Squad Development 2021

[StringerBellend]

2 minutes ago, wswnick said:

The quote is from Ugarkovic's agent

I heard we offered a swap of McGowan, ODoherty and a Mars Bar.

The Jets held out for ODoherty a Mars Bar and a can of Fanta 

[Liv]

I wonder how urgarkovic would go playing centre back?

[MathyouWSW]

1 hour ago, Liv said:

I wonder how urgarkovic would go playing centre back?

He hasn't played in that position once since 2013.

Could be a good backup though if needed.

[Liv]

Thought as much, just we have soooo many midfielders and not enough (quality) centre backs

[Wobblies]

7 minutes ago, Liv said:

Thought as much, just we have soooo many midfielders and not enough (quality) centre backs

With having only 25% of possession against Esfc suggests to me a worrying lack of quality midfielders. However it may have something to do with tactics on the day, but looking at our dominance or rather lack of in the middle over the season so far, I fear it's more the former rather than the latter.   

[JustWandering]

2 hours ago, Liv said:

I wonder how urgarkovic would go playing centre back?

I expect that our centre backs will have less work to do when ugarkovic and dorrans are our CDMs.

[Zelinsky]

26 minutes ago, Ossified said:

With having only 25% of possession against Esfc suggests to me a worrying lack of quality midfielders. However it may have something to do with tactics on the day, but looking at our dominance or rather lack of in the middle over the season so far, I fear it's more the former rather than the latter.   

Weeeellll, having possession is one thing, doing something with it is another.

It's worth remembering that the Smurfs won the double last season with that squad minus FeFondre, the only "newcomer" is Bobo. In contrast, of our starting line up, only three (1) had played a competitive gave for WSW before Dec 2020. Gordon, Dorrans, Troisi, Ibini, Mutch, Duke all arrived late, Kamau had no preseason prep, Ziegler and Mutch lack match fitness due to injury issues, and Aquilina Natta Maguash had little or no HAL experience.

We can't match them in open play yet, a counter attacking approach made perfect sense, and it is a significant achievement that we were able to pull this off. At the same time, for the Smurfs the result is a big deal, Corica's face in the press conference spoke volumes. The result seriously hurt them, they won't defend the title now. Worse: they can't even take finals football for granted.

 

 

 

[Wobblies]

1 hour ago, FCB said:

Weeeellll, having possession is one thing, doing something with it is another.

It's worth remembering that the Smurfs won the double last season with that squad minus FeFondre, the only "newcomer" is Bobo. In contrast, of our starting line up, only three (1) had played a competitive gave for WSW before Dec 2020. Gordon, Dorrans, Troisi, Ibini, Mutch, Duke all arrived late, Kamau had no preseason prep, Ziegler and Mutch lack match fitness due to injury issues, and Aquilina Natta Maguash had little or no HAL experience.

We can't match them in open play yet, a counter attacking approach made perfect sense, and it is a significant achievement that we were able to pull this off. At the same time, for the Smurfs the result is a big deal, Corica's face in the press conference spoke volumes. The result seriously hurt them, they won't defend the title now. Worse: they can't even take finals football for granted.

 

 

 

 Largely agree, however, teams who dominate possession would or should create more scoring opportunities and logically as a consequence score more unless they have inept strikers. Once our defence is solid and reliable then our middle should be able to have better control in the centre and on the flanks and move forward with confidence without having to scurry back and spend a lot or too time and energy defending.  Still nothing is guaranteed. 

[Keithie]

If we gave Newcastle money and Mcgowan I still think they would knock him back.

My view is we have a good squad of attacking players , I believe we now have solid defensive midfield our Attacking midfield is adequate without being great so all we need now is a decent centre back to marshal the kids with Ziggy and we could call us a good team.  

[Paul01]

3 hours ago, FCB said:

Weeeellll, having possession is one thing, doing something with it is another.

It's worth remembering that the Smurfs won the double last season with that squad minus FeFondre, the only "newcomer" is Bobo. In contrast, of our starting line up, only three (1) had played a competitive gave for WSW before Dec 2020. Gordon, Dorrans, Troisi, Ibini, Mutch, Duke all arrived late, Kamau had no preseason prep, Ziegler and Mutch lack match fitness due to injury issues, and Aquilina Natta Maguash had little or no HAL experience.

We can't match them in open play yet, a counter attacking approach made perfect sense, and it is a significant achievement that we were able to pull this off. At the same time, for the Smurfs the result is a big deal, Corica's face in the press conference spoke volumes. The result seriously hurt them, they won't defend the title now. Worse: they can't even take finals football for granted.

 

 

 

So did Corica look like this?

[StringerBellend]

I dig him, he’s ace better player than Bratten for example 

[WeAreWanderers]

11 hours ago, MathyouWSW said:

Welcome home, Ugarkovic!

There's a wide range of CDM's within the squad now with Baccus, Dorrans, Mutch and now Ugarkovic. Mutch will be gone by the end of the season. 

Getting Ugarkovic early will help.

Mutch will be gone? Why?

[TwoLeftFoots]

11 hours ago, Kangaroo said:

Mutch will be gone? Why?

I'd base that on game time. Hasn't had mutch. (Heehee).

I think he was great with dorrans last week. If he can keep his fitness I'd be happy to keep him. I think it would have to be at the expense of Müller  though. Which saddens me but can't say he's been great since his head knock.

[LeeMarvin]

15 hours ago, Ossified said:

 Largely agree, however, teams who dominate possession would or should create more scoring opportunities and logically as a consequence score more unless they have inept strikers. Once our defence is solid and reliable then our middle should be able to have better control in the centre and on the flanks and move forward with confidence without having to scurry back and spend a lot or too time and energy defending.  Still nothing is guaranteed. 

Didn't we have a WSW team a few seasons back who dominated possession, passed the ball around a lot, scored very few goals and were boring AF to watch?  I am much more excited by our current lethal counter striking capabilities.  I creates a sense of anticipation each time we win the ball in defence.

[Wobblies]

1 hour ago, LeeMarvin said:

Didn't we have a WSW team a few seasons back who dominated possession, passed the ball around a lot, scored very few goals and were boring AF to watch?  I am much more excited by our current lethal counter striking capabilities.  I creates a sense of anticipation each time we win the ball in defence.

That was passing the ball around your own backline repeatedly  and not moving forward....i'm talking about attacking dominating coupled with high pressing football ffs.

[StringerBellend]

1 hour ago, Ossified said:

That was passing the ball around your own backline repeatedly  and not moving forward....i'm talking about attacking dominating coupled with high pressing football ffs.

Yes not Gumby’s Tantric Football

[StringerBellend]

On style the first two goals last week were ace moved the ball quickly toward goal

second goal especially I could watch that all season 

[LeeMarvin]

1 hour ago, Ossified said:

That was passing the ball around your own backline repeatedly  and not moving forward....i'm talking about attacking dominating coupled with high pressing football ffs.

Something along the lines of this then...

[THEWANDERERSPOST]

Bit of a slippery rumour this...

Apparently Demba Ba wants to play in the A-League next season. 

If we can't secure Duke's services, I wouldn't mind throwing some money at him.

Still doing ok in the first division in Turkey, scoring 9 goals in all comps.

Wondering if there is any chance Sydney could get Gerrard out of retirement to recreate a certain moment...

[MathyouWSW]

On 07/05/2021 at 8:40 PM, Kangaroo said:

Mutch will be gone? Why?

It just feels Mutch was originally at the club as a fill in if Baccus got the nod for the Olyroos. However, it seems the whole Olyroos saga is up in the air. (Personally, I haven't been paying attention to it).

Ideally, I would keep him since there's currently 4 great defensive midfielders at the club (Dorrans, Baccus, Ugarkovic and himself).

Out of the visa players, it seems Muller and Cox will probably go. Either Robinson should look at a foreign striker (that's if Duke decides to head back to Al Taawoun when the loan ends), a foreign Attacking Midfielder or another foreign Centre Back. 

[MathyouWSW]

11 hours ago, THEWANDERERSPOST said:

Bit of a slippery rumour this...

Apparently Demba Ba wants to play in the A-League next season. 

If we can't secure Duke's services, I wouldn't mind throwing some money at him.

Still doing ok in the first division in Turkey, scoring 9 goals in all comps.

Wondering if there is any chance Sydney could get Gerrard out of retirement to recreate a certain moment...

No.

Edited May 8, 2021 by mack
Don't think we need a tweet of his leg break injury.

[GunnerWanderer]

I don't know what to make of this team. One minute we want to sack the coach and every player and then we absolutely tear shreds off WU.

Troisi finally stood out and said look at me I'm still a hell of a footballer which was nice to see.

Robinson said it was our first 90 min performance - can't doubt that. 

Enjoy the good times!

[EmMac]

wrong thread

[wendybr]

1 hour ago, GunnerWanderer said:

I don't know what to make of this team. One minute we want to sack the coach and every player and then we absolutely tear shreds off WU.

To me, the likely explanation is that the players finally found some C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.C.E after grinding out the derby win.

From the time the whistle blew to start the game, they played with an intensity and what looked like genuine confidence, which, of course, increased with every goal.

If it's something else, I'd like to know what that would be.

 

[Smoggy]

9 minutes ago, wendybr said:

To me, the likely explanation is that the players finally found some C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.C.E after grinding out the derby win.

From the time the whistle blew to start the game, they played with an intensity and what looked like genuine confidence, which, of course, increased with every goal.

If it's something else, I'd like to know what that would be.

 

Its not rocket science, wins bring confidence, confidence and wins bring momentum. Momentum brings back the crowds.

 

Then a typical WSW GF capitulation...

[wendybr]

Just now, Smoggy said:

Its not rocket science, wins bring confidence, confidence and wins bring momentum. Momentum brings back the crowds.

 

Then a typical WSW GF capitulation...

You're right, it isn't rocket science.

But it is a powerful...a crucial... factor for success in practically anything.

[Hughesy]

Two great wins but it doesn’t excuse the fact we’ve been a basket case for more than three quarters of the season. We’ve got a long way to go before I’d say we’re out of the woods and I think it’s a fairly damning stat for the rest of the competition that we are somehow 1 point away from second place. 

Call me negative but if we finish off the season with some sort of form my concern is that it papers over the cracks and Robinson gets off the hook. I’d expect if it does eventuate this way then we are firing on all cylinders come round 1 next season. No more excuses.

[THEWANDERERSPOST]

Demba Ba has been offered to WSW, Sydney and Victory, has offers from MLS but prefers Australia.

Out of the 3, I'd say its likely he will go to Victory.

 

[Edinburgh]

44 minutes ago, hughsey said:

Two great wins but it doesn’t excuse the fact we’ve been a basket case for more than three quarters of the season. We’ve got a long way to go before I’d say we’re out of the woods and I think it’s a fairly damning stat for the rest of the competition that we are somehow 1 point away from second place. 

Call me negative but if we finish off the season with some sort of form my concern is that it papers over the cracks and Robinson gets off the hook. I’d expect if it does eventuate this way then we are firing on all cylinders come round 1 next season. No more excuses.

You're negative. 

[BoyFromTheWest]

Yeah, your negative.