Marquee men have the power to please

[cgorac]

IT WAS the concept meant to revolutionise the A-League. Instead the marquee rule, enabling one club to purchase a player outside the salary cap, has produced a mixed bag.

Before Alessandro Del Piero signed with Sydney FC, so on the nose was the strategy that four of the 10 clubs didn't have a marquee player of any kind this season - and only half the clubs boasted foreign marquees.

But such has been the instant impact of Del Piero that clubs around the league have begun to wonder if they too could stir the imagination of fans with a marquee signing.

In truth, nothing out there is quite on the level of the Azzurri legend, for he is one of the world's truly great players. But that hasn't stopped other clubs from seeing what other talent is available to help build the buzz that's surrounded the competition in the past week.

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Even teams who have already signed foreign marquees have been looking to see if they could rearrange their signings to fit those players under the cap to accommodate one of the big names available on the open market.

Here's a selection of the best potential marquee options that might be tempted by a move to the A-League.

Could these be the A-League next marquees?

Emile Heskey, 34

 

As of yesterday morning, the deal to bring Heskey to Newcastle is done. He's a proven target man, and his style of play means he could play at the top level for another season or two. He's not a prolific striker but he'll take the attention of defenders away from Ryan Griffiths, and the pair could easily fire Newcastle into contention this season.

 

Shinji Ono, 32

 

In Japan, Ono is held in the kind of rarefied air set aside for Hidetoshi Nakata and ex-Sydney FC star ''Kazu'' Miura. While he's no longer in the Japanese team, he remains one of the country's most recognisable football figures. With revelations that he's close to agreeing terms with Western Sydney, expect the new club to welcome a flurry of Japanese supporters if the deal comes off.

 

Michael Ballack, 35

 

Has he signed or hasn't he? Is there interest or not? Will he be a Wanderer or something else entirely? The speculation about the former German international is at fever pitch although where he'll end up, nobody knows. However, it seems his $1.6 million asking price needs to be lowered to get an Australian club interested.

 

Juan Roman Riquelme, 34

 

An idol of the football cognoscenti worldwide. He wasn't quite Argentina's replacement for Diego Maradona but he provided the genius until Lionel Messi came along. His skill is on par with Del Piero - perhaps even exceeding it for raw ability - and he remains unplayable when in the right mood. At least one A-League club has sought to make contact in recent weeks.

 

Eidur Gudjohnsen, 34

 

A star for Chelsea and Barcelona, Gudjohnsen is keen to test himself in new markets, and recently was on trial with MLS club Seattle Sounders but they couldn't fit him into the salary cap. A proven striker with top pedigree, he's younger than some of the other options, and his record for club and country speaks for itself.

 

Guti, 35

 

For those who've come to obsess about Spanish football in recent times, the prospect of one of Real Madrid's former stars running around in Australia is salivating. He has been training with West Ham recently, and while he hasn't played in almost a year, his rare technical gifts surely haven't left him. He could provide a bargain buy if his fitness levels haven't dropped.

 

Thomas Hitzlsperger, 30

 

He's the right age, and with more than 50 international caps to his name, he's the type of signing that could silence those who think this is a ''retirement league''. Nicknamed ''The Hammer'' for his penchant for spectacular long-range strikes, he is being courted by Everton but would be a top signing for any A-League club. Having played for Aston Villa, Wolfsburg and Lazio, his pedigree isn't in question.

 

John Carew, 33

 

Once among the most coveted strikers in Spain when he was banging them in for Valencia, Carew's career has stalled in recent years since moving to the English Premier League. However, Australia is the kind of league where he could become a sensation. He is linked with Celtic but the Norwegian remains an intriguing prospect.

The next level down …

 

Fabio Grosso, 34 - Italian World Cup winner has shown interest in Australia.

Freddie Ljungberg, 35 - former Arsenal star is also interested after recently leaving the J-League.

Hernan Crespo, 37 - recent deal with the collapsed Indian league never eventuated.

David Carney, 28 - Socceroo set to be released by Uzbek club Bunyodkor.

Owen Hargreaves, 31 - former England international believes he can still play at the top level.

 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/marquee-men-have-the-power-to-please-20120921-26c3n.html#ixzz27SZo4AdY

[Kraken]

Not carney please god no. Also hasnt Hargreaves signed with Stoke over a week ago?

[TWayServiceCrew]

Also hasnt Hargreaves signed with Stoke over a week ago?

 

Apparently he was going to sign but pushed to hard on the pen and tore a hamstring

[cgorac]

I would love Juan Roman Riquelme he is one of my favorite players and would be a perfect number 10 if the number is vacent as he is an attaching midfielder. and from the world game showing our squad we only have 4 midfielders and plenty of strikers and defenders.

[Mattski]

Carney isn't a marquee's arsehole. Unless of course marquee means sitting on the bench and getting no game time whilst obtaining automatic national team selection

[BigDukes]

Riquelme or hitselzberger for me

 

Them 2 would be at the top of my favourites list

[Iggsta]

Guti for me. Although he loves to party and is pretty lazy, his passing is ridiculous.

[FootballRelic]

A big NO to David Carney as a marquee. The only position he would fill adequately is as a body double for the invisible man "always out of position".

 

Although you would easy find him on the park by looking for the splinters moving through mid air, acquired from all the bench warming time spent in recent years.

 

I would not be impressed if WSW was even considering him as a marquee.

[moxey25]

Yeah, I laughed at this. This article came out like 2 days after we wrote one http://www.thefootballsack.com/2012/09/del-piero-heskey-whos-else.html - almost exactly the same. Coincidence?

 

Also hasnt Hargreaves signed with Stoke over a week ago?

 

Apparently he was going to sign but pushed to hard on the pen and tore a hamstring

 

I lol'd.

Edited September 25, 2012 by moxey25

[blameturner]

Also hasnt Hargreaves signed with Stoke over a week ago?

 

Apparently he was going to sign but pushed to hard on the pen and tore a hamstring

 

hHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHahAHahAH!

[matty]

I would love Juan Roman Riquelme he is one of my favorite players and would be a perfect number 10 if the number is vacent as he is an attaching midfielder. and from the world game showing our squad we only have 4 midfielders and plenty of strikers and defenders.

 

There were 2 or 3 players listed as defenders that could really play midfield though cgorac. I noticed that too though.

[Trojan]

I would love Juan Roman Riquelme he is one of my favorite players and would be a perfect number 10 if the number is vacent as he is an attaching midfielder. and from the world game showing our squad we only have 4 midfielders and plenty of strikers and defenders.

 

On juans day.. He would rip this league a newasshole.. My opition he shits on adp for ability.. Control.. Composure .. Skill..etc

If wanderers sign him i will lose it

[theguyyouwishyouwere]

im still gunning for Ono.

[WanderersFC]

Ballack as DM, and Riquelme as AM, and were set.

[wilsonpastore]

if gudjonsen showed interest to the mls, then theres no reason why sage wouldnt be able to try and possibly tempt him over, or the bakries for that matter

[GD07]

Guti would be good if he was motivated. He could open a can of soup with that left foot of his.

[ATP]

Anybody remember Deco? I wonder if he could be enticed out here from brazilian league?

[Taurus]

Definately no announcements will be made on Friday.

[montywoodpeg]

Definately no announcements will be made on Friday.

 

Why do you say that? (Are you being sarcastic?)

 

The FFA has said they will be announcing their marquee signing tomorrow morning via facebook and twitter.

[Davo]

Definately no announcements will be made on Friday.

 

The official A-League twitter account (@ALeague) posted "Big signing to be announced by Wanderers camp in the morning. Any ideas @ALeague fans?"

 

I'd prefer if they waited until after the grand finals but it could be tomorrow.

[Taurus]

All these sources must know more than the Executive Chairman.

[montywoodpeg]

All these sources must know more than the Executive Chairman.

 

Care to elaborate?

[Davo]

All these sources must know more than the Executive Chairman.

 

Not saying you're wrong, just sharing what's out there. The A-League twitter account seems like a pretty reliable source but if you've spoken directly to the man with the plan then it's hard to argue with that.

[Benched]

Could the man with the plan be saying no coz he doesn't wan't to let the cat out of the bag.

[Taurus]

I asked him last night whether we should venture to Bankstown airport to met any new signings possibly arriving by helicopter and his responce was, why, , not tomorrow.

[Erebus]

And yet we all just got an email confirming A-Train has just signed.