A-League clubs need to broaden recruitment nets

LOL That was a good read and very interesting

This article say a general why J-league and these clubs didn't refer to Serie A that biggest league when J-league started, but Bundesliga.

Lol - Yes, good link that one.

Excuse me for my long silence. I think that this article is very helpful. http://www.euro2day.gr/ftcom_en/126/articles/441565/ArticleFTen.aspx

An interesting article Irish.

Kaz all this FM talk has me hanging out for a fix! Another long night, little sleep, and bleary eyes at work tomorrow!

13 and 14? I definitely have to look at him!

Mullen has pace 13 acceleration 14. Funnily enough the Nix are trying to steal him from me. Herbert is stalking him and going to our matches. A pity there is no "voyeur accusation" option in manager interaction. I think we do. The ACL doesn't come up on the fixtures screen like it did in first season but the Jets and the Mariners competed both this season and last season.

By the way Kaz - do we get to play ACL after this next season?

Nice one Paddy and I see you're on the other side now and getting paid for it too. The Jets are fast becoming the Genclerbirligi of the A-League. Most clubs wouldn’t touch players like Song, Tarek Ehlrich and Milligan who have made it publically very clear that they want to move on to bigger clubs. Con took them for a song with the idea of making some money out of those ambitions and not making them sign any contracts that would stop them.

Yeh - I know the feeling - too many good players to buy (some really cheap) - but not enough spots!! With the Nix, we don't have a youth team, so if I sign up, say 28 players (incl some youngsters), at any one time I've got 5 unregistered players, so I have to try and squeeze in a few friendlies to give them all game time (but the friendlies are pretty good for sussing out hot prospects). I might keep an eye on Mullen, just in case he becomes available. Is his pace and acceleration rated above 12?

I've been pretty lucky with the defensive stocks. In this season I still have Ognenovski and he partners Dan Mullen (who is now the #1 centre back at the club). I have Cassio on the left and Tyler Simpson on the right, plus Costanzo, Marrone, Sunasky (who I usually play at CM), Fyfe and I have a young left back called Sam Gallaway from AIS who is back-up to Cassio. Paul Reid can also play right back. My scouts found a young Ghanian international striker, Ransford Osei, on a free transfer, who I signed up and placed in the youth team (no visa spots left - he'll have to wait until Cassio gets citizenship at season's end). He's going to be an absolute gun though, and I've got him on a cheap contract. I asked him to recommend a signing and he came up with another player from Ghana who was highly rated by my scout, Seidu Yahaya. Unfortunately he's 1 year too old for the youths so I'm not sure how I'm going to get him on my team. It would suggest though that there are some good African players out there available on frees and cheap contracts so if you have visa spots left maybe try looking at their u/21 national teams for potential bargains. Maybe try Nana Ofori-Twumasi - a Chelsea youth / reserves player - if you have a visa spot. Not sure about how much you'd have to pay for him; he was released when I scouted him. Another good young player from Ghana that I want but can't have because of the visa limits!

Kaz have you picked up any useful defenders? I think our performance has dropped from last season because I couldn't afford to keep Thwaite (who did all right for us). I replaced him with an experienced South Korean international, but he's 35. Muskie is 34 and Vargas is 31, and all of a sudden, any team with a bit of pace is running rings around them (Ryall is still a bit up and down). I had one game where I held a 2 goal lead at half time agaisnt the Roar, Minniecon came on, and he absolutely killed us, and won the match for the Roar single handed - it was very annoying! (he's good, but he's not that good!) So I really need to find a central defender who can cope with some of the pacey forwards - I've got two weeks of the November transfer window to do it in! Tonight I get to run Dukes through his paces for the first time! He'll either be my saviour or the ruin of me! My best players in season 2: 1. Berger - absolutely killing them on the left, runs all match, gets plenty of crosses in, has now developed a very good free kick, so he's 2nd in the assists and first in goals from direct free kicks. 2. Arch - another stellar season - but not as good as last season - still my highest scorer. 3. Lopez - he's our designated play maker, when he's not on international duty, he does very well for us - but he normally needs one full run to recover from international duty and find form. 4. Di Lizia - I invested in youth for season 2, so I'm not worried if we drop off the pace, I think we can bounce back with a strong team because of the quality of our young players coming along (I pretty much have 12 signings in our youth team, half of whom are almost ready to step up into the senior team). Di Lizia is one I have brought in as a permanent member of the starting line up. Once I saw our deficiencies down back, I promoted him as a sweeper - very tidy player, a bit green still, but absolutely massive upside in improvement to come - this kid will be a star - our next Zelic guaranteed. Speaking of the youth team, I stumbled across this 17 year old kid, Miller, can't remember where, who is looking like he's going to be an absolute gun - I'd say about one year behind where Barbarouses is - very exciting prospect! (as you know, most of the 16 and 17 year old kids are pretty hopeless) I've also got on my short list a young Chilean player who has already tasted international duty, can play on either side in an attacking role (I always look for flexibility in players) - and his transfer cost is only $100,000 (that's still high, but affordable) - I'd love this bloke for next season - I'm thinking absolutely massive upside and return on investment!

das I agree that the A-League might be a worthwhile shop window for any Asian player who has personal ambitions to break into Europe - a few will be willing to take a substantial pay cut for one, maybe two season at a young age to have a crack at that. The vast majority will simply stay put where they are because the pay is so much better (and they will be joined by plenty of Australian players).

Pip Obviously getting Asian players. They are not going to come here for the money However ambitious asian players -who have said that are looking for an A-league contract as a shop window for europe are possible. Some of the thai players who wanted to play here - Add some sweeterneers such as access to education for their family. In any case -the more asian players we have. The more interest from asian countries have on A-league. more interest sponsors are willing to play for A-league. The more money to poach even better players. remember you have to plant a seed before big things grow. We just need someone to take the first step. If someone like banbang who is a rock star in indonesia is playing for the A-league as a marquee player. It may be risky but as a marketing tool that will open up A-league interest into a very big market. Remember if Ghotbi said that australia could become the best league in asia and be a hub for asian players who want to make it to europe. Then perhaps we should look at his vision and take it seriously (who knows we may make Craig foster derogatory statement of A-league being the EPL of asia into a good thing)

I dont see our players leaving for Asia as a completley bad thing, the long term effects will be beneficial - it is going to help us become engrained in Asian football and adapt alot better to it. Also i doubt it would be too hard to attract players to the A-league particularly from lower ranked competitions than ourselves. They would have the chance to play in the ACL, head to europe, poosibly study whilst here. Firman from Indonesia i thought played well last night and some A-league clubs should be looking to sign him. Another thing i noticed is that alot of Asian countries have their own "Beckham", E.g. Winothai from Thailand, and there was one last night but i cant remember his name. It would not hurt to sign some of these players (if they are good enough) and raise the profile of the A-league and the team they sign for throughout Asia.

I spent a whole season kissing Joel's butt so I could get him on a free - it worked and his goals won me the toilet seat. Trophies > Self respect :-) Besides, the terms of the deal are pretty sweet. In exchange for offering them a crack at any players I decide to sell I get a six figure sum every season.

heh, heh - becoming a feeder club so you can pinch Kewell - where's your self respect!! :)

I actually stole Carlos out from under the noses of the Mariners. I kept getting news reports of them chasing him, so I thought why not have a crack because at that stage Cristiano was leaving and it would give me a lot of cap space. I ended up with both of them after Cristiano accepted a new deal a day before he became a free agent, so I had to sell Alemao to fit him in the squad. I sold Alemao for 900,000 pounds and replaced him with Tyler Simpson (who cost a lot less than that!). Funnily enough both Tyler and his understudy Michael Marrone are doing a better job than Alemao! Sydney are rock bottom in my game too - they sacked Kossie after 1st season, hired Nick Theo and then sacked him, now they have Martyn Crook as coach but they are still last and Aloisi still sucks. I usually smash them about 4-0 when I play them. Elsewhere the Jets are continually fining Mark Milligan because he keeps dodging training which is pretty funny. Queensland have financial problems and they keep picking up released players from the other A-League teams because they can't afford to buy anyone decent. I managed to pinch Tommy Oar for them after the rules were changed at the start of the 3rd season so you could buy from other clubs - the Roar's CEO overruled Farina and accepted my bid because they needed the cash. The Nix are strong in my game too but both seasons they fell apart in the last 1/3 and missed the finals. I'll have to keep an eye out for Viduka, I'm not sure where he is in my game. At the moment I am working a master plan to get Kewell. I've been sucking up to him and Galatasaray's manager Michael Skibbe since the first season and it must be working because at the start of the season Nick Bianco announced we were now a feeder club for them. Not sure I'll get him but it's worth a shot.

Kaz I forgot to mention - I've had Skoko on my shortlist, I'm waiting for the moment when I might be able to grab him for a song.