Nicky Carle should join the J. League
Columnist
By Mike Tuckerman, 23 Apr 2009 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Chelsea, fpptball, J League, Nick Carle, World Football
Nick Carle. App Images
Is Nicky Carle a $2 million flop, or isn’t he? There were conflicting reports in the Australian media last week, after Carle bemoaned his lack of goals at Championship side Crystal Palace, only to slam reports that he had labelled himself “a flop.”
The much-travelled midfielder heaped scorn on suggestions that he was headed for the exit door at Palace, claiming “whoever wrote that story has no idea.”
Touché Nicky – but if you happen to read this, you’ll always be a favourite in the Tuckerman household!
We appreciate skillful midfielders around our way, I can tell you.
And I’m not some johnny-come-lately fresh on the Nicky Carle bandwagon.
I used to watch him go around for Marconi after he struggled to make the grade at French club Troyes.
These days I watch another silky midfielder in the Carle mould dictate play for Shimizu S-Pulse.
His name is Jungo Fujimoto.
And his insightful vision and defence-splitting passes got me thinking about just how valuable playmakers are in the Japanese game.
We’ve seen it in the Asian Champions League in the form of Gamba Osaka’s Yasuhito Endo and Kengo Nakamura of Kawasaki Frontale.
But scratch the surface at most J. League clubs and it becomes apparent that midfield maestros are very much in vogue.
It makes me wonder why Carle doesn’t secure a move to a league more appreciative of his refined talents.
No disrespect to the Championship – or to Carle himself – but surely a less agricultural environment than the hurly-burly of the old Division Two would be more suitable?
I’m far from the first Carle admirer to suggest a move, but in my weaker moments I almost wish this flair player would join a club in the J. League.
In a land in which boys clamour to become the next Shunsuke Nakamura – “they want to create goals, not score them,” as a friend and youth coach often reminds me – I can’t help but wonder how productive Carle might be when the tackles don’t come flying in.
At any rate, the closest Australia looks to sending a compatriot to keep Eddy Bosnar company comes in the shape of Graham Arnold!
Last in charge of the Olyroos, the former Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker has expressed a desire to sign on as an assistant coach at a J. League club.
But with Arnold’s link in the form of ex-Socceroos and Hiroshima coach Eddie Thomson having unfortunately passed on, it’s tough to see Arnie landing a gig in the notoriously conservative J. League.
That’s especially the case given the struggles of Pierre Littbarski, Ian Crook and Anthony Crea at Avispa Fukuoka last season.
The coaching trio arrived from A-League outfit Sydney FC with the goal of steering the southern club to promotion from J2.
Instead all three were sacked mid-campaign when it became apparent that Fukuoka were doomed to another season in the basement of Japanese football.
It didn’t help that Mark Rudan was constantly injured, while Ufuk Talay found the pace of the J. League tough to adjust to – even if his cultured passing game was admired.
As much as it would benefit Australian football to have players and coaches plying their trade in what many are now labelling Asia’s “Premier League,” it seems unlikely that Japanese clubs are about to swoop for talent from Down Under.
Which is a shame.
The gap may be closing, but we lost two-from-two in the Champions League this week.
Luck wasn’t on the side of either the Central Coast Mariners or the Newcastle Jets – but it takes more than luck to win in football.
Sometimes it takes a creative midfielder to unlock a defence or conjure some magic to bust open a game. Kengo Nakamura and Nagoya Grampus match-winner Yoshizumi Ogawa do it, and Nicky Carle can do it too.
It’s just a shame that he’s struggling at Crystal Palace, since many of us wish he’d do it on a far more regular basis.
Follow Mike on twitter @Mike_Tuckerman
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Mick of Newie said | April 23rd 2009 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Mike
After watching Nagoya take the p*ss last night against the Jets, I was left to bemoan the complete lack of techincal ability in the home team. Oh for the days of Nick Carle. Nagoya’s passing, control, movement was fantastic. We are more than a generation away I suspect from producing teams with such players.
Back to your point, would Nick suit the J league, absolutely. The only question for me would be how do I subscribe to watch.
Kazama said | April 23rd 2009 @ 8:48am | Report comment
Mike, if Nicky were to leave Europe then why not come back to the A-League instead of the J. League? Given the fact that Eddy Bosnar is left out in the cold when it comes to the Socceroos (diet or full-strength), perhaps if Nicky wants to put himself back on Pim’s radar a move to the A-League beckons, where he’d be one of very few true playmakers in the competition.
“…it seems unlikely that Japanese clubs are about to swoop for talent from Down Under.
Which is a shame.”
No it isn’t! I thought we were supposed to be upset that the big clubs of Asia have been pinching our players? I can see the benefits of having our guys playing in a superior league, but we have to have some decent Australian players in the A-League; otherwise we might as well forget about having a domestic competition at all.
As for Arnie, at least he is doing the right thing and looking for a job at a club.
Mackey said | April 23rd 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Kazama, I for one am not upset with Asian clubs snapping up Aussie talent. The game in Japan is technically superior and I would hazard a guess that the coaching and infrastructure is a step (or two) up from the A-League. I think it’s best that people removed the rose tinted glasses when it comes to the A-League, it is going to take years for it to develop to the level that many seem to think it is currently at. Don’t get me wrong, I love the A-League and am a feverent BRISBANE Roar fan, but sometimes it pays to take a step back and look at the A-League for what it is.
MIke I agree that Carle would be a fantastic addition to the J-League, he definitely suits a style of play more partial to tight passing and movement rather than the hoof and chase of the Championship. As much as I hate to say it, the Jets were good to watch when they had the likes of Carle, (J) Griffiths and Rodriguez pulling the strings, compared to the Jets post-Vignoroli last night who were listless and uncreative.
Kazama said | April 23rd 2009 @ 10:01am | Report comment
Mackey, I’ve hardly got the rose-tinted glasses on when it comes to the A-League. I don’t even own a pair. You talk about the A-League needing years to develop? I agree 100%, but it won’t be advancing at all if guys keep leaving our shores for the Asian leagues. We need to keep some decent players here, otherwise no one will give a damn about our comp and we’ll all be signing up for J. League subscriptions.
Mackey said | April 23rd 2009 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Disagree again, what we need is better coaching for the younger kids, which FFA has implemented at the behest of Rob Baan’s report. The current generation of players in the A-League are not going to suddenly learn ‘new tricks’ with people like Farina, Mitchell, Merrick and Mckinna coaching them, but if they head overseas to clubs with UEFA credited coaches, bigger backrooms/facilities, more intesne training and more games, they will improve.
The recent CCM and Jets games are proof that for far too long Aussie coaches, at all levels, go for the big strong workmanlike player that will try his ehart out for 90 mins. They’ve been torn to shreds by teams with superior coaching, vision and ability.
Telling Nathan Burns to stay in the A-League on a pittance with lower standard coaching to play 20 games in a season merely for the fact of not letting him go would be a travesty.
It will be interesting to see what Livicka brings to Sydney in terms of professionalism and technique.
Kazama said | April 23rd 2009 @ 11:14am | Report comment
First of all, who mentioned Nathan Burns? Of course the top young players are always going to leave, that is a given. I have said on this site many times that we are a feeder league. Whether it be to Asia, Europe, South America, the Djites and Burnses are always going to leave for bigger things.
No, my issue is that we are losing players like Joel Griffiths, Sasa Ognenovski and Jonas Salley, guys who can’t cut it in Europe, and not because they are chasing better coaching / facilities etc but more money. Will they improve? Perhaps, but will it mean anything in the long run? No it won’t. These guys are either at their peak or close to it, they aren’t going to suddenly turn into Pele if they go to the J. League or the Chinese Super League. But what will become of the A-League? Will fans be content to watch a competition full of state-league wannabees – more of the workman-like players you speak of – while second and third tier players are off in Europe and Asia? I don’t think so. I’m not happy with the quality as it is, and my big fear is that it is only going to get worse if we keep losing those mid-range players.
The answer is, as you say, better coaching at the youth level, but sending guys from the current generation who aren’t going to develop much more like Nicky Carle, Joel Griffiths etc. to Asia is only going to cost the A-League fans and put its survival further at risk.
And yes, it will be very interesting to see what happens to Sydney this season under Livicka.
whiskeymac said | April 23rd 2009 @ 11:22am | Report comment
agrred that the aimis that if you lose one good player, you hopefully gain another or two with the NYL. with losing players like Salley and Van Dijk (who i wld miss from the HAL) etc – there are lots of players of a similar ilk plying their trade somewhere in the world. they are replaceable. what might be more valued is a decent transfer fee so that the clubs losing their players can afford to replace them (or invest in the infrastructure etc).
Sam said | April 23rd 2009 @ 12:06pm | Report comment
There are many leagues currently in the world which are feeder leagues. More importantly we need to develop a football culture in this country with more analysis, discussion etc, which is something that countries such as Holland, Mexico etc have. These are also feeder leagues. The fact that Griffiths or Van Dijk leave for Asian countries is the football world at work. Something we need to accept. Club and country should aways come before individual players.
There is a reason why the likes of Yorke and Fowler will come to Australia. Lifestyle. These are the players we need more than anything else as the are real football personalities. Mid range players get forgotten and talented youngsters come through. It is the top shelf players which draw crowds. We need to target this area a bit more. We need more personalities and cult heroes imo.
Sam said | April 23rd 2009 @ 12:11pm | Report comment
Perhaps a plan by the FFA to be able to draw top shelf players with unique talents to the a-league. Perhaps they can help out clubs, or the player in rewarding them for coming here. Lavicka has brough over a Slovak named Kisel for Sydney. It will be interesting to see how he goes. Perth look to be getting Denilson. That is a question mark, but it could work out…
Kazama said | April 23rd 2009 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
The only trouble with that Sam is that they will cost a lot of money and won’t be around for much more than a season. Denilson I heard is only going to play seven games if he signs. Is the short-term gain really worth the investment compared to putting that money into giving our kids, our next generation, some decent coaching and facilities?
And while the overseas mid-range players may be replaceable, the Aussies are not, thanks to the limits on how many visa players each team can have. While I agree that we’ll be relying on our youth league (but not the pathetic transfer fees we get) to supplement these losses, we don’t really want to be watching a bunch of 17 year olds run around with a couple of imports and a has been from the EPL every week do we? Otherwise we might as well get rid of the A-League and just have the youth league.
And just because we are a feeder league doesn’t mean that the A-League has to suck and that we have to be resigned to lose each and every player than can play a decent through ball as soon as they turn 18. The Eredivisie may be a feeder competition but there are still loads of quality players in that league, many who will never move on to bigger and better things. It’s not just about quality, it is quantity of quality.
To get back to the original point I feel that we’d be better off with Nicky Carle in the A-League than the J. League for the reason that he’d be another sorely-needed quality, skillful player in our league. Like Jason Culina, he’s not suddenly going to turn into a talentless chopper simply because he’s moved back here, just as he’s not going to become Maradona overnight by moving to Japan. I’d have a season of Nicky Carle over 7 games of Denilson any time at Adelaide.