WPM 2023/24 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

YoungHeartHM

So much for this visa spot being allocated to a CB. Lots of midfielders though! Also see that he can play RB too.

Whatever Chiefy has got cooking, it's a bloody eclectic mix so far. 

Maybe Chiefy sees him as a CB or maybe we have landed a domestic CB?

How is Taylor Schrijvers going in Australia?

He could have Tommy Smith lined up for CB. Hasn't he just left Colchester

reg22

How is Taylor Schrijvers going in Australia?

it is enough for me to hear a name "Taylor" mentioned in a context of a defensive recruitment to feel Schrijvers running down my spine.  On a closer look, it is not that Taylor.

reg22

How is Taylor Schrijvers going in Australia?

15 games for Green Gully who are 7th in the Vic NPL.

https://us.soccerway.com/players/taylor-schrijvers/432729/

https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&client=0-10178-151203-617938-21697630&pID=209296621&pname=T%20Schrijvers&news_task=DETAIL

How does the Costa Rican league compare to A-League? I’d guess lower? Did Cunningham come from that league too? 

Not really that impressed with this signing if we’re trying to mould him into a CB I felt when we were targeting another CB it’d be an experienced leader to help settle the back line but we do still need midfielders so I’d rather we’d play him in his natural position. 

He's an international though.

wilbaker

How does the Costa Rican league compare to A-League? I’d guess lower? Did Cunningham come from that league too? 

Not really that impressed with this signing if we’re trying to mould him into a CB I felt when we were targeting another CB it’d be an experienced leader to help settle the back line but we do still need midfielders so I’d rather we’d play him in his natural position. 

Kenny was signed from The Strongest in Bolivia. 

I've come round to the idea of Tommy Smith. Left foot, a 'Kiwi', hugely experienced, vocal (unlike Wootton) leader and a bit of a scrapper. He got involved in a lot of niggle in the MLS, including with opposition team's fans. If Nix supporters want another niggly Siggy, Manny Muscat type - he'd provide it.

Age and how he'd go in those hot Aussie conditions against him. But the MLS is summer league. He'd need to be cheap, and NZ may just be too far away for his UK raised family. But he may now have few club options, if he wants to try to make WC 2026.

wilbaker

How does the Costa Rican league compare to A-League? I’d guess lower? Did Cunningham come from that league too? 

Not really that impressed with this signing if we’re trying to mould him into a CB I felt when we were targeting another CB it’d be an experienced leader to help settle the back line but we do still need midfielders so I’d rather we’d play him in his natural position. 

This guy is 5'8" and seems to be more of a deep lying playmaker if anything. I think if we are looking at him then we're probably looking at him as a replacement for Clayton Lewis.

Note that in his 6 appearances for Costa Rica, he plays CM/AM roles.

YoungHeartHM

wilbaker

How does the Costa Rican league compare to A-League? I’d guess lower? Did Cunningham come from that league too? 

Not really that impressed with this signing if we’re trying to mould him into a CB I felt when we were targeting another CB it’d be an experienced leader to help settle the back line but we do still need midfielders so I’d rather we’d play him in his natural position. 

This guy is 5'8" and seems to be more of a deep lying playmaker if anything. I think if we are looking at him then we're probably looking at a replacement for Clayton Lewis.

Note that in his 6 appearances for Costa Rica, he plays CM/AM roles.

 
Yeah at 5’8 he definitely won’t be played as a CB then. I was more under the impression he’d be scrappy DM like Devlin looking at his yellow cards. He’s got 72 in 198 appearances and only a handful of assists.

Theory.. we are getting both an import CM and CB 

Zawada is leaving and we are replacing him with both Krishna and Rojas to play up front with Ball and Kosta 

wilbaker

YoungHeartHM

wilbaker

How does the Costa Rican league compare to A-League? I’d guess lower? Did Cunningham come from that league too? 

Not really that impressed with this signing if we’re trying to mould him into a CB I felt when we were targeting another CB it’d be an experienced leader to help settle the back line but we do still need midfielders so I’d rather we’d play him in his natural position. 

This guy is 5'8" and seems to be more of a deep lying playmaker if anything. I think if we are looking at him then we're probably looking at a replacement for Clayton Lewis.

Note that in his 6 appearances for Costa Rica, he plays CM/AM roles.

 
Yeah at 5’8 he definitely won’t be played as a CB then. I was more under the impression he’d be scrappy DM like Devlin looking at his yellow cards. He’s got 72 in 198 appearances and only a handful of assists.

Screenshot_2023-05-29-20-28-14-09_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg 245.33 KB

Quick mockup of how it may look, based on hypotheticals/rumours, and chuck in a few academy lads for now, forgot to add Kelly-Heald/Supyk (LB).  

Apologies to Oskar van Hattum too, as it only gives two options but would have put him on the wings or have him as a second striker in a slightly tweaked formation playing off of Zawada (assuming he is staying that is) as a second striker.

Kraev x Zawada x Rojas excites me. That midfield as it stands wouldn't fill me with a lot of confidence, and that defence still actually terrifies the shark out of me.

In saying that, as a tweak upon an already fictitious formation. Conchie swapped in place of Rufer, who in turn transitions to CB?

I love the off-season. 😅

Rojas isn't happening. Has been reported he wants to return to NZ, but that's just a bad assumption made by a Twitter account over there, he's a kiwi and wants to return home/where he is comfortable, so of course (in that account's mind) that is NZ. 

I'm very confident he will be back at the Victory next season. Would be stoked if we got him but can't see it happening. Victory will be very keen to have him back given their struggles and his popularity with their fanbase, and the Nix are not ambitious enough to try to tempt him here instead of there. 

Don't see it that Nix ain't ambitious enough to tempt Rojas to Welly. 
It's more Melbs (or Aussie) is his home now. It's not like he will have any special fond memories of his time with the Nix, or has ever espoused his love for the club or anything. He's done that plenty of times with the VUC.

If Zawada goes. They have got to get another import striker.  Should have a decent budget if you add the money from selling Zawada + what ever he was earning.
There are no locals that can fill that role. 
Don't like the sound of an ageing Kosta, Ball, Rojas, Krishna type front line. Full of players, playing out there carers for a last couple of pay checks.
I like what the Nix have been doing with there imports and getting in guys in the mid-late 20's that still have something to prove.

i should have qualified my statement that if it were a possibility he could be tempted, and he wasn't singlemindedly focused on going back to Melbourne, even then the nix wouldn't be ambitious enough to win a race for him

coochiee

Don't see it that Nix ain't ambitious enough to tempt Rojas to Welly. 
It's more Melbs (or Aussie) is his home now. It's not like he will have any special fond memories of his time with the Nix, or has ever espoused his love for the club or anything. He's done that plenty of times with the VUC.

 

imanixsupporter

i should have qualified my statement that if it were a possibility he could be tempted, and he wasn't singlemindedly focused on going back to Melbourne, even then the nix wouldn't be ambitious enough to win a race for him

coochiee

Don't see it that Nix ain't ambitious enough to tempt Rojas to Welly. 
It's more Melbs (or Aussie) is his home now. It's not like he will have any special fond memories of his time with the Nix, or has ever espoused his love for the club or anything. He's done that plenty of times with the VUC.

 

So by ambition you mean a very high wage offer, for a guy who could just be half hearted about coming to the Nix. As soon as Rojas had a few poor games upon a Phoenix return, I'd just have the nagging doubt he didn't want to be there apart from the coin. Actually I see Rojas as having the moral compass, to rule out any ALM clubs where his heart wasn't in it.

But different to Barba who is from Welly (and has family there), whilst Krishna is a bit of a club legend.

The point I was ultimately trying to make is that Rojas isn't coming here. I meant in the hypothetical situation where Rojas could be swayed either way, the Nix would never win a battle for a player against a team like Victory. The nix will meekly allow any other A-League club to pick up any of our players who are off contract and will never put their foot down and say "no, it is a priority for us to retain this player, we will pay what it takes". As a general rule, we only sign players if other A-League clubs don't want them, and as soon as they do well enough to interest other A-League clubs we know it is only a matter of time before they go. 

I'm not saying this is good or bad, it is probably sensible for the nix, and of course it is always best when your squad is full of hungry players who want to be here and not players who are only here because they are being overpaid and would rather be elsewhere. But this is the reality and this is what I was getting at. 

By using words like ambition and meek you are saying it's bad and also ignoring the financial reality.

Melbourne is the biggest team in the comp and even then their reckless spending means their future is in doubt. If the Phoenix carried the sort of debt the victory are rumoured to be carrying then they'd go bust. I doubt there's private equity waiting in the wings to "save"  the Phoenix like what the Melbourne owners were forced to do, they're going to lose control of the club.

Ryan

By using words like ambition and meek you are saying it's bad and also ignoring the financial reality.

Melbourne is the biggest team in the comp and even then their reckless spending means their future is in doubt. If the Phoenix carried the sort of debt the victory are rumoured to be carrying then they'd go bust. I doubt there's private equity waiting in the wings to "save"  the Phoenix like what the Melbourne owners were forced to do, they're going to lose control of the club.

While I am not sure how bad the Victory financial trouble is, in contrast I think Morrison & Co have shown themselves to be good businesspeople and our club is on solid footing.  
Yes it might be disappointing that the coaches have to recruit according to their budget and not according to the fans' ambitions, but I would rather have a club I can support for years to come as they scrape through to the finals, than a club that wins the GF only to go cap in hand to the market for investment when they can't pay the wages.  

Victory still have Brillante and Ikonomidis signed till next season both on big wages so they may not have the wage budget to sign Rojas as I'd expect them to look for a visa ST like Toivonen level if they wanna compete again.

wilbaker

Victory still have Brillante and Ikonomidis signed till next season both on big wages so they may not have the wage budget to sign Rojas as I'd expect them to look for a visa ST like Toivonen level if they wanna compete again.

They are actively trying to offload them. Brillante has been linked to Western, with Victory paying some of his wages.

Also, they have the option to cancel Nani's second season cuz he didn't play enough games.

Interesting to see Costa Rican fans in the replies to tweet thinking its a step down to move to the A-League & he should take the MLS offer if it gets tabled. They might actually rate this guy.

RR

wilbaker

Victory still have Brillante and Ikonomidis signed till next season both on big wages so they may not have the wage budget to sign Rojas as I'd expect them to look for a visa ST like Toivonen level if they wanna compete again.

They are actively trying to offload them. Brillante has been linked to Western, with Victory paying some of his wages.

Also, they have the option to cancel Nani's second season cuz he didn't play enough games.

Fingers crossed they won't be able to offload them quickly enough so we can get ahead of negotiations with Rojas if we are interested.

RR

Interesting to see Costa Rican fans in the replies to tweet thinking its a step down to move to the A-League & he should take the MLS offer if it gets tabled. They might actually rate this guy.

Orlando is probably 2 hour flight at most from San Jose. There will be other Latinos in the team, plus a massive Latino community in sunny Florida full stop. The MLS is a higher standard. I imagine the decision will be a no brainer for the guy if it is two comparable financial offers.

Chiefy being half Italian/half Peruvian likely speaks some pretty good Italiano & Espanol. Handy for recruitment chats.

Kaltack's success will be a good thing for the likes of JHS, Schrivers, De Vries etc. Be interesting to see who Chiefy invites in to trial

Jason Pine @pineynz

Agreed.

Kaltack’s just been named in the PFA TOTY in his first season after 5 years playing in our domestic top flight.

How about talking about Kiwis in our own backyard who are consistently performing in our own league… give boys a chance. 

coochiee

RR

Interesting to see Costa Rican fans in the replies to tweet thinking its a step down to move to the A-League & he should take the MLS offer if it gets tabled. They might actually rate this guy.

Orlando is probably 2 hour flight at most from San Jose. There will be other Latinos in the team, plus a massive Latino community in sunny Florida full stop. The MLS is a higher standard. I imagine the decision will be a no brainer for the guy if it is two comparable financial offers.

Chiefy being half Italian/half Peruvian likely speaks some pretty good Italiano & Espanol. Handy for recruitment chats.

The translation of this tweet makes it sound like we are much further ahead in the process than any MLS interest.

https://twitter.com/KevinJimenezCR/status/1663243007301124097

 

Any one able to translate? 2ndBest found this interview on Twitter

https://twitter.com/tigosports_cr/status/1663021333620432896

“My agent told me there is interest from Australia, or New Zealand and also MLS. We haven’t spoken much because the season is finishing” he then gets asked where do you want to go and he says “wherever i can, its my dream to make a good living from my wife, daughter and family”. 

RR

Any one able to translate? 2ndBest found this interview on Twitter

https://twitter.com/tigosports_cr/status/1663021333620432896

He’s still contracted at his club so we’re going to be paying a fee for him? Italiano must really rate him 

wilbaker

He’s still contracted at his club so we’re going to be paying a fee for him? Italiano must really rate him 

would that be the first time we've actually paid for a player?

theprof

wilbaker

He’s still contracted at his club so we’re going to be paying a fee for him? Italiano must really rate him 

would that be the first time we've actually paid for a player?

We paid for Reno. But no, I would presume we won't be paying, surely more likely he'll negotiate a release from his contract. The A League favourite, mutual termination perhaps

Jazzy Jeff

theprof

wilbaker

He’s still contracted at his club so we’re going to be paying a fee for him? Italiano must really rate him 

would that be the first time we've actually paid for a player?

We paid for Reno. But no, I would presume we won't be paying, surely more likely he'll negotiate a release from his contract. The A League favourite, mutual termination perhaps

Could be a loan for a year? Maybe he just wants to visit NZ :)

What ever the case may be this could be a really good signing for us. Pretty much everywhere I look the Costa Rican football league is rated as better than the A-League. Normally I don't pay much interest to that because I think our League is underrated and South American leagues overrated but he is in the best team in that league by a longshot and he is a locked on starter. I mean they've won the league four seasons straight from 2020 and 38 times overall.

If anyone has some other insight into the league I'd be interested. Doesn't sound like we have him yet but the signs are positive I guess.

Jazzy Jeff

theprof

wilbaker

He’s still contracted at his club so we’re going to be paying a fee for him? Italiano must really rate him 

would that be the first time we've actually paid for a player?

We paid for Reno. But no, I would presume we won't be paying, surely more likely he'll negotiate a release from his contract. The A League favourite, mutual termination perhaps

He plays every week so seems important to the team, is high profile/quality enough to have played the second 45 minutes at the World Cup against Germany and is an asset in demand by several clubs, what would be the motivation for Saprissa to voluntarily release him for nothing? Transfer fees aren't common in the A League, but MLS teams always pay fees. 

The Piscopo fee was a partial reinvestment of the Singh windfall, maybe the Phoenix have another windfall set to come in soon?

anaveragestem

Jazzy Jeff

theprof

wilbaker

He’s still contracted at his club so we’re going to be paying a fee for him? Italiano must really rate him 

would that be the first time we've actually paid for a player?

We paid for Reno. But no, I would presume we won't be paying, surely more likely he'll negotiate a release from his contract. The A League favourite, mutual termination perhaps

Could be a loan for a year? Maybe he just wants to visit NZ :)

What ever the case may be this could be a really good signing for us. Pretty much everywhere I look the Costa Rican football league is rated as better than the A-League. Normally I don't pay much interest to that because I think our League is underrated and South American leagues overrated but he is in the best team in that league by a longshot and he is a locked on starter. I mean they've won the league four seasons straight from 2020 and 38 times overall.

If anyone has some other insight into the league I'd be interested. Doesn't sound like we have him yet but the signs are positive I guess.

I don’t have much insight but Yeltsin Tejeda, Celso Borges, Gerson Torres, Jewison Bennette, Keysher Fuller and Anthony Contreras were all playing for Costa Rican clubs when they started vs the All Whites last year. 

Most of them were at Herediano but there were some at Saprissa, including the giant Kendall Waston who came off the bench.

My read of the league is that the top teams (Saprissa, Alajuelense and Herediano) are very good and could probably challenge for the A-League title every season, but that there might be a bit of a drop off in quality lower down the ladder.

Friar Tuck

anaveragestem

Jazzy Jeff

theprof

wilbaker

He’s still contracted at his club so we’re going to be paying a fee for him? Italiano must really rate him 

would that be the first time we've actually paid for a player?

We paid for Reno. But no, I would presume we won't be paying, surely more likely he'll negotiate a release from his contract. The A League favourite, mutual termination perhaps

Could be a loan for a year? Maybe he just wants to visit NZ :)

What ever the case may be this could be a really good signing for us. Pretty much everywhere I look the Costa Rican football league is rated as better than the A-League. Normally I don't pay much interest to that because I think our League is underrated and South American leagues overrated but he is in the best team in that league by a longshot and he is a locked on starter. I mean they've won the league four seasons straight from 2020 and 38 times overall.

If anyone has some other insight into the league I'd be interested. Doesn't sound like we have him yet but the signs are positive I guess.

I don’t have much insight but Yeltsin Tejeda, Celso Borges, Gerson Torres, Jewison Bennette, Keysher Fuller and Anthony Contreras were all playing for Costa Rican clubs when they started vs the All Whites last year. 

Most of them were at Herediano but there were some at Saprissa, including the giant Kendall Waston who came off the bench.

My read of the league is that the top teams (Saprissa, Alajuelense and Herediano) are very good and could probably challenge for the A-League title every season, but that there might be a bit of a drop off in quality lower down the ladder.

Saprissa has produced a lot of the best Cost Rican players of late - Navas, Joel Campbell, Tejeda, Oviedo, Duarte, etc. Given how dominant they are I would imagine that any player from Saprissa would be fairly good in the A League

Yeah if your looking at the squad values of both leagues it’d suggest the A-League is better but I’m not sure if player value is the best indicator but definitely gives some idea.

anaveragestem

Jazzy Jeff

theprof

wilbaker

He’s still contracted at his club so we’re going to be paying a fee for him? Italiano must really rate him 

would that be the first time we've actually paid for a player?

We paid for Reno. But no, I would presume we won't be paying, surely more likely he'll negotiate a release from his contract. The A League favourite, mutual termination perhaps

Could be a loan for a year? Maybe he just wants to visit NZ :)

What ever the case may be this could be a really good signing for us. Pretty much everywhere I look the Costa Rican football league is rated as better than the A-League. Normally I don't pay much interest to that because I think our League is underrated and South American leagues overrated but he is in the best team in that league by a longshot and he is a locked on starter. I mean they've won the league four seasons straight from 2020 and 38 times overall.

If anyone has some other insight into the league I'd be interested. Doesn't sound like we have him yet but the signs are positive I guess.

I remember that alot of CR's older 30+ 'golden generation' including Kendall Weston, returned to the CR league last season from other countries prior the big NZ playoff game. So that presumably gave the CR league a boost.

Deportivo Saprissa made the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League round of 16, losing on agg 6-3 (2 legs) to Mexico's Pumas UNAM.
Pumas UNAM going on to lose the 2 legged final to the Seattle Sounders. Alajuelense were the only CR side to make this year's Round of 16 CONCACAF Champions League.

Salas missed the AWs June '22 playoff, but went to the Qatar WC, subbed on against Germany (HT) & Japan (89 mins). Being recalled after last playing in a Feb 2022 WC qualifier against Jamaica. This season his first at big local club DS, after being at smaller CR League clubs prior.
https://us.soccerway.com/players/youstin-delfin-salas-gomez/279658/

Mainland FC

Ryan

By using words like ambition and meek you are saying it's bad and also ignoring the financial reality.

Melbourne is the biggest team in the comp and even then their reckless spending means their future is in doubt. If the Phoenix carried the sort of debt the victory are rumoured to be carrying then they'd go bust. I doubt there's private equity waiting in the wings to "save"  the Phoenix like what the Melbourne owners were forced to do, they're going to lose control of the club.

While I am not sure how bad the Victory financial trouble is, in contrast I think Morrison & Co have shown themselves to be good businesspeople and our club is on solid footing.  
Yes it might be disappointing that the coaches have to recruit according to their budget and not according to the fans' ambitions, but I would rather have a club I can support for years to come as they scrape through to the finals, than a club that wins the GF only to go cap in hand to the market for investment when they can't pay the wages.  

Basically the auditors told the Victory they were bankrupt and the owners couldn't cover the losses. They lost something like 6 million last season alone and one of the reasons the APL had to sell the finals series is they'd loaned Victory millions of dollars that hadn't been paid back.

Victory sold a minority stake to a private equity firm with some pretty terrible terms, it's something like in 5 years the private equity firm will be paid back what they've put in with 10% compounding interest or they'll take 70% ownership of the club. People only make deals like that if their backs are against the wall.

Yet, with bankruptcy looming over them, they still went out and bought Nani, probably in the hope that they'd be fighting for the toilet seat rather than the wooden spoon, it's absolutely insane.

So yes, I'd rather have a club than try and outbid such recklessness, because the Victory can survive by finding an American Private Equity firm, the Phoenix probably can't.