Allsopp, the player his own fans love to hate
Roar Guru By Paddy Higgs, 27 Jan 2009 Paddy Higgs is a Roar Guru
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- Adelaide United, Archie Thompson, football, grand final, Joel Griffiths, Liverpool, Manchester City, Melbourne, Pim Verbeek, Socceroos, Telstra Dome, Wellington
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Around the 25 minute mark of Melbourne’s 2-0 win over Wellington on Friday night, Victory striker Danny Allsopp was presented with a half-chance to put his side in front. He failed to get full purchase on the ball, and the Phoenix was able to clear.
Midway up the third tier of the Telstra Dome, one articulate fan piped up. The man, curiously wearing a Liverpool shirt, was blunt in his assessment: “Allsopp, you’re s&%$!”
That sort of statement is one that is heard regularly around the aisles of the Dome during Victory games.
When you really think about it, it’s about as baffling as wearing a Liverpool shirt to a Victory game.
Allsopp is the Victory player his own fans love to can.
A foundation member of the club after returning from the UK – where he had stints with Manchester City and Hull City – Allsopp made a fairly inconspicuous start to his career in the A-League.
Season 2 was a far different story. He potted 12 goals to win the golden boot in the title-winning year as his partnership with Archie Thompson took off.
But his most telling contribution that season is one that those negative Melbourne supporters should think of before casting their vitriol in his direction.
1-0 down against Adelaide United in the semi-final and with his side looking increasing desperate, Allsopp powered into the box and, with his left foot, drilled the ball past a despairing Daniel Beltrame.
James Robinson popped up with the winner shortly before time, and we all know how the Grand Final turned out.
Allsopp’s stats are similarly impressive, having knocked in 33 goals in 80 appearances. Only partner-in-crime Thompson has scored more goals with him in the history of the A-League.
Their partnership is undoubtedly the most successful our domestic competition has seen.
He has struck eleven times this season, but is still the target for many Victory fans when things aren’t going the side’s way.
Granted, he can seem maddeningly short of concentration at times, and loves to stray into the odd off-side position.
But to question his commitment and work rate is unfair.
Still, while he cops short shrift from many of his own supporters, Allsopp seems to have at least one fan when it matters. Pim Verbeek is likely to select him and Thompson to lead the line in the Asian Cup qualifier with Indonesia on Wednesday.
It’s a true indication of Allsopp’s form this season. With eleven goals to his name, he has been among the more consistent performers in Melbourne’s squad.
He’s hardly likely to be a long-term fixture in the Socceroos side. But if selected on Wednesday, it can be said that, at the present, Verbeek rates him higher than Matt Simon, Dylan Macallister and Joel Griffiths.
For a bloke that can’t get that same recognition from his own fans, it’s an excellent achievement.
Recommend this story.
January 27th 2009 @ 4:25pm
Pippinu said | January 27th 2009 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
And let’s not forget the assists to add to the 11 goals.
January 27th 2009 @ 4:37pm
Mick said | January 27th 2009 @ 4:37pm | Report comment
Excellent point Pippinu.
January 27th 2009 @ 4:46pm
Pippinu said | January 27th 2009 @ 4:46pm | Report comment
Mick
I imagine you’d agree with the following: if we look at CCM’s strikepower (and it’s considerable), blokes like Mrdja (in particular), but even Sasho and Macallister, more often than not have eyes for the goals (like all good strikers) – but too often they fail to pick out a team mate in a better possie.
I know many CC fans will disagree – but that’s a bit of a view I have formed over the current season.
The other thing is that we’re talking about four pretty big blokes – they’re going to scare the bejeezus out of some of the Asian club teams (the weaker ones) – but it’s a different story relying on three at the same time in the A-League – you might get away with it in some games – you’re going to be found wanting more often than not though.
This is another aspect of the Arch/Danny partnership – they are compatible as players, they bring balance to the forward division – together they form a whole in a way that any combo of CCM’s strikers do not.
Their record suggests that there is something in that.
Just a thought.
January 27th 2009 @ 7:56pm
mahony said | January 27th 2009 @ 7:56pm | Report comment
I am not sure what the references in this article to a fan wearing a Liverpool shirt are about – the Author seems genuinely concerned/confused? The conclusion that if Danny is picked, that PVB rates him above other strikers seems equally confused – or plainly simplistic at best. I am a huge fan of Danny (always defend him) – but I am afraid this particular contribution to football analysis smacks of that which Danny is often wrongly accused of – ‘impotence’ up front.
mahony
January 27th 2009 @ 8:37pm
Koala Bear said | January 27th 2009 @ 8:37pm | Report comment
If he could improve his first touch, he maybe, be as good as Archie .. But until he can do that, he will not be a great player, but maybe a reasonably good player, like Archie …
~~~~~~~~
KB
January 27th 2009 @ 11:52pm
Spanner said | January 27th 2009 @ 11:52pm | Report comment
someone do a highlights reel of Allsopp´s 30 goals and you will see just one great goal which is the one that all his admirers talk about. The other 29 are tap ins that were served up mostly by Fred, Thompson and Hernandez. Then watch the 80 goals that he missed which were just as easy. No quality in this guy just like his coach who is the biggest joke. As my mate says, he marks himself out of the game.
January 28th 2009 @ 8:45am
Pippinu said | January 28th 2009 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Spanner
The only thing strikers need to do to prove their worth is score goals – Danny is the second highest scorer in the A-League, so he’s pretty much proven his worth already (by the way, do you have a highlights reel on his many assists? there are probably far too many to find)
With Ernie – what more can a manager do than win two of a comp’s first four premierships. Throw a double in there, plus a pre-season cup, plus a real shot at the double this season, well, once again, I’m not sure if Ernie needs to do much more to be honest.
Going back to Danny’s tap ins, one of his most important was the first goal MV scored against CCM to start a run of three goals in 7 minutes to kill the contest when it had been a very tight, dificult game to that point. That too was a tap in, but only someone with little knowledge of the game would dismiss it as “just a tap in”.
Watch this clip carefully (around the middle): http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=LE8WdQjaeYU
Carlos starts the move, rolls it across the top of the D, but both Arch and Danny are actually able to take the ball, Danny lets Arch take, they criss cross paths, Danny knows instinctively what Arch will do next and he does a wide arc in the opposite direction around the back of the defenders, completely losing his marker, and is there at the far post to tap in.
Yes, it’s a simple tap in, but Danny demonstrates a couple of things that many A-League strikers may have failed to do:
1. A perfect understanding with his striking partner; and
2. not just where to run, but most importantly, how to get there to arrive on cue and in the process lose his marker.
They seem simple things – maybe they are – but the fact that Danny is the 2nd highest scorer in the comp means that he displays these qualities a bit more frequently than other A-League strikers.
It’s not enough to have someone feeding you, otherwise we’d all be strikers.
Incidentally, as it happens, this particular clip opens with Danny going on to his left and curling a shot that clips the far upright, which shows that maybe he is not the one trick pony you think he is.
January 28th 2009 @ 1:57pm
Paddy Higgs said | January 28th 2009 @ 1:57pm | Report comment
Extremely well put, both to Mick and Pip. The people who bag Allsopp are the ones who probably downplay Scott McDonald’s record with Celtic. Most of them are probably “tap-ins”, but someone has to be there to put them away.
Mahony, not sure where the resentment is coming from. Simplistic as it is, surely it is fair to deduce that the fact Verbeek selected Allsopp and not Griffiths in the squad that, currently, the Aussie coach rates the MV man higher?
And it might be a personal thing, but I’ve always found it a bit curious when people wear team shirts that have no discernible relevance to the game in front of them. Might be just me though.
January 28th 2009 @ 2:10pm
dasilva said | January 28th 2009 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
Paddy
although you can’t say anything about scott mcdonald now after scoring some cracking goals (man U and rangers) and showed some great goal scoring instinct this season. I also have no problems with tap in. However I think people downplay his record for large amount of genuinely lucky goals. Likes deflection of the post or off a defender or the keeper (AC milan goal seems very good fortune) that goes straight to mcdonald. Unless someone can explain to me how a person can consistently predict where a deflection or parry from a keeper will go to and then position yourself for it. I do think he is a great striker for celtic but his record is a little bit exagerrated and his goal scoring record in this season is a more accurate portrayal of his ability (although the type of goals his score is far more impressive) then that insane first season.
January 28th 2009 @ 2:12pm
dasilva said | January 28th 2009 @ 2:12pm | Report comment
If MV fans doesn’t like Danny Allsopp
I’m quite sure Adelaide would be happy to take him. would make a good partnership with cristiano