Kristian Sarkies (left) and Billy Celeski in action during Hyundai A-League replay match between Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United at Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. AAP Image/Raoul Wegat
As much as anyone I want to see Jason Culina and his fellow “Returning Roos” in the A-League, scrapping it out with home-brand players in what promises to be our most interesting domestic football season yet.
Their profiles are good for the game, good for exposure, good for advertisers, good for fans.
My issue, however, is that some time ago I came around to Pim Verbeek’s way of thinking: that it was in our nation’s World Cup interests to have as many national-team players as possible contracted with European clubs.
Now the Socceroos coach has done a complete U-turn – the A-League supposedly will do – yet hitherto I haven’t seen any compelling evidence for why.
Have you?
Have things really changed that much since Verbeek declared the Australian league was inferior to a Bundesliga training session?
Most of the coaches are the same or at least the same sort of quality. Australian clubs couldn’t get to the quarter-final stage of the Asian Champions League in this year’s competition. The salary cap, as I argued a couple of weeks ago, is still inadequate to compete with rival leagues in Asia and good local players are still taking the first opportunity to leave no matter who comes knocking.
Is the football more free flowing, European? Or is it the same, hoof-it-up-the-guts, hack-the bastard-down brand we’ve all come to know and loathe?
I’m not entirely sure what it is, but I’m hopeful if not certain we’ll see some better football in 2009/10.
Perth Glory showed glimpses of how good they can be late last season. Gold Coast has demonstrated it has a bit of flair. Sydney FC look like they have shed the straightjacket John Kosmina put on them. Branko Culina, a man who dresses like Miami Vice never went off air, will make an imprint on Newcastle and has already flagged his intentions by giving Kaz Patafta license to thrill. Melbourne and Brisbane can be exciting in spurts.
The others – Central Coast, Adelaide, North Queensland and Wellington – will likely underwhelm.
Perhaps, though, the A-League really has hit its straps with all these players coming back and Robbie Fowler playing for the Fisters. Perhaps Verbeek, who is rarely wrong, is right to have confidence in it.
Perhaps the Socceroos won’t be affected by having so many of its squad playing back home.
They are all topics that can be debated till the cows can home. The only thing that is damn near irrefutable is that the A-League is here to stay. In five seasons it’s established itself as a sporting competition that more and more Australians are starting to watch, follow, and, most importantly, care about.
I’ve been feeling the A-League’s absence in my life these past few months far more than the EPL or ACL and even missing the commentary team from Fox Sports, which is saying something. And if this scribe can get nostalgic about Ang Postecoglou, it has to be half alright.
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Ben of Phnom Penh said | August 7th 2009 @ 3:11am | Report comment
Tough timing for a blog posting, Jesse. Incidentally I was wondering what Ange was up to (I don’t get Fox) however I thought he was doing the call on 774ABC (radio live-streaming; the lifeline for those not in Oz).
The interesting thing as that the media’s bias against long balls and a counter attacking style seems to have some resonance with the clubs; at least as far as their statements go. The question is how far this translates onto the field.
I don’t think Pim’s attitude has changed. I just believe that a number of his squad has come home for various reasons. Should Spiranovic and Jedinak have half decent seasons don’t expect to see Coyne or Burns in the World Cup squad, regardless of their A-League form. Ceterus Parabus come 2010 I’m anticipating Culina to be the only inclusion from the A-League with Moore and Sterjovski relying upon the fact that no-one else steps up. Milligan and Triosi may have something to say about that.
tifosi said | August 7th 2009 @ 6:05am | Report comment
Jesse, the best thing the A-league has done is to showcase its talent to the world.
In that regard its a success.
Midfielder said | August 7th 2009 @ 7:17am | Report comment
Beware the Mariners Jes … I will send in a thread about it …but Beware the Mariners….. we will go close to winning the title this year… every commenter has missed something … but then it has never been any different…
NO BODY RATES US
WE DON’T CARE
Gaz said | August 7th 2009 @ 8:16am | Report comment
Fink comes around to Pim, Pim comes around to the A-League. Only a fool refuses to change his mind in the face of concrete facts, and it’s clear that the A-League is going to step up a notch or two this season.
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 8:41am | Report comment
Judging by the poor quality of last night’s game:
1. Pim is right.
2. Season 5 is unlikely to see a step up in quality.
3. The Mariners may well make another grand final playing the sort of football from which any sensible person would normally steer clear of.
MVDave said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:04am | Report comment
So lets base our sole view on AFL football on the 1st game of the season Carlton v Richmond…yaaaaawn. Makes about as much sense as what you have stated.
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Except its deja vu – two years ago we saw CCM claim the premiership and make a 2nd grand final in three years with a game plan identical to last night.
I’m sorry folks – it’s garbage (the quality of football) – and yet it’s a brand of footbal that might just take CCM all the way to the top again.
Davos said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:08am | Report comment
well put MVDave,
jaymz said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:01am | Report comment
Tactically this season will be better than last due some of the exciting coaches we have (Blieberg ,Branko, Lavicka). Pip, to be honest Melbourne and CC have never really been the exciting teams of the league. So i dont think you should judge the season based on last nights game. The step up in quality should come from teams like GC, SFC, Perth, Bris, Jets (Branko is a good coach, and they have bought well in the offseason, particularly Vignaroli)
Gaz said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:10am | Report comment
+ 1
md said | August 7th 2009 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
+ another 1
Art Sapphire said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:07am | Report comment
Judging by the poor quality of last night’s game:
1) Merrick is the worst manager to ever win 2 championships. If Merrick persists with Brebner and Broxham in midfield again I will personally take my 5 year membership card and make him swallow it whole.
2) Unlike Pip’s very premature observation based on one single game – we will see a step up in quality this season.
I agree with Jesse. I expect Perth, GCU and Sydney to set the pace this year.
3) The Mariners will not make the finals and if we keep playing the same way neither will Melbourne.
4) Melbourne needs a second team. Competition will bring the best out of both teams. It is just the rocket Victory needs.
MVDave said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:16am | Report comment
Art
Cannot for the life of me work out why he tries to play Breb and Brox 2 similar players doing the same job albeit neither any good. It hasnt worked in the past and certainly didnt last night. Ward and Celeski need to start next game (if fit) and if ready lets see Sukah…he just played for the Thai NT vs Liverpool so must be worth a go. Agreed about the 2nd team needed to spur MV and create a rivalry.
Tom said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:23am | Report comment
I thought Broxham was good. Brebner was not good.
We didn’t lose because of Merrick. We lost for four reasons.
1. Disciplined defensive effort by the Mariners.
2. Too many loose passes, particularly in the first half.
3. Crappy pitch that didn’t suit our passing game.
4. Bad luck. That second goal…
AndyRoo said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:28am | Report comment
I think it’s a combination of two things. One is the A league is slightly better and now has 27 games as well as the 3 plus 1 rule in Asia so players can go on loan to keep up form. But I don’t think that is a huge change than when he made his famous training comments.
I am sure he would still prefer Cullina to have stayed in Europe because he would be a first team player every week. As to the others the most important thing this year is minutes on the pitch… and for Grella, not getting injured .
I have read a couple of interviews Pim did when he was assistant coach and then appointed head coach for South Korea and it’s clear he isn’t comfortable with players who in a world cup year aren’t playing games.
Korea got stung by them having a couple of players switch to European clubs in a world cup year and then not being able to contribute at the world cup because they didn’t have their touch*.
So perhaps the training in Europe advantage goes out the window in the year of the world cup because for Australia they have to be ready for game 1 in South Africa. But in the years leading up to the world cup he wants them in Europe because hopefully by the time the world cup starts they will be week in week out starters in Europe and that is the best preparation. So he sticks with those players even when there not playing because he potential upside is much higher than picking an A league player who by the time the world cup comes around is still going to be in the A league or just starting their overseas journey.
Kennedy seems pretty confident he is in better nic now than when he was training in Europe.
* Secondly, the players who are the most important players in your team at that moment, all of them came unfit – through an injury or not playing games for their clubs for the last four, five or six months.
For example Ahn Jung-hwan, Seol Ki-hyeon, Park Ji-sung – he came with an injury, he missed the first three weeks and he is a key player for us. So, the pressure and responsibility fell on the shoulders of players who are not the kind of players who can take it.