Soccer: Foreigners only policy for Knights

A-League bosses have spelled it out to them, but nobody's listening at the Knights.

Despite urgings by A-League head of operations Matt Carroll to give the franchise a strong Kiwi flavour, the failing franchise seems intent on stacking its team with foreigners again, in the process ignoring viable options like All Whites defender Che Bunce.

Bunce has been in talks with the club about a contract but has yet to be offered anything concrete. At the same time, he's been offered a firm deal by a club in Iceland.

"I told John Adshead that I had been offered a contract by a club in Scandinavia but that I preferred to play for the Knights because I have a young family and it would be hard to uproot them," the 30-year-old said.

The response Bunce got was not what he expected.

"He [Adshead] said, 'You are in the mix but right now we are looking at bringing foreign players in and if nothing evolves from there we will look at you then'."

It's hardly an endorsement for a guy who has played 24 times for his country and whose last professional contract was with Randers FC in the Danish league, which is of a similar level to the Championship in England.

One of his last games for Randers was a 4-0 win over Watford, who are currently in the mix to return to the Premiership.

"I would be interested in playing for the Knights," Bunce said, "but I'm not going to wait around for them to weed out who they can't get. I'm not sure what their strategy is. He said he was looking at players overseas first.

"They really do need some Kiwi influence. It's up to them and they need to pick the best team they can but, let's be honest, the New Zealand players are going to have the most passion. I did all right against the Australian national team last year so I think I can handle the A-League."

Prolific striker Keryn Jordan has been sounded out by the Knights but the former South African international is still waiting on a deal to be put to him.

The Knights face an uphill battle to regain credibility and confidence among the New Zealand and Australian footballing public but they're not exactly endearing themselves by their words and actions. They face a tough ask in attracting top players to the club after their dreadful finish last season and it's one of the reasons they missed out on Leo Bertos, who was a standout for the All Whites in their series with Malaysia, but who opted this week for Perth instead.

"My choice was for football reasons," Bertos said from his base in Worksop. "I don't really know what went on last season off the field but they won only one game. I didn't really want to go to a team and then have that happen. I know there's no promotion and relegation but it would still be good to actually win and not finish bottom."

It's likely to be one of the motivating factors for both Jeremy Brockie and Jeremy Christie, who have moved to Sydney FC and Perth respectively.

When a handful of the New Zealand under-20 side were asked last week if they wanted to play for the Knights, they were emphatic in their response - no. Mismanaged, poor coaching, poor results, they said.

It's a sad indictment when the future of the game can see things aren't exactly rosy with the one professional club in the country, a destination that might catapult them to where they want to go.

So far the club have announced the signings of an Australian goalkeeper, even though the New Zealand No 1 Glen Moss was on their doorstep, and 31-year-old Australian midfielder Richard Johnson, who reportedly was released by Newcastle. To date, All White Noah Hickey is the only Kiwi signed up to the Knights.

Speculation continues to circulate that major changes in personnel at the club could be just around the corner, including Adshead, O'Hara and chairman Anthony Lee.

The A-League have little patience - Carroll has already issued them with a stern warning that they need at least 10 Kiwis on board and must turn their fortunes around or they will be axed from the competition.

"It would not worry us if the Knights were the All Whites in a different strip," Carroll said recently. "Ultimately we would like to see half the playing roster from New Zealand.

"We would be much more tolerant if they had a plan - it does not appear to us that they have one."

The New Zealand public also have little patience if the dwindling crowd support is any indication.

Owner Brian Katzen, however, seems to have patience in large supply.

Carroll also suggested New Zealand Soccer needed to be more involved in the running of the club but they have little jurisdiction and it's questionable whether they would want to jump on board unless there were major changes with the set-up.

-HERALD ON SUNDAY