Squad Development 2019/20 Part 1

[Pup55]

Berisha is done. He was one of the great A League strikers 4-5 years ago. But he is done.

If he turns out to be our "marquee" number 9, the coach, club, and owners are taking the piss in what they've been saying / promising all off season.

 

[mack]

I still don't know why we haven't managed to punt Nizic yet. What does he think he's going to accomplish doing nothing all year that he couldn't do by accepting a payout?

As for Berisha, he has mentality in spades and is the highest ever A-League scorer. Ross McCormack did well for Melbourne City although I'm not sure on the mentality or physical fitness front there.

How about this bloke? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathas_de_Jesus - 6 foot 3, bit of a journeyman but seems to pick up goals pretty regularly, played for Hannover in the Bundesliga and did a decent job. I suspect his injury problems were the major reason he was released rather than his ability. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Rivière - Might be out of our league, French youth international, seems to be as much of a wing-forward than an outright striker, whole career has been at pretty high level clubs.

Here's someone I think might be in our range - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Pedersen - Scored an absolute shedload of goals in Norway. Missed a lot of the last season because of a knee injury (seems to have been in training or possibly some kind of accident outside of football), I guess it depends on what the injury was and when/if he's better.

[Pup55]

Nizic is a park footballer on 100k (apparently) a year.

Why the hell would he leave if the next club he joins will make him pay a rego fee.

[mack]

Because we've told him he's never going to play for us and we're offering him a full payout to mutually terminate the contract?

[wswnick]

15 minutes ago, mack said:

Because we've told him he's never going to play for us and we're offering him a full payout to mutually terminate the contract?

Does the payout count to our cap for the season?

[mack]

If it's a "mutual" termination then it doesn't. If we just sack him then it does.

[Sithslayer1991]

Berisha would be a bench player at best. He hasn't played regularly in a year and people were already criticising  him in his last A-league season with Victory because he was slowing down. We would literally have him as an impact player not a starter. Not that there is anything wrong with that but seems like a massive downgrade when we are looking for a person to be in the starting squad punching 20 goals a season.

Can't see Berisha removing Yeboah or Duke from the line up, and you end up in an awkward position where maybe Adam would displace Berisha from the bench possibly. The pro is that he got his citizenship before he left so we are not wasting a visa spot and the backroom mentality

[Pup55]

After spending the entire train trip home searching for realistic marquee number 9s, I can confirm that WSW will be signing Milan Skoda from Slavia Prague.

Announce Skoda!!

Edited September 12, 2019 by Pup55

[TwoLeftFoots]

2 minutes ago, Sithslayer1991 said:

Berisha would be a bench player at best. He hasn't played regularly in a year and people were already criticising  him in his last A-league season with Victory because he was slowing down. We would literally have him as an impact player not a starter. Not that there is anything wrong with that but seems like a massive downgrade when we are looking for a person to be in the starting squad punching 20 goals a season.

Can't see Berisha removing Yeboah or Duke from the line up, and you end up in an awkward position where maybe Adam would displace Berisha from the bench possibly. The pro is that he got his citizenship before he left so we are not wasting a visa spot and the backroom mentality

Playing with 2 up front, and wanting competition for spots I'd take him under the cap no question. He may be older and slower but still capable and may teach the younger guys a few things .  Still need to chase the marquee but to me looks like only 3 players for 2 spots up front atm. 5 would be better for genuine competition and injury coverage.

[sonar]

You want your main striker fit,able to play for 90 min or at least 75 min at a reasonable pace,can stay injury free,and will last a season. After the Bulut debacle we were left with Santa who didn't play full games due to injury and Lachie Scott who was not an A league standard striker..Riera was class in his first season but seem to have tapered off in his second. Was slow at times. Does Berisha fit the bill. ? I don't doubt his ability but age does catch up with you.I would be concerned about injuries for him and not being able to sustain the pace that MB wants to play. Interesting to see who we get.

Edited September 12, 2019 by sonar

[THEWANDERERSPOST]

34 minutes ago, Pup55 said:

After spending the entire train trip home searching for realistic marquee number 9s, I can confirm that WSW will be signing Milan Skoda from Slavia Prague.

Announce Skoda!!

He looks alright judging on stats. I'd probably take him tbh

[WanderingToqui]

Berisha  can be this season's Santalab.

A rabid, hungry war beast to unleash for the last 20 mins of a game.

Defender's Westie nightmare.

[Pup55]

That hungry striker coming on for 20 mins with a point to prove and run and terrorise defenders will be Kwame Yeboah or Mitch Duke......

In games that are already done, someone like Mo Adam will be given time to shine and a chance to impress.

We DO NOT need Berisha.

[THEWANDERERSPOST]

Let's face it anyway, Berisha probably wants marquee money. I can't see us getting him if we want him AND a big name CF. As I said though, because its taking so long it suggests we are trying to get a player out of his contract. Hopefully a signing within the next week or 2.

[Sithslayer1991]

5 minutes ago, Pup55 said:

That hungry striker coming on for 20 mins with a point to prove and run and terrorise defenders will be Kwame Yeboah or Mitch Duke......

In games that are already done, someone like Mo Adam will be given time to shine and a chance to impress.

We DO NOT need Berisha.

That is why I am against Berisha. It essentially may push Adam out due to experience when this is the season you want him on the bench. If we have another striker I want it to be a person that pushes Yeboah and Duke for that starting spot.

[StringerBellend]

It's Omar Niasse

 

The Covert Bellend

Edited September 12, 2019 by StringerBellend

[Westiesarebesties]

56 minutes ago, Sithslayer1991 said:

That is why I am against Berisha. It essentially may push Adam out due to experience when this is the season you want him on the bench. If we have another striker I want it to be a person that pushes Yeboah and Duke for that starting spot.

Couldn't see duke getting knocked off starter, he is out captain. Though a marquee with yeboah fighting for a spot would be solid front line

[hawks2767]

We shouldn't be so quick to judge Bulut because we don't know how he'd go working for Babbel.

 

[StringerBellend]

5 minutes ago, hawks2767 said:

We shouldn't be so quick to judge Bulut because we don't know how he'd go working for Babbel.

 

Yes it will be different this time exactly like it wasn’t at the other 8 clubs 

[mack]

This is from SBS so take with a grain of salt. We're apparently going for Danny Graham.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Graham_(footballer)

Good scoring record in the Championship and League 1 last year and the year before. If his body holds up here with our awful pitches & weather conditions should be a good choice.

He won their player of the year award last year and is contracted at least for this season. Seems odd that they'd even want to terminate him. He's also played in every game for them so far in the league.

[wanderersfanatic]

Sbs was right about Jurman

[THEWANDERERSPOST]

I'd be happy with him. Hopefully it will happen. You'd think it would be confirmed if he gets released from Blackburn Rovers. Looks decent with a good goalscoring record. What is his injury history?

[THEWANDERERSPOST]

Did anyone notice Toivonen in the photo with him? https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/wanderers-eye-ex-premier-league-marksman-graham

[Paul01]

10 minutes ago, THEWANDERERSPOST said:

I'd be happy with him. Hopefully it will happen. You'd think it would be confirmed if he gets released from Blackburn Rovers. Looks decent with a good goalscoring record. What is his injury history?

Hardly missed a game in the last 2 seasons.

[Pup55]

What happened to the marquee number 9 / big name to bring the crowds in?

Schwegler is our marquee man.

[StringerBellend]

35 minutes ago, THEWANDERERSPOST said:

I'd be happy with him. Hopefully it will happen. You'd think it would be confirmed if he gets released from Blackburn Rovers. Looks decent with a good goalscoring record. What is his injury history?

I’d rather Berisha 

[Taurus]

43 minutes ago, wanderersfanatic said:

Sbs was right about Jurman

They had to get one right eventually

[Pup55]

So it looks like we've decided to settle on a mid ranger because all the other options have run out of time with the season only weeks away now.

Graham is a safe bet who will probably do a job for 12 months. But he's no marquee.

[mack]

The chances of getting a super high quality marquee at the level Lederer & co were willing to finance was almost negligible in the first place. It's hard enough for teams to find quality strikers without adding in a "bling" factor (ie, at Cahill Rule or Guest Star level). And some of those players have done nothing for their club in the long term. Cahill, ADP, Honda, Heskey, all came and went without doing that much for their clubs.

My view is that a player who scores and wins games will do more to bring people in that a player who has a big fancy name but with a team that isn't winning games.

If we're in the top 2, maybe even top 4, after the first month or so there's no reason we can't be drawing 25k to games.

[sonar]

One thing that Babbel has done is that the players he has bought in have performed ( so far). You would then have to assume that the striker will be of the same ilk ( quality ).

Have to give the manager the benefit of doubt until player form says otherwise. He didn't mince words about Baumjohann.Didn't put in at training and was dropped.

Edited September 12, 2019 by sonar