Fowler’s football smarts live on even if his body ages

 
Tony Tannous Columnist

By , 15 Sep 2009 Tony Tannous is a Roar Expert

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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

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

On Sunday morning, having been at the SFS the night before, I was deep in discussion with a fellow football fan about North Queensland’s first victory. Naturally, the conversation turned to Robbie Fowler and his wonderful winner.

The old friend, who isn’t an A-League regular, but knows his stuff, having been brought up in a South American household, wasn’t surprised to hear me glowing about Fowler’s form against Sydney and over the past month.

His logic? Fowler has never relied mainly on physical attributes.

Unlike, say a Ronaldo (the Brazilian), who, at his peak, relied as much on his power, pace and drive as his subtlety to get goals, Fowler is not only a penalty box predator, but a player full of feel and touch.

Physicality may have a shelf-life, but football smarts can live on.

It was as sound an explanation I have heard on why Fowler has been such an influence so far this season.

Quite simply, he is a footballer first and foremost, and while his 34 and a bit years may have taken a few yards from his legs, the mind is still ticking well in advance of those around him, at least at this level.

Contrast his form with that of the man at the other end of the pitch.

I’m talking of course of John Aloisi. At his peak, Aloisi’s key attribute was his ability to run angles and get a foot or head in ahead of a defender.

While his European career was nowhere near as spectacular or productive as that of Fowler, it was still enough to net him almost 100 goals in 15 years.

While never breathtakingly fast, Aloisi relied on a bit of sharpness in the first few yards that often allowed him to get in behind defences and get first to the ball.

Despite a fairly injury free pre-season, that spark, that yard of pace that characterised his career, looks to have disappeared, arguably for good.

This has forced Aloisi to become a back-to-goal target-man, a job he has never looked comfortable playing. On Saturday he was anonymous as John Tambouras gobbled everything in the air.

Fowler, meanwhile, floated around, sniffing for space, reading the industrious work of his fellow front-man Daniel McBreen and chief schemer Ufuk Talay, both outstanding.

Watching him do well at the SFS was a great experience for this long-time Liverpool supporter.

The first thing that stands out about Fowler is something we have known all along, that his game is built on the stunningly simple.

“See it, play it,” is a phrase you will often hear managers barking, but it is not one you will often see, especially at this level, which can at times be frustratingly over-elaborate.

Fowler is definitely a disciple of the “see it, play it” mantra, doing in one or two touches what it will take others a few more to do.

By the time others take their option, the avenue is generally closed. Fowler opens avenues.

There are two good reasons why his early distribution works so effectively, points discussed in our post-mortem;

1. From an attacking perspective, an early ball provides space to the player Fowler is feeding, and

2. For the team defending, they are suddenly thrown out of shape and don’t have the time to re-adjust – they become stretched.

Watching his work in the build up to that goal was a lesson in awareness, cunning and instinct.

Opportunistically floating into the space vacated by Stephan Keller, who went up for an aerial battle with McBreen (for once Keller missed out), he took advantage of the space between Simon Colosimo and Shannon Cole, and, reading McBreen’s flick-on, suddenly honed in on Clint Bolton.

Sensing him off the line, he instinctively locked the ankle and offered the bootlaces. Blink, bang, bullseye.

Soon after he was floating into the box unmarked, reading another inventive McBreen header, only to volley just wide.

Little wonder there were so many Liverpool jerseys floating in and around the SFS. One, a graduate of the same school Fowler attended, even ventured onto the pitch. Some place for a meet and chat.

Later, after a typically humble press-conference, he was mobbed by a bevy of frantic autograph seekers, posing for photos and providing the A-League with a rare Hollywood moment.

Here’s to the show rolling on.

Follow Tony on Twitter @TonyTannousTRBA
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