My point is, we found two strikers who no one thought we needed one, but apparently can’t find a defender ... go figure. Just lucky we got strikers and not goalkeepers I suppose ....

I mean, we did bring in Tongyik. 

What a great start to the week-end Friday night was.  This farcical comedy just needs a final punchline.  I'm thinking there will be an announcement that Magic Mike being has signed a 5 year deal.

Shannon Brady gone. Probably to NPL - probably should have gone last year and tried to do what Wenzel-Halls did.

Club has confirmed Shannon Brady's contract has been mutually terminated. 

Beat me to it Waz! 

He really currently not at a league standard. He seems like he's been around for ages but neverending really showed anything. Hopefully going down and getting game time he can improve.

Dagostino needs to go with him. 

I can’t believe Arnie selected D’Aggers over Wenzel-Halls lol. Thank god (for us) he did but D’Aggers is surely in the NPL next season?

Read in the Marco article Daggers scored 4 in a 5 - 0 trial match against some Canberra side. I suppose that can't be ignored. 

That’s fair enough. But Wenzel has scored 4 in the A League.

D’Aggers is technically a much better player than Wenzel-Halls to my eye, but if you’re deployed as a forward you’re there to score or create goals. D’Aggers isn’t doing that.

It is funny because in the youth league grand final (and pretty much every youth game i have seen him play) he is on another level to the rest of the team. he absolutely bossed the grand final. I think it might have been down to his pace and physicality, he was a step above the youth players but he is only a pace or two above the mens, and his technique lets him down when playing against the men. i think he will probably drop to the NPL but this will be the last we hear from him. his style looks like it cant be improved on. 


at the start of the season i would have agreed that Daggers was technically better than DWH but no longer. at the start of the season DWH's first touch was like a brick wall, always 2 or 3 meters in front of him, when he was running with the ball it was always right on the limits of his touch allowing a good defender to slow him down and force a turn over. now his first touch has improved out of sight, and the ball is well under his control when at full pace. I now rate DWH's technically above daggs.

unfortunately Daggs looks to have hit a bit of a wall. his touch is nice and controlled but he just doesnt do anything at pace. that could be because he is a bit confused about the offensive structure so he has to asses each touch and think about what he is going to do next instead of knowing ahead of time what he should do. maybe some time with arnie will be good for him where a structure will be drilled into him.

I feel a bit sorry for Daggers - he usually strikes the ball pretty well, but has the uncanny knack of either hitting it just wide/over or directly at the keeper.  He's never just had that bit of luck where you slightly mishit it and it goes wide of the keeper and inside the post.
But DWH is just a natural goalscorer. As soon as he set up for that shot last game, it was always going in.

Yes I feel bit sorry too for daggers but once we signed DWH and now Loko and Babalj, opportunities for first team appearances are all but gone. 

for me he's not a winger and doesn't seem to fit the midfield high work rate mould either. 

I think it was Adelaide early last season, we were winning 1/0 deep into the second half and Macarone sets up a one on one chance with Izzo for D’Aggers in the 6 yard box ... he blasts his first shot straight at the keeper but the ball falls back to his feet, but he repeats the blast and Izzo saves again.

We went on to lose 2-1 when we should have been 2-0 up. That sums Daggers up, he maybe unlucky but he’s neither a 9, 10 or a winger.

I still think its hard to judge any player,let alone a youth player when they dont play week in week out.
Thats why we need a Div 2 ,so much.
DWH has showed how playing in even NPL regularly is a huge plus.
The NPL has definitely improved and should continue to do so.So players going back there are still better off than struggling to get bench time in the HAL.
People also need to consider how difficult it is to excell in the current Roar team.The midfield is pitiful.So any youth player looking for guidance is stuffed.Where to run?Where to defend? Etc....Thats why DWH has been amazing.He literally has just got stuck in.Be it in defence or attack.His energy just jumps out at you.

You could see from the very first run that DWH was going to give himself every opportunity of making the cut.  Whilst his technique might not have been as good as others, he made up for it with his enthusiasm, energy, determination and mongrel.  DWH literally made his own luck. He may prove to be a flash in the pan, but the kid isn't going to die wondering.

D'Agostino on the other hand seems to jog about, chewing gum, and killing spectators in Row Z with his shooting.  He may kick on (I hope he does) and become an exceptional striker, but on current evidence I can't see it.  Maybe a positional change to the midfield (even DM?) could work for him longer term. 

@ crimsoncrusoe

Agree on the Div2. Brady is another case in point, he bossed the NYL but can’t make an impact at HAL level and he’ll likely be too good at NPL level but don’t nevessarily get good quality opponents week in/week out to keep developing.

If any game provided conclusive evidence of a pitiful midfield contributing to conceding goals it was this last one.
The foreigners were hopeless in defending but also Matty in this game at least.
How can we not have locals of equal or greater ability? 

@paulc

To be fair we’ve had Caletti, D’Agastino and Barnett in the midfield also this season, they have not made a difference. So yeah, our midfield is old and slow but just putting younger players in there hasn’t fixed it.

Stories coming out now that JAs training sessions were like learning to play chess with lines all over the place and the pitch divided in to grids. One player explained to me that pre-victory game he was told that if “x” victory player had it he was supposed to be in a certain grid box but if another victory player had it he was supposed to be in another box altogether.

He said the permutations were huge and players had to memorise them all and follow instructions. Younger players (presumably like DWH) apparently struggled with the complexity

If that stuff is true it explains a lot.

I think this is quite important. We need a coach who can find the right mix of young, obviously talented players, paired with strong, experienced players who are willing to share their knowledge, lead, and help develop the younger guys. 

If the player is telling you the truth, then it explains so many things that are wrong with the team.
Slow
Robotic
Indecisive
Lost
This applies to attack and defense.  

Structure is a critical part of the game, but it would appear that along the way, playing football and problem solving with what's in front of you has been replaced with this nonsense.

@aok

I’ve got it from multiple players now. And not said with any animosity (they do seem to like JA) but yeah, general confusion over how they play, too much time spent in front of white boards and not enough time in fitness/training.

Were there ever any plans to wear the Maroon Third Kit that was in shops?

All Roar gear online is now 60% + off

We all know the midfield defence is a massive problem.So why havent we tried a CB there?It's probably a bit late .Now we have none left.
They have to try something.
Go a back three with McKay center.He is a good scrambler and talker.Pepper and Tongyik either side seems doeable.
Four midfielders or five.
343,352.
We need to plug the gaps!
We have some pace upfront for a change with DWH and Loko.So we can stack the midfield.
What happened to the Youth League midfielders?I heard they were real goers?
Leck showed he could tackle,harass and win one on one duels.Better than most others.So he should be picked.

I like the look of leck (though he did get lost in his apperances under JA) 

I liked the look of Barnet as well on his debut. definitely thought that he, callettie and lopez/mckay would get more of a run together in 3 man midfield but that hasnt happened. 

I would still like to see barnett get more minutes with lopez and calletie.

Nick D'Agostino looked really good when he debuted, I remember when he scored the goal below when Macca was smashing them in, I was thinking finally two young strikers who can finish, think he was only 19 at the time he did this, and surprise surprise,  two seasons later hasn't scored since. Pretty sure he had a trial with Vuka's RKC Genk in 2016.

Really needs to score a few goals before the season ends, or do extremely well for the Olyroos for him to still be regarded as a top tier player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsQPn6mXBDM

Agree. Unfortunately we don't have a second division where they can loan him to. Clubs should look to loan players like him to league in South East Asia imo where they can play regularly and develop.

Denzel Hall just started following victory on Instagram...is he off contract?

just signed one