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.
Recommend this story.
August 7th 2009 @ 9:50am
Realfootball said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Last night’s very tedious game said little for the Mariners but a lot about Ernie Merrick’s limitations as a coach and the shortcomings of Melbourne Victory’s team, which has way too many players on the wrong side of 30, including Thompson and Allsopp. Thomson in particular has lost a metre of pace – the metre that allowed him to escape defenders – and that has blunted Melbourne considerably. There was little on show from either team to advertise the A-League, and Merrick and McKinna – despite their records – are exactly the kinds of dour coaches we need to lose. But I have hope – as you say, Jesse, we still have GCU, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney to offer something different. These clubs point to the future – Merrick and McKinna are about the past that hopefully we will soon leave behind. It is great news that the new Melbourne Heart consortium is looking at a very different model with a top grade European coach. If they build a team around those principles, I suspect that they will pull a lot of support from the Victory.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:14am
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:14am | Report comment
What does it say for the Mariners?
Ugly football can win you a premiership (like two years ago).
This is the biggest message from last night.
It pays to play ugly.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:29am
MVDave said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:29am | Report comment
Sydenee Swans anyone?
August 7th 2009 @ 10:32am
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:32am | Report comment
Exactly!!
August 7th 2009 @ 9:56am
Robbos said | August 7th 2009 @ 9:56am | Report comment
I think the only issue is Cullina. But I have every confidence that playing in a more attacking role for GC, despite in a weaker competition will also help improve his game.
As for Coyne & Burns, both fringe squad players anyway, were playing in leagues inferior to a Bundesliga training session.
With Sterj, he was playing much, so playing a starring role for Perth Glory will be much better for him.
I agree we prefer our World cup players playing in Europe, but the issues remain, they should be PLAYING & in the top leagues or at least the better teams in the lesser leagues (Celtic, PSV etc).
Playing in the 3rd tier of England or for the worst teams in Romania, Sweden, Norway & even Scotland is not that far away from playing in the A-League anyway.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:04am
Robbos said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:04am | Report comment
In defence of the Mariners, they have tried to get Arnold, though not sure if this is an improvement, but I would love to see him at club level with his experience with Guus & Pim.
As for Melbourne, it’s plain to see, it’s a conspirarcy, the players wants MusCAT to coach them next year, but that won’t happen if Merrick wins another championship this year.
The game was shite, the Mariners were solid & predictable & defended strongly, Melbourne was dreadful in the 1st half, they did look alot more creative in the 2nd half & were unluckly not to get a goal or 2.
But lovely to see Melbourne at the bottom of the league at the moment.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:15am
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:15am | Report comment
We might need to rename it the U-League (U for ugly).
August 7th 2009 @ 10:48am
MVDave said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:48am | Report comment
So Pip after one game of the season you are prepared to can the whole league?
So all teams should play beautiful futbol all the time to please you and Alan. The fact that, as in every sporting league l’m aware of, teams will try to play to their strengths. CCM has a more physical robust solid approach. MV try to play a fast passing game. Last night the CCM game plan won out! Call off the league says Pip…not fair? We cant have teams that dont play beautiful futbol win…err hang on minnows Greece won Euro against all odds with an ugly style but hey did that stop millions of Greeks celebrating like no tomorrow Alan? Swans won AFL a few years ago with ugly style…did that stop their fans celebrating or lead to calls for the AFL to be shut down? Pip (and Alan) you sound like a pair of Euro snobs…HAL warts and all is a vibrant exciting competition which like all leagues of any code has poor games, games of average quality and games that live in the memory. Last night was one of the games that will live long in the memory of CCM fans as being a win against all the odds, beating the giant of HAL in their own backyard something to kick start their campaign, something that great teams need to do to establish themselves. CCM have shown the way to other teams that the giant can be beaten, the season has begun, the controversy, the debate, the great and mundane games, the upsets, the thrashings will all be there and guess what it is ours. Other countries have theirs and will argue the quality but in the end who cares…my team is playing and l want them to win and if possible do it with style but hey l will still take the ugly 1-0 over SFC in the knockout semi with a goal in stoppage time! Bring on the rest of the season l say.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:53am
Art Sapphire said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
Good post MV Dave.
MV put in a shocker last night but MVDave is putting in a blinder this morning.
August 7th 2009 @ 11:15am
Kazama said | August 7th 2009 @ 11:15am | Report comment
Agree, great post MVDave.
August 7th 2009 @ 11:54am
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
It’s not just the ugly aspect (and boy, who will argue with that as a description of last night’s game) – but it’s the fact that CCM had success with that form of football two years ago – that’s the issue here.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:18am
Alan Nicolea said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:18am | Report comment
Pippinu
Yep, that sounds far more accurate for me. Enough said.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:43am
Art Sapphire said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Pip – why do you give Eurosnob anti A-League zealots like Alan such lazy ammunition
August 7th 2009 @ 1:44pm
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
I think Alan has a keen interest in South American football – so technically speaking, he’s not a Eurosnob!!
August 7th 2009 @ 10:32am
Midfielder said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:32am | Report comment
Pip
You lost … get over it… the Mariners played a pressing game … played 4 – 3 – 3 … the new model …
There was good play last night and some poor ….
Read my Beware The Mariners … an article I will submit next week …
Top of the table … we are top of the table…
TBH until we get the next media deal the League we will improve slowly … but we will improve every year…
August 7th 2009 @ 10:39am
Art Sapphire said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:39am | Report comment
Mid – congrats on last night. I still don’t rate your team though.
More a reflection on Ernie and MV’s complacency to tell you the truth.
6 yellow cards and 27 fouls. Thats a pretty impressive start to the season. Keep it up
August 7th 2009 @ 11:55am
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 11:55am | Report comment
I can’t get over it – the humiliation of losing to two comical goals is far too much for any sane person to bear.
August 7th 2009 @ 12:09pm
MVDave said | August 7th 2009 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
l’ll share it with you Pip…l’ll take the 1st goal for you! Feel better?
August 7th 2009 @ 12:13pm
albatross said | August 7th 2009 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
August 7th 2009 @ 12:14pm
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
are you wanting to take the other comical goal??
August 7th 2009 @ 12:16pm
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
So you don’t want the comical goal??!!
August 7th 2009 @ 12:19pm
MVDave said | August 7th 2009 @ 12:19pm | Report comment
Ask Moss how funny they were? Noticed the end behind him started a little Theo Theo chant after one of his mis kicks.
August 7th 2009 @ 1:45pm
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 1:45pm | Report comment
Actually, I forgot about those miskicks – oh the pain, the pain…
Is it Mitch’s time???
August 7th 2009 @ 1:04pm
Koala Bear said | August 7th 2009 @ 1:04pm | Report comment
Gosh what no conspiracy theory yet…? Golly gee, I would have thought after some 20 post coming out of Melbourne some one would have blamed Frank Lowy, Ben Buckley, Archie Fraser or the referee and linesmen by now…
The truth is, for that MV debacle, was that the Portuguese interpreters had sickies and failed to turn up at the Dome after holidaying on the Gold Coast as guests of the GCU FC’s Samba Kings… Hastily grabbing some KFC to eat on the way, provided by their friends before flying back home with Virgin Airlines…
So guess what lads … Merrick couldn’t get his messages across to Zorro (I think that’s what you call him) “Please can you stop taking those free kicks they’re putting dints in the roof that we are going to have to pay for”…
But finally some news, the Portuguese’s interpreters have been found; you will find them in the dunnies at the Tullamarine airport, arses firmly planted on the toilet seats, with heads between their knees, yawn, yawn… muttering “Shit what happened boss” (in Portuguese)
~~~~~~~~
KB
August 7th 2009 @ 2:28pm
Art Sapphire said | August 7th 2009 @ 2:28pm | Report comment
KB – I am almost inclined to believe you but:
El Zorro no a speaka da Portuguesa, he a speaka da Spanish.
He also has a neck strain from looking at all the balls going over his head last night.
August 7th 2009 @ 2:42pm
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 2:42pm | Report comment
Art
don’t you start with the long ball cliches!! (although there was a small period last night where it was quite endemic).
To be honest, there were a few times when Carlos was free, and he showed uncharacteristically poor touch, so let’s just hope it was an off night.
But – there were a couple of times when blokes like Billy could have found him unmarked with a simple ball, but he went alone – we can do without that sort of bull shit.
August 7th 2009 @ 2:48pm
Art Sapphire said | August 7th 2009 @ 2:48pm | Report comment
Everyone had a bad game Pip. Lets put it to the in the dustbin of history and move on.
August 7th 2009 @ 2:51pm
MVDave said | August 7th 2009 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
KB
August 7th 2009 @ 10:34am
Midfielder said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:34am | Report comment
Heard a sound grab in a mates car I think on the ABC … someone asked LM what do you think of MV… classic LM answer … I can see why they want a rugby team… LOL … ha ha he he
August 7th 2009 @ 11:56am
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 11:56am | Report comment
CCM gave away 26 fouls and received 6 yellows – if anyone wants to understand CCM’s supposed brilliant game plan – that’s it there in a nutshell.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:51am
DiCanio said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:51am | Report comment
Isn’t there a forum somewhere where MV fans can go and complain about the shock and horror of losing a game.
Get over yourselves lads. It’s just one match
In any league in the world there are teams that play exciting and attractive football and teams that play a more defensive, work rate orientated style. That is the nature of the game. Appreicate it for what it is. CCM deserve credit for their victory last night. MV did not display attractive football despite having a high possession rate. They were unlucky not to grab a goal but that is football.
I didnt see anyone complaining in 2006 when the Socceroo’s went to the round of 16 playing as the international CCM.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:57am
Art Sapphire said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Its alright Paolo. Pip is just having a bad time of it this morning. The rest of us Melburnites can take defeat in their stride.
August 7th 2009 @ 11:05am
Robbos said | August 7th 2009 @ 11:05am | Report comment
Paulo,
I doubt your comments about the performance of the 2006 Socceroos, I thought we were quite entertaining, though we didn’t have the resources to beat an Italian side who were playing with only 10 men. But at least we did not resolve to cheating like your countrymn to win.
August 7th 2009 @ 10:54am
Phutbol said | August 7th 2009 @ 10:54am | Report comment
Man, there is so much negativity over one game! I’ve seen plenty of EPL (Blackburn/M’borough/Stoke/Hull v Blackburn/M’borough/stoke/Hull for example), and even more CC Championship games that were ‘dour’ and ‘ugly’. It happens sometimes in Football.
And pip, if the result was 2-0 Melbourne would it then be Victory playing ugly? or would it have been a triumph over the ‘ugly’ Mariners?
Lighten up guys.
August 7th 2009 @ 11:42am
da640 said | August 7th 2009 @ 11:42am | Report comment
yeah agree, half the epl teams play week in week out the same way that ccm played last night.
August 7th 2009 @ 11:51am
Pippinu said | August 7th 2009 @ 11:51am | Report comment
The latter of course.
August 7th 2009 @ 11:38am
whiskeymac said | August 7th 2009 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Jesse when you say “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 think the above posts are a good testament that you are not alone, and in that the HAL is a success. For people to give a damn, even if it is as badly misplaced as it is for some, speaks volumes for a competiton that is only 5 years old and with clubs without much history or tradition to draw upon.
go the mariners. upset vicotry just like senegal over france? here’s hoping the comp has as many dark horses in the finals and that ultimatley the best team wins