Transfer Talk, Rumours and Speculation

[jw1739]

This thread hasn't been active for a while.

I reckon at an absolute minimum for senior players we need a decent goalkeeper for next season (2022-23) and a bums-on-seats no. 10.

I think I'm correct in saying that players out of contract at the end of the current season are Sutton, Griffiths, Lesiotis, Berenguer, Colokovski, Endoh and Raphael, Metcalfe is off to St. Pauli, and the loan of Jenkinson also finishes. So quite a few spaces to fill, and that's before we even consider possible defections.

I also think we need to sign a decent GK coach.

[Mr MO]

6 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

This thread hasn't been active for a while.

I reckon at an absolute minimum for senior players we need a decent goalkeeper for next season (2022-23) and a bums-on-seats no. 10.

I think I'm correct in saying that players out of contract at the end of the current season are Sutton, Griffiths, Lesiotis, Berenguer, Colokovski, Endoh and Raphael, Metcalfe is off to St. Pauli, and the loan of Jenkinson also finishes. So quite a few spaces to fill, and that's before we even consider possible defections.

I also think we need to sign a decent GK coach.

Florin signed a year extension.

[jw1739]

21 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

Florin signed a year extension.

...which takes him to the end of the current season?

[Mr MO]

31 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

...which takes him to the end of the current season?

No next season, he resigned only last month.

[jw1739]

11 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

No next season, he resigned only last month.

Ah. I see that now. Thank you. Must have missed it because I had just moved house!

I will adjust the squad list accordingly.

Edited March 22, 2022 by jw1739

[kingofhearts]

Desperately need that new goalkeeper, ever since Sorensen left all of our goalkeepers have sucked.

[fensaddler]

6 hours ago, jw1739 said:

This thread hasn't been active for a while.

I reckon at an absolute minimum for senior players we need a decent goalkeeper for next season (2022-23) and a bums-on-seats no. 10.

I think I'm correct in saying that players out of contract at the end of the current season are Sutton, Griffiths, Lesiotis, Berenguer, Colokovski, Endoh and Raphael, Metcalfe is off to St. Pauli, and the loan of Jenkinson also finishes. So quite a few spaces to fill, and that's before we even consider possible defections.

I also think we need to sign a decent GK coach.

Of that list I'd suspect we'd want to keep Lesiotis and Raphael, and probably Griff as a decent, experienced squad member who can play in at least two positions. Strong rumours Cola is off, Endoh and Jenkinson simply uncertain. Sutton will depend on our wider goalkeeping situation but may move on to make cap space. Talent such as Akka and Metcalf definitely needs replacing. GK definitely needs improvement. As for a 10, depends on who we keep. Florin is definitely with us, and Endoh might prove to be a good understudy. Reckon Tilio has also had his best games at 10, though fear he may yet be enticed away. Then maybe we put our resources into a good 8 to replace Metcalf and put bums on seats instead?

[neio]

The keeper situation is interesting, I don't doubt for a second we need a keeper, but I'm not sure if we will go for a number 1 or a back up. I can't see us throwing Glover away after 3 years of development. 

If we want a number 1, Paul Izzo is the number 1 choice for me, if we want a backup who is going to give genuine competition I don't mind Cook from Perth

[jw1739]

14 minutes ago, neio said:

The keeper situation is interesting, I don't doubt for a second we need a keeper, but I'm not sure if we will go for a number 1 or a back up. I can't see us throwing Glover away after 3 years of development. 

If we want a number 1, Paul Izzo is the number 1 choice for me, if we want a backup who is going to give genuine competition I don't mind Cook from Perth

IMO we need to get a new GK coach first, who can assess just where or GKs are. We have two scholarship GKs - Ahmad Taleb and James Nieuwenhuizen - both who have been with the club for a while now. Do the rules allow for one of them to be the back-up?

[fensaddler]

1 hour ago, neio said:

The keeper situation is interesting, I don't doubt for a second we need a keeper, but I'm not sure if we will go for a number 1 or a back up. I can't see us throwing Glover away after 3 years of development. 

If we want a number 1, Paul Izzo is the number 1 choice for me, if we want a backup who is going to give genuine competition I don't mind Cook from Perth

I'm inclined to keep Glover but bring in genuine competition. Izzo would definitely be that. Who we then keep in the pecking order below that depends on budget and prospects.

[belaguttman]

5 minutes ago, fensaddler said:

I'm inclined to keep Glover but bring in genuine competition. Izzo would definitely be that. Who we then keep in the pecking order below that depends on budget and prospects.

Maybe what is more important is good goalkeeping coaches that can progress both our young keepers, that'll provide the internal competition. Glover's progress seems to have slowed this season

[heart1011]

What's the rumours with Colacovski? Obliviously he isn't getting much game time lately but where would he go?

[kingofhearts]

6 minutes ago, heart1011 said:

What's the rumours with Colacovski? Obliviously he isn't getting much game time lately but where would he go?

Western United I'm hearing

[Mr MO]

Graham Arnold anyone? As a PK replacement.

[belaguttman]

15 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

Graham Arnold anyone? As a PK replacement.

😱

[Jovan]

16 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

Graham Arnold anyone? As a PK replacement.

Id take Muscat first.

[fensaddler]

2 hours ago, Mr MO said:

Graham Arnold anyone? As a PK replacement.

No, we can do better. We need another Erick. A foreign coach who gets our system. Mind, the guy who took over while PK was sick with the spicy cough seemed to do a good job. Not averse to looking within.

2 hours ago, Jovan said:

Id take Muscat first.

That bad? I think we'd all boycott if Muscat got anywhere near us. It was bad enough when Berisha was floated as a signing.

[n i k o]

10 minutes ago, fensaddler said:

No, we can do better. We need another Erick. A foreign coach who gets our system. Mind, the guy who took over while PK was sick with the spicy cough seemed to do a good job. Not averse to looking within.

That bad? I think we'd all boycott if Muscat got anywhere near us. It was bad enough when Berisha was floated as a signing.

100%. In saying that, if I had a gun pointed at my head I'd take Berisha over Arnie. Arnie football would make me put the gun to my own head of my free will.

[jw1739]

Arnie has done the best that he can with the cattle at his disposal. But like everything concerned with football in Australia we need to aspire to a higher level than we are at. Not yet another press on the big "reset" button, but just an ingrained aspiration to be better.

As a club IMO it's better to promote from within CFG. Whatever we think of PK he's going to lead us to first or second, which means Asian football again be it the ACL or the AFC Cup (assuming that those competitions do take place). So it would be pretty rough to replace him after two seasons at the helm.

I liked the cut of Buckingham's jib myself, but there must be other candidates within CFG.

Edited March 30, 2022 by jw1739

[n i k o]

17 hours ago, jw1739 said:

Arnie has done the best that he can with the cattle at his disposal. But like everything concerned with football in Australia we need to aspire to a higher level than we are at. Not yet another press on the big "reset" button, but just an ingrained aspiration to be better.

As a club IMO it's better to promote from within CFG. Whatever we think of PK he's going to lead us to first or second, which means Asian football again be it the ACL or the AFC Cup (assuming that those competitions do take place). So it would be pretty rough to replace him after two seasons at the helm.

I liked the cut of Buckingham's jib myself, but there must be other candidates within CFG.

I like your post. But I wouldn't go praising Arnie as to achieving the best he can when he's willingly playing his own players on the pitch rather than the best players. 

[rass]

2 hours ago, n i k o said:

I like your post. But I wouldn't go praising Arnie as to achieving the best he can when he's willingly playing his own players on the pitch rather than the best players. 

100%.

You can point to all the issues with Australian football all you want, but in the end his whole Sydney focused selection criteria was bullshit. His continual support of King is proof enough.

[Tommykins]

Heard an odd one that we're linked with Raphael Lea'i, the 18 year old Striker from the Solomon Islands, scored absolute buckets of goals at a local level.

[n i k o]

16 minutes ago, Tommykins said:

Heard an odd one that we're linked with Raphael Lea'i, the 18 year old Striker from the Solomon Islands, scored absolute buckets of goals at a local level.

CFG doing more for our Solomon Island relations than Fed government

[kingofhearts]

26 minutes ago, Tommykins said:

Heard an odd one that we're linked with Raphael Lea'i, the 18 year old Striker from the Solomon Islands, scored absolute buckets of goals at a local level.

Looks like we're finally courting the large Solomon Island community in Melbourne.

[MHFC-FAN]

12 minutes ago, n i k o said:

CFG doing more for our Solomon Island relations than Fed government

That's not hard... I've done more sitting at home than the gov have

[Zanty]

On 31/03/2022 at 2:56 PM, Tommykins said:

Heard an odd one that we're linked with Raphael Lea'i, the 18 year old Striker from the Solomon Islands, scored absolute buckets of goals at a local level.

Any source or more or heard it through someone at the club?

[Tommykins]

On 31/03/2022 at 2:56 PM, Tommykins said:

Heard an odd one that we're linked with Raphael Lea'i, the 18 year old Striker from the Solomon Islands, scored absolute buckets of goals at a local level.

https://www.abc.net.au/radio-australia/programs/pacificbeat/sols-soccer-trials/13832716?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf255308883&utm_campaign=radio_australia&utm_source=t.co&sf255308883=1

 

Mentions Lea'i in here - says he's not training with us or anyone else, inexplicably a rumour was going round that he refused to trial because he thought he should be signed straight away. There were definitely some very tidy players from the pacific teams in qualifying, will be interesting to see how many filter through to the a-league.

[jw1739]

I'm all for combing Asia and the Pacific for promising young footballers for A-League clubs and specifically for the City Academy. But I still maintain that alongside this we must have bums-on-seats visa players both at City and other clubs to grow the game again. 

[neio]

 

[MHFC-FAN]

16 minutes ago, neio said:

 

Is he any good? Only 18 with fairly big shoes to fill if it happens 

Edited May 2, 2022 by MHFC-FAN

[jw1739]

44 minutes ago, MHFC-FAN said:

Is he any good? Only 18 with fairly big shoes to fill if it happens 

We don't need 18 year-olds. All we do is develop them and then let them go. Like Genreau. We need experience in key positions.

[Mr MO]

5 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

We don't need 18 year-olds. All we do is develop them and then let them go. Like Genreau. We need experience in key positions.

Especially in those 3 midfield positions. I think we can all agree and have witnessed with our own eyes how hard it is to play proper football with a passive and uncreative midfield.

[jw1739]

2 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

Especially in those 3 midfield positions. I think we can all agree and have witnessed with our own eyes how hard it is to play proper football with a passive and uncreative midfield.

It's so simple really. 5 visa positions. 5 experienced players.

[bt50]

Weve literally done the double with Metcalfe and Atkinson last year, and are the odds on favourite to win the plate again this week.

If the talent is good enough then its good enough, irrespective of age.

[n i k o]

37 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

We don't need 18 year-olds. All we do is develop them and then let them go. Like Genreau. We need experience in key positions.

On the other hand we've developed a decent amount of other players that have done well through our system...eg. Metcalfe, Tilio, Atkinson etc. 

[Mr MO]

2 hours ago, jw1739 said:

It's so simple really. 5 visa positions. 5 experienced players.

This is the way and developed your youth around it. Of course an 18yo talented player is welcome but to expect that he will walk straight in is a stretch.

[Mr MO]

2 hours ago, bt50 said:

Weve literally done the double with Metcalfe and Atkinson last year, and are the odds on favourite to win the plate again this week.

If the talent is good enough then its good enough, irrespective of age.

Are you saying you are fine with just getting an 18yo unproven youth player as a Metcalfe replacement? And no other reinforcements for our midfield?

Metcalfe and Atkinson are in their early 20s and it took some seasons to get going. It would be a massive gamble. Metcalfe thrived with the experience of Luna, Noone and Berenguer around him.

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Mr MO

[jw1739]

9 hours ago, n i k o said:

On the other hand we've developed a decent amount of other players that have done well through our system...eg. Metcalfe, Tilio, Atkinson etc. 

Yes, my comment was a bit of a throwaway line, tossed because of disappointment that we have just failed to qualify in the ACL. Oscar Wilde got himself into a lot of trouble with a throwaway line, and I ought to know better!

What I meant was that with a senior squad of 23 and various junior teams, our general set-up at City HQ, and our location in Melbourne (predicted to soon outstrip Sydney in terms of population), we're ideally suited to scout local talent in Victoria and Tasmania, and being part of CFG also in east Asia, and to accommodate them in our club, and give them match time at the appropriate level. I don't know that we need to be chasing young players from elsewhere in Australia, although there's nothing to say that we shouldn't.

I don't think that we now have the foreign players of the ilk that we once did - the names of say Schenkeveld and McCormack come to mind quickly - and our east Asian imports haven't exactly set the world on fire. They are areas on which I would like to see City have a greater focus. That's all. 

And no throwaway line at the end - I just deleted it!

 

[bt50]

10 hours ago, Mr MO said:

Are you saying you are fine with just getting an 18yo unproven youth player as a Metcalfe replacement? And no other reinforcements for our midfield?

Metcalfe and Atkinson are in their early 20s and it took some seasons to get going. It would be a massive gamble. Metcalfe thrived with the experience of Luna, Noone and Berenguer around him.

 

No im saying that if a player is good enough then theyre good enough and the idea we dont need 18 year olds is stupid. 

Now obviously theres a point to be made around having guys that are up to it, and often experience is the best indicator, but i dont think the two are mutually exclusive and if the best prospective young midfielder is available then fuck oath we should be in for him.

[jw1739]

Just in passing it now looks as though Metcalfe will be playing 2 Bundesliga football next season. St. Pauli have fallen off their perch and now lie 5th, neck-and-neck with cross-town rivals Hamburger SV with two matches to play.

Very hard to get back up from 2 Bundesliga once you're in it, as Hamburger SV are finding.