Former English premier league soccer player Robbie Fowler, right, pictured with the North Queensland coach Ian Ferguson at a news conference in Townsville, Australia, Sunday, March 15, 2009. Fowler will play for the North Queensland Fury in Australia's A League competition later this year. AP Photo/ Michael Chambers
Their pre-season form has been disappointing and their marquee player has yet to play a competitive match. There are worrying signs for the North Queensland Fury and those concerns are compounded when examining their squad list for their initiation into the A-League.
The signing of Robbie Fowler unsurprisingly dominated the headlines and it has overshadowed the rest of the clubs signings.
Without Fowler, the Fury have been, thus far, “not good enough,” according to Fury chairman Don Matheson, having conceded eleven goals and scored zilch in their pre-season games against A-League opposition.
Most concerning is the lack of cohesion in the pre-season matches and lack of depth in the squad. There are so few game breakers, creative options to service the likes of Fowler.
Felipe would have fit this role perfectly, but his walking out on the club has left them with a gaping hole in the midfield.
This is the biggest concern, the lack of depth in key positions.
Aside from the experienced pair of Robbie Middleby and Ufuk Talay, the majority of the squad is made up of youngsters who have been on the fringe of the A-League yet unable to make regular first team appearances.
Two former Adelaide lads typify this.
Fred Agius has been on the fringe of a professional career many a time and has been a regular for Adelaide City following his brief spell at Adelaide United.
The other is 18-year-old Osama Malik, who showed plenty of potential in his few outings for Adelaide United, most notably at the World Club Cup, but was unable to break into the side regularly.
The list of fringe A-League players also includes the likes of Jacob Timpano, Jason Spagnuolo, Brendon Santalab, and Chris Grossman.
This calibre of player may have, as coach Ian Ferguson describes, “untapped potential”, but there are still question marks about that potential, especially in an environment where there are so many of them attempting to gel together as a cohesive unit in such a pressure cooker environment.
For the sake of the franchise, and possibly their own careers, they need to rise up.
So the Fury waits in anticipation for Fowler’s debut, expected soon, hoping he can spark the side into life.
But can Fowler, 34, with a recent history of ankle, groin and hip injuries, playing in conditions so alien to what he has been exposed to, really carry a side on his back?
It’s unlikely and he will need the service and assistance of his younger colleagues.
Chairman Matheson has addressed the concern about the pressure on Fowler, telling the Northern Territory News, “It’s unfair on the lad and the team when every appearance is treated as the Fowler show, forgetting that it is in fact the Fury show.”
The reason for that may be because there is so little else to focus on.
The Fury’s season rests not just on Fowler’s ability to lead the team on the field, but on how many of the once fringe players, given their big chance at the Fury, can rise to the occasion.
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July 1st 2009 @ 10:32am
Redb said | July 1st 2009 @ 10:32am | Report comment
It is no wonder Lowy stopped the expansion plans at 12. Getting a bit ahead itself the A League and he knew it. Nth QLd is league country, sure it has futbol participation and a parochial attitude but success is mandatory for capitalise on the bandwagon factor up there.
I like the NQ Cowboys they market it really well up there – very stiff opposition for Fury in a rough and tumble town like Townsville.
How long before people get sick of Palmer’s millions at GCU – Melbourne Victory craps all over the wannabes at GCU and their plastic futbol club. Don’t get me wrong GC are good for the A League, but you have to wonder how long before Palmer gets sick of the salary cap and threatens to start his own competition?
Redb
July 1st 2009 @ 10:38am
Pippinu said | July 1st 2009 @ 10:38am | Report comment
People might recall that exactly two years ago, about to start our first title defence, we had quite a big turnover of players. Fred, Leijer and Storey left (all grand final starters).
We picked up Carlos, the Lube Mobile, Crackers Keenan, Kaz Patafta and the Love Machine
On the face of it, it seemed like we had well and truly covered the departures – but it wasn’t to be.
Could the stability hold us in good stead this time around????
Personally, I have some doubts about the age of players like Muskie, Brebs and all three of our main strikers.
Balanced against that is that Carlos is well and truly in his prime, and Ward and Celeski are about to enter it.
It’s also time for Berger, Elasi and Broxham to step up, and Langerak might give Moss a run for his money as first choice keeper (I hope so).
I don’t know anything about the new Thai full back signing.
I think we still need an extra central defender (preferably one who can also cover at one or the other full back).
July 1st 2009 @ 10:43am
Pippinu said | July 1st 2009 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Hey Kaz
I’ll tell you something funny about that link you put up.
When I saw the name of the club (Tranmere), I immediately thought of the New Zealand squad member, Chris James (incorrectly) – and thought, oh, that’s how they got hold of this bloke.
Of course Chris James actually playes for Tampere in Finland (and I only knew that from having tried to recruit him a zillion times for the Nix in FM – but never succeeding!!)
July 1st 2009 @ 10:52am
the all rounder said | July 1st 2009 @ 10:52am | Report comment
I think that the NQ Fury still have a chance of making an impact this season. Admittedly they have played terribly thus far. However, I think we need to give them more time to gel as a new team and franchise before writing them off completely. To me, they look defensively solid, despite their poor form thus far. They have a few players to return – busch, timpano, talay + fowler. I think that a back 4 of Middleby, Wilson, Timpano and Tadrosse looks quite impressive. With this being said, I agree wholeheartedly with Adrian that NQ must find that creative midfielder ASAP. Even a fully-fit Robbie Fowler can’t unlock defences by himself. Or can he…
July 1st 2009 @ 11:05am
Simmo said | July 1st 2009 @ 11:05am | Report comment
SFC battling it for the spoon? You must be high, Pip!
Jets, Mariners, Phoenix and Fury are easily worse.
July 1st 2009 @ 11:21am
Pippinu said | July 1st 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Simmo
don’t be won over by a series of wins against half-arsed opposition.
Your good kids won’t be able to make up for the deficiencies of your over-30 brigade.
The good news is that seeing blokes out on the paddock who are nearly my age makes me feel not so old.
July 1st 2009 @ 11:39am
Towser said | July 1st 2009 @ 11:39am | Report comment
Kazama
I dont get your points one:-
“I’ve always had a fear that an expansion franchise would be made up of players who couldn’t cut it in the squads of the existing teams and it seems to have manifested itself in North Queensland.”
“Perhaps this will be a wake up call for the FFA that we can’t be handing out new franchises just for the sake of having more teams.”
Why do they have to do so & why did they do so. GCU didnt, recruited well for me. NQF were admitted like the Gold Coast because they satisfied the FFA they had the financial backing & could get support in that area. I see no problem there. If the coach & player recruiting is poor thats not the FFA’s fault. Cant hold their hands on every issue. Both GCU & NQF Started off under the same conditions. I wont call you a naysayer regarding the upcoming season you could be right,but if NQF are found wanting ,thats their fault not the FFA’s
July 1st 2009 @ 11:59am
True Tah said | July 1st 2009 @ 11:59am | Report comment
Kazama
back in 1996, people said the same thing about the ACT Brumbies when they joined the Super 12, i.e. a bunch of rejects that couldnt make the NSW and Qld squads. They used that sort of mentality to make them stronger, and hence they have three super rugby titles, which is 3 more than NSW/QLD.
July 1st 2009 @ 12:08pm
MVDave said | July 1st 2009 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
Final placings on the ladder with what we know at this stage 5 weeks out from KO;
1. MV
2. GCU
3. AU
4. BR
5. SFC
6.PG
7. NJ
8. CCM
9. WP
10. NQF
But if the Fury can pick up the decent midifelder perhaps they could jump a notch or 2.
PG to be the big improvers, with SFC to scrape into the finals.
CGU are one of the early season favs on paper but lets see how they actually play together.
l dont expect a huge gap between top 6 and bottom 4 but early season results will be important for the Fury to get local support, player confidence etc.
July 1st 2009 @ 12:18pm
Gibbo said | July 1st 2009 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
tah – there’s a super rugby? Sounds like a video game from an outdated nintendo system… i guess we’ll never understand that game down here in the south…
As for NQF lets hope they dont mess up with Fillipe’s replacement. That position will be the deal breaker.