Soccer: A-League keeping Knights on tight leash

While the A-League wants more New Zealand players in the Knights' squad, the operations manager knows there is a much simpler way to give the club a boost.

The second season of the A-League gets underway in Melbourne tonight when the hosts clash with Adelaide.

The Knights open their campaign against Newcastle on Sunday.

The FFA's Matt Carroll says New Zealand players would bring the public on board in a bigger way, but the best thing that could happen would be to get some wins under the belt early in the A-League season.

He says they are keeping a close check on the Knights' progress, with a fortnightly report required from the New Zealand franchise on ticket sales, marketing plans, sponsorship or finances.

The club finished last by a long way in the opening A-League soccer season, and also went through wholesale administration changes at the end of the season.

Matt Carroll says there are three clubs that are required to report more often than the others, including the New Zealand franchise.

Carroll believes he has seen promising signs in the club and says new manager Paul Nevin is the best thing that has ever happened to them.

- NEWSTALK ZB