In 04 Mpenza signed for Hamburger SV. Rumour is that Viduka is interested in playing there. But seriously folks...

Emile seems to have been injured a fair bit.

Yeah neither Mpenza or Sterj have been playing that regularly, but with Sterj we know he has the hunger and desire to be apart of the NT set up, and is training with Sydney fc at the moment to keep fit he just seems a better option IMO. In saying that Mpenza is shit hot and has played some great footy in some good leagues. I just hope that whoever they decide is keen to sign soon so that we can get them here training with the squad ready for a season it has never been so important that we get off to a good start.

I also like our preseason compared to others Sydney and Gold Coast have been playing state league clubs which is good for the promotion of football locally but, with the way the squads change year to year and in GCs case there not developing combonations under the sort of pressure they will be under in the HAL. Where as Perth will be up against Premier league side allbeit maybe 2nd string sides, then when it comes to the season they will have been playing at that standard during the preseason and I think the combinations will fall into place.I dont know its just MHO.

We are still screaming out for another defender too.

“There is a lot of rubbish and speculation out there,” Mitchell said. “Windass is not what we are looking for. The way he plays is a robust game and he wouldn’t suit our style. I don’t think he would be suited to the conditions here, either.”

There solves that issue for us .... that's the one we're lookin at ... Emile Mpenza[/quote]

Sounds good that Dave will be trying to make us play some good football.
Hopefully the days of just lumping it forward to Harnwell are long gone.
With our midfield (and hopefully a good ball playing marquee) we should be able to play some good football.
I think that the Champions League has shown that most A league clubs struggle against good passing sides.

yer i heard a few weeks back that they were kinda upset that the squad consisted of only workmen and there wasn't much flair about. its good to see that they are putting this into practise. also kudos to gloryperth for his prediction!

hopefully if we do get mpenza ... he is quality ... and if we get him ... looks like either jelic or dadi will be warming the bench coz i doubt we will play 3 up front.

if we get sterjovski on the other hand ... it would probably be best to play him in midfield in place of shroj, and then dadi and jelic up front.

Milky Jo... that's one of my favourite episodes:)

did i miss something ?
where the hell did mighty boosh come into this hahahahha.
yes i was very pleased to see we knocked windass back.
I'd probably prefer Sterj to Mpenza.
though either one and i'd be well pleased.

mpenza would be good......

hmmm for some reason i have a gut feeling which is telling me that i would prefer sterjovski.

dont know why .... maybe i just think we will get more dedication, passion, and service from sterjovski in the long run.

if we sign sterjovski, before u know it we will be known as the derby rejection boys squad lol, any other derby rejects wanna come here? haha we'll happily take them.

Emile Mpenza kicking goals

Just to potentially whet your appetites. I especially like the close-up of the goalie's face at 1:47, I'd like to see that repeated this season. If Dadi can carve in the a-league, it will be interesting to see how a player with similar attributes but who is also blessed with pace will fare.

I'd prefer Sterj also, but Mpenza and Dadi/Jelic would be a decent strike force. A competitive Perth team? Can't wait for the season to start.

There is an even better video hereshowing Mpenza's link up play with Ebbe Sand. Seems like Mpenza is creative as well as a goalscorer.

Edited by grubbavitch: 29/5/2009 02:04:10 PM

Edited by grubbavitch: 29/5/2009 02:28:59 PM

Glory plotting improvement on the road
Perth Glory will turn to a revamped travel schedule in a bid to reverse their horror away form during the upcoming A-League season.

The former NSL powerhouse is yet to make the finals since the inception of the A-League four years ago and endured a barren run on the road last season, claiming just one win and drawing one of 11 away fixtures.

That record resulted in an unenviable finish just one rung above Newcastle at the foot of the table despite some impressive performances in the home comforts of Members Equity Stadium.

Glory’s new head of sports science Peter Cklamovski has combined with coach Dave Mitchell to implement a new travel strategy that he believes will reinvigorate the side on away days and assist their attempt to charge up the ladder in 2009/10.

“We will arrive a day earlier so it gives us an extra training session, which at times we missed out on last season. So I think we’ll be better for that,” Cklamovski, who arrived in Perth two months ago after a stint in Greece, said.

“Along with that the effects of travel are very taxing from a physical point of view so we’ll make sure our nutrition and hydration strategy is right on the money as well. All of that combined will hopefully put us in a better position when we travel

“The tough little part about being Perth Glory is that we travel more than anyone and (this season) we play 14 away games. It’s an important part of the year for us and hopefully we’ll get it right.

“I think Mitch saw a way to improve it and that’s the luxury of having experience. From what Mitch has said it’s an area that needed to be improved and what we’ve come up with definitely will allow us to be in a better position.”

The regular routine last season saw Glory travel just one day in advance of their upcoming fixture, but Cklamovski says that staying two nights in another city will help the team settle before a match.

Such a schedule would have been hindered by limited resources in the past, however, club owner Tony Sage has thrown his considerable financial clout behind the push to return Glory to the top of Australia’s football tree.

“Tony Sage has been inspirational from that point of view, he’s really been supportive,” Cklamovski said.

“He is the driving force behind the club and he definitely wants to do what he can to get Glory back to the cliché – the ‘glory days’. I’m sure (costs) would’ve been discussed, but he supported it 100 per cent.”

Cklamovski revealed that initial testing of the squad had returned some positive results, but there is still room for improvement before the season begins in Adelaide on August 7.

...... another article from the west website ... seems to me that no matter wat things are looking good and positive for glory .... tony sage is a legend ... and we will be successful this year because of him.

Good to see new things being implemented in the running of the club, from training, to the squad, to travelling, just all around we are looking fantastic \:d/

Good news.
our travel is obviously our biggest burden and its good we're finally dealing with htat fact.

I don't know if it was the travel but Glory's away form was poor only 4 points from 11 games ... but if it helps the club and they can afford it, then all good for them. You got to spend money to get results...

and if we spend the money, like we're doing, and dont get results, then we're in the shits, like ... massive shits, like totally up shit creek ..lol....... and thats my biggest fear.

Quietly confident we'll play finals football though but we'll see wat happens.

^^^^ yeh i think that's everyone greatest fear ... spending a load on failure isn't good for business

just spoke to eugene on facebook .... as in chatting to him, for the 3rd time.

his a fukin legend.

wat professional footballers actually speak to their fans these days?

i dont care if he doesnt get much game time, i've solved the problem, and definitely getting dadi on the back of my shirt lol

eugene is a quality bloke and i look forward to him sticking around in perth once he retires. his a great role model for kids to look up to and it would be a shame if he didnt get into player development in one way or another.

mate i really hope he has 2 more seasons left in him, not just this one ... but i doubt that
:(

really think he loves perth though and when he stops playing football, should definitely still play a part of the glory set up somehow

How wicked. I should add him. is he eugene dadi, or eugene mesmet dadi?

Edited by southern3: 29/5/2009 07:04:03 PM

I called it! I called it as Mpenza, long before The West Australian! \:d/




Thanks SausageMahoney. :)



Ah how interesting - I knew I had faith in Mitchell's recruiting! And interesting to see his comments about the rumours, which are obviously fuelled by player agents. We've now heard it from the man himself, what he's actually looking for. So that already dismisses half of the past, present and future rumours.

Mpenza or Sterjovski would be good. And with Mpenza, we could always have a front - Jelic-Dadi-Mpenza. But yeah, his arrival should mean suddenly there is alot of competition for places up front, with all the quality and Skorich will be learning alot and will have certainly done well, if he breaks through there. And as has been said, Dadi may not have that much time left, where as both Jelic and Mpenza, they could serve us for 3-4 seasons (In theory), given they're both only 32 and 31 for the coming season, respectively. Jelic has no guarantees of a place either, he may be coming from a Bundesliga side, but that may not mean much, if he doesn't impress Mitch here. Mpenza as Marquee, or whoever the Marquee is, would have to see a fair bit of football, but even then, if he drops in form, then he might see a bit of the bench too. Good stuff.

And with Sterjovski, he could play out RM (Replacing Pelle) or in 'the hole' behind Jelic and Dadi, up front. Though not sure how effective Mile would be in 'the hole,' given he's a player who likes to run at players in space (More like a winger), but it is only the A-League, so I presume technically he's accomplished enough to do the job in that role? With Sterjovski in the team, the pressure on Jelic and Dadi might be less. But Pellegrino could see less match time, depending on the formations or line ups we use.

Edited by gloryperth: 29/5/2009 07:35:08 PM

I personally would prefer to see Mile in the hole or up front with Jelic in the hole maybe?

I think pellegrino, if you give him game time will develop really well, and cause i like pellegrino, he plays like me, puts in 110% and has a good right foot cross!

I'm exactly sure what kind of player Jelic is, could he play in the hole? Hmm in that context, then you could have Mpenza and Dadi upfront, with Jelic behind. Or with Mile, yeah, like you said.

Mitch did say he saw Mile as more a direct, almost like for like replacement for Ruka' anyway. Just Mile is more refined with 10 seasons experience of Europe behind him and at the peak (age) of his career.


BTW Mpenza would easily = one of the best Marquees the A-League has seen so far and depending on his output, he could end up more than that. And he'd certainly be the biggest Marquee/name player Glory will have had - even bigger than Stan.


And also, those who still trash the A-League or say it's still no better than the NSL (Though that can have some basis), the way Glory and some of the others this season, have surely, well and truly, put to shame, the standard of recruiting of the past few A-League seasons. By far the best level of recruiting in the league's history, as coaches and clubs have learnt from their mistakes, clubs back their coaches to travel/scout and bring in trialists, the ACL has opened coaches eyes etc... Suddenly things are becoming more refined.

Things will only improve too, as new clubs like the Gold Coast and Nth QLD, find their feet (So see who of their squad are up to it or not, as too their coaches) and truly match the rest. Phoenix look like they'll keep improving and the next 2 expansion clubs may shake things up again. More games mean more competition, refinement too.

culine, fowler, yorke, juninho, moore, sterjovski / mpenza. a league that has a history of players like that is a league i respect for sure

I'm sure Johnny Warren is smiling. =d>

with sage previously saying he could possibly be interested in both a marquee and a guest signing would it perhaps be in our best interests if we went searching for a loan target such as twaite for melbourne last season. under the deal of a loan the wage doesn't count against the salary cap as the host club simiply can opt to pay a flat fee. what do you fellas reckon and any potential targets?

err, 2 of those haven't played yet with Fowler no guaranteed success, Yorke didn't bother to hang around, Juninho only played every odd game, Moore is a hack and the last two are only rumoured to play!

let's try not to get ahead of ourselves, hey? :-s

yeh just under eugene dadi ... his such a top guy! lol

in regards to guest signings ... to be honest im not the biggest fan of that, no matter who it is....

i much just prefer a marquee for a season or 2, with the best possible players around that marquee signed up under the salary cap, and then the squad can biuld and gel together from there.

I dont want to take a guest player for example a striker, who would obviously have to start every game because his a guest player, then if dadi or jelic are in form and playing well, thats to bad, one of them would have to go to the bench to make way for the guest player. I dont like that idea, just my opinion. Works the same way if ur guest player is a midfielder etc etc.

The money we would use for a guest signings i would rather put towards just getting a heeps pro marquee.

And now on the topic of marquee .... even though we are talking to mpenza ... i think ive said it before ... but i still really want and prefer sterjovski. Reasons being:
1) He is Australian, we can then find one more quality foreign player under the cap.
2) He is versatile, we can play him as a striker or a midfielder.
3) He is not to old, we can have him for a good 2 or 3 seasons.
4) Therefore, we will get his 100 percent guaranteed committment.
5) We will then have 2 socceroos in our squad, the quality speaks for itself.

There are risks involved with getting Mpenza, for example injuries, lack of committment etc.

I think if we get Sterjovski, we would get a good buy, we're safe, all parties are happy, and nothing can go wrong.



Edited by -=GLoRiOuS=-: 30/5/2009 01:36:09 PM

famous last words ?

lol i just think theres less risk going for sterjovski rather than mpenza ...

not doubting mpenza's quality or anything .... but would we see this quality consistently, week in week out?

Oh yeah i wholeheartedly agree.
Sterj would be a far better signing.
but they all come with risks.

two glory storys from the west today..

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=4&ContentID=145279

Dadi has faith in the unknown
1st June 2009, 11:45 WST

Perth Glory striker Eugene Dadi admits he knows nothing about his new strike partner Branko Jelic but has faith that the Serbian target man will prove to be a positive influence on his new teammates when he arrives later this month.

Jelic has been brought into Dave Mitchell’s squad on a three-year deal from German Bundesliga outfit Energie Cottbus following the departure of young speedster Nikita Rukavytsya to Dutch club FC Twente earlier this year.

But while the 32-year-old’s record at a similar level to the A-League inspires confidence – he scored 34 goals in 48 games in the Chinese Super League with Beijing Guoan – Dadi says the formation of relationships between the new and existing members of the squad will be crucial.

“I don’t know anything about him, I’m just going to meet the player when he comes here,” Dadi said.

“He signed for three years, I believe that he’s a great player. Mitch bought him so he should be a great player. We’re looking forward to getting players who can help the team and if he can come and help us then it’s all good.

“(But) names on the list don’t mean much. If we all get fit… there’s no reason why we shouldn’t do a good job.

“What everyone wants is to do better than last season. I know that there is a lot of expectation around the club again, but we have to be careful about how we start the season, how we gel.

“The first game is going to tell us exactly what we’re capable of.”

Dadi has recently returned from a turbulent loan spell at Swiss club FC Vaduz, which was cut short when he fell out with coach Pierre Littbarski, a World Cup winner with West Germany (1990) and Championship-winning coach with Sydney FC (2005/06).

But despite the European drama, Dadi returned to training under recently hired fitness guru Peter Cklamovski full of energy today and is looking forward to leading Glory’s charge up the ladder.

“Unfortunately maybe in the off-season (Vaduz) was the wrong destination,” Dadi said.

“I’m happy to have left Vaduz earlier, it gave me a couple of days to recover from what’s happened. I’m happy to back.”

Meanwhile, Glory coach Mitchell remains tight-lipped on a possible marquee signing to headline his new and improved squad.

Discussions between the club and at least three possible targets - including Socceroos attacker Mile Sterjovski, Belgian international Emile Mpenza and another mystery man - are ongoing, but as yet a deal appears no closer to coming into fruition.

PERTH
SHAYNE HOPE