From the penthouse to the basement, and back again?

 
Tony Tannous Columnist

By , 25 Sep 2009 Tony Tannous is a Roar Expert

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Australian soccer club team Adelaide United FC coach Aurelio Vidmar, left, and midfielder Travis Dodd smile after a press conference AP Photo/Koji SasaharaIn any other A-League season, the end of the most recent round, the seventh, would have marked the end of the first third of the season.

But with two more teams and six more rounds, Chris Beath’s final whistle in Brisbane last Sunday took us just over a quarter of the way into the season.

By track standards, we’ve gone from a sprint event like the 400 metres, where it’s basically flat-out the whole way, to a middle distance event, like the 1500 metres, where there’s scope for a few breaths and some pacing.

It’s not the European style 38 rounds, which is more akin to the 10,000 metre, but it’s a season in keeping with the two established local codes, the NRL (26 rounds) and the AFL (22 rounds).

Rugby’s Super 14s, with its 14 rounds, is undoubtedly the equivalent of the 100 metre sprint.

But back to the round ball and its current season of 27 rounds.

For a team like the defending champions, Melbourne, it means they have plenty of time to make up for a terrible start that saw them win only one from their opening six games.

In past seasons, such a start may have resulted in a bit of panic and a permanent spot in the bottom half of the draw.

Indeed, in the opening four seasons, few teams have recovered from such a poor beginning to fly home and give the title a shake.

Newcastle comes to mind in season two, and that was after Nick Theodorakopoulos was replaced by Gary van Egmond a third of the way in.

The other example that springs to mind is the Roar, who won only two of their opening eight games last season and flew home to miss the premiership by a whisker.

After the Victory’s impressive performance in Adelaide last week, it is tempting to think they have they turned the corner, and with three-quarters of the season left, little separating all the teams (only seven points from top to bottom) and teams like Gold Coast and Sydney coming back to the field of late, they’re as good as chance as anyone for the much sought after top-two.

Indeed, if Melbourne can knock off Gold Coast on Saturday night, in one of the most enticing games of the season, they will be only one point behind Miron Bleiberg’s pace-setters and Sydney FC (and Perth if they beat Newcastle tonight).

On the evidence of last week and what we have seen from Jason Culina and his men of late, Melbourne go into the game as favourites and should give van den Brink and Rees plenty of trouble, if Bleiberg is mad enough to play them both.

With no Smeltz, Robson unsighted, Caravella still injured and Bleiberg struggling to find a solution over the past few weeks, Gold Coast suddenly look very vulnerable and must show if they are mentally tough enough when the going gets tough.

So much for Melbourne’s annus horribilis and Gold Coast romping away with the title.

While the Victory have to prove they can produce the type of performance they did against Adelaide on a consistent basis, and not just against their bogey side, the trend looks upwards.

The next three weeks, against Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney, in that order, will tell much.

Undoubtedly the difference last week was the return of Muscat, who made a shuddering challenge early, set the tempo, and immediately brought intensity and confidence.

While the pity for Melbourne and Ernie Merrick is that the rest of the squad weren’t able to respond while their leader was absent, at least Muscat’s injury, and Allsopp’s departure, came at the right end of the season. Melbourne had time enough to even sign an import for Celeski.

While Muscat and the sight of the red jerseys provided the psychological edge, there was also much to like about the game-plan.

Recognising that Adelaide would be playing three big men at the back, Merrick went for a mobile front-line, pushing Pondeljak and Ward up close to Thompson.

Melbourne got the ball on the ground and the front three, with Hernandez lending support, terrorised Rudan, Cornthwaite and Fyfe. Jamieson wasn’t much better. (Take note Bleiberg; don’t pair van den Brink with Rees, it’ll be a carve up for Thompson).

Fyfe proved he is not a right back, his distribution appalling at times, while Rudan is really struggling with the increase in quality of the league since he was last around.

Melbourne’s defence looked far more aggressive, getting to everything first. Meanwhile, going to a back three meant there was only room for one holder, and Broxham had his best game, perhaps ever.

Adelaide, meanwhile, did their best impersonation of, dare I say it, Wimbledon.

When David Mitchell made the comment early in the season I thought he’d been watching another team, for the Adelaide I’d seen for much of last season transitioned the ball neatly and always had some creative spark from the likes of Barbiero, Diego, Cassio, Jamieson, Cristiano and Mullen.

If Mitchell made the comment now, he’d be bang on the money.

With no Barbiero, Diego gone, and Hughes anchoring the midfield, Adelaide resorted to pumping the ball long to Owusu, at the start and at the end. They had no plan B or C.

It was ghastly.

Fortunately, for Aurelio Vidmar, the season is still young, and like Melbourne, they may be in a position to turn things around.

Barbiero is yet to be sighted and will be like a new signing when he eventually gets on. Pairing him with Reid looks the only central midfield solution at this stage. Hughes has been underwhelming.

Playing Owusu makes Adelaide go long, so, if he’s not prepared to go to two up front, Vidmar should start Cristiano and insist his team keep the ball on the deck.

Fyfe and Cornthwaite should assume their pairing in central defence.

Vidmar, like all the managers, has more time to get things right this season, and, if he does, some late momentum could be crucial leading into the finals.

Follow Tony on Twitter @TonyTannousTRBA
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