Give Nik another go

[MagpieMariner]

He was very good for us last time, he's fit and he's playing well now. No less reason to consider him than Mrdja.

Except $$$
Would he come back for what we would be prepared to pay him?

 

[dibo]

Exactly the same issue as Mrdja. I'm not suggesting we pay over the odds, just offer what we would be willing to pay to players we want to sign. I'm not saying we'd definitely want him, just that there's no less reason to consider him than Mrdja.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I think he looks better than when we had him.

For the record I think we will be proved wrong about Mc Breen.
Watched every game he's played, VERY strong, makes good runs, positions himself well, and have seen him finish with real quality... BUT was clearly lacking that final quality in many to pps he had... However he worked and helped create most of them... they were'nt just handed to him.  And with a bit of luck, he could have been right up there this year in the goal scoring ranks.

Time will tell.

 

[MARSHP1]

I'd be happy to see Aloisi back, but not sure i'd want him as a marquee.If we can fit in Matty, Nik, McBreen and Aloisi then that would be a pretty decent set of forwards. Still lack pace though....

 

[Paolo]

I'd be happy to see Aloi$i back, but not sure i'd want him as a marquee.If we can fit in Matty, Nik, McBreen and Aloi$i then that would be a pretty decent set of forwards. Still lack pace though....

Have you heard of the Salary Cap?

 

[dibo]

I think he looks better than when we had him.

I don't know about that - he's still not finding the back of the net whereas with us he was the equal top scorer in spite of only arriving near on halfway through the H+A season.

I'd be happy to see Aloi$i back, but not sure i'd want him as a marquee.If we can fit in Matty, Nik, McBreen and Aloi$i then that would be a pretty decent set of forwards. Still lack pace though....

Have you heard of the Salary Cap?

It's a difficult problem for clubs to not merely put together a side under the salary cap that is competitive but to manage expectations when you simply *have* to sign some player who aren't big-money, high quality players but are instead solid enough week to week performers at a reasonable price. It'd be lovely to be able to sign only quality players but in this league that would require doing a Sydney effort like in Season 1.

 

[Jaza_SFC]

It's also not possible anymore because players know their value. The only way to success in the HAL now is to build a sensible squad, knowing what value you get from players.

In seasons one and two, both SFC and MVFC had certain players on salaries that were outrageously low. (Other clubs would have as well). This is because the market was still very much settling.
FFS we had Terry McFlynn and Dave Carney for a combined total of something like $100k in the first season. That just won't happen any more. If we somehow could have both of them in our squad right now we'd be looking at more than 3x that.

The only real, super "value for money" signings that will occur are young players. NYL kids from $40-$50kpa who get that wage because they're a junior, but are good enough to play first team. Everyone else slots between $60-$220kpa and now that the league has settled you generally get what you pay for. It's only the collosal f**k ups on big paid players (which some clubs still have, and will always happen occassionally), that really break that rule.

 

[MARSHP1]

I'd be happy to see Aloi$i back, but not sure i'd want him as a marquee.If we can fit in Matty, Nik, McBreen and Aloi$i then that would be a pretty decent set of forwards. Still lack pace though....

Have you heard of the Salary Cap?
Yes, obviously it wouldn't be easy to fit them all in, but is possible..... Matty and McBreen are certain, Nik is looking highly likely now, maybe with reduced salary? Aloisi could come in as a cheapish marquee.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I think he looks better than when we had him.

I don't know about that - he's still not finding the back of the net whereas with us he was the equal top scorer in spite of only arriving near on halfway through the H+A season.

Mmmm, I think this argument is not proved but debunked by the stats actually...

With us Aloi$i scored 7 - with 15 starts - 15 games played - and 1314 minutes of football.

This season he's scored 5 so far - with 16 appearnaces - but only 8 starts and 923 minutes of football...

With 400 odd more minutes of football, (that he may not get with SFC) he would however probbaly net atleast another two goals to bring him up to atleast being on par with his time with us.

Game time aside - and getting starts - I also think his scoring rate is impacted by the fact that Aloi$i works best with a big forward next to him with a focus more on crosses into the box and knockdowns being where he nicks teh bulk of his goals. Can score from open playe etc... but really he's a poacher/box player - and thrives on the conditions our physical bustle tends to create.

This was Lawries view last year on "service" when he was playing under Kossie...
Forget what he was mising...
With us first season - 55 attempts on goal.
With SFC second HAL season only - 22 attempts on goal.

That said, I also standby that I still think he looks sharper, better trained/mentally prepped and much hungrier than when he arrived with us... as do all SFC's squad to be fair - a testimony to Lavicka. But just don't think as a player he matches as well as he could with how Vitislav has SFC playing. In general, much more a ball to feet passing game trying to cut teams open down the middle. For how they are playing I believe Brosque and Bridge are more suited - But Aloi$i would likely prosper next to Simona again or Mc'breen or Mrdja and our style of play.

My only isssue is cap wise he would have to be Marquee though...  He'll be 34.. He's already been with us and ditched us once... and I think the glamour will most likely have worn off and he may not bring as many bums or add excitement as you would hope our next marquee could.

But as said, I do think he would partner quite well with most of our strike force for next year - and compared to our best goal scoring forward this year - Matty - who has 6 goals - 21 appearances - 19 starts - with a consiedrable 1625 minutes played... and only a very depressing 28 attempts on goal... Aloi$i actually starts looking pretty bloody good... *sigh*

Really is a massively dissapointing year for Matty - Mrdja has netted four and has literally had half Matty's game time this season and is only just finding form.

Nik and Kwassie upfornt this week for me, with Matty playing Yoof.

 

[MagpieMariner]

"Really is a massively dissapointing year for Matty - Mrdja has netted four and has literally had half Matty's game time this season and is only just finding form."

Remember that Nik started to find his form in yoof - I haven't checked the stats but he got a brace & a hattrick in yoof. Maybe a stint in yoof for Matty would bring his confidence back, and therefore his ability to find the inside of the net.

I remember the embarrassment of Nik falling over the ball & missing a wide-open net down at SFS, then he started scoring in yoof, came back to HAL and scored a nice goal against Melbourne, a brace against Fury, and hasn't really looked back since (apart from one game, but he wasn't much worse than anyone else that day).

This could be just what Matty needs. If Nik can keep playing well & Matty can re-find his form/confidence, we could really monster defences. Matty in good form could also take pressure off WeeMac & Trav, thus allowing them to dominate the midfield again.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I agree completely Spike. And these are my thoughts behind dropping him to yoof, not to punish, but to hoepfully break his slump. Otherwise we can hope he manages it with the first team, but we can't afford a slow build if we are any chance of making the finals, he has to start creating and bagging goals immediately or we are history.

Imo Kwassie's form was much better than Matty's when he was dropped. With Matty because of his spirit you just keep feeling like surely he won't play like that again... but then again it happens...

 

[FFC Mariner]

Making the finals..........

 

[dibo]

what? next season isn't far away! and it's about four matches closer than it might have been had we not fallen to shit in the last two months...

 

[MagpieMariner]

Making the finals..........

Don't lose heart people, it's still mathematically possible.
Bugger, I was never very good at maths!

 

[adz]

Congrats Nik marinators.net MOTM winner round 22

 

[Forum Phoenix]

For shame FFC 

1 win off 5th spot... with a top "six" *snicker*  finals...
Very possible...
verhead:

Sure on recent form not probable...  :ashamed:
but with a retrurn to form...
YES people... it's still actually possible!
   

Come on, if we went on to win the toilet seat from here...
beyond hilarity. As it is I'll be dancing like a loon if we can scrape into the six!

 

[kevrenor]

Congrats Nik marinators.net MOTM winner round 22

Bugger forgot to give my 3 and 2 to Wilko and Heff.  Nik would have got 1.  His second half was ordinary.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Maybe he was just trying to fit in

 

[adz]

Maybe he was just trying to fit in

Can't blame him for wanting to be like the popular kids

 

[Wombat]

Or those 3 and a marquee?

But you then have a player at $120-$150k out of hte matchday squad? Not sure if that's the way to do it tbh.

If I was Lawrie I'd be looking to replace Mrdja with a different kind of striker, then have Kwasnik as 4th choice. If he's lucky enough to get a marquee it goes elsewhere.
Then again if I was Lawrie I wouldn't have wasted cash on McBreen, so god knows what will happen.

Whats the point as having Kwasnik as your 4th striker?  He is hopeless up front.  Someone told me he holds the HAL record for most off target shots in a season....and having spent alot of times ducking behind the goal avoiding his shots/crosses in season 1 and 2 i'm not suprised.

If McBreen was 150K then he is an excellent replacement for D-Mac.  A better player for less money.  It certainly makes the 1mill you spunked on Aloi$i look like a terrible signing in comparison.

Personally i'd keep Mrdja if he'll play for 100K. 

We then need a fourth striker be it under the cap or a Marquee player.

If its a Marquee then lets get someone like Billy Sharp or Jermaine Beckford.