New signings suggest A-League has finally matured
Roar Guru By Paddy Higgs, 22 Jul 2009 Paddy Higgs is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- A-League, Anfield stadium, English Premier League, football, Newcastle Jets, Robbie Fowler, Shane Smeltz, Sheffield United, UEFA Cup, Wellington Phoenix
Liverpool's Robbie Fowler celebrates scoring the third goal against 1. FC Kosice during the UEFA Cup, first round, second match at Liverpool's Anfield stadium Tuesday Sept. 29, 1998. AP Photo/Adam Butle
The buzz around the various football forums is that this season’s A-League will be the best to date. Much of it stems from the introduction of two new sides into the competition, adding much-needed diversity to the competition.
But the existing clubs need also be credited for part of the excitement, with the calibre of players enticed to the A-League this season as promising as any other before.
It is a good time to reflect on exactly how much things have changed for clubs in the transfer market. One need only cast one’s eye over the list of big-name flops and costly turkeys in the league’s formative seasons.
Of course, navigating through the transfer market is a hazardous and perilous business, and has claimed many a global club.
But with bad habits ranging from an early obsession to all-things Brazilian to a penchant for signing players from DVDs, A-League clubs found out the hard way on how to increase their chances of success when foraging for players.
But as the competition has matured, so has the approach of its member clubs.
It was hugely refreshing to hear Wellington Phoenix chief executive Tony Pignata state earlier this year that the days of signing players on the back of YouTube clips or agent-driven DVDs was over.
Despite having had to contend with the departure of star striker Shane Smeltz in the off-season, the Phoenix has taken a softly-softly approach to securing attacking replacements.
Industrious former Tranmere striker Chris Greenacre was first, and now Wellington has announced the signing of attacker Paul Ifill.
The former Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Millwall player has spent his career bouncing between the wing, the centre of midfield and forward, but indications are the 10-capped Barbadian will play up front with Greenacre.
And like Greenacre, it’s hardly a signing to get the pulse racing to the uninformed football fan.
But this is a player – still 29 years of age – that had a short stint in the English Premier League just three seasons back.A player who reportedly commanded an £850,000 transfer fee in 2007.
Injury concerns have already been raised, but Ifill featured 33 times for Crystal Palace last season in the physical English Championship.
Of course, a solid pedigree doesn’t automatically mean success in the A-League.Just mention Brian Deane’s name in front of Perth Glory fans.
But Phoenix has shown maturity and fastidiousness in its dealings in the transfer market, perhaps to the occasional chagrin of the impatient fan.
And Wellington is not alone. A number of clubs are wisely utilising trials before handing out contracts, and indications are that the quality of player coaches are running their eye over is steadily improving.
The availability of creative China international midfielder Wang Dong would have once attracted contract-waving clubs like flies to a camping ground amenity.
But as Newcastle Jets assistant coach Mark Jones – even after stating the terrific impression Wang had made in his first day at the club – said: “It looks promising. But we are being very careful with our choice of players.”
Boy, have we matured.
Recommend this story.
July 22nd 2009 @ 12:08pm
Kazama said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
Wasn’t directed at you Tom at all. More a response to some of the things I’d been reading on forums – a few people out there saying that lower-league strikers won’t cut it here, forgetting where Smeltz had come from.
Sorry to cut in, but Greenacre scored against Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals: http://www.theworldgame.com.au/a-league/greenacre-on-form-for-nix-207321
July 22nd 2009 @ 12:33pm
Simone` said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals – very decent competetion. Besides for Culina (who is O.K at best on a world scale) which world class player is playing in the a-league… Noone. 50 yr old fowler is way past it. None of these players can cut it in the big leagues, hence why thier in Australia. Good lifestyle and great weather, compared to England etc… Don’t be fooled, the football is of a poor quality and so are the players.The a-league is not maturing, players are coming for a paid vacation despite what they may say to the contrary.
Further to this
“And Wellington is not alone. A number of clubs are wisely utilising trials before handing out contracts, and indications are that the quality of player coaches are running their eye over is steadily improving.” What clubs are trialing players, how new age and controversial, this must mean were for real. I know provisional and state league clubs in Victoria who have trials, its part of the game. Also who is to say this group of players wont also turn out to be flops. No maturing here till we see some good/entertaining football bieng played
July 22nd 2009 @ 12:35pm
Towser said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:35pm | Report comment
Kazama
Thanks for Greenacre info
July 22nd 2009 @ 12:41pm
Kazama said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
No worries mate.
July 22nd 2009 @ 12:42pm
AndyRoo said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:42pm | Report comment
Whats your definiton of big league? The top flight in England, Spain and Italy?
OMG I totally thought our 5 year old comp was better than then them, thanks for that info and assuming where idiots Simone.
Theres a big differnce between being prepared to trial for your local team and being a Chinese Internationl prepared to pay his own way to trial in the Al league.
I would say at least 7 of the existing 8 teams would beat the first year version of themselves and all 8 have put out squads that at one stage have been better than there first year squad. Thats maturing…of course you have some way to go Simone in that regards.
July 22nd 2009 @ 1:15pm
chook said | July 22nd 2009 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
Is it just me or am I the only one who find a team named Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals a little disturbing?
Anyway onto maturing. is the maturing like a piece of mouldy cheese in the fidge or like a good wine?
We have a number of fronts to mature on.
The fans have to mature as to the level they expect and should expect. We only really get 3 options its either EPL, Champions League or A- League for the avereage punter. Problem is there is a vast gap and fans have to be mindful of what they are watching.
The coaching talent is still growing and I would hope to see a few more European type coaches come to the A- league over the coming years. Junior coaches and player only learn and get better from having these type of guys to our shores
Players well it would be nice to see a few more players from the A- League get a spot in the Socceroos run on squad in the World Cup.
I think the last point would be the real level of maturity, having Fowler and other imports is great and i will enjoy watching him play and it will lift the level of the league but we need to ensure that at a club level the football get better and at the A-League it get better. I think it has but its been slow but the level is getting better which is up.
July 22nd 2009 @ 1:21pm
Tom said | July 22nd 2009 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
The A-league may still have a way to go, but thankfully the quality of the football is much better than the quality of Simone’s spelling, grammar and reasoning.
Sorry Kazama for the misunderstanding. My mistake.
July 22nd 2009 @ 2:21pm
Kazama said | July 22nd 2009 @ 2:21pm | Report comment
That’s okay mate, no worries.
July 23rd 2009 @ 12:48pm
Simone` said | July 23rd 2009 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
Sorry Tom for not structuring my response and doing a spell check before writing my response on a football forum. I mean it’s is not as if i have a job or anything to do during the day
July 23rd 2009 @ 2:30pm
Tom said | July 23rd 2009 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
No, I would assume you wouldn’t.
Most jobs I know of require at least a basic grasp of the English language.
Good luck finding work.
Oh and I didn’t run a spell check on this post. Or any other post. I can spell all on my own. I also know the multiplication tables.
July 22nd 2009 @ 1:52pm
mahony said | July 22nd 2009 @ 1:52pm | Report comment
I don’t normally ‘take up the new ball’ for the NSL – but on this ocassion I would sugest that Australian football (through the A-League) is re-learning how to engage with the international footbal labour market. One of the ‘costs’ associated with the scorched earth aproach to re-booting football in Australia fisix years ago was the loss of much competition-wide corporate knowledge about these matters (as well as club-based youth developemt). The A-League is mutch better placed than the NSL to do these things well over time, but it should be acknowledged IMO that the A-League is not the first football league to learn these leassons. Like many things in life – we just needed to re-learn it.
July 22nd 2009 @ 1:53pm
Towser said | July 22nd 2009 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
Perhaps the biggest indicator of when WE are getting better is when we are looking at the technical ability of our youngsters coming up from the youth leagues into our A-League squads. Already I see improvement,Tommy Oar at the Roar comes to mind. But when I look at the first touch of a Brazilian like Henrique(one of thousands from Brazil) as I did last Sunday in a trial against the Jets & compare his first touch to that of Mitch Nicholls(a young Socceroo off to Egypt in September) I realise where were at. Dont get me wrong Mitch can control a ball better than I ever could is athletic & he has a sense of awareness & positioning on the pitch. When we see players like Mitch with the technique of Henrique then you know were maturing like the good wine Chook mentioned.
Thats not to say though that the A-League itself cant slowly mature by the quality of import we bring in. Robbie Fowler may be made in England but our young strikers can learn from him. Same as Mitch Nicholls from Charlie Miller & Luke De Vere from Craig Moore(moulded in Scotland) at the Roar.
July 22nd 2009 @ 8:13pm
Ben of Phnom Penh said | July 22nd 2009 @ 8:13pm | Report comment
Mahony, an interesting point.
Certainly it is good to see that A-League club management is showing a healthy capacity to learn (witness the difference in Adelaide’s approach to the ACL second time around).