2017/18 Melbourne Victory Thread. We Are The Champions!!!!

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Don't know if I can contain my excitement I've always been a big fan of Honda watching a lot of Serie A this will be huge for us.

Melbourne Victory close in on Honda, sign German defender
Anthony Colangelo
4-5 minutes
Melbourne Victory are all but assured of securing the services of Japanese legend Keisuke Honda for at least next season, while the defending A-League champions have signed experienced German centre-back Georg Niedermeier.

Honda's agent and brother Hiroyuki Honda has been in talks with Victory and Football Federation Australia for some months, and The Age understands the only way the deal will break down is if there are complications with the terms of the multi-million dollar marquee contract.

The money will likely come from Victory and from the FFA's marquee fund.

Niedermeier, 32, played his youth soccer at Bayern Munich. He made 86 appearances for their reserve team before moving to VfB Stuttgart, where he played 148 times. For a period at Stuttgart he formed a central defensive partnership with Victory’s former championship winning defender Matthieu Delpierre. He has signed a one-year deal at Victory, subject to a medical.

“His big-game experience in the Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and Europa League will be extremely valuable," Victory coach Kevin Muscat said.

His 2017-18 season was plagued by injury meaning he most recently played for SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga - six times in the 2016-17 season. In 2018 he played four times - most recently in April - for SC Freiburg’s reserves.

Honda, formerly of CSKA Moscow and AC Milan, has also been the subject of interest from Brazillian giants CR Vasco Da Gama since he announced was leaving Mexican club Pachuca.

Honda, 32, has played 98 times for Japan, including at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups. He scored at all three making him the first Japanese player to score at a trio of World Cups. Honda was named player of the tournament at the 2011 Asian Cup, which Japan won, and can play a number of positions including on the wing and at both ends of the midfield.

Victory have traditionally avoided signing big-name international marquees in their history, instead opting for lesser-known players like Fred and Carlos Hernandez. Besart Berisha's acquisition from Brisbane Roar was a coup in 2014, as was the signing of Harry Kewell in 2011, however that did not go to plan.

Victory are working overtime to replenish their depleted squad, which has lost the likes of Leroy George, Mitch Austin, Stefan Nigro, Matias Sanchez, Christian Theoharous, James Donachie, Pierce Waring, Berisha and Rhys Williams since winning the 2018 A-League grand final.

The club will soon announce the signing of Australian centre-back Nick Ansell, who previously played for Victory between 2012 and 2017.

The 24-year-old was former Victory defender Delpierre's central defensive partner in the 2015 grand final win. Ansell joined Portuguese top flight club CD Tondela after that triumph but managed only eight appearances.

Victory's cross-town rivals Melbourne City have also bolstered their playing stocks after announcing the signing of defensive midfielder Rostyn Griffiths for two years.

He has previously played for Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory. His most recent club was Pakhtakor Tashkent of Uzbekistan.

City have also experienced an off-season exodus of sorts, losing players like Nick Fitzgerald, Manny Muscat, Bruce Kamau, Ruon Tongyik, Michael Jakobsen, Stefan Mauk and Marcin Budzinski.

They have added attacking quartet Michael O’Halloran, Riley McGree, Lachie Wales and Anthony Caceras (back from a loan spell) as replacements.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soc...nda-sign-german-defender-20180718-p4zs9x.html
 
We're signing players from the Bundesliga and Keisuke ****in Honda and City are signing journeymen who last played in Uzbekistan :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:
 

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Plus one for the Honda love. Not only do I think he'll be successful on the pitch but as a marquee, the Asian market and Asian players themselves are something, for whatever reason, the A League really misses the ball on. Too busy chasing anyone who has played a second in the Premier League.
 
Should be dangerous from set pieces next year! If this guy turns out to be a gun that'll be 3 in a row.



Very much similar to Delpierre about him.

I like!

Heard he's had a few injury problems the last couple of years through. Hopefully we can keep him fit!
 

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How do we line in with Honda. Does he play central and we push Troisi out wide? Either or for me, They can both play central or wide.

Exciting if we can get the deal done.

Honda should play #10 role with Troisi on the left wing which IMO is Troisi's natural position. Troisi played left wing in his first stint with us.

I think Troisi will have a ripper year and few people will eat their words.
 
I think Troisi will have a ripper year and few people will eat their words.
Ofcourse he will. His contract is up. :p
 
2 signings and we're good to go.(If we can land Honda)

???
Troisi Honda Kosta
Terry ???
Brown Georg Ansell Deng
Lozza

Bench from Acton Valeri Roux Ingham Kenny Brox Hope Kirdar
Valeri is clearly playing alongside Terry lol
 

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2017/18 Melbourne Victory Thread. We Are The Champions!!!!


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