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Norman Hubbard raised an intriguing concept in one of his recent articles. In it, the ESPN columnist sung the praises of the English Premier League’s unsung heroes: the domestiques, as he labelled them, among the top-team’s household names.
Cycling fans will, of course, know that a domestique – French for servant – is the grafter in road-race teams. The one who ultimately sacrifices his or her own chances of glory for that of his team or team-mate.
It’s an interesting concept when applied to football.
Star players can win you games. Domestiques can win you the league.
They are the players that generally slip under the radar of all but their own club’s dedicated supporters and the most diligent of journalists.
Largely loyal and unquestioning, it is not unusual to find a domestique spending a long stint at a club where others might have moved on.
A look to the successful sides of seasons past in the A-League throws up some likely candidates.
Consider the 2007/08 title winners, the Newcastle Jets.
Ask any fan of a rival A-League team to recite the names of the Jets’ championship alumni and he or she will rattle off the likes of Joel Griffiths, Andrew Durante, Mark Bridge and Jade North.
And while the club owed much to the performances of the above quartet, any dedicated Jets fans will also know the significant contribution of the side’s 2007/08 domestique Matt Thompson.
A right-sided midfielder, Thompson was asked by Gary Van Egmond to slot in to left back during the 2006/07 season.
In doing so, he firmly found his niche in the side.
He played all but a handful of minutes in the 2007/08 season, scoring two goals including the opener in the thrilling preliminary final win over Queensland.
The Jets’ opponent in the grand final – the Central Coast Mariners – had their own unsung hero within their squad.
A local lad, Andrew Clark has been at the club since the A-League’s inaugural season, racking up more than 50 appearances.
While he was an unused substitute in the 1-0 grand final loss, the 33-year-old played 19 times for the Mariners in their march to the title decider.
A model of professionalism, Clark’s influence has been recognised by supporters and at the club, where he is also the strength and conditioning coach.
Thompson and Clark are just some of the A-League’s domestiques.
The list of unsung heroes goes on.
Sydney had a number of them in its Season One success, while Rodrigo Vargas’ quiet effectiveness in Melbourne’s 2006/07 championship season was the perfect foil for the robust Kevin Muscat and makes him a clear candidate.
And making it past the Asian Champions League group stage would have been somewhat more difficult for Adelaide without the efforts of now-retired Richie Alagich.
2009/10 will, of course, usher in the expansion of the A-League through the inclusion of North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United.
Managers of both clubs are busy signing up their squads for their debut seasons.
Messrs Ferguson and Bleiberg could do worse – particularly given the restraints of the salary cap – than to consider the role of the domestique within their sides.
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