Transfer Talk, Rumours and Speculation

[jw1739]

26 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

All these players moving out plus Bruno would look excellent on our EOY financial books! 

Well, two players so far.
Apparently Lesiotis has been training with Victory. There are so many players listed twice on the club web-site that it's hard to know whether he was officially in our senior squad. His transfer may therefore not have any effect on the salary cap.
I know I'm pissing into the wind, but I do wish the club was clearer on these sorts of things.

[Inchcolm]

5 hours ago, playmaker said:

Niks sigh Cillian Sheridan a striker from Ireland. Looks decent.

He is a good player will do well in the A league. Saw him a few times when he played for Ominia in Cyprus where he was the leagues leading goal scorer

Edited January 3, 2019 by Inchcolm

[moops]

4 hours ago, playmaker said:

Niks sigh Cillian Sheridan a striker from Ireland. Looks decent.

Seems like the Irish Josh Kennedy.

[Dylan]

According to that Goal Secret Agent, we are after McLaren as the Bruno replacement.

[haz]

Just now, Dylan said:

According to that Goal Secret Agent, we are after McLaren as the Bruno replacement.

If McLaren turns around his form and can start scoring 15+ goals a season, and we actually start fielding all 5 VISAs at once... this could be a master stroke. Too bad I have no faith left in the club to achieve either of those things

[Dylan]

1 minute ago, haz said:

If McLaren turns around his form and can start scoring 15+ goals a season, and we actually start fielding all 5 VISAs at once... this could be a master stroke. Too bad I have no faith left in the club to achieve either of those things

Waste of a marquee spot as well IMO. Joyce wants to get rid of the greatest marquee we have ever had? Well you better get a worthy replacement.

[rayv36]

2 minutes ago, haz said:

If McLaren turns around his form and can start scoring 15+ goals a season, and we actually start fielding all 5 VISAs at once... this could be a master stroke. Too bad I have no faith left in the club to achieve either of those things

Sad but true

[Heart of Melbourne]

McLaren will not come to City. Fold this story now.

[jw1739]

28 minutes ago, Dylan said:

According to that Goal Secret Agent, we are after McLaren as the Bruno replacement.

The Covert Agent can reveal City has pitched a loan offer to the Scottish club, with the hope the former Brisbane Roar attacker joins as a direct marquee replacement for Fornaroli after the Socceroos' Asian Cup campaign.

If Australia goes all the way he wouldn't be playing here for us until February - we'd have max. 10 matches left - can't see the point.

Please don't tell me we're freezing out Fornaroli with no bloody idea of how to get a striker on board quickly...

[Tommykins]

6 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

The Covert Agent can reveal City has pitched a loan offer to the Scottish club, with the hope the former Brisbane Roar attacker joins as a direct marquee replacement for Fornaroli after the Socceroos' Asian Cup campaign.

If Australia goes all the way he wouldn't be playing here for us until February - we'd have max. 10 matches left - can't see the point.

Please don't tell me we're freezing out Fornaroli with no bloody idea of how to get a striker on board quickly...

Ah Covert Agent.

Jamie McClaren plays on loan at Hibernian, so they'd be pitching it to the German club which owns him.

 

[Mr MO]

As marquee replacement I would be a little disappointed with a player like Mclaren, he’s not much better than a Taggert. As mentioned by others is this what our scouting apparatus can come up with and then only for some matches left in the season.

[Torn Asunder]

Perhaps CFG’s masterplan for our squad is to mainly have our most important positions, and our best players as Aussies, whereby the majority of these players are developed young through City, or brought in at around 18-20.

At the moment we’ve got some kids as starters in key positions, holding their own in the league . Is there any other club that plays kids as their starting 10, or striker? 

If it can work, and we see our players consistently earn Socceroo  call ups, and ultimately be moved on to big clubs, then we will eventually get a lot of support.

Also, if the salary cap goes, and that is our plan, no one would be able to compete with us in terms of the coin we can offer for the best young talent, and the Aussie talent playing overseas (or being wasted on the pine) in 2nd and 3rd rate leagues. Delbridge is a perfect example of this, and so would McLaren.

This plan would fit with SP’s comments about their future planning and growing the game in this country.

Just something to ponder.

[HEARTinator]

41 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

Please don't tell me we're freezing out Fornaroli with no bloody idea of how to get a striker on board quickly...

Sadly I think you’re right. Bruno is ten times the striker that Maclaren is so how the heck does Wazza think this would be a good move 

Only if Jamie has agreed to kiss Wazza’s ass and take out his garbage every Monday morning 

Surely this must go into the BS thread?

[HEARTinator]

4 minutes ago, Torn Asunder said:

Perhaps CFG’s masterplan for our squad is to mainly have our most important positions, and our best players as Aussies, whereby the majority of these players are developed young through City, or brought in at around 18-20.

At the moment we’ve got some kids as starters in key positions, holding their own in the league . Is there any other club that plays kids as their starting 10, or striker? 

If it can work, and we see our players consistently earn Socceroo  call ups, and ultimately be moved on to big clubs, then we will eventually get a lot of support.

Also, if the salary cap goes, and that is our plan, no one would be able to compete with us in terms of the coin we can offer for the best young talent, and the Aussie talent playing overseas (or being wasted on the pine) in 2nd and 3rd rate leagues. Delbridge is a perfect example of this, and so would McLaren.

This plan would fit with SP’s comments about their future planning and growing the game in this country.

Just something to ponder.

A lot of ifs there. It’s either a grand plan that has been deliberately thought through or you’re suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. It can happen to any of us 

[Torn Asunder]

Time will tell, but the pieces may fit ...

[n i k o]

6 minutes ago, HEARTinator said:

Sadly I think you’re right. Bruno is ten times the striker that Maclaren is so how the heck does Wazza think this would be a good move 

Only if Jamie has agreed to kiss Wazza’s ass and take out his garbage every Monday morning 

Surely this must go into the BS thread?

Is Bruno really ten times the striker under Wazzas system? Bruno struggled big time under Wazza

[Tommykins]

Jamie McClaren would be a ridiculously good signing, not just for this season, but for the future too. He's 25, in the top 6 for goals all time in the A-League and is the only bloke in the history of the league to have back-to-back 20 goal seasons.

I would be absolutely shattered in Bruno left, but there really isn't a better known quantity in the A-League in terms of replacements than McClaren. 

[Harrison]

Agree with above. Maclaren is a very good A league player. Proven scorer and could be a long term solution. 

Figures like 40 from 53 at Brisbane are hard to beat. 

[Tony999]

Bring him home......... and his missus

[jw1739]

35 minutes ago, Torn Asunder said:

Perhaps CFG’s masterplan for our squad is to mainly have our most important positions, and our best players as Aussies, whereby the majority of these players are developed young through City, or brought in at around 18-20.

At the moment we’ve got some kids as starters in key positions, holding their own in the league . Is there any other club that plays kids as their starting 10, or striker? 

If it can work, and we see our players consistently earn Socceroo  call ups, and ultimately be moved on to big clubs, then we will eventually get a lot of support.

Also, if the salary cap goes, and that is our plan, no one would be able to compete with us in terms of the coin we can offer for the best young talent, and the Aussie talent playing overseas (or being wasted on the pine) in 2nd and 3rd rate leagues. Delbridge is a perfect example of this, and so would McLaren.

This plan would fit with SP’s comments about their future planning and growing the game in this country.

Just something to ponder.

This is all consistent with what we read about Pearce's speech, and what we heard from Joyce after the WSW match. It's a sound business plan for City Football Group's Australian operations and operating a feeder club. Except, just like the banks, it doesn't consider the retail customers - us, the supporters, the fans. I don't think we would ever develop a big following unless we can hold some of our better players for multiple seasons and win trophies.

[mjake1234]

44 minutes ago, n i k o said:

Is Bruno really ten times the striker under Wazzas system? Bruno struggled big time under Wazza

All strikers struggle if they don't have the players behind them who can feed them the ball.

[DukeVader]

Surely he isnt a marquee wage calibre player tho?? Was he on marquee wages at Roar?? I dont mind him coming having an actual striker would be nice but surely we could fit him in the cap and replace Bruno with another marquee player? 

[Mr MO]

1 hour ago, Tommykins said:

Jamie McClaren would be a ridiculously good signing, not just for this season, but for the future too. He's 25, in the top 6 for goals all time in the A-League and is the only bloke in the history of the league to have back-to-back 20 goal seasons.

I would be absolutely shattered in Bruno left, but there really isn't a better known quantity in the A-League in terms of replacements than McClaren. 

I think most on here mean, is he marquee money worthy? No doubt he is a good A-League player.

[CityBoyz]

18 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

I think most on here mean, is he marquee money worthy? No doubt he is a good A-League player.

He certainly marquee worthy when you compare some of our past marquees Budzisnki, Korren etc Jamie would be perfect 

[Mr MO]

16 minutes ago, CityBoyz said:

He certainly marquee worthy when you compare some of our past marquees Budzisnki, Korren etc Jamie would be perfect 

Geez we’ve gone low in our expectations of marquee players......

[CityBoyz]

9 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

Geez we’ve gone low in our expectations of marquee players......

Who else could we plausibly target whose a free agent in January. If we got Jamie we could target another visa player as well 

[jw1739]

1 hour ago, DukeVader said:

Surely he isnt a marquee wage calibre player tho?? Was he on marquee wages at Roar?? I dont mind him coming having an actual striker would be nice but surely we could fit him in the cap and replace Bruno with another marquee player? 

We're not going to be able to fit him under the cap. Any striker being approached knows he's a replacement for Bruno, and is going to want more than can be made available by a departure or two. He'd certainly want more than Caceres. Remember we have to have a minimum number of players as well as keep within the cap.

Whoever replaces Bruno - assuming someone does - is going to have to be a marquee.

[HEARTinator]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

it doesn't consider the retail customers - us, the supporters, the fans. I don't think we would ever develop a big following unless we can hold some of our better players for multiple seasons and win trophies.

Correct. Buying young players and putting them through the sausage machine and then passing them on might make a lot of business sense but I can't see how it builds the support base. It becomes clear to people that our main function as a club is to feed the CFG machine. Graeme Arnold said during his time at Sydney that his role was to win trophies. That would be the MVFC mantra as well.

 

[Tommykins]

1 hour ago, Mr MO said:

I think most on here mean, is he marquee money worthy? No doubt he is a good A-League player.

For me it's a bit of a no-brainer. There are 6 seasons where players have scored at least 20 goals in a season and he owns two of them. Across the two full Fornaroli seasons we've had he outscored McClaren by 3 goals, 43 to 40, in a team that scored a lot less goals than City did across that period. 

[Mr MO]

7 minutes ago, Tommykins said:

For me it's a bit of a no-brainer. There are 6 seasons where players have scored at least 20 goals in a season and he owns two of them. Across the two full Fornaroli seasons we've had he outscored McClaren by 3 goals, 43 to 40, in a team that scored a lot less goals than City did across that period. 

Fornaroli earned his marquee contract based on performance, remember he was under the cap first. Secondly Mclaren can only join at a later stage in a season. I would rather see a replacement come in right now. Jamie Mclaren is a tap in type of striker, who plays borderline offside - this means we need to become more creative than we are now. I’m happy to have him, don’t get me wrong. People are mistaken based on what I’ve seen, he will not have the impact you would expect. He will drown too without a better 10 or improved wings. Was Mclaren marquee with Brisbane? How’s playing record in Europe? I don’t know.

[Afif Adam]

In Joyce We Trust, but this ain’t it chief 

[dconder13]

If Bruno is leaving, why wouldn’t we bring in a proven A league goal scorer with a really good record instead of another Visa experiment? It’s make or break heading into the second half of the season

[Afif Adam]

if we do sign him, it’ll be interesting to see who will fill the visa spot, hopefully a marquee cos Marquee Maclaren is a waste....under Joyce I wouldn’t be surprised if macca gets the Marquee money and Bart pulls a Timmy, we’re fooked

[jw1739]

Let's face it, none of us knows anything at this point. It's all speculation.

I thought we'd announce Baccus as soon as the window opened, but that hasn't happened yet.

[Mr MO]

2 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

Let's face it, none of us knows anything at this point. It's all speculation.

I thought we'd announce Baccus as soon as the window opened, but that hasn't happened yet.

True, we are all hoping something to happen - in fact it’s been the same every season, we do very little in January.

[jw1739]

5 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

True, we are all hoping something to happen - in fact it’s been the same every season, we do very little in January.

Well, if you don't go all the way in the Cup and aren't in the ACL then there are only 27 matches to talk about. Most of the Forum is taken up with gossip, speculation and off-field stuff.

[Inchcolm]

I believe it will be an Australian player. Having listened to Joyce's latest interview, he clear states and reiterated that he likes Aussies was that a big hint????

[jw1739]

2 minutes ago, Inchcolm said:

I believe it will be an Australian player. Having listened to Joyce's latest interview, he clear states and reiterated that he likes Aussies was that a big hint????

To me that was very clear indeed, and, following on from reports of what Simon Pearce said, the future direction CFG is going to take with Melbourne City is pretty clear. More Australians, and more young Australians.

[DukeVader]

So whats the point of the worldwide City scouting network? Replacing our greatest ever player with an Aussie striker we will know about and not utilising a marquee spot properly. I like McLaren decent striker but the Heart could of recruited him as a marquee? Surely theres a Bobo type around that this scouting network knows about?

[johnno cpfc]

4 minutes ago, DukeVader said:

So whats the point of the worldwide City scouting network? Replacing our greatest ever player with an Aussie striker we will know about and not utilising a marquee spot properly. I like McLaren decent striker but the Heart could of recruited him as a marquee? Surely theres a Bobo type around that this scouting network knows about?

That's as may be but you have take into account Wazza .