Jeremy Brockie – Ex-SuperSport United (South African Premier Soccer League)

With Chris Wood and Winston Reid both out injured and Ryan Thomas still on winter break, Flying Kiwis has mostly evolved into a transfer gossip thing this week. All goods, as longs as the yarns are out there… and ya boy Jeremy Brockie’s leading things off for a very good reason.

There you go. It was becoming more and more likely that he got a transfer away from SuperSport, they rejected his transfer request in the last window but reportedly allowed Mamelodi Sundowns to talk to him last week, which meant formalities were underway. There was a bit of a race for Sundowns to rush the deal through in time to register him for the CAF Champions League but they got there just in time.

Orlando Pirates were the other team linked with Brockie, so those fans might be a little frustrated – although they got some premature revenge by beating Sundowns 3-1 a few days earlier.

With this move, Brockie joins the club at the top of the PSL table. They’ve won ten league titles in their history, with seven of those since the Premier Soccer League reformatting, and were runners up last year. They’ve won all the cups at some point in time but most famously they won the CAF Champions League in 2016, which sent them into the World Club Cup where they would have played Auckland City had ACFC won their playoff. Known as Masandawana (and also known as The Brazilians thanks to their colour scheme), they’ve been on the lookout for a new striker for a while and word is that manager Pitso Mosimane is fan of JB. A feeling that sounds like it goes both ways.

Jeremy Brockie: “It’s exciting! It seems like it’s taken a lifetime, but I’m over the moon to be joining such a big club, not only in South African football but in the whole of African football. When it came to choosing Sundowns, the idea of looking around the changing room and seeing players like Kekana, Tau, Zwane, Vila and the others really excites me. I can’t wait to play with these players, and I’m also looking forward to a new, fresh challenge the most to be honest.

“The way that Pitso sold the club to me got me wanting to put on the shirt and do my best for the club. He told me how ambitious they were in terms of wanting to compete for every piece of silverware possible, and how he sees me fitting into his setup. His motivation to succeed is unreal, and he wants to get the club back to another Club World Cup.”

Which means Brockie departs SuperSport with 54 goals since he signed in 2014, more than any other player in South Africa in that time. If he’d stuck around a bit longer he would’ve become their all-time leading scorer but instead he falls four goals short of beating Abram Raselemane’s mark.

There’s a rumour that he didn’t get on so well with Eric Tinkler since he took over at SSU, which might have encouraged him to leave – although a big-ass pay-rise and the chance to play Champions League and compete for league titles will probably have been a bigger factor. Still, SuperSport are eight games without a win in the league and Brockie hasn’t scored in his last ten PSL games, the last of which being a 2-0 defeat at Bidvest Wits last week.

SuperSport CEO Stanley Matthews: “It’s never easy to lose a key player like Jeremy, especially off the back of three great seasons with us in which we made five cup finals and he became the second highest scorer at the club. We also understand that at his age this is Jeremy’s last big move and opportunity to secure his financial future. Given that he has made a significant contribution to the club on and off the field, our board have agreed to sanction his move to Mamelodi Sundowns and we wish him well in his future.”

Up Next: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Platinum Stars, 5.00am on Sunday (NZT)

Chris Wood – Burnley (English Premier League)

So it was said and so it came to pass. Wood was still out as Burnley fell 1-0 to Crystal Palace, Bakary Sako scoring in the 21st minute. It was a fair result. Palace were able to create the better chances as Burnley looked short on ideas. They’ve won games like that this season but eventually that all balances out. Georges-Kevin N’Koudou did some stuff coming on for his first appearance since joining on loan from Spurs as well.

That’s five games that Wood’s missed now since getting injured against Tottenham. Here’s Sean Dyche speaking more on the injury situation in the lead up to the Palace game…

Sean Dyche: “Not ideal. But a few making their way back. I think Scott Arfield will probably be the closest, touch and go. Tarky should be fine. Ben Mee had a niggle but should be fine. Kevin Long had a niggle but should be fine. Chris Wood is not quite there yet. Ward is making good progress. Robbie (Brady) and Tom (Heaton) are making good progress but are long term.”

Therefore you can tell it’s not only Woody that they’re missing, though hopefully he’s back soon enough. He was scoring goals early on when he was able to play a few games in a row but injuries have kept him from carrying a rhythm ever since. One other thing is that the club are waiting for Woody to return to fitness before they sanction the sale of Jon Walters to Sunderland, who joined from Stoke before the season but has only played 37 minutes of Premier League footy.

Up Next: Sunday at 4.00am at home vs Manchester United (NZT)

Winston Reid – West Ham United (English Premier League)

The Hammers seem to have been alternating between great and average performances, so after drawing 0-0 in a stinker against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup last time they were due a good one against Huddersfield in the PL. And, dude, they were outstanding. Mark Noble and Joe Lolley traded goals in the first half but Marko Arnautovic put West Ham back in front within a minute of the second half kicking off and Manny Lanzini added a double for a 4-1 win, their biggest of the season so far.

And while it hasn’t always been pretty, that win made it five games unbeaten in all competitions and it was David Moyes’ 200th Premier League win. Arnautovic and Lanzini were superb and the team defended well. Shoots them up five points clear of the drop zone too. Sweet as. Only problem was what was either a groin or an ankle injury, depending what you read, that Winston copped against Shrewsbury meant he didn’t feature and the word is that he’ll miss a couple weeks. At least there’s no All Whites games on the horizon then.

It might not be that long, other reports weren’t so emphatic and Davie Hammer didn’t seem so worried in his manager’s column for the Evening Standard.

David Moyes: “We have doubts about Winston Reid and Andy Carroll but James ‘Ginge’ Collins is back with us, as is Aaron Cresswell, Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini.”

That was before the Huddersfield game so he’s had a little extra time to recover. Don’t expect to see him midweek in the replay against Shrewsbury, probably not on the weekend against Bournemouth either. The game against Crystal Palace on January 31 (NZT) seems like the first possibility for a return. Hopefully Chris Wood and Ryan Thomas are back playing before then. Gotta restock these Flying Kiwis shelves.

Up Next: Ice packs and rehab sessions

Tommy Smith – Ipswich Town (English Championship)

Smithy’s supposed illness that coincided almost exactly with the links between him and Anthony Hudson’s Colorado FC seemed a little too convenient to be true last week but considering he was out of training for most of the last week, perhaps that was too conspiratorial to suppose. Smithy did get back into training before Ipswich’s 1-0 win over Leeds, courtesy of a Bersant Celina goal from 30 yards, but not soon enough to be ready to feature in that game. He was ruled out by manager Mick McCarthy the day before.

Mick McCarthy: “I haven’t, he’s been in today and that’s it, really. I’ve been doing the first team stuff and Tommy’s been and gone and will be back in tomorrow.”

And when asked if he had received news of any firm, legitimate, honest interest in Smith from another club, he replied: “I’ve not had any, no.” Which you can read into what you will, though McCarthy is the type of fella who might happily plead ignorant over such things. Plus he’s a tight-fisted bloke and selling a defender when he’s already short on defenders will not be high on his priority list so he’s got a horse in the race as well.

However Managing Director Ian Milne had some different words to say a day later when he appeared on BBC Radio to discuss a few matters regarding the team.

Ian Milne: “I’m aware there’s interest from an American team. We all love Tommy very much personally and as a player. It’s a case of where he wants to be as well, how fit he is and all the rest of it. He’s been playing very well. So there’s no decision been made on him.”

Which more or less confirms the Colorado FC angle but also leaves the door open for a stay in Suffolk, with the club clearly happy to hang on to their longest serving current player.

Up Next: Hmm…

Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)

This was the last week of the winter break for the PECers, which means they’re back into action on the weekend. Which means those Ryan Thomas withdrawal symptom can finally get the treatment they require. Starting to sweat it up in here, it’s about time.

And for once it was a surprisingly slow news week for Thommo. He did feature in friendly action during the team’s training camp as they smashed Sportfreunde Lotte, a lower division German side, 5-1 – Thomas played the first hour before being subbed. Plus those transfer rumours seem to have quietened up as well. Possibly not a shock, that, given that it’s kinda obvious that he’s not going anywhere until the end of the season.  

In the meantime, a few of Thommo’s teammates had a chat with De Stentor and their kiwi midfielder’s name popped up one response. When asked about the worst snorers in the team, winger Kingsley Ehizibue happened to drag Ryan into things… although not as the worst snorer. Nope, he was talking about himself there.

Kingsley Ehizibue: “Nobody wants to share a room with me because I snore. This training camp I’ve been with Ryan Thomas, who can handle it. I give Ryan a fifteen minute lead, then I fall asleep within two minutes. It doesn’t matter to him that he’s sleeping next to me, he’s roomed with worse snorers before.”

So, yeah… there you go. Ryan Thomas: Very tolerant of snorers.

Up Next: PEC Zwolle vs NAC Brada, Sunday 7.45am (NZT)

Erin Nayler– Girondins Bordeaux (French Division 1 Féminine)

Here’s some more proper football, Girondins returned to action last week beating Saint-Luce-Sur-Loire 7-1 in a cup game, although Erin Nayler was still on holiday then. Fair enough, obviously a good shot to give one of the reserves a dig in goal. But she was back between the sticks for the league clash with Fleury 91. And this one, hey, this was a bit of a belter.

Nayler conceded first, Sara Palacin giving Fleury the lead at half-time. Sarah Combot made things 1-1 soon after and then Nadjma Ali Nadjim had the home side in front… only for Claire Lavogez and Celine Chatelain to score twice in the space of ten minutes. The second had Fleury up 3-2 with only two minutes remaining. Just enough time for Ali Nadjim to level things up in injury time. 3-3 and you could say a couple points dropped but at the same time it was also a point saved.

Up Next: Away to ASPTT Albi at 2.30am on Monday (NZT)

Max Crocombe – Salford City (English National League North)

Haha, maaate. You wanna try the panenka against New Zealand’s fourth best goal-keeper!? (Maybe fourth… maybe fifth or sixth or seventh or eighth, who knows?). Think again, chief.

Times have been good for Salford lately. That penalty save was crucial on the way to a 2-1 victory away to Darlington, with Jake Beesley scoring the winner in the 89th minute. A few days later they got it done in a much more comfortable fashion with a 3-0 win over AFC Talford United. Six points from six, a clean sheet in there for Crocombe. Enough to put them eight points clear at the top of the National League North and suddenly storming towards promotion.

Crocombe’s been a major factor in it all too. He got a few headlines for that time he took a piss off the side of the field during a game, which got him a suspension, but other than that he’s been there all the way. 23 games and counting, he’s one of the first names on the team sheet each week for a team conceding fewer than a goal a game.

Up Next: 4.00am on Sunday against second-placed Harrogate (NZT)

Ryan de Vries – FC Gifu (Japanese J2 League)

This has been one for the Premmy Files recently, where long time Auckland City banger de Vries suddenly went MIA and when the smoke cleared it turned out he’d been negotiating a deal to play in Japan. The single-cap All Whites is still only 26 years old and having pretty much done everything with ACFC, he’s long since earned a shot at the pros.

As it happens, FC Gifu and Auckland City have a bit in common as Gifu was the former club of de Vries’ former teammate Takuya Iwata. Which probably helped a bit. Gifu are in the second tier of Japanese footy and they could use some quality in there. The club finished their last season on a nine-game streak without a win and while they do score a few goals, their leaky defence means they could always use a few more. Shots to De Vries for joining the Flying Kiwis ranks.

Ryan de Vries: “I want to thank everyone connected with Auckland City FC from the board to the supporters but especially my team-mates and coaching staff for everything they've given me these past few years. It’s been a pleasure to play for this club. We experienced a lot of ups and downs on the pitch but I have mostly unbelievably good memories to take away with me. Auckland City FC achieved milestones not many teams in New Zealand may ever experience. I'm going to miss everyone at the club. I want to wish the club good luck for the rest of this season and in the future.”

Of course he’s not the only New Zealander playing in Japan at the moment. Michael Fitzgerald is a domesticated player for J-League side Kawasaki Frontale, signing there at the start of 2017 after playing 94 league games for Albirex Niigata. A bad knee injury meant he barely played at all last season though, not that Kawasaki needed his contributions as they went on to win the league on goal difference thanks to a 5-0 win over Omiya Ardija on the final day of the season combined with Kashima Antlers being unable to find a winner in their 0-0 draw away to Jubilo Iwata. There you go.

Up Next: The J2 season begins in late February

Sam Brotherton & Michael Woud – Sunderland (English Championship)

Sam Brotherton’s Sunderland career has so far been a tad confusing. With instability at the top of the club, things haven’t been much clearer at the lower levels either and getting game time has been a tough ask for Brotherton. However he did get a good run last week as the U23s were able to win 2-1 against a Derby side that included Scotland international Ikechi Anya and former England international Darren Bent. U23s coach Elliott Dickman had some pleasant words for his kiwi defender.

Elliott Dickman: “I think the lads have done really well today because Sam Brotherton hasn’t played a lot of football – he was on the opposite side of the world over Christmas seeing his family – but he came in and played 90 minutes which is a testament to the type of professional he is.”

Hopefully that’s a sign of things to come, although the club signing Chelsea defender Jake Clarke-Salter on loan means first team oppos are gonna be as scarce as before. It should also be said that this chance to play coincided with a number of youth players being called up to play for the senior team in the FA Cup tie that weekend but, yeah, at least he did well with it.

As for Michael Woud, he’s making much more of an impression. Not only did he also play against Derby but he’s started all three U23s games so far in 2018, whereas Brotherton was back on the bench when they played Chelsea most recently. Maybe not for too long though, as Chelsea’s U23s swarmed to a 5-0 victory.

Up Next: Premier League Cup stuff against Brighton & Hove U23s, 8.00am on Saturday (NZT)

Adam Mitchell – Bolton Wanderers (English Championship)

Keep up the good work, amigo.

Up Next: Next Wednesday away to Sheffield Wednesday, 2.00am (NZT)

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