WSW - very few guns, but nearly every player solid and reliable, with decent technical skills and decision making. Apart from Ono (who's impact was reasonable but not earth shattering) they had a group that was skilled enough for each and every one of them to fulfill their role. The successful Brisbane teams had some quality players, but there were absolutely no passengers. And last night the bottom five Victory players were miles in front of our bottom five.

And for all of CFG's 36 global scouts, practically they are of very little use to us. They can fill a visa or international marquee spot, but in a squad filled with 18 Australians, they don't have the capacity to find the best Aussie talent to fill a squad with 11 reliable players on the park at any time. Add to this that you need to dive deeper into your squad when your marquees or visas are injury prone, then your diving into a pretty shallow talent pool as we saw last night. Victory seem to have a wider net to identify talent - their worst player would be ? Georgievski ? who at 18 shows promise. The rest of the weaker players are generally serviceable. We don't have this luxury.

So CFG are facing a challenge. You can't just buy the best player if one of yours is broken. In a salary capped league, you also need to develop a "harm minimization" strategy to at least find the reliable player. I dont think theyd be used to this problem On the park last night I thought we had four players who were well below standard, and David Villa/Duff et al can't compensate in my opinion.

We've been blinded by the couture clothing, but the emperor ain't got much on underneath!!

[marn11]

My biggest worry isn't the squad right now. It was always going to take longer than one season to rebuild a side with a heap of deadwood.

My concern is that we don't appear to have anyone, coach or players, who demands that we win. Who are our leaders who, when things aren't going our way, stand up and deliver? We don't have them.

What we have is a bunch of nice blokes, who really aren't willing to get stuck in when it's needed most.

[sharpy]

If we're looking for a foreign left back...

 

Reto Ziegler

Andrea Dossena

Aleksandar Lukovic

Marek Cech (Koren's international teammate) - Playing with Del Piero in India...

Thimothee Atouba

[jw1739]

 

Talent has never been a problem.

 

We have Kisnorbo, Mooy, Paartalu, Koren, Duff, Villa, Kennedy. 

 

That's more than half the team that should be in contention for A-League best 11.

 

We have a problem with everything else apart from our good players.

There so much more to this quote than meets the eye. After calming down after last night, the evening confirmed something I've been thinking about since the start of pre-season. We do have good talent in the squad but I think we've been blinded by the brilliant guest player or marquee (even if we can't get them on the pitch!!) or visa (even if we can't....................).

If you look at successful A-league clubs, one obvious point is that they have very few muppets on the pitch. I think success is defined more by the quality of the worst five on the park than the best five. A classic example being WSW - very few guns, but nearly every player solid and reliable, with decent technical skills and decision making. Apart from Ono (who's impact was reasonable but not earth shattering) they had a group that was skilled enough for each and every one of them to fulfill their role. The successful Brisbane teams had some quality players, but there were absolutely no passengers. And last night the bottom five Victory players were miles in front of our bottom five.

And for all of CFG's 36 global scouts, practically they are of very little use to us. They can fill a visa or international marquee spot, but in a squad filled with 18 Australians, they don't have the capacity to find the best Aussie talent to fill a squad with 11 reliable players on the park at any time. Add to this that you need to dive deeper into your squad when your marquees or visas are injury prone, then your diving into a pretty shallow talent pool as we saw last night. Victory seem to have a wider net to identify talent - their worst player would be ? Georgievski ? who at 18 shows promise. The rest of the weaker players are generally serviceable. We don't have this luxury.

So CFG are facing a challenge. You can't just buy the best player if one of yours is broken. In a salary capped league, you also need to develop a "harm minimization" strategy to at least find the reliable player. I dont think theyd be used to this problem On the park last night I thought we had four players who were well below standard, and David Villa/Duff et al can't compensate in my opinion.

We've been blinded by the couture clothing, but the emperor ain't got much on underneath!!

 

Unfortunately I think you're right, and that's probably why they left the local management with A-League experience in place...

 

My biggest worry isn't the squad right now. It was always going to take longer than one season to rebuild a side with a heap of deadwood.

My concern is that we don't appear to have anyone, coach or players, who demands that we win. Who are our leaders who, when things aren't going our way, stand up and deliver? We don't have them.

What we have is a bunch of nice blokes, who really aren't willing to get stuck in when it's needed most.

...except that you're right too, and we have local management with A-League experience that has never demanded that Melbourne Heart have that winning culture.

 

Conclusion: We have to change the people in the key management positions to effect the required change.

 

Whichever way you look at the club this is the conclusion that you inevitably arrive at.

[Nate]

Victory seem to have a wider net to identify talent - their worst player would be ? Georgievski ? who at 18 shows promise.

Did you mean Scott Galloway? 

Because Georgievski is 26 and has played 20 internationals for Macedonia.

 

But I generally agree with you, especially your point regarding the worst 5 starting players being a better barometer of how good a side is.

[Defibrillator]

Victory seem to have a wider net to identify talent - their worst player would be ? Georgievski ? who at 18 shows promise.

Did you mean Scott Galloway? 

Because Georgievski is 26 and has played 20 internationals for Macedonia.

 

But I generally agree with you, especially your point regarding the worst 5 starting players being a better barometer of how good a side is.

Yep, my mistake. Hence the question marks.

[Kinnibari]

Williams had a groin strain, which is why he didn't play. I think they don't expect him to be out look (more precautionary) but idk.

[NewConvert]

One of the thoughts that I am picking up from the threads in this forum is about the scouting for new players. A lot of people are concerned about what the CFG scouts have done for the club. I would refine this to what are our local scouts doing? after all in a squad of 23+3 only five of those players are visa players. The rest are all local. This season, the club brought in James Brown, Jacob Melling, Conor Chapman and Aaron Mooy. The first two have little to justify contracts, Chapman has been ill with glandular fever (can't be held against him) so I am not expecting much from him till the tail end of the season. At least Mooy has delivered. So exactly what was going on through the coaching and recruitment staff that they signed Brown and Melling?

I certainly do hope that the club improves their local scouting talent for next season.

[neio]

Our think the output of our visa players are a worry as well. IMO they are the most critical guys you got, there has never been a good side with bad ones

Compare ours with other teams

Us - Wielaert, Germano, Koren, Duff and Villa. 2 are injured 1 is leaving

Adelaide - Carrusca, Isiais, Cirio, Sanchez and Ferreira. All 5 play, all at a high level

Victory - Berisha, Barbarouses, Finkler, Delpierre and Ben Khalfallah. All except BK start and are crucial members

That's the thing I think our scouts could done better with

[Nate]

I'd like to see us sign Reece Caira, he's currently a free agent and is a capable left back who turned in some terrific performances at left back for the Nux.

 

Not too much else on offer otherwise unless we promote youth or sign a foreigner.

[japiedog]

Part of our worry is that no one is really pushing from the Reserve/Youth team

 

a friend was at the match Youth match yesterday

there was no standout player, ( after the shit performance on Saturday night), every player should have played out of their skins to push their claim for Senior selection

 

one look at our bench for the Derby showed no one who would make an impact

 

Even after our take over , we are still Shite

 

that said I will still be there on Friday night

[jw1739]

Our think the output of our visa players are a worry as well. IMO they are the most critical guys you got, there has never been a good side with bad ones

Compare ours with other teams

Us - Wielaert, Germano, Koren, Duff and Villa. 2 are injured 1 is leaving

Adelaide - Carrusca, Isiais, Cirio, Sanchez and Ferreira. All 5 play, all at a high level

Victory - Berisha, Barbarouses, Finkler, Delpierre and Ben Khalfallah. All except BK start and are crucial members

That's the thing I think our scouts could done better with

Fair enough comment.

 

Let's look at our visa players so far:

Season 1: Gerald Sibon (Netherlands); Rutger Worm (Netherlands); Alex Terra (Brazil)

Season 2: Rutger Worm (continued); Alex Terra (continued); Fred (Brazil ex. USA); Maycon (Brazil); Jonatan Germano (Argentina - he came to us, we did not scout him)

Season 3: Fred (continued); Jonatan Germano (continued); Steven Gray (Ireland); Patrick Gerhardt (Liberia); Josip Tadic (Croatia). Marcel Meeuwis (Netherlands) as injury replacement.

Season 4: Jonatan Germano (continued); Patrick Gerhardt (continued); Robbie Wielaert (Netherlands); Orlando Engelaar (Netherlands), [EDIT: Add Michael Mifsud (Malta)]. Andrea Migliorini (Italy) as injury replacement.

Season 5: Jonatan Germano (continued); Robbie Wielaert (continued); Damien Duff (Ireland); Robbie Koren (Slovenia). David Villa (Spain) guest player.

 

Make your own assessment.

Edited October 27, 2014 by jw1739

[heart_fan10]

assuming Germano isn't considered a visa player anymore by next season, we'll have the opportunity to sign 4 new visa players. Hopefully we can get it right this time

[Jovan]

 

Our think the output of our visa players are a worry as well. IMO they are the most critical guys you got, there has never been a good side with bad ones

Compare ours with other teams

Us - Wielaert, Germano, Koren, Duff and Villa. 2 are injured 1 is leaving

Adelaide - Carrusca, Isiais, Cirio, Sanchez and Ferreira. All 5 play, all at a high level

Victory - Berisha, Barbarouses, Finkler, Delpierre and Ben Khalfallah. All except BK start and are crucial members

That's the thing I think our scouts could done better with

Fair enough comment.

 

Let's look at our visa players so far:

Season 1: Gerald Sibon (Netherlands); Rutger Worm (Netherlands); Alex Terra (Brazil)

Season 2: Rutger Worm (continued); Alex Terra (continued); Fred (Brazil ex. USA); Maycon (Brazil); Jonatan Germano (Argentina - he came to us, we did not scout him)

Season 3: Fred (continued); Jonatan Germano (continued); Steven Gray (Ireland); Patrick Gerhardt (Liberia); Josip Tadic (Croatia). Marcel Meeuwis (Netherlands) as injury replacement.

Season 4: Jonatan Germano (continued); Patrick Gerhardt (continued); Robbie Wielaert (Netherlands); Orlando Engelaar (Netherlands). Andrea Migliorini (Italy) as injury replacement.

Season 5: Jonatan Germano (continued); Robbie Wielaert (continued); Damien Duff (Ireland); Robbie Koren (Slovenia). David Villa (Spain) guest player.

 

Make your own assessment.

 

Spot on. For me in a "perfect world" Engelaar, Migliorini, Duff, Tadic (with better tactics) Koren (supposedly is quality) and obviously Villa as the guest cherry on top. In the real world a quality fullback, centre back, Keeper before any of the above. But alas it is what is.

[SF33]

If we're looking for a foreign left back...

 

Reto Ziegler

Andrea Dossena

Aleksandar Lukovic

Marek Cech (Koren's international teammate) - Playing with Del Piero in India...

Thimothee Atouba

 

I was thinking Ryan McGivern might be worth a long look: 25 in January, versatile defender who can play central or left back, 20+ international caps for Northern Ireland, has come through the Manchester City system (was on City's books until 2013, so the current regime would know everything about him) and just moved from Hibernian to League 1 Port Vale in the last offseason, so presumably he wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. That's the problem though: he signed a two-year contract, although Hibs released him from his previous agreement a year early.

[NewConvert]

assuming Germano isn't considered a visa player anymore by next season, we'll have the opportunity to sign 4 new visa players. Hopefully we can get it right this time

 

I thought that FFA rules had been changed to reduce the number of visa players down to four. Given that Koren is here for two years and assuming that Germano qualifies as a local or gets released, that would leave only three visa players. FWIW I would release  Germano - too injury prone.

[SF33]

 

Our think the output of our visa players are a worry as well. IMO they are the most critical guys you got, there has never been a good side with bad ones

Compare ours with other teams

Us - Wielaert, Germano, Koren, Duff and Villa. 2 are injured 1 is leaving

Adelaide - Carrusca, Isiais, Cirio, Sanchez and Ferreira. All 5 play, all at a high level

Victory - Berisha, Barbarouses, Finkler, Delpierre and Ben Khalfallah. All except BK start and are crucial members

That's the thing I think our scouts could done better with

Fair enough comment.

 

Let's look at our visa players so far:

Season 1: Gerald Sibon (Netherlands); Rutger Worm (Netherlands); Alex Terra (Brazil)

Season 2: Rutger Worm (continued); Alex Terra (continued); Fred (Brazil ex. USA); Maycon (Brazil); Jonatan Germano (Argentina - he came to us, we did not scout him)

Season 3: Fred (continued); Jonatan Germano (continued); Steven Gray (Ireland); Patrick Gerhardt (Liberia); Josip Tadic (Croatia). Marcel Meeuwis (Netherlands) as injury replacement.

Season 4: Jonatan Germano (continued); Patrick Gerhardt (continued); Robbie Wielaert (Netherlands); Orlando Engelaar (Netherlands). Andrea Migliorini (Italy) as injury replacement.

Season 5: Jonatan Germano (continued); Robbie Wielaert (continued); Damien Duff (Ireland); Robbie Koren (Slovenia). David Villa (Spain) guest player.

 

Make your own assessment.

 

 

This year's actually isn't too bad, on paper. From that group, it's really the absence of Germano and Koren that is killing us. Villa has been Villa, Duff has been Duff and Wielaert has been...ok. I guess the question becomes whether we could find an Aussie that's as good as Wielaert to free up that spot and I suppose that it's pretty likely that we could.

[Pigs 2]

assuming Germano isn't considered a visa player anymore by next season, we'll have the opportunity to sign 4 new visa players. Hopefully we can get it right this time

It doesn't matter if his a visa or local player if the cunts always injured he has to go

Edited October 27, 2014 by Pigs 2

[jw1739]

I wonder why I missed Michael Mifsud for last season...!

 

Going through the list I'd make the following comments.

Sibon - wrong end of his career. Never got going at no. 9 and on the Heartcast and RWU Fourm site there were calls for him to be benched. Didn't really get going until moved to a midfield role.

Worm - never got going unfortunately. Career was already on the way down and has gone further down since.

Alex Terra - had a great first season. Popular around the club especially with the youngsters. Couldn't get himself right in season 2 and was crucified by endless long balls pumped over his head.

Fred - wrong end of career. Adequate first season but his body gave way after that.

Maycon - I still think he was signed by mistake and we thought we were getting someone else. Never got going.

Germano - actually has played very little senior football - aged 26 and has played just 45 senior games. Passable first season but now can't get on the park.

Steven Gray - what was Aloisi thinking?

Gerhardt - IMO he was quite a good signing - right age and had something to offer - and I'm a bit surprised we let him go.

Tadic - good signing. Right age.Took a while to settle due to personal issues, but we did not know how to play to his strengths. Wasted opportunity.

Marcel Meeuwis - see Steven Gray above.

Robbie Wielaert - Ok signing, but wrong end of his career and he's losing athletic ability. TBH I think he's done well to stay clear of injuries.

Engelaar - although at the wrong end of his career he was a good signing - 5 goals in 12 games says it all.

Mifsud - wrong end of career and whatever he did went wrong.

Migliorini - picked from the bowels of Italian football, despite his detractors I thought was a good pick-up for what he was. Right age and TBH I thought with some coaching we could have done a lot more with him had we kept him. Probably on a tenth of what Engelaar was getting, but his goals were just as good - who can forget those two screamers in the one match?

Damien Duff - class player, but just for one season? Too early to say.

Robbie Koren - yet to see him on the park. Too early to say.

David Villa - whole guest stint badly managed. But who can forget those two goals and especially the sight of David Villa in Heart colours?

 

Overall, of those who have come and gone I would have picked Gerhardt, Tadic and Migliorini as players we should have done a lot more with.

Too early to assess Duff and Koren.

Engelaar and Wielaert are OK, but overall I think we're going for too many players at the wrong end of their careers. 

[neio]

Is there anybody else around that is Australian but not Australian

Like that georgevski cunt, like another visa player but doesn't take a visa spot

[japiedog]

Seriously

We have a visa spot available

Man City with its supposed global reach, should be able to find a decent left back playing in the Bulgarian second division, who is head or shoulders above most A league full backs

 

I know that Berisha is a nutcase, but whoever found him in the German second division ( and he wasn't even starting) is a genius

there has to be a player in Europe available to plug some of the gaps in our squad