I have decided to take up a columnist position at Soccernewsday and therefore will not be updating this blog in the foreseeable future.

You are find regular football articles from me here

Brendan

2011 Asian Cup Deserves More

Got up and watched the opening match of the 2011 Asian Cup last night and was very glad that I did. Fantastic game and one that deserves more attention from the media here in Australia.

If you ever needed more evidence that Australia is yet to embrace our move into Asia you only need to scan through the news stations today and witness and the total lack of reporting about the Asian Cup.

It's a pity because it got off to a cracking start last night with Uzbekistan running rings around the tournament hosts Qatar. The first half was all one way traffic with the White Wolves dominating possession and terrorizing Qatar down the left. The Qatari right back had no answer to the skillful and quick Djeparov. It was a joy to watch.

Qatar was extremely fortunate to head into half time 0-0. But it was only a matter of time before the Uzbeks broke the deadlock. In the end it took a outstanding long range strike from Odil Akhmedov to give Uzbekistan the lead. It was a cracking goal and it will be difficult to image it not being the goal of the tournament (though we have a long way to go).

The result and the disappointing performance by Qatar does not bode well for the remainder of the tournament. The fans could be seen on TV leaving their seats by the thousands with 10 minutes to go in the match. Whether they will continue to support the other matches remains to be seen. The true test will come tonight when Kuwait takes on China in the other Group A opening match.

I for one will be be tuning in.

Brendan

FFA To Look Into The Mirror

Hi all

I am back after a six month hiatus and what a six months it has been.

A new season and with it a new club in Melbourne. After a great start the Heart seem to be struggling. Not that this should be a surprise to anyone. It was always going to be a difficult ask for a new club to enter the Melbourne market and take significant support away from Melbourne Victory.

Although the 4000 odd crowd against North Queensland Fury was extremely disappointing I still think we shouldn't write off Heart just yet. There were a lot of factors that contributed to such a low figure including competing AFL finals, weather, time of day and lastly the fact that North Queensland had just played in Melbourne a fortnight beforehand.

I still think that over the course of the season a 8,000 average crowd for Heart should be seen as a reasonable start and will allow them to build numbers into their second season. I am looking forward to the first Melbourne derby in October which I am still confident will draw nearly a full house at AAMI Park.

Crowds numbers already seems to be concern with most media pundits though. I will admit I also am concerned at some of the low crowds we have been seeing and I agree with Ray Gatt here where he lays the majority of the blame squarely at Ben Buckley's doorstep. However lets not let the clubs off the hook as they too need to take responsibility for their own promotion within their communities.

The FFA though need to take a hard look at all of their policies as there is no doubt many of them are contributing to the lower numbers. The attempt to ban pull over type banners early in this season was just another example of administrators and security not understanding what draws people to a A-league game. Add to that the restrictive “Home End Membership” policy, the common template applied to all club marketing, the heavily regulated merchandise approval process that clubs have to go through and it all adds up to a very bland league.

The FFA need to change their approach to one where they support clubs to find their own identity. Instead of the current view where each club needs to look and feel the same, they need clubs craving out their own individuality so that they can target fans. A close look into the mirror is needed and changes within required.

Of course I am not sure this will be enough to turn around some of the clubs. Gold Coast United may have burnt so many of their bridges it just may be impossible for them to recover under the current ownership.

The pity is the football this year has been by far the best we have seen within the A-league. Adelaide and Perth have been fantastic and Brisbane, Fury matches have been a joy to watch. The season is shaping up to be very even and already the two “big” clubs in Sydney and Melbourne Victory are under pressure to improve their performances.

Lets just hope the FFA can get their act together.

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Clive Needs To Go

Its disappointing to hear that yet another A-League club, Gold Coast United, are struggling financially after it was revealed that billionaire owner Clive Palmer has notified the FFA of his intention to withdraw his support of the club.

Must say the timing is very suspect with the FFA just concluding a rescue package for North Queensland we now have the leagues richest owner deciding that he can no longer sustain the losses the club is currently experiencing.

Not that you can blame Clive. If the reported $4 Million loss is correct it would be a bitter pill to swallow to see your fellow start-up club receive a extra 2.5M from the FFA while you are continually writing cheques with no support.

So the new newest clubs introduced to the league last year are both effectively out of money after one year. The question must be ask how this was allowed to happen. How could the business models be so wrong that both clubs are experiencing double to triple the losses to what they were expecting going into their first year.

I find it hard to fathom that professional business men can get it so wrong. Its not like they didn't know what costs to expect, with eight clubs before them going through the exercise recently virtually all of the start up costs would be known. I can only assume that both club vastly underestimated the revenue they would generate.

There is no doubt that both clubs have struggled to attract the crowds that they initially forecasted but this alone does not account for the vast losses both experienced. I suspect attracting the corporate dollar is where both clubs have struggled. Every professional football club relies a lot on the sponsorship dollar and it is the area that clubs can get so very wrong.

This is why the broader ownership model that the FFA so desperately wants for their clubs is so important. It allows a much greater chance of tapping into the business community of the club's region and puts money directly into the clubs coffers.

Although I would hate to see the club fold (as I feel it important in the long term for the A-League to have a team on the Gold Coast) I would not be upset to see the end of Clive's involvement. I get the impression that his one man show has actually held back the broader community within the Gold Coast from investing in the club and no club can sustain this for the long term.

I just don't see Clive as the type of person who inspires people build a relationship with the club. The Club at the moment is a difficult beast to love. A change in leadership would be the best thing for it, at the very least a radically different vibe from the club is needed for it to survive.

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Congratulations Sydney

Although this year has seen crowd levels drop off from their stellar highs of the previous years I must say I cannot remember a more exciting race for the Premier Plate in the A-leagues short history.

Congratulations must be extended to Sydney for taking out what became a three horse race late in the year when Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney all showed that they are a class above the rest of the competition. Sunday’s match was a fitting conclusion to a wonderful season and we could do worse than have such a close race for the premiership every year.

Although Melbourne were without three of their key players in Kevin Muscat, Matthew Kemp and Archie Thompson I found it fascinating to watch how this game of the season played out. It was no surprise that Ernie Merrick sent a very attacking team out onto the park as Melbourne’s defence has been suspect all season and Victory were not about to change their “just score more than the opposition” approach.

The match itself didn’t quite live up to the hype but what was interesting was how Vitezslav Lavicka tackled the match. I thought he out coached Merrick by closing the space down in the midfield, effectively strangling the service into the Victory strikers. Neither Kruse nor Mrdja seemed to have the foot speed to make an impact in the space behind the high line that Sydney played and in the end this is where Melbourne lost the match.

Lavicka does have the Sydney team playing a brand of football that causes Melbourne issues and I must admit I was surprised to see Ernie Merrick receiving the coach of the year award ahead of him. They do not allow Carlos Hernandez and Marvin Angulo the space and time to showcase their wonderful passing skills and as a result Melbourne appears a little toothless.

This is not to say that Melbourne did not have their chances. I do find it amusing that the media today seem to have written off the Melbourne after the lost but they seem to have forgotten that Victory opened up Sydney on several occasions and Mrdja hit the post in the second half. If only one of those chances had of fallen Melbourne’s way we may have seen a very different result.

I am looking forward to the next two matches that these two teams will play out over the finals campaign. With Kevin Muscat back but Kruse out, I suspect Ernie Merrick will stack the midfield and play Mrdja one out up front. With Sydney full of confidence however it will be a big ask for Melbourne to turn around the current sky blue dominance.

Where Did It Go So Horribly Wrong

I was genuinely excited when the FFA announced that one of the new clubs to join the A-league this year was to be Gold Coast United. Here was a team to be based in the fastest growing area of Australia, was backed by one of Australia’s richest men and would have one of the more interesting (if slightly insane) characters of the game here in Australia guiding them in Miron Beilberg.

Follow that up with some great recruiting and excellent performances in preseason, every indication was that this was a club that was going to hit the ground running. And they did, well they did on the field anyway.

Fast forward to today and the question must be asked however where did it all go horribly wrong. Somehow Gold Coast have managed to destroy any goodwill towards themselves within 12 rounds and now even have their most loyal of supporters questioning their direction.

Jason Culina last week wrote in his blog that he did not understand why the club and team weren’t receiving more respect for what they had achieved. Its funny how demands for respect can come back to haunt you and Jason should look no further than the insipid display he and his team mates trotted on the weekend and then cast a critical eye over the measures the club have imposed over the last couple of days and he will have his answer.

Positioning themselves as the club that everyone loves to hate is one thing but this ridiculous 5000 crowd cap and forced movement of fans to one stand is a monumental mistake and in my opinion will result in the death of the club within two seasons. Fans will abandon the club in their hundreds and already I would expect a significant drop off at their next home game.

What fan would want to go along and a support a club that actually wants to reduce the atmosphere at the ground. What fan would really hand over their hard earned to support a side that has such little ambition that they give up growing membership and support within 12 rounds of their first season.

The club needs to act now and act quickly to turn some of this around. There has been some talk that the 5000 cap has been touted to enable Clive some leverage in renegotiating the stadium deal with the Queensland government. If true then he needs to wrap those talks up quickly or there will be nothing left of this club. The team needs to reconnect with their community. They need to flood the market with free tickets, get as many people along as possible to the games. Especially the kids aged 10-18, these are the fans that will turn to members in the longer term.

Finally both Clive and Miron need to pull their heads in. Its time for Gold Coast to eat humble pie and do it without the arrogance that has been so obvious to date. It’s time to turn this circus into a real club before it is too late.

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A New Start

One of the points in Frank Lowry’s speech I failed to touch on in my last blog was the idea of moving the start time of the A-League Season to the first week in October.

After a honeymoon that was the first three seasons it has become blindingly obvious in the last two that the A-League struggles to make any impact in the mass media in the August/September period. With the AFL and NRL ramping up to finals mode it seems every spare inch of newspaper space and every second of TV coverage is devoted to the two sports.

Crowds have been disappointing nearly across the board in this period and something has to be done to either raise the profile of the A-League start or to avoid the issue altogether and move the kickoff of the season. It seems the FFA has waved the white flag and chosen the latter.

But is this really going to solve all the issues or are we just moving problem to the other end of the season. If the FFA had of started the League on Thursday 08th of October rather than the 06th of August, we would have to add a total of 9 rounds to the end of the current season. This means that the regular season would have finished on the 24th of April and we would be looking forward to a final been played on 22nd May.

Up to now the FFA has taken the approach that it was better to schedule the backend of the season in the best time slot (ie no AFL and NRL) to promote the finals series as much as possible. This new approach however will see the last five rounds of the regular season and the finals going head to head with the two codes.

I agree with the FFA that this is worth trying for a few reasons.

There is a argument that the A-league will have a much better chance of securing media time/space in the business end of the season and that crowds will “stick” better during the run to and through the finals. It will also allow our players a competition that keeps them playing right up to world competitions that are generally held in June. It even works better in regards to current timing of the Asian Champions League where our teams would be fully match fit heading into the initial group stage matches. Though the early knockout rounds could see us very underdone.

The October start also fits nicely with the January transfer window, which currently falls at a crazy time (ie The lead into our finals) and causes so many problems in terms of players joining for practically just the finals. Finally by moving the start to October it may allow some room for a cup style competition to slot nicely into the August/September period. The FFA need a cup of some sort and I am in total agreement with Adrian Musolino that the cup competition should be the focus of the FFA rather than a second division.

There is a significant risk though in changing the timing of the season. Teams that are not playing well and have little to no chance of making finals may see their crowds suddenly evaporate come the start of the AFL/NRL seasons. If the FFA cannot convince media to come on board or afford to saturate the airways with the promotion it hands the competing codes an opportunity to smother the A-League at its most critical time.

The October start also limits the A-League to 26-27 game season. Anything longer than that and the FFA would be again forced to bring the start date forward defeating the purpose. Personally I don’t see this as a bad thing. A 14 team league, 26 game season is in my opinion the right size for Australia. There is also of course the question how to fit a Cup Style competition fits into this timing (midweek vs preseason).

The move to October to the right decision. Whether it will be a successful one however will remain to be seen.

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The Future According To Frank

I have a huge amount of respect for Frank Lowry. Five years ago Frank was the driving force behind the rebirth of football in this country. The creation of the A-league, the move to Asia and the recruitment of Guus Hiddink all contributed to a resurgence of the game here in Australia.

However I do wonder if Frank understands that all of this new found love for the game may evaporate if a few missteps are made. Poor performances during the qualification for the World Cup, crazy ticket prices and poor quality football are all contributing to a slow down in the growth of the game.

At the Victory In Business luncheon yesterday Frank was invited to speak and a very enlightening speech it was. He basically outlined his vision for the future of football in this country and to call that vision high risk may be a understatement.

Lets go through some of the points made in that vision.

Australia needs a second level division to allow for Promotion/Relegation
This is probably the most outlandish statement from the speech. Interesting Frank used the term in the medium-distinct future. I would have loved someone to question him on whether that meant within 10 years, 20 years or 30. Personally I cannot see a second division within 10 years for the A-League, 20 years is possible but the football culture here in Australia would need significant growth in that time to support a second tier.

Several of the clubs are struggling for sponsors and members now, do people really think clubs like Newcastle, North Queensland, Gold Coast could survive the impact of relegation to a second division with its loss of media exposure and sponsorship dollars. I highly doubt it.

I would like to see a successful 16 team single division before we even contemplate a move to a two division system.

A-League will grow to 14 teams in near future
Currently in the league format of 10 teams it is generally accepted only two are in the black (Melbourne and Central Coast). Several are close to, or are currently, being supported by the FFA. Yet Frank is confident that four new teams can be added without a serious impact.

I can understand why the FFA is keen to expand to 14 Teams as quickly as possible. It is a number that allows them to drop the 3 rounds per year format and switch to a 26 game Home/Away League. It allows for 7 games per week which gives the broadcasting rights a significant boost. And it gives us much more creditability when asking for Asian Champions League Spots.

But with Melbourne2 (they really need to sort out a name for themselves) joining next year and then Rovers the year after the League really should be given a period of consolidation. I know that Canberra is chaffing at the bit for a team and Wollongong and Tasmania are both waiting in the wings for that 14th place but expansion so quickly could do more harm than good.

Next TV rights deal needs to include an aspect of Free To Air
From memory this is the first time a FFA representative has spoken openly about the need to get both the Socceroos and the A-league on free to air broadcasting. Up to this point anytime broadcast rights were mentioned the party line was always what a great partner Foxtel are.

I think this is a no brainer. For the game to grow in this country mass media exposure needs to become more prevalent and that means TV Rights need to go to one of the big three broadcasters. It is however interesting that Frank has highlighted that it may be a mixed deal with Foxtel retaining some of the rights.

Money is still going to be a major factor when assigning rights. The fact is the League is struggling to maintain growth on the low salary cap it is lumbered with. We need this cap to be raised substantially to not only retain quality Australian players but also to attract quality foreign players. A good rights deal will go a long way to allow that to happen.

Whatever the final outcome I hope that written in the rights deal is a clause that FTA broadcasters must show game live or near live (ie Within 1 hour of the start time). The last thing we need is a repeat of the Channel 7 fiasco.

AFC Champions League Final
Interestingly Frank has come out declaring that the FFA is extremely interested in hosting the AFC Champions League Final. I am not sure we as a country are ready to support a final between two teams that the vast majority of fans would have little interest in.

Overnight the last Japanese team in this year’s comp has suffered a crushing defeat that has all but assured that there will be no Japanese team in the Champions league final to be hosted in Tokyo next month. With only 5 thousand ticket sold to date, AFC officials will be starting to get very concerned. I cannot imagine a game between Al Ittihad and Umm Salal generating much interest here in Australia, so it will be interesting to see how the crowd numbers pan out.

AFC Champions League Slots
Currently Australia has only been allocated 2 AFC CL spots. Although in the review we were rated highly enough to receive more, the size of our league was deemed too small to allow more spots. With the increase to 10 teams the FFA is pushing for a third spot.I think this is a good thing, the more teams the A-League has in the Champions League the more interest that will be generated here for the competition.

It makes sense to adopt a format that grants the two top teams in the major leagues a direct spot while allowing 1-2 others a place within the qualification rounds with the less professional leagues. The AFC is on the right path with the Champions League and it will be fascinating to see what changes are adopted with this latest round of review.


I think that about covers the points from Franks chat, some positive, some extremely optimistic but one thing is for sure it is never boring with Frank steering the ship.
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A Lot Can Happen In A Month

Its been just over a month since I last put fingers to keyboard and tapped out a paragraph or two for this blog and a lot has happened in that time. Crowds continue to be a major talking point and I was very pleased to see Gold Coast and Brisbane take steps to reduce their ticket prices and make them more affordable for the general fan.

On a more disappointing note, yesterday morning saw confirmation that Brisbane have sacked Frank Farina as a result of his second drink driving charge while in charge of the team. Unlike Clive Palmer I wouldn’t presume to give advice to Frank regarding his drinking habits but I do believe Brisbane have acted correctly.

But the biggest talking point by far has been the Socceroos and their matches against the Dutch on the weekend and the win against Oman last night. I watched the Dutch match on TV and have read a few of the reviews, the best being Tony Tannous's assessment.

The thing I find the most interesting is the change in the media’s expectations from 4 years ago. Back than a draw against a quality team like the Netherlands would have been acclaimed as a major achievement with only scant focus accorded to the way we played. However times have changed and it seems we now seeing a much greater emphasis on how we play not just the result.

Similarly with the match last Oman, which I attended (one of the few it seems) the media seem more interested in how we played than the result. Overall this can only be a good thing for the development of the game in this country. As the spotlight is continually focussed on poor performances and lack of technique by our top players is exposed we should see more and more coaches looking to develop players rather than grind out results.

In this regard the FFA must stay true to the path they have adopted. Not only continuing the focus on SSG games and the 4-3-3 tactical structure, that encourages technical player development, but also widening the program to include grassroots coaching (a area that I still feel hasn’t seen the overhaul that is desperately needed) and the elite programs (which still seem to tied to the state associations).

It is going to take at least a decade of reform to see results. Right now across the country 6-10 year olds are receiving a football education like none before them. I suspect looking at the ages of the current first team Socceroos we are heading for a period of lean times, so hopefully that period can be shorten by the changes that are occurring now.

Goodbye Danny Allsopp

With confirmation that Danny Allsopp has left for Qatar club Al-Rayyan Sports, Melbourne Victory has lost not only one of its two primary scoring targets but a long time servant of the club.

Of course the writing has been on the wall (or in this case within the forums) for a week now after Allsopp failed to not only take the field against Newcastle but wasn’t even present at the game. Rumours were flying almost instantaneously about a Qatar club that had come knocking. Of course Victory denied it (as is their policy) but everybody knew a transfer was on the cards.

Danny Allsopp leaves as the Leagues second highest goal scorer, second only to his strike partner Archie Thompson. He is also the holder of the most game appearances with the Victory and was one of only two remaining original Victory players who have been there continuously from the start (the other is Kevin Muscat). Although not exactly a crowd favourite (he was regularly jeered because of a perception that he wasted a lot of opportunities), he did have his fans however and nobody could question his work rate and stamina.

Farewell Danny you will be missed.

On the positive side Melbourne does have a decent amount of depth in the striker stakes. Ney Fabiano will now get his chance to show if he is good enough for a regular starting spot and Ernie does have young Nathan Elasi there to throw in if and when needed.

The biggest challenge that Melbourne will face however is the need to change the game plan. Fabiano and Allsopp are very different strikers. Danny preferred to attack defenders with his pace and hard work, never really comfortable with his back to goal or with the ball in the air, it was his ability to use his strength and pace to arrive late into the box and pounce on a cross. This suited Melbourne’s counter attacking game style. I am not sure though the same can be said about Fabiano.

Ney Fabiano doesn’t have Allsopp’s stamina but is very good with his back to goals and is excellent in the air. He is also deceptively quick over 2 –5 paces and uses his body well to hold up the ball. Victory need to adapt to this. If they can I think that Fabiano may surprise a few of his critics.

More emphasis needs top be placed on width though and good crossing. Carlos Hernandez and Tom Pondeljak now need to get closer to the strikers to ensure an outlet for Fabiano. But most of all Victory needs to get more desperate in the box.

With Muscat returning over the next couple of weeks, Ernie Merrick must be considering his options and a back three looks to be a possibility. This would release Kemp and Surat to push forward more and hopefully give Victory the width they will need. The loss of Celeski however will hurt and although the club deny it they don’t have the depth in this position as they would like.

The next few games will tell if Melbourne can adapt to Allsopp’s loss.
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Ticket Shocker

Last year Brisbane Roar played Central Coast Mariners in a Round 3 match that attracted 12,185 people along. This year their round 4 fixture against Central Coast could only manage 6,433. The low crowds in Brisbane have been focus of media attention over the last two weeks and much conjecture about the reasons behind this. For me the overwhelming reason has to be the ticket pricing.

Such a significant rise in the pricing of memberships and general admission was always going to see a lot of people stay away. Small increases over a period of time can usually be absorbed by the fans but a 40% increase is going to cause many fans to think twice at purchasing a season ticket let alone part with their hard earned as a walk up fan. As a comparison compare the pricing across the league. Prices below are full prices for a General Admission entry.

Wellington $34
Gold Coast $29
Brisbane $27
Melbourne $25
Adelaide $23
Perth $22
Sydney $20
Newcastle $19
Central Coast $17
Nth Queensland $14.50

No wonder Gold Coast and Brisbane crowds have been disappointing. I don’t think I would pay $27/29 to see a A-league match week in week out. When you use the membership prices it is even more telling

Perth $260 $20.00 per game
Brisbane $275 $19.64 per game
Wellington $245 $18.84 per game
Sydney $242 $17.29 per game
Gold Coast $230 $16.43 per game
Newcastle $209 $16.08 per game
Adelaide $209 $14.93 per game
Central Coast $190 $14.62 per game
Melbourne $195 $13.93 per game
Nth Queensland $131 $10.08 per game

What is going on in Perth where the difference between buying a membership and general admission is a paltry $2 saving per game?

The table also explains why just about everyone attending Melbourne matches is a member when the cost per game is nearly half that of a general admission ticket.

The FFA need to step in here and take the lead with clubs to ensure ticket prices remain at a reasonable level. As a guide a target of no more than $20 for General Admission and $15 per game average for season tickets should be set as a goal.

Of course though these prices are not driven by the clubs but rather some very poor stadium deals. I am not sure why clubs would agree to poor deals that force them to charge over $25 per game. Brisbane need to rethink their relationship with Suncorp because at these prices they will soon be out of business if something isn’t done.

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Th Free To Air Question

Interesting article on The Roar today regarding the viability of having the A-League on Free To Air (FTA) TV. It has generated a substantial amount of discussion amongst the readers and got me thinking about where I stand on the topic.

Although author Adrian Musolino makes some good points I cannot help but think he has missed a critical one. There is an old saying in the media, “There is no such thing as bad publicity”. With a FTA deal comes a much greater exposure to the general public and although this raises other concerns the good outweighs the bad.

Growing up my heroes were AFL stars. As kids running around the playground we pretended to Geoff Raines, Greg Williams, Leigh Matthews and a range of other stars of the egg ball game. We did this because we all knew who they were. They were in the paper, on the radio, on TV. They were in fact an indelible part of life within the country. This saturation is what the A-League is missing and only a FTA deal can begin the process of making it happen.

Although I loved watching Football I rarely got to see it, there wasn’t much of a league back then in my home town and the only time I got to see the best in world was when they were playing in the FA Cup final, most likely where my support for Tottenham came from.

Don’t get me wrong I am not against FOXTEL, they stood up and stumped up the cash when the sport needed it. The only ones willing to take a $120 Million punt on Frank Lowy’s dream. But the A-league needs more exposure to grow. Kids need to be able to walk into school on a Monday morning and be able to say, “Did you see that cracker of a free kick Carlos slotted home on the weekend” and have all of their mates nod along. At the moment the young boy would more likely get blank looks or maybe even a question of Carlos who?

Junior Football in this country is huge but who are these young kids heros? You are more likely to see a Manchester shirt than a Victory on the backs of young boys and girls throughout the training pitches of Melbourne. Some would argue there is nothing wrong with this as the EPL would arguably be considered the pinnacle of our sport but how many of these youngsters have seen a Manchester game on TV let along live.

We need all this kids to have the opportunity to watch their teams on TV not just the 25% who can afford the Foxtel subscriptions, it is only then that they start to build a connection to the game. Sure it can be achieved in other ways via the internet, newspapers and radio? Yes it can but the TV is still the driver of mass media.

The fact is it doesn’t matter if the quality isn’t world standard, as Melbourne and Brisbane showed two weeks ago the League does produce some cracking games and as a whole human nature means we tend to remember the positives rather than the negatives. We all have a tendency to create our own highlights package in our mind.

So in answer to Adrian’s question, “Is the A-League product good enough for free to air?” is yes it is and the sooner the better.
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It’s Gold For Danning

Great news overnight with FIFA confirming that Kofi Danning will be granted exemption from their recent rule change that tightens international eligibility for Under 18 players.

The rule in question states “for any player who refers to art. 15 par. 1 of the Regulations to assume a new nationality and who has not played international football in accordance with art. 15 par. 2 of the Regulations shall be eligible to play for the new representative team, inter alia, only if he has lived continuously for at least five years after reaching the age of 18 an the territory of the relevant Association”. The rule was approved in attempt to curtail some of the activities of certain middle east countries that were actively recruiting children as young as 12-13 in Africa and offering them citizenship in exchange for football. This was a cynical attempt to improve the quality of their national teams.

Unfortunately though the rule does impact countries like Australia quite considerably due to the numbers of genuine refugees and immigrants that we take in. Kofi Danning is not the only potential young socceroo to be impacted by this rule. In this current crop the FFA is still waiting for confirmation on midfielder Luke Bratten and goalkeeper Alex Cisak on whether they also will be granted exemption from the rule.

The FFA are arguing that legitimate immigrants and refugees should not be disadvantaged from the rule and so far FIFA does seem inclined to agree. However it appears that FIFA will maintain the view that all players captured under the rule will be ineligible unless a exemption is granted so it appears that this waiting game is set to repeat itself every year as there always appear to be a few who fall under it for Australia.

In the meantime Australia is now free to select Danning for the Under 20 World Cup, to be held in September this year. With Danning off to a flying start for Sydney this season there is little doubt that he will be included in the squad. Before the season started he was my tip to win the NAB Young Player of the Year award and nothing I have seen so far has altered that view.

Danning’s ability to hold the ball and dribble with pace combined with a natural instinct for goal is a dangerous combination and already at 18 he would be one of the first on the team sheet in a quality Sydney line-up. I will repeat my warning though, enjoy the spectacle of him now as I am sure an overseas club is going to snap him up much sooner than later. Holland would seem a logical destination for the youngster.

I look forward to seeing him streaming forward in a Gold shirt for many years to come.
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Wanted, One Central Defender

What a game on Saturday night! Probably the most exciting A-league match I have attended in terms of goals and attacking play. Of course both managers will need to ask some serious questions of their defences that allowed so much freedom and space to the opposition midfields.

Gary Cole will be madly scouring overseas leagues this week after Victory’s defence failed miserably on Saturday night. The experiment with Matthew Kemp as a central defender was exposed as the folly that many were suggesting and now Ernie has a nightmare of his own making.

After commenting in the press pre-season that there was no need to sign an additional central defender Ernie seems alreadyb back tracking to a degree. With Daniel Vasilevski being released by mutual consent yesterday and young Matthew Foschini signed to a two year contract today it would seem that Ernie's is preparing to give Foschini a chance at the problem centre back position.

Matthew Kemp was never a logical person to partner Vargas. It left the Melbourne defence ridiculous short at the back. Although very mobile and a good tackler Kemp is only 1.75m tall and doesn’t make much of a threat in the air. Melbourne looked so much better when Kemp was moved back to his preferred full back role.

Merrick does have Stephen Pace in the squad and may be another option this week against Fury. At 1.85m Pace does strengthen the defence by providing some height but there is a question surrounding his speed and ability to deal with quality strikers. What he does add is the ability to man mark the main striker and free up Vargas to play his normal free role.

For all its lack of defence though you could not fault Melbourne’s attacking play. When Billy Celeski was introduced to the game on Saturday night, it looked a different Victory side out there to the ones that sputtered along in the first half. Suddenly we had a player on the field who was able to build up the attack from the back and allowed Hernendez much more freedom to roam forward and create havoc in the Roar defence. The additional of Fabiano 10 minutes into the second half also gave Melbourne further options when going forward.

So influential is Fabiano that many Victory fans are calling for a 4-3-3 and Ernie Merrick may be tempted to give them what they desire. I think the only thing stopping it him switching to it right now is the fitness of Celeski. With Fabiano playing as a Centre forward both Allsopp and Thompson push up further and generally take the ball higher up the field. I actually prefer this as both Allsopp and Thompson are much more confirmable when running at defenders than when they have their back to goal.

With two long away trips in the next two weeks (Townsville then Perth) Melbourne need at least one win to stay in touch with Gold Coast who already are showing signs of how dangerous they can be.
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Superman Wears Tim Cahill PJs

How nice to sit through a Socceroos match with a smile the entire 90 minutes. Pim Verbeek couldn’t have asked for a more emphatic performance this morning and should satisfy even the most ardent of his knockers.

Right from the opening whistle Australia dominated this match and even though Ireland were unlucky not to score at least 1 goal the end result was well deserve. What was especially satisfying was the way we moved the ball from defence to attack, using short sharp passing to control the tempo.

The joke during the commentary was that when Superman goes to bed he wears Tim Cahill pyjamas and who can argue with another outstanding half of football from Super Tim. His ability to find the back of the net is uncanny and he has a knack of being at the right place at the right time.

But what would Pim have gotten from the match and who has elevated themselves in contention for South Africa (which was the point of the match for us). I am not going to go threw the whole squad but there were a couple of stand out performances for me.

Firstly Rhys Williams backed up he excellent debut with an even better performance this morning. Although he was beaten on several occasions by the tricky McGeady and in the second half by Hunt it didn’t deter him from pushing up and backing himself. His ability to get forward and cause headaches for defences and the pressure he applies in the midfield are a real asset and he would be close to stamping his passport to SA already but I look forward to seeing him a few more times, hope he gets a start again against Korea.

Carney also had a good game at left back that was capped off with a truly world class goal. Like Williams I loved the way he is always thinking attack and thought him pushing up high and pressuring the Irish midfield was a major reason we dominated possession. There is no doubt that Carney is the backup at left back but if he can find a starting spot at a decent club he should be pushing for number 1 spot ahead of Chipperfield.

To me the biggest surprise this morning was how well Wilkshire and Jedinak played in the Culina/Grella roles. Wilkshire has really grown over the past two years and his box-to-box running this morning was a major part in our success. With Culina back in Australia could Wilkshire steal the box-to-box role from him? It is possible but doubtful, I am sure Wilkshire will revert to the right back role when Culina is available. Jedinak played the screening role perfectly but I think Grella is always going to be first choice. Jedinak will be competing with Valeri for the backup role.

In terms of the substitutes; Nikita Rukavytsya’s pace really added an interesting element late in the game and he made some excellent runs but I think he is competing with Brett Holman for the spot in South Africa, who seems to be a Pim favourite (though for the life of me I cannot see why as once again he murdered a golden opportunity to score). I also thought Nicky Carle was excellent in the last 15 minutes, two really quality passes into the box and really worked hard. Pim really needs to start him in one of the upcoming friendlies (maybe against Korea?).

Overall there was a lot to like but the Irish gave us a lot of room in midfield and let us play to our strengths. They didn’t use the wings that well and allowed our full backs to push up high. They also failed to convert the chances they did create, we were the better team but the score line flattered us.

It will interesting to see what side Pim send onto the park next month against Korea. Would especially like to see Williams start again and give Carle a full game. Maybe give Bresciano a rest and start Carle with Kewell and Cahill either side of him.
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Australia vs The Leprechauns

Although it is only a friendly and the result itself will mean little, I am genuinely excited by the upcoming match against the Irish on Thursday morning (even if I am not looking forward to getting up at 4:30am to catch it live). Pim Verbeek has picked, whether by design or need, an extremely youthful side and hopefully some of these fringe players can get a starting run.

It is difficult to remember when an Australian squad had 50% of its players 25 years old or under. The question for Verbeek is how many of these players does he start.

In defence Matthew Spiranovic must be a real chance of starting alongside Lucas Neill. Spiranovic has been developing quite well with Nuremberg and is hoping to win a starting spot this year with the side in the Bundesliga. Ange Postecoglou has called in him to be given an extended run of games to prove his worth and I agree wholeheartly.

With no Grella or Valeri, Rhys Williams may also get a chance to start with a role at either Right Back (if Wilkshire is used in a more central holding role) or as a defensive midfielder. Williams has been in stellar preseason form for Middlesbrough with four goals in four preseason games and I am sure Verbeek wants to take another look at the 21 year old.

Carney is also likely to get the nod at Left Back. He still appears out of favour at Sheffield United and desperately needs a move. To be honest anywhere else that will give him some first team football would be better than the situation he currently has as Sheffield. I am not how much longer Verbeek can afford to carry him in the Australian Team if he is not part of a first team.

I doubt that Verbeek will start any of Holland, Bozanic and Vidosic but hopefully at least 1 of these outstanding young players gets a decent amount of time as a substitute. I think it likely that Verbeek will start Carle, Cahill and Kewell in the middle of the park.

Up front Scott Macdonald is an almost certain starter but if Verbeek did do something crazy like start with two strikers we might just get to also see Nikita Rukavytsya. Rukavytsya is getting game time with FC Twente in the Eredivisie, coming off the bench in their season opener, and provides some genuine pace.

All this youth is making me giddy and makes for an interesting match where the result is less important than the actual performances. We can only hope that Pim will be adventurous and allow some of these players the starting roles they need to showcase where they are at in terms of their development.

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It All Starts Now!

The wait is over, the first match played and a surprise result already. Season previews and bookie odds are in tatters after a team most tipped to finish in the bottom three up staged last years premiers (and bookies favourite) to take the points in the opening match.

To be honest Victory hardly looked interested in the first half. It certainly didn’t help with the line up Ernie Merrick sent out onto the field. With the lead up comments to the game it was certain that Broxham was going to start but to start both Brebner and Broxham is a recipe for disaster and again last night it was obvious that Victory loses a significant amount of drive in midfield when both are on the field at the same time.

At least one of them should have been replaced at half time with Celeski who provides a much more creative option from the back. Victory looked a different side in the second half once he was sent on. And with the addition of Ward they suddenly looked much more dangerous going forward. I can only hope that both Celeski and Ward will resume their starting roles next week against the Roar.

But the biggest issue for Melbourne last night was the injury to Kevin Muscat. It looks like the gamble to go into the season short of central defenders has failed within the first 90 minutes. With talk of Muscat being out for at least a month with his hamstring, the Victory are going to struggle to contain opposition attacks.

The rest of the round has some enticing matchups; here are some of my favourites.

1. Gold Coast vs Brisbane
I think every A-league fan will be looking forward to this match. Clive Palmer and Miron Beilberg have done an excellent job of embedding their team into the media and have already manufactured a derby that should contain plenty of heat. Certainly United are fast making their way onto everyone’s most hated list.

As a neutral I am hoping for open and flowing game but I am sure Frank is way too canny to allow that to happen. I am tipping the Roar to take a very cautious approach and plan on frustrating United with what I believe will be the best defence in the League.

Either way though it will be a fascinating game (and wouldn’t we all love for Gold Coast to come tumbling down to Earth in their very first match).


2. Fowler vs Sydney
I won’t even pretend that anybody will be tuning in the watch North Queensland. All eyes (and pressure) will be on the performance of Robbie Fowler. Can he lift and score for the occasion? I am sure all supporters bar Sydney fans will hope so (and I suspect a few Sydney fans would also love to see him knock one in).

Of course with all the media hype surrounding Sydney’s build up to the kickoff they also need to get off to a good start and if North Queensland and Fowler do get the best of them they are sure to come under immediate scrutiny.

Last season Sydney seem to shoot themselves in the foot more often than not and I am sure they will start favourites here. Will they be able to deliver? We shall see


3. Newcastle v Wellington
Just about every pundit has these two teams missing the finals. With that in mind a good start for one of these two teams may go a long way to erasing some of the doubts that may be bouncing around in the minds of the players.

Confidence is a funny thing and the winner here just might surprise a few teams if they can get that first win under their belt.

Of course it works in reverse as well. A loss here could just reinforce those nagging suspicions and make it difficult to come back from. We are a long way from last chance saloon but both of these teams have everything to play for and nobody will want to walk away from this match the loser.

Enjoy the first round
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2009/10 A-League Season Preview _ Part 3

In this third and last part to my preview of the upcoming season. Below is an examination of the teams that I believe will fill the top 3 places.

3rd – Brisbane Roar
There is a lot to like about Frank Farina’s team, it is beautifully balanced with a strong defence, a midfield full of talent and an attack that oozes class. His biggest issue it seems is keeping everyone fit.

--------------------Reddy---------------------
-Packer-----Moore-----DeVere------Tiatto--
-------------------Malcolm-------------------
--------------Miller-----McKay---------------
--Henrique-----------------------------Oar--
-------------------van Dijk--------------------

Moore and DeVere are the best defensive pairing in the League. I have opted for Oar ahead of Zullo on the left wing, I am sure Zullo will start there (unless his shoulder injury doesn’t come up in time) but I think Oar is a special talent and I am tipping him to push Zullo aside this year.

Miller, if he can stay fit (which to be honest is unlikely), is a better choice than the talented Nicols. His ability to drift into the box is unmatched in the league and as we saw last season, even half fit he is a danger. McKay picks himself in that box to box role and newcomer Malcolm provides some quality in the shielding role.

Up front Van Dijk will play the lone striker and I would be expecting him to score a bucket load this year. As his second half demonstrated last season, if he gets into a rhythm he is just about unstoppable.

Watch out for : Clean sheets galore, Brisbane are going to be a tough team to score against let alone beat this year.


2nd – Melbourne Victory
Last years Premiers and Champions haven’t lost much over the break but nor have the recruited much either. It seems almost as if the re-signing of Carlos Hernandez was the priority and nothing else mattered.

---------------------Moss------------------
-Kemp----Muscat-----Vargas----Sukha-
-------------------Celeski------------------
---Ward----------------------Pondeljak--
------------------Hernandez--------------
-----------Thompson----Allsopp---------

Kemp will switch to right back with the loss of Ryall and new signing Sukha will slot into left. I would expect Moss to win the battle of the keepers as Langerak still appears to need a year or two. Celeski is still recovering from a hip operation but I expect him to be the starter of choice in the DM role once fully fit.

Beyond that though the team seems very settled. They have good coverage in nearly all positions except the defence. Muscat is in his twilight years now and an injury to himself or Vargas will expose a lack of coverage here. Likewise for right back, where an injury to Kemp would most likely force Ernie to use Broxham to fill the gap there.

Thompson and Allsopp have had a preseason free of injury, which is the first time in three years, that has both of them fully fit heading into the opening round. With their hard running, defences across the league are going to have problems containing them. Add Fabiano coming off the bench and Victory have one of the best attacks in the League.

But in the end Victory’s success this year will hinge on the performance of Hernandez. In full flight he is virtually unstoppable. If injured or down on form however Victory’s counter attacking game falls apart. He has looked good though in the preseason and I see no reason why Victory wouldn’t be right up there again.

Watch out for : Hernandez is the best player in tight spaces in the A-league. His ability to control the ball, beat opponents and provide that killer pass is exquisite. Melbourne will once again score the majority of their goals on the counter as teams again fail to learn that pushing up on them is a recipe for disaster.


1st – Gold Coast United
Clive Palmer is nothing if not large and his new A-league team is set to follow his lead. With Miron Beilberg spruiking the club, they have dominated headlines throughout the preseason and will look to take the form in the new season.

---------------------Vanstrattan-----------------------
-Griffiths----Thwaite----Van den Brink----Tarore--
-----------------------Robson--------------------------
------Minniecon------------------------Griffiths------
-----------------------Culina---------------------------
---------------Smeltz--------Porter--------------------

Its hard to put together a starting 11 for Gold Coast as there are so many unknowns at this stage. How good are Milson and Anderson, will Traore push Poirkowski out at left back. Is Caravella a better option than Griffths.

The one thing pre-season has shown for Gold Coast is that they have the depth. Their recruiting has been fantastic and they won’t overly rely on the imports for success. I am expecting Smeltz, Porter and Culina to get a bagful of goals and their defence is solid. They won’t go through the season undefeated but I still think they will win it.

How good their defence is will be the question though, Thwaite was less than convincing last year at Victory and they are relying a lot on him to stand up.

Watch out for : Everyone is tipping Smeltz to get a bagful but people seem to be forgetting about Porter. In my opinion Porter will outshine Smeltz, but either way they represent a very dangerous attacking pair.

So my ladder prediction

1. Gold Coast United
2. Melbourne Victory
3. Brisbane Roar
4. Sydney FC
5. Perth Glory
6. Adelaide United
7. Newcastle Jets
8. Wellington Phoenix
9. North Queensland Fury
10. Central Coast Mariners
    

2 Days to Season V

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2009/10 A-League Season Preview _ Part 2

In this second part to my season preview I examine the teams that will fill positions 4th – 6th.

6th – Adelaide United
It is sometimes amazing how a team’s unofficial nickname can evolve from just a few misplaced comments. The pissants have had a low profile build up this preseason.

-------------------Galekovic-------------------
-Alemao---Cornthwaite---Fyfe---Jamieson-
---------------------Reid-----------------------
---Dodd------------------------------Cassio---
---------------------Shin-----------------------
-----------Cristiano-------Owusu-------------

The first thing that struck me when putting a team together for Adelaide is that Vidmar must play a 4-4-2. With Cristiano and Owusu on books surely Vidmar will finally move away from his favoured 4-2-3-1 and play two up front.

Adelaide look pretty set in terms of their attacking options, Cristiano and Owusu should provide a handful for all but the best defences and by all reports Shin looks like he may make quite an impact in the AM role.

However the loss of Ognenovski has really put a large dent in what last year was a very solid defence. Fyfe is nowhere near a like for like replacement and I am not convinced Cornthwaite can step up to fill the gap.

Watch out for : Adelaide will score more goals this year but they are also going to leak a lot more. Unfortunately I think they haven’t gain enough to recover from the loss of Ognenovski.


5th – Perth Glory
There is no team that has disappointed more in the first four seasons of the A-League than Perth, the once great club has really struggled with its recruiting. This year however they appear to recruited very well and should have a bit more success and see their first finals campaign.

-------------------Velaphi---------------------
---------J Coyne--C Coyne--Todd-----------
-Downing--------Burns---------Pellegrino--
-------Sterjovski-------------Sikora----------
---------------Dadi--------Jelic---------------

I know Mitchell has indicated that he would prefer Sterjovski as a striker but I think in the end he will want both Dadi and Jelic up forward and will opt for Sterjovski in the hole in front of them.

With the centre backs that he has at his disposal it makes a lot of sense for Mitchell to opt for a 3-5-2. Burns will run the midfield that would include pace in the form of Downing and Pellegrino and Class with Sterovski and Sikora.

The defence is still a worry, there has to be a question marks on how well Todd, Jamie Coyne and Chris Coyne will jell. There is also a question over whether Pellegrino and Downing could provide the defensive cover needed. The reason I have opted for the 3-5-2 is that I don’t think Glory has adequate full backs to play a back four.

Watch out for : With all of Perth’s signings this year Branko Jelic seems to have slipped under the radar a little. Watch all that change when he bangs in a few early goals.


4th – Sydney FC
My god they love a bit of media hype in Sydney. Every year they are wrapped up to be world beaters and more often than not the knives are out within a few weeks.

-------------------Necevski---------------------
-Grant---Colosimo----Jurman--Sung-Hwan
-------------------Musialik---------------------
---Kisel----------------------------Danning----
---------------------Corica---------------------
-------------Aloisi--------Brosque--------------

There is a lot of like about the Sydney lineup this year, the fact that I couldn’t fit Mark Bridge into their best 11, is a good indicator of their depth up forward.

Can John Aloisi have a poor a season as last year again, I doubt it and I would expect him to pick up at least 5-8 goals this season. This would take a huge amount of pressure off Brosque and allow him to play the second striker role.

The real danger for opposition teams however are the wide players. By all accounts Kisel has impressed in preseason and Danning is a star in waiting. If Musialik can put last years disaster behind him and provide the service these two demand, Sydney are going to score a lot of goals.

This is a very youthful side however and I am not sure they will be able to challenge the best teams in the league over a full year.

I have Corica in the best 11 but wouldn’t be surprised to see him play most of the year off the bench. Bridge is the logical second choice but Gan could play in the hole as well.

Watch out for : Kofi Danning is going to stamp his passport to Europe this year. This kid ticks all the boxes and with a year of senior development under his belt he is cherry ripe to break out and really show what a talent he is.


Next : The top 3

3 Days to Season V
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2009/10 A-League Season Preview _ Part 1

Ok, here is my season preview for what it is worth.

In this first part of three, I take a look at what I tip will be the bottom four teams.

10th – Central Coast Mariners
It seems every year pundits across Australia write Central Coast off and most years they keep proving them wrong. This year though I see nothing to indicate they will be successful.

------------------Vukovic-----------------------
-Clark-------Doig------Bojic-----Heffernan-
---------------Huke----Wilkinson-------------
-----Travis-----Hutchinson-----Elrich-------
--------------------Simon----------------------

I found it hard to put a starting eleven together for the Mariners not because they don’t have some good players but because I know McKinna won’t play the formation I would like to see. To be honest I think McKinna has run his race at the Mariners and this will be his last season in charge.

So assuming McKinna will stick to what he knows best, I have gone with a 4-2-3-1. Once again the side relies on its ability to get the ball long to Simon and have Elrich and new boy Travis swooping in. Huke, Wilkinson & Hutchinson just won’t have the quality to dominate opposition midfields so expect a lot of long balls over the top again. The problem of course, is that the nine other teams in the league know this and are waiting to pounce.

It will be interesting to see if McGlinchey will push Hutchinson out of his starting role. In addition the Mariners are making noises of signing 1-2 additional strikers before the 31/08/2009 deadline. If that happens a lot of people may have to re-assess the team.

The one thing that the second half of last season demonstrated was how important Jedinak was the McKinna’s game plan. He is gambling a lot on Huke to fill the space left by his departure but I just don’t see it being enough. They will finish bottom.

Watch out for : Long ball after long ball up to Simon…yawn!


9th – Nth Queensland Fury
The first of the new sides but even with God on their side the Fury are in for a long season. They appear to lack the quality though the middle of the park to trouble some of the better teams in the League and I am not convinced about their defence.

-------------------- Henderson-------------------
-Middleby---Wilson---Tambouras---Tadrosse-
----------------------Griffith --------------------
-------Amaya-------Agius--------Spagnuolo---
--------------Williams----Fowler----------------

The Fury are very top heavy in Wingers/Strikers and it’s difficult to find a balanced formation for them. I think they are likely to play youngster Griffiths as a holding midfielder and use Agius in the central attacking role. Williams would prefer to play up forward with Fowler and a good performance against Roar in the preseason will most likely see him at least start there.

On paper they don’t look a bad attacking side, but their depth is shockingly bad in midfield and they are relying a lot on Fowler being fit up forward. If he is not, then they may see Ferguson forced to use a 4-3-3 with Spagnuolo and Willams being used as true wingers (In fact the side looks better balanced without Fowler there but the quality takes a hit).

There defence seems to lack quality on paper and I am expecting them to be the whipping boys early in the season. Key defender Wilson will start the season injured which will further hurt their ability to contain sides. And there is a question over whether Henderson will actually sign a contract.

Of the course the weather is the big unknown and teams travelling up north in summer to take on Fury may be in for a nasty shock when they get up there. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them difficult to beat at home as teams struggle to adapt to the stifling heat and humidity. Fury will have a distinct advantage at home from December onwards.

Watch out for : With fury having two very quick wingers in Williams and Spagnulo I am expecting lots of crosses into Fowler, if he remains fit he will pick up a stack of goals.


8th – Wellington Phoenix
Maybe because they are located in another country or perhaps because they deliberately take a low key approach but the Phoenix seem to have flown under the radar this preseason.

----------------------Paston----------------------
--Mulligan----McKain--Durante---Lochhead--
----------------------Brown----------------------
------Bertos-------------------------Daniel------
----------------------Diego-----------------------
---------------Ifill----------Greenacre-----------

The loss of Smeltz will have a huge impact and he will be difficult to replace but its good to see the Phoenix have recruited what appears to reasonable strikers. On paper the Phoenix team actually looks nearly as good as last year. Diego is a good pickup and if he can stay healthy will provide some excellent distribution to the new strikers.

If there is a question around Phoenix, its their ability to dominate other midfields. Daniel, Bertos, Ferrante, Lia do not exactly strike fear into the hearts of the opposition.

I think it is going to take time however for this team to gel and although I think they have the squad to make the finals if everything goes to plan. I am tipping them to fall short.

Watch Out For : With the midfield that he has to play with I am expecting Herbert having to switch and swap a lot early in the season.


7th – Newcastle Jets
Van Egmond out, Branko in. Its almost like for like. To be honest I like watching the Jets play. Over the last four years, out of all the A-League teams, they have maintained a program of keeping the ball on the deck have attempted to play attractive passing football.

---------------------Kennedy---------------------
--Elrich----Milicevic--T-Stanley---D’Apuzzo'--
----------Kantarovski---Thompson-------------
--------------------Vignaroli---------------------
---De Groot---------------------------Patafta---
--------------------Petrovski---------------------

Culina likes to play attacking football and it is likely we will at least see the Jets start the season playing a 4-3-3. Vignaroli is prefect for the creative role at AM and Patafta may finally be given a chance to fully prove himself in a starting role.

To be honest though Milicevic is the key to how well Newcastle do. He can have a huge influence as we saw throughout the ACL matches and if he can get his head right and contain that mouth of his he just might drag Newcastle higher up the ladder than expected.

But I feel there is too much riding on Ljubo and the defence without him just isn’t up to scratch. I am not a huge wrap for Topor-Stanley, who makes far too many mistakes for my liking and is often found wanting for speed.

Watch out for : Ljubo won’t be able to contain himself and at some point in the year will abuse the club, owner, manager. Entertaining it might be but it is a train wreck waiting to happen.


In the next article I will take a look at 4th to 6th

6 Days to Season V
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