What are we looking forward to? Season 21/22

[Stuckey]

OK transfer talk aside. Looking at the squad personally there is a lot to be excited about:

Battle for the GK position, Has the club ever gone into a season with 2 players so neck and neck in the race for the starting position. Will be interesting how that unfolds!

The Toures, big season for both of them. Mo showed us he's capable of stringing quality games together before his injury. Who knows what this season bring. Al Hassan I'm very excited to see him back with a pre-season under his belt. It will be interesting to see where Carl plays them both as Goody and Halloran would be starters on the wing we'd expect.

Javi Lopez, he's acclimatised to the Australian conditions now. I have high hopes for him.

Cavallo, I've been nothing but impressed with him. Love to see him get time back in the middle of the park where I feel he did his best work. He's proven he's A-League level. I'm sure he's got more development in him.

Yengi, Can he fill Juric's boots? He's certainly got the body and skills to build into the Djite-esque hold up player. If we can see him getting a couple of early goals this season a front three of him, Goody and Halloran looks very dangerous.

[Jessesdad]

Yet again, our forwards are exciting. It's going to depend on how quickly the back-line finds its feet.
Strain and Elsey are big outs, but can be replaced. Much more a matter of cohesion between the new players and formation. Defence wins Championships.
Similar in the midfield where Isaias's return is welcome but adds to the confusion about who plays where - and when. If that is settled early - and works - we'll be even better than last year. And last year was great fun!
The mix of experienced elders and new blood remains a highlight for me - and the fact that in Halloran and Goody we have exceptional class on both wings.
We're going to be in the mix again. Despite all the whinging about signings and losses, over the years the REDS have almost always played above and beyond expectations.

[sub007]

I think mid table is the best we can hope for so I’m looking forward to seeing Isaias back, Goodwin continue to establish himself as a club legend and how our young boys develop.

[ZANZIBAR]

Isais annoying the hell out of opponents.

Yengi annoying the hell out of opponent fans

[EdDog]

I think we are still lacking creativity in the 10 role but having Isa as the deep-lying playmaker has quelled some of these fears. Is Blackwood going to fill it? I think we need to do slightly better. Rest of midfield is fine with Isa, Mauk et al all solid.

I'm wondering if best to try push Juande into a CB role rather than have him and Isa on the park at the same time? Otherwise we have Jako who's very reliable and a straight-swap of Elsey for Ansell is untested but probably okay. Timotheu should be better for half a season and a full pre-season. Looked okay towards the back end of it. May need another CB but will have enough cover from Juande / Isa or youth if pressed. A-League has small squads so I don't think we need the extra players in these positions.

Wingbacks we really only have Kitto, Lopez and Cavallo so I wouldn't mind a bit of cover there.

I think the forward line is again our strongest position. Yengi + Blackwood + this 36yo striker is enough for the 9 position. Then we have the Toures who can play anywhere across the front 3 and the ever-classy Goody and Halloran. Dukuly a pet of Carl will probably feature. No signings required here.

In summary a no. 10 and a wingback or two and I think we are sorted.

To be honest, for all the noise about us not signing anyone I don't think we are actually that short in many areas. Probably the best position we've been in leading up to a season in a long time.

[sevengoals]

Hopefully ...

Lots of points.
Lots of goals.
Doing the double or triple over MV.
Sticking it up the "big clubs", i.e., the eastern state clubs.
A happy and rocking Hindmarsh.
A decent crack at the Championship.

And it would be nice to qualify for Asia again.

Just the usual pre-season musings.

[bpowell454]

I think we are still lacking creativity in the 10 role but having Isa as the deep-lying playmaker has quelled some of these fears. Is Blackwood going to fill it? I think we need to do slightly better. Rest of midfield is fine with Isa, Mauk et al all solid.

I'm wondering if best to try push Juande into a CB role rather than have him and Isa on the park at the same time? Otherwise we have Jako who's very reliable and a straight-swap of Elsey for Ansell is untested but probably okay. Timotheu should be better for half a season and a full pre-season. Looked okay towards the back end of it. May need another CB but will have enough cover from Juande / Isa or youth if pressed. A-League has small squads so I don't think we need the extra players in these positions.

Wingbacks we really only have Kitto, Lopez and Cavallo so I wouldn't mind a bit of cover there.

I think the forward line is again our strongest position. Yengi + Blackwood + this 36yo striker is enough for the 9 position. Then we have the Toures who can play anywhere across the front 3 and the ever-classy Goody and Halloran. Dukuly a pet of Carl will probably feature. No signings required here.

In summary a no. 10 and a wingback or two and I think we are sorted.

To be honest, for all the noise about us not signing anyone I don't think we are actually that short in many areas. Probably the best position we've been in leading up to a season in a long time.

I think Tratt was signed as a wing back?

[EdDog]

I think we are still lacking creativity in the 10 role but having Isa as the deep-lying playmaker has quelled some of these fears. Is Blackwood going to fill it? I think we need to do slightly better. Rest of midfield is fine with Isa, Mauk et al all solid.

I'm wondering if best to try push Juande into a CB role rather than have him and Isa on the park at the same time? Otherwise we have Jako who's very reliable and a straight-swap of Elsey for Ansell is untested but probably okay. Timotheu should be better for half a season and a full pre-season. Looked okay towards the back end of it. May need another CB but will have enough cover from Juande / Isa or youth if pressed. A-League has small squads so I don't think we need the extra players in these positions.

Wingbacks we really only have Kitto, Lopez and Cavallo so I wouldn't mind a bit of cover there.

I think the forward line is again our strongest position. Yengi + Blackwood + this 36yo striker is enough for the 9 position. Then we have the Toures who can play anywhere across the front 3 and the ever-classy Goody and Halloran. Dukuly a pet of Carl will probably feature. No signings required here.

In summary a no. 10 and a wingback or two and I think we are sorted.

To be honest, for all the noise about us not signing anyone I don't think we are actually that short in many areas. Probably the best position we've been in leading up to a season in a long time.

I think Tratt was signed as a wing back?

I've somehow missed this signing!

Really an AM is all we need.

Somewhat annoying to lose Elsey, Strain and Marrone (who are all South Aussies or close enough to) and replace them with Ansell and Tratt who are from interstate and don't seem like an upgrade.

[sub007]

Surely Tratt is a like for like Marrone replacement.If he’s our starting right back, we are in trouble. A left back has to be a priority now.

I know it’s a long shot but Alex Gersbach isn’t playing much in Denmark and a move to Adelaide could really kickstart his career like we have done to so many others in the past.

[AndyJebiga]

Surely Tratt is a like for like Marrone replacement.If he’s our starting right back, we are in trouble. A left back has to be a priority now.

I know it’s a long shot but Alex Gersbach isn’t playing much in Denmark and a move to Adelaide could really kickstart his career like we have done to so many others in the past.

Left back is cavallo, right back is Lopez. Tratt is a bench player

[sub007]

Surely Tratt is a like for like Marrone replacement.If he’s our starting right back, we are in trouble. A left back has to be a priority now.

I know it’s a long shot but Alex Gersbach isn’t playing much in Denmark and a move to Adelaide could really kickstart his career like we have done to so many others in the past.

Left back is cavallo, right back is Lopez. Tratt is a bench player

I hope not for two reasons. We need an actual left back, not a makeshift and also I believe Cavallo should be Mauk’s heir when we eventually sell him overseas.

[bpowell454]

Friday night we played a closed door friendly against an NPLSA select side at Cooper's stadium.

AUFC 3-0 NPLSA

Mauk 17'
Yengi 20' 63'


AU 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙓𝙄: Delianov; López, Ansell, Jakobsen, Cavallo; Isaías, D'Arrigo, Mauk; Kitto, Yengi, Halloran. 𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙨: Tratt, Timotheou, Caletti, Toure, Dukuly, Bernardo, Blackwood

𝙉𝙋𝙇𝙎𝘼 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙙: D.Ochsenham, J.Lobasso, J.Allwright, P.Wilson, D.Mullen, S.Nagel, H.Maccabe, A.Welsh, J.Konstandopoulos, J.Temelkovski, K.Konstandopoulos, A.Kasumovic, H.Gow, L.Barr, A.Irabona, C.Devereux

[The Claw]

With the squad we have, mid table would be about right. Just don’t see the depth up front or defensively once we get the inevitable injuries we always do. A few clubs look to have really strengthened too like MV, Jets and Glory whereas I’d say AU is about the same or slightly worse than last season

[Old Gregg]

It all depends. I think we have a good balance of established quality but we're probably also relying on someone like Blackwood, Yengi, Toure to have a standout season.
If Goodwin, Halloran & Mauk are firing we're in a good spot.
If our ageing Spaniards stay injury free we're in a good spot.
If our CBs gel we're in a good spot.

There's a lot of ifs, but I think there's reason to be cautiously optimistic with the squad we've got.

The biggest question mark for me is whether Veart can get that little bit extra out of the team.

[Rojos]

Spot on Gregg

Would be nice to have a breakout from Popovic, Bernardo, Yull or Alagich.

Few younger guys at the cross roads as well; Caletti, Dukuly.