Adelaide United - 17 players are signed
With Aurelio Vidmar’s decision to quit club football in favour of a role with the national team, the FFA controlled Adelaide United found themselves in need of a new coach over the winter break.After a lengthy search, it was announced on the 5th of July that Dutchman Rini Coolen would take control of the club, signing a two year deal.
Coolen will have his work cut out for him, turning around the fortunes of a club which finished last season with the wooden spoon. Marcos Flores & Sergio van Dijk have been important signings for the Reds, however with a full compliment of foreign spots already allocated, Adelaide will need to fill the remaining roster spots with Australian players, which for Coolen will be no easy task.
Adelaide’s defensive depth looks to be the most concerning matter for the new coach, while rumours continue to circulate about goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic’s future at the club, with recent speculation linking him with a move to Turkey
Brisbane Roar - 19 players are signed
Brisbane coach Ange Postecoglou probably had one of the tougher recruitment assignments in the A-League this off season. A clean out completed last season saw some of Brisbane’s most experienced players leave the club, along with goal scoring talisman Sergio van Dijk.
They looked to have recruited well with Michael Theoklitos & Shane Steffanuto, while much is expected from off-season signings, Thomas Broich, Eric Paartalu & Rocco Visconte.Massimo Murdocca & Matt McKay will again no doubt provide the engine in midfield, however it’s upfront that could prove to be the key to Brisbane’s season.
Postecoglou will be hoping that Reinaldo can recapture some of the goal scoring form that saw him become a crowd favourite before his ill-fated move to K-League side Busan I'Park. Brisbane still has 1 foreign spot available. Brisbane are looking for a return to the finals in season 6 after their worst finish in their A-League history, finishing 2nd last.
Central Coast Mariners - 21 players are signed
New coach Graeme Arnold has a lot to prove this coming A-League season. Much maligned for his role in the national team set up in recent years, Arnold will return to club coaching for the first time since 2001.
Arnold has invested heavily in youth, including 16 year old AIS starlet Mustafa Amini, but has also looked to bring in some international experience with the signing of former NAC Breda defender Patrick Zwaanswijk.Most eyes however will be on Patricio Perez, the one time national youth teammate of Lionel Messi. The former Vélez Sársfield midfielder is expected to provide a spark to the Mariners attack, but some may question his ability to handle the physical nature of the A-League. At just 5ft 6 inches he stands just a ½ inch taller then one time Sydney FC midfielder Juninho.
A new style of football and professionalism has been promised by Graeme Arnold, and he will need to deliver otherwise he will undoubtedly find a familiar chant ringing in his ears up at Bluetongue. Most new coaches are afforded a honeymoon period by the press and fans alike, I suspect Graeme Arnold may not be so lucky.
Goalkeeper Danny Vukovic is a big loss for Central Coast and with young Matthew Ryan as the only keeper at the club after Andrew Redmayne’s departure for Brisbane; Graeme Arnold will be well pressed to find an experience replacement and is surely his number 1 priority .
Central Coast still have 1 allocated foreign spot to fill should they decided to use it
Gold Coast United - 18 players are signed
Gold Coast United were the brash new boy on the block last season. With a controversial billionaire owner and a charismatic coach, they were never far from the headlines. They will be looking to back up a solid start to the clubs debut season with more of the same.
Marquee man Jason Culina returns after a mixed World Cup, however New Zealand star and last seasons golden boot winner Shane Smeltz has departed for Chinese club Shandong Luneng.English defender, John Curtis remains Miron Bleiberg’s only off season recruit so far however, with a possible 5 spots left to fill and a key striker to be replaced, Gold Coast United will be surely scouring the countryside for potential recruits.
With Brazilian brothers Robson and Anderson, Dutchman Bas van den Brink, & Ivorian Adama Traoré rounding out Gold Coast’s foreign contingent, Bleiberg’s biggest task will be recruiting a player who can replace Shane Smeltz’s impressive goal tally last season.
Melbourne Heart - 19 players are signed
Making their debut season, much is already expected from Melbourne Heart. An impressive recruitment drive by Dutch coach John van 't Schip has seen the new club capture former and current Socceroo’s Josip Skoko, Simon Colosimo, John Aloisi & Michael Beauchamp along with veteran Dutch striker Gerald Sibon.
Van’t Schip has also recruited 6 under 21 players so far and is looking to mix youth with experience while promising to play an attractive brand of football. With 4 spots left on their roster, including 2 foreign, Melbourne Heart look to be following Gold Coast United with an impressive debut season.
Melbourne Victory - 21 players are signed
Last years Grand Finalist has had a rather uneventful off season in the transfer market so far, much to the frustration of many Victory supporters.Young goalkeeping star Mitch Langerak departed for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, being replaced by fringe Socceroo Michael Petkovic.
Melbourne Victory currently has 2 foreign spots available, which they will be hoping to use to replace injured marquee man Archie Thompson. Captain Kevin Muscat was expected to retire, but has re-signed for a further 12 months.
Newcastle Jets - 22 players are signed
Branko Culina’s squad looks to have been completed with the recent signings of Chinese striker Zhang Shuo & Italian midfielder Marcello Fiorentini. The Jets were surprise finalists last season finishing 6th and going on to defeat the much fancied Gold Coast United in the finals series.
Culina has bought in 6 new faces to the squad including Kasey Wehrman and former Sydney FC players Jeremy Brockie and Ruben Zadkovich.Newcastle Jets squad is certainly an eclectic mix of talented youngsters, seasoned professionals and unproven imports. Branko certainly does not need anymore strikers.
North Queensland Fury - 18 players are signed
North Queensland Fury certainly had an interesting off-season, losing their financial backing, marquee star Robbie Fowler and rookie coach Ian Ferguson. After much community rallying and FFA support, the Fury were confirmed as participating in season 6 of the A-League.
The club has basically started it’s recruitment from scratch, retaining only 7 players from its inaugural season. Czech coach František Straka has been charged with the task of resurrecting the player roster.Cult hero Dyron Daal had been retained, as has exciting prospect and Queensland native David Williams. Garath Edds has returned to Australia after 13 years in Britain and has been joined by Togolese defender Eric Akoto and German André Kilian in a re-vamped backline.
Straka still has 5 squad spots at his disposal, including the opportunity to bring in one more visa player. He will need to recruit smartly if the Fury are going to improve on last seasons 7th finish
Perth Glory - 22 players are signed
Perth Glory qualified for their first A-League finals appearance last season. Probably the squad with the least amount of room to move over the winter break, Perth did however manage to swing to most talked about signing in the off-season - Robbie Fowler, and in doing so became the first A-League club to take advantage of the new marquee system.
Michael Baird and Josh Mitchell both returned from stints abroad to round out Dave Mitchells squad. Perth fans will no doubt expect the Glory to replicate last seasons finals finish, but with Tony Sage’s heavy investment over the last two season, I suspect he will expect more then just that.
Wellington Phoenix - 17 players are signed
Wellington were last seasons good news story. The un-fancied team with un-fancied players from across the ditch who finished a very respectable 3rd, losing to eventual winners Sydney FC.Ricky Herbert will be hoping that the momentum of their finals rush, coupled with New Zealands performance at the World Cup will translate into a positive start in what will be Wellingtons 4th appearance in the A-League.
Not much has gone on over in Wellington in the last few weeks while Herbert has been in South Africa. One good bit of news for Wellington supporters will be the news that Herbert has decided to extend his contract with the Wellington Phoenix until the end of the 2012/13 A-League season. Last season top performer Paul Iffil will be just as important to the Phoenix this season if they are to repeat last seasons efforts. Former Mariner Dylan Macallister is the notable addition to the Phoenix’s roster.
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