great bit of business if true, he is a squad player and to get 6 figures is great for the club. 

Hopefully we can bring in a couple of the young guys top start getting the required experience, and I am certainly hoping he gets a decent pay day as well.

Someone asked Bowles at last Saturday's game when he was going to be back and he said a couple more weeks - definitely was injured.

In position with a good squad round him we might see the old up and coming Bowles back...

I think I'm the only one to be sad that Pepper's gone.  I wish him all the best.  Anyone know where he's off to?

Indonesia. Basically a club there tweeted his signing lol 

he is a great guy, the kind you want around your club, worked hard, loved playing football, always had time for fans, but he just wasnt up to the standard on the pitch. i wish him all the best. (though i think he is reasonably well set up now outside of football).

good bit of business for the club.

Didn't mind Pepper, but would prefer that role go to a younger player who can use the minutes to develop. 

Pepper plugged a hole.But was never technically strong.Hopefully his departure enables a better player to be recruited.
The CB's are looking vunerable.
Imagine losing Aldred to a long term injury.I think that would destroy the team.

I thought I saw Bowles in civvies at the City game last weekend.

Amazing to get money for pepper. Little worried about our defence depth not a fan of bowels. 

I am far more interested in this season than I have been in the past. I have a lot of doubts but it's not a giving me massively negative vibes like last two years of Aloisi. 

I honestly can't predict how foreign players will go in this league. It's interesting how Fowler set the team up in the last two games.

Tom Aldred looks as though he will be solid in the CB role. Potential captain also? 

Believe he has captained in both friendlies so far, and certainly put his name forward in the press. 

I doubt that !!

Would much rather have kept Pepper than Bowles. 

Bowles off the pace that is needed and too often injured. 

It’s all still a bit confusing with new names literally everywhere, is this how they appear to be lining up to others too?

Probably with O’Toole on the far left defensive position: 

             ROD Holloway
         Inman O,Shea O’Neill
——                                      McGing
     Gillesphey Aldred Neville 
                   Young

The two wide midfielders appear to be the holding defensive mids, O’Neil and Inman both appear as 8’s going box-box, and O’Shea as the CAM 

in reserve:

Mells, Pepper for either of O’Neill/Inman 

Bowles, Reardon, Hingert for the back 3 (Holloway can also play CB and is apparently very good there plus O’Toole) 

Mauk/Akbari for O’Shea

DWH for either of the front two. 

The obvious weakness is in the wide left midfielder and i’d be going balls out and throwing money at that position. 

Would be a real shame to see Mauk riding the bench, especially with him having another 3 years on his contract. 

Having seen Mauks retaliation in the City game he’s looking like an ill-disciplined liability. It wouldn’t surprise me if he moves on before too long, maybe in the January window. 

I would be surprised if the wide midfielders play a holding role,  I can't envisage how it could be done effectively (i.e., holding the midfield) while still providing some attacking width. I thought AON played a holding role in the game against Brisbane City.

Based on what I've seen in previous seasons, I'm not sure McGing is who I would like to see at wide right midfielder/right wingback either.

My impression of the starting lineup against City was something like:

              Holloway    ROD
                      O'Shea
    Gillesphey  Inman  AON  McGing
        Reardon   Aldred  Neville

with AON playing more holding and Inman more box-to-box.

Gillesphey didn't seem like he offered much in an attacking sense, I suspect he was played there because of lack of options as you said Waz, and maybe Fowler wanting to see how Reardon went at the back. I assume that Gillesphey will be used during the season as a CB rather than a wingback. I see O'Toole more as a left wingback rather than a left CB.

The list of no names that we have reminds me of the start of the golden era. No one was too concerned with Roar that Ange lined up, yet they went on to greatness. Rather optimistic for the season ahead.

It’s way too early to be sure, not least because Fowlers still experimenting. 

Your question on “how it work” I thought I’d answered - it’s not uncommon in 3-5-2 to play with either two wingbacks, two 6’s (DMs) or two 8’s running box to box. 

If youre playing two 8’s then the two wide midfielders defend outside and hold part of the midfield but, unlike DMs, don’t perform a screening role for the backline. So far he’s playing two defenders in these wide roles, playing a holding midfielder and two defenders would be incredibly negative - and 3-5-2 is not a negative set up (if he wants to be negative just go 5 at the back surely?). 

The other think to watch for is whether Aldred remains deep as he has been. He’s been sitting 10-15 yards back on Gillesphey/Neville who have tucked in tighter than a back three normally would, again I’m seeing this as a clue he intends his wide men to defend those wide channels while his LB/RB fold more into the midfield. 

One thing is for sure - Fowlers set ups are showing way more tactical nuances than any Aloisi set up 👍

I got the impression that Aldred pushed up in attack a few times. I don't think it was just corners or free kicks that had him in the box looking to receive crosses.

Anyone else at the games think that?

One thing in the City game was when we were defending a corner, RF called to one of our forwards 'that's far enough back - just there and stay on your toes'. Seconds later the ball was cleared to that exact spot and he set off.

Tells me that RF has them playing to structure and plan, and also he knows where the ball is likely to go. Passing that on to the players is a sign of his experience transferring somewhat. Not greatly significant, but all adding to the overall progress.

Seen that several times. Fowlers instructions seem very specific, almost surgical and nearly always targeted at one player. 

if you go back the 3-5-2 with left and right wingbacks was exactly the set up that i was predicting. 

                           GK 
            CB          CB        CB
WB                     DM                  WB
                  CM           AM
            ST                        ST

Of course i think this will be modified depending on the situation during the season but i guess RF is focusing at the moment on how to set up defensively as the 3-5-2 is naturally aggressive. In the LWB position we have O'toole, Powel, and gillesphie in the RWB we have Mcging, Hingert, Neville. Although LWB is covered by young players i think the quality of all of them is good enough for the league (but RF doesnt seem to rate O'toole or powel which is a shame as i think they are quality. I imagine RF is looking for a new LB adama traore perhaps). i think we are short a CB at the moment, we have Aldred, Gilesphie, Neville, Bowles, Reardon then hingert can play that role or RWB,

though if RF changes to more attacking version of the 3-5-2 we are probably a little short of a midfielder. personally i would be going after a CB and a DM/CM first then a LWB as last result. 
 

The 3-5-2 that you show here is more like the way I thought they played in the first half against City, with AON as the DM, and Inman and O'Shea as the more attacking midfielders.

This is a great sign as when I have watched Australian sides play in the ACL, one of the biggest differences I have noticed is that the opposition sides seem to have a much better idea of where the ball is going to end up from a particular position and therefore anticipate the play better than the Aussie sides.

In my opinion,it's critical to get a strong defensive combination.If you can rely on your defence you can build from that.
At the moment Aldred appears to be the only quality back in a back,three/five..Gillesphey could be a surprise.But the Aussie bunch appear to be weak.
McGing,Reardon,O'Toole,Bowles,Neville.Who would make it into top five teams?
Reardon and O'Toole are young and have a lot to learn.So are going to make mistakes.
AON screening has quailty,but is  inexperienced.So is Mells.

What it all adds up to is a mainly young inexperienced defence ,with Aldred to order them around.With Neville and Bowles..yikes.
Another experienced back would help a lot.

You missed Hingert in your analysis.  Don't think he will be the answer, but he's not as bad as some of the others.

I agree, we definitely need another CB who can tell the younger players what to do. Bowles and Pepper were better then normal when Avram or Devere were partnering them, but together they were shit

I think you’re looking at our starting back 3 - Gillesphey, Aldred and Neville 

that is a little worrying, Neville is a huge weakness in that back 3. he only played 6 - 90 minute games last year. When he was signed i saw him as a challenger for hingert. could be relied on to play 90 minutes and not look out of place but definitely not someone that would be a first choice starter. 

we desperately need another CB if this is the case. 

It’s possible Hingert would come in to contention when he’s fully fit after Christmas but I’d expect him to be challenging for the wide right midfield role. 

Ive no problems with Neville - he’s got 199 A League appearances and is in his prime as a defender