Zamora. Yuck, I'd rather bring back Emile
Jaliens gives me the horn
YouTube highlights show he has the goods, we can't go wrong by signing him.
Middleby Gone
Lawrie Out
Why do other clubs scout all around the world for a marquee while we just seem to limit ourselves to the EPL?
Some of the best imports to come to the A League (who weren't even necessarily marquees) never played in the EPL.....Broich, Berisha, Hernandez, Janko, Carrusca, Patrick Zwaanzjik (sorry for the spelling) etc.
Either we get someone who is still in their prime or forget about it, very rarely has a marquee in their mid-30's been a success in the A League.
English bias aside, it's players like Zamora who have a nose for goal and are also a bit of a kunt that will do the business.
Andy Keogh was always more of a wide man in a front 3 at Wolves, but he is a great point man given the current standard of our league's defence.
Getting "a name" from the epl is a less risky move from an off field perspective.
Heskey is a prime example, rubbish on the field, but sold shirts, got column inches in papers and got bums on seats.
Get a no name who might well be the next Thomas brooch and you run the risk of him being both shit on the field and worthless off it.
"A name" from the epl is a safer bet.
From the epl? Because that's what most peripheral football fans know about.
But Zamora isn't just any name from the EPL. There is the connection with Miller. I have no problem with Miller using his Fulham connections for recruitment
Zamora would walk this league sign him up
Nick Cowburn has been invited to train with the first team in order to attempt to impress the new coaching staff to earn a contract.
Its because finding a broich, berisha etc isnt that easy. For every one of those there has been a number a absolute bombs.
De Groot, Drovandi, Hakansson. And they are just some of the Jets ones.
Even the most successful team in A-league, Victory, have had terrible ones. Riccardinho, Leandro Love, Jonathan Bru (and he was one of Anges, the master!)
Im just saying its all well and good to say go and find these guys, but they obviously aren't that easy to find and to get them to perform.
WE DON'T DO WALKING AWAY !
The Championship Chronicles - The Jetstream's review of the 2007/08 season. www.newcastlefootball.net/chronicles
Excellent news, but IMO it's the new coaching staff that need to impress Nick. We have lost Scott Neville, our main right back, and also Peppz who it pained me when referred to as a backup RB but still.
Our only current options for RB are Daniel Mullen, and possibly Themba Muata-Marlow (I'll be honest, I have zero idea if he plays CB or wide back). And if Miller/JPdM watch Mullen at RB for the Wanderers in the league, they'll realise how awful a choice that is, and that Mullen should ONLY be considered at CB.
So we have no right backs, yet have in our grasp someone who performed superbly for us last season. IMO it's a disgrace we're treating Nick with such distance.
OK
I think we are actually already taking this strategy of finding decent imports in their prime rather than the EPL over 35's squad.
Leaky Jeans and Allo'Allo'vodic are unknowns in their prime, but we are only paying them good money instead of marquee money. It's like we are playing the import pokies and betting 20c at a time instead of TCF $5 hits like Victory/Shitney?
Very true. Here is our list of Visa players over the years - who would be considered a hit/ok/miss?
Ali Abbas
Bernardo Ribeiro
Denni Rocha Dos Santos
Dominik Ritter
Donny De Groot
Edmundo Zura
Edson Montano
Emile Heskey
Enver Alivodic
Fabio Vignaroli
Francis Jeffers
Guy Bates
Jeremy Brockie
Jeronimo Neumann
Jesper Hakansson
Jonny Steele
Jorge Drovandi
Kew Jaliens
Ki-Je Lee
Labinot Haliti
Marcello Fiorentini
Marcos Flores
Mario Jardel
Mateo Corbo
Michael Bridges
Milton Rodriguez
Shuo Zhang
Song Jin-Hyung
Steven Old
Sung-Hwan Byun
Tiago Calvano
Tomislav Misura
Vaughan Coveny
The Championship Chronicles - The Jetstream's review of the 2007/08 season. www.newcastlefootball.net/chronicles
Probably not fair to include:
Jeremy Brockie
Jeronimo Neumann
Marcos Flores
Michael Bridges
Sung-Hwan Byun
As they were known to the league already.
OK