Who's signed for next season

[shinAUFC]

I've always been a fan of looking overseas for hidden gems, but lately that method has failed to produce results or goals. Too many lazy plebs phoning it in and too many talented but permacrock physio table warmers. Tell me, what's so wrong with going after guys who have already proven themselves at the cost of a bit more coin? Sure, it's not as noble or astute as uncovering hidden gems, but our failure to replace Sergio van Dijk since his departure has cost us so many goals and possibly silverware.

You have to understand a football club means and represents different things to different people.

There probably some kind of linear line you could graph between peoples years following the club and their age and how their view of what X club means to them.

I totally understand your all about trophies and big derbies, but Im willing to bet in a decade those things will still be important to you. Yet you will probably also be much more philisophical about what you expect from your club. Infact if you take a close look at the most passionate clubs around the world, their history and identity are equally as important as trophies.

Im not saying your wrong for wanting berisha , youvare wrong though for assuming those of us who dont want him are “boneheads”:)

[Stuckey]

I've always been a fan of looking overseas for hidden gems, but lately that method has failed to produce results or goals. Too many lazy plebs phoning it in and too many talented but permacrock physio table warmers. Tell me, what's so wrong with going after guys who have already proven themselves at the cost of a bit more coin? Sure, it's not as noble or astute as uncovering hidden gems, but our failure to replace Sergio van Dijk since his departure has cost us so many goals and possibly silverware.

Because there is never an assurance that the "proven" players will succeed with a new club. AU did that signing Baba who has a proven record scoring at La Liga level.
AU didn't win any silverware when Serg was here so I'm not sure how you can say they missed out on it once he left...
Where as some of the hidden gems AU signed like: Isaias, Cirio, Pablo, Carrusca, and Adlung all came here and succeeded, None were signed as marquees.
Don't just look at AU. Look at all the hidden gems other HAL clubs have signed over the years: Berisha, Finkler, Carlos Hernandez, Broich, Marinkovic. None of those guys came as marquees, no one had heard of these guys before they came. We all know who they are now.

Compare that to the visa players Melb City have brought in over the last few seasons. Huge wages with impressive CVs how many over their visa signings have lit up the league? Fornaroli, Schenkeveld, Sorensen, and half a season from McCormack. Who knows how much money they spent bringing over the likes of Colazo and Budzinski?

[shinAUFC]

I've always been a fan of looking overseas for hidden gems, but lately that method has failed to produce results or goals. Too many lazy plebs phoning it in and too many talented but permacrock physio table warmers. Tell me, what's so wrong with going after guys who have already proven themselves at the cost of a bit more coin? Sure, it's not as noble or astute as uncovering hidden gems, but our failure to replace Sergio van Dijk since his departure has cost us so many goals and possibly silverware.

Because there is never an assurance that the "proven" players will succeed with a new club. AU did that signing Baba who has a proven record scoring at La Liga level.
AU didn't win any silverware when Serg was here so I'm not sure how you can say they missed out on it once he left...
Where as some of the hidden gems AU signed like: Isaias, Cirio, Pablo, Carrusca, and Adlung all came here and succeeded, None were signed as marquees.
Don't just look at AU. Look at all the hidden gems other HAL clubs have signed over the years: Berisha, Finkler, Carlos Hernandez, Broich, Marinkovic. None of those guys came as marquees, no one had heard of these guys before they came. We all know who they are now.

Compare that to the visa players Melb City have brought in over the last few seasons. Huge wages with impressive CVs how many over their visa signings have lit up the league? Fornaroli, Schenkeveld, Sorensen, and half a season from McCormack. Who knows how much money they spent bringing over the likes of Colazo and Budzinski?

Stuckey remember daniel mcbreen? Now that was one bargain deal!

[Stuckey]

I've always been a fan of looking overseas for hidden gems, but lately that method has failed to produce results or goals. Too many lazy plebs phoning it in and too many talented but permacrock physio table warmers. Tell me, what's so wrong with going after guys who have already proven themselves at the cost of a bit more coin? Sure, it's not as noble or astute as uncovering hidden gems, but our failure to replace Sergio van Dijk since his departure has cost us so many goals and possibly silverware.

Because there is never an assurance that the "proven" players will succeed with a new club. AU did that signing Baba who has a proven record scoring at La Liga level.
AU didn't win any silverware when Serg was here so I'm not sure how you can say they missed out on it once he left...
Where as some of the hidden gems AU signed like: Isaias, Cirio, Pablo, Carrusca, and Adlung all came here and succeeded, None were signed as marquees.
Don't just look at AU. Look at all the hidden gems other HAL clubs have signed over the years: Berisha, Finkler, Carlos Hernandez, Broich, Marinkovic. None of those guys came as marquees, no one had heard of these guys before they came. We all know who they are now.

Compare that to the visa players Melb City have brought in over the last few seasons. Huge wages with impressive CVs how many over their visa signings have lit up the league? Fornaroli, Schenkeveld, Sorensen, and half a season from McCormack. Who knows how much money they spent bringing over the likes of Colazo and Budzinski?

Stuckey remember daniel mcbreen? Now that was one bargain deal!

Absolutely! I was focusing on visa players in this discussion but the same is 110% true for Aussie players as well. Tomi Juric, Scott Jamieson, and Paul Reid all hidden gems that went on to impress for AU. There are loads of decent Aussie players plugging away overseas and given the right scenario and offer could come back to the HAL and do great things for AU.

[bpowell454]

Just to stoke the flames a little, Berisha is now an Australian citizen.

[shinAUFC]

Just to stoke the flames a little, Berisha is now an Australian citizen.

I thought he had to be working in australia for 5 years straight and Currently employed here ( he is contracted in the j league)

Given the ( reportedly ) 600k we are willing to spend on bobo i would imagine there are some very capable bundesliga 2 strikers looking for an adventure that kurz has in mind.

I think germany is a great place to look for players given the style thats played there is quite physical. They seem to take little time adapting here.

[shinAUFC]

Who are coming off contract this season?

With a new aleague club reportedly starting next season re-signing of contract player just became harder and more expensive.

Apparently galloway and blackwood are in negotiations , i think blackwood will have a few other offers going.

Isaias is off contract isnt he? That could be VERY hard to keep him.

[MartinAUFC]

Its a very interesting situation. TBH I have a lot of respect for people like Muscat and Berisha. I've certainly called them names over the years. But a large part of why we as AU fans have such a dislike for them is because they beat us so often. There are plenty of hard nosed players in every league who would do almost anything to win. IMO Isaias is like that. Vince Lia comes across as another. The main difference between someone like Muscat and Lia is largely down to the amount of times we've had to witness Muscat celebrating goals and lifting trophies in our face. Lia has rarely celebrated goals and has never lifted a trophy against us so we don't have that same disdain for him.
The main reason we as fans hate players like that is largely because they are winners. If they were doing it for our club, we'd call them heroes.
Obviously there are never any assurances that someone who is successful at one club will definitely be successful at another. But I'd gladly swallow my pride in welcoming someone like Berisha or Muscat to AU if that resulted in AU winning the championship again.

It would also add some more spice to the AU - MV rivalry which is IMO getting a bit stale lately.

I think you owe Vince Lia an apology there Stucky. Comparing him with Kevin Muscat ???
Vinny is a model pro who has carried himself admirably throughout his career. The other bloke used to make regular attempts to end an opposing player's career and played the game with all the class of a school yard bully. He has toned it down a bit since becoming coach because he's had to, but you can still see that mentality in the arrogant smerk.

Your comparison of Berisha and Isaias is also wide of the mark imo. Sure Issy pushes the boundaries a little in terms of gamesmanship - milking the frees, trying to influence the ref etc.
But let me ask you this - could you picture Berisha running to the aid of Mauk like the AU skipper did? I think it would be more likely that the red mist would have descended and he would have been pushing Elsey out of the way so he could have first crack at Mauk. The guy has an acute case of white line fever and once on the pitch is a fight waiting to happen.

I hate the fact that AU lose consistently to Melbourne Victory as much as any diehard Reds fan. But would I want United to be like them ? No thanks.

[BenAD]

Isaias has a contract until the end of the 2019/20 season. He signed a 3 year extension in 2017.
He also is now an Aussie as of today

[sevengoals]

Isaias has a contract until the end of the 2019/20 season. He signed a 3 year extension in 2017.
He also is now an Aussie as of today

Hallelujah!

[Reds4Life]

That's great news for Isa and his family, and huge news for the club.

[salmonfc]

No sign of a Brucey announcement as previously mentioned.

[blahblah]

Isaias has a contract until the end of the 2019/20 season. He signed a 3 year extension in 2017.
He also is now an Aussie as of today

The number of South Australians in the squad just increased by one

[salmonfc]

I have it on good authority (and don’t ask who) that Bruce is returning on an injury replacement contract to see out the season.

Stay tuned. An announcement will be made Friday.

So much for that.

BOBO TIME

[shinAUFC]

I think your the only one who didnt take it as a troll salmon