Kewell exit alters Victory’s recruit plans
By Sam Lienert, 26 Jun 2012
- Tagged:
- A-League, Ange Postecoglou, football, Harry Kewell, Melbourne Victory
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Melbourne Victory coach Ange Postecoglou says Harry Kewell’s shock exit from the A-League club has forced him to recast his plans for his final foreign signing.
With the Victory having believed they were on the verge of locking in Kewell, Postecoglou had planned to use the club’s last overseas-born player slot to shore up their defence.
Victory leaked more goals than even wooden spooners Gold Coast last season.
Instead, Kewell’s decision to return to England for family reasons means Postecoglou will most likely be chasing a class attacking player from overseas.
“I thought I had it all figured out,” Postecoglou told reporters on Monday.
“But obviously we’ve got to make a choice now about where we fill that last foreigner spot.
“I was leaning towards a defender, to be honest, with Harry there.
“But now with Harry out of the picture, we might have to look further up the park and try to find an Australian solution, so to speak, for the defensive side.”
Postecoglou said Kewell’s departure did not make him regret his decision to cut Costa Rican star Carlos Hernandez.
The pair combined for 18 of the the Victory’s 35 goals last season.
Postecoglou said the disappointment was he had expected Kewell, who steadily improved after a modest start in his sole A-League season, to truly find his feet in the coming campaign.
He said while the club had a duty to fans to find a replacement who could deliver similar on-field excitement and class, Kewell’s off-field impact was unique.
“He had probably the highest profile of any Socceroo in the last 30 years, maybe ever,” Postecoglou said.
“That’s hard to replicate in an Australian player.”
He was not aware of any high-profile, available Socceroos that could meet the team’s needs, meaning their new marquee player would almost certainly be a foreigner.
The ex-Brisbane Roar dual championship coach said the Victory had considered contingency plans in case Kewell left, but it had still taken him time to digest the news when he received it on Saturday night.
“I had a couple of bottles of red, then a couple more. I (still) stayed awake all night, but at least I had a good time,” Postecoglou said.
© AAP 2013
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The Crowd Says (9) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
- Explore:
- A-League, Ange Postecoglou, football, Harry Kewell, Melbourne Victory
June 26th 2012 @ 8:24am
Ben of Phnom Penh said | June 26th 2012 @ 8:24am | Report comment
And thus the race for Marco Flores begins
June 26th 2012 @ 9:37am
Griffo said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:37am | Report comment
Agreed, but will he sign in a country he loves or elsewhere?
And will Flores sign for one of Adelaide’s greatest foes?
In any case, with Ange’s ability to find the right import, it will be interesting to see who he gets for the attacking position if not Flores.
June 26th 2012 @ 9:37am
Philip said | June 26th 2012 @ 9:37am | Report comment
Flores wont come to Melbourne. His love affair with Adelaide must surely rule him out. Let’s watch Ange pull a rabbit out of the hat in the next few weeks.
June 26th 2012 @ 11:16am
qwerty said | June 26th 2012 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Surely there are plenty of aging players overseas looking for their final payday to choose from.
June 26th 2012 @ 1:19pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | June 26th 2012 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Better to sign “aging players overseas looking for their final payday” than try to pass of incompetents, who have never played the Game or who aren’t old enough to vote, as a professional sportsman.
As Ange said: “I have a huge amount of cash & there’s a global market for professional footballers”.
June 26th 2012 @ 5:47pm
Chips Rafferty said | June 26th 2012 @ 5:47pm | Report comment
Not much sockah nous in this convo so far.
No decent player is gonna come to the gluteus maximus end of the sockah world for peanuts, ya numpties!
‘arry’s name is bigger than the player he now is – a shadow of his former self.
It might be time for the children on The Roar to go to bed and let the grown ups take over this convo. Take it from me, I’m one of the big boys in Oz football . I still remain close to the movers and shakers in ‘strayan sockah.
No half decent player is gonna go to Victree for limited cash to play in the Z League. After all the season only lasts for a few weeks a year, which suits an old crock like ‘arry.
June 26th 2012 @ 5:53pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | June 26th 2012 @ 5:53pm | Report comment
No harm done if “no decent player” joins the HAL.
I’m more than happy if we can attract guys of the ilk of Carlos, Fred, Ifill, Emerton, Smeltz, Archie, etc. etc.
Obviously, these lads aren’t up to your lofty football standards so you should keep watching NSW Premier League with all your ex-NSL mates.
June 26th 2012 @ 6:56pm
Chips Rafferty said | June 26th 2012 @ 6:56pm | Report comment
I’ll go easy on you son, since Mum and Dad probably proof read your comments. Its past your bedtime and you have to get up for school tomorrow.
Carlos, Fred , Ifill, Emerton and Archie are just second grade hacks, who couldn’t cut the mustard in Europe. Of course sockah cattle like this can get on the gravy train in the Z League to top up their retirement pensions. Even any dopey two bob suburban blogger can see this.
I just happen to be one of the big boys who goes into the sheds and chews the fat with the Z League cattle and clipboard carriers. So I know a lot more than the average strayan suburban blogger.
Gotta luv fan boy naivety!
June 26th 2012 @ 7:08pm
Fussball ist unser leben said | June 26th 2012 @ 7:08pm | Report comment
As I said in my previous post – I enjoy watching these “2nd grade hacks, who couldn’t cut the mustard in Europe”.
I’ll gladly pay my annual Membership fee to watch these nobodies. Absolutely LOVE IT.
But I never spent a cent watching the old NSL.
You’re obviously a far superior football intellect to bother with our substandard HAL, so I urge you to avoid the HAL at all costs.
Please stick to watching all those little Leo Messis running around in the NSW Premier League. You and Trumper can exchange Tweets about the superior Argentinean Leagues, how Lowy stuffed up the WC2022 bid & why we should have a Royal Commission into the Dutch influence in AUS Football.
Love seeing all those Chips on shoulders of disgruntled football blokes out there. The breeze is getting stronger – how are your trousers … must be totally soaked.