By Tony Tannous
October 31st 2009 @ 2:09am
Related coverage
Old fashioned formation finally delivers Culina points
Sydney FC's team coach, Branko Culina faces the media after their match against Persik Kediri during the AFC Champions League game in Manahan Stadium Solo, Indonesia, Thursday, April 12, 2007. Persik Kediri beat Sydney FC 2-1 AAP Image/Ardiles Rante
It really is a funny old game this football. For six straight games, Branko Culina and his Newcastle Jets played with a back four, dished up some delightful football, and had very little to show for it.
At times, like against Melbourne in round 11, the football was top shelf, with Labinot Haliti and Michael Bridges forging a nice mobile combination up front and Fabio Vignaroli proving to be an excellent dictator of the tempo from deep.
All the while Jin-Hyung Song has been catching the eye with his ability to keep his feet and integrate with his front-men.
At the back Nikolai Topor-Stanley had been doing well, while Adam D’Apuzzo had been alternating between central midfield and left back and doing an admirable job at both.
But in six games the Jets were only able to muster two points.
Much of the blame, according to Culina, was apportioned to the lack of communication between the back three of Ben Kennedy, Topor-Stanley and Ben Kantarovski.
Neither, according to Culina, is a great talker, and, for all the good football, the odd lapse in organisation had undoubtedly resulted in a number of dropped points.
The classic example came in the above-mentioned Victory game, where Archie Thompson and Carlos Hernandez caught out the defence with a couple of rapid sucker-punches.
So last week, in the F3 Derby against the Central Coast Mariners, it was back to basics, with Angelo Costanzo coming into the heart of a three-man-defence, with Topor-Stanley to his left and Kantarovski to his right.
The logic was that Costanzo would be the organiser, responsible for running the team from his deep vantage point.
It has been a strange 12 months for Costanzo. For much of the regular season last year, he was a key fixture in the heart of the Adelaide United defence alongside Sash Ognenovski, and I felt he had both been doing very well.
Suddenly, in the midst of the dramatic and tumultuous end to the season for Adelaide, he was benched, deemed surplus to requirements. Seemingly something was simmering beneath the surface.
In the wash-up to another Adelaide grand final loss, he was released and moved to Newcastle, in time for the Asian Champions League campaign. But even here he has been bit-part at best, both under Garry van Egmond and Culina.
Seemingly, his best days were behind him and he would have to make do with the odd fill-in job.
But with Lubjo Milicevic seemingly on the outer again and Culina in desperate need of some experience and organisation, Costanzo was the man, and had a blinder against the Mariners as the Jets ditched the flowing football for a more rugged and direct approach built on organisation and determination.
As Culina said in the post-match dissection of the win over the Mariners, it was a throw-back to the “old days”, when a sweeper was par for the course.
Indeed, many of Culina’s successful NSL sides featured such a system, and he often found himself struggling to the break-down Adelaide City and Marconi defences marshalled by Costanzo.
Again, last night, in the Jets’ 1-1 draw in Brisbane, Costanzo was outstanding, teaming up with the equally brilliant Topor-Stanley and Kantarovski to shut-out both Sergio van Dijk and Mitch Nichols for all but the equalising spot-kick.
It was far from a classic game and far from a classic performance from either side, but given the dire position both sides found themselves in, and Brisbane’s desperation for points after four straight losses, it was hardly a surprise.
The Roar, now under Ange Postecoglou, showed signs of a neat counter-attacking game last week in Sydney, but without Reinaldo for this one, they were short up front, with Mitch Nichols and Isaka Cernak struggling to get forward and provide the requisite support to van Dijk.
Time after time Tommy Oar whipped in a delightful cross, only for it to be dealt with by Costanzo and Co.
Effective, if not always pretty, the Jets have now picked up four points from six, emphasising again just what a crazy game this football can be.
Get Australia's best Football opinion emailed daily.
Like this content? Buzz it up!
Free Email updates:
Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport or that author. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it. We value privacy. More...
(8)
albe said | October 31st 2009 @ 6:35am | Report comment
it did seem umm… workmanlike for the jets last night. I’m kinda glad to see this outlook from Branko, particularly away from home. He’s much better at adapting a line-up to whats available and the circumstances that week. GVE always seemed to rigid for me.
agree on the potential up front now, Haliti especially is a great pick up and i’m surprised by the energy Bridges is showing!
whiskeymac said | October 31st 2009 @ 8:45am | Report comment
bridge showed some great touches throughout the game but the roar were frustrating -cernak, tiatto etc passing was way off at times. oar was well marked but still managed to getsome great passes… just a ity that nicholls wasnt there for most of them.
Rob said | October 31st 2009 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
Watched the game on the box last night and felt that the Roar is still a bit too disorganised at the back. The goal was a classic example of crap organisation – 4 defenders all sucked towards the one ball carrier leaving a player free wide to pick out Haliti in the box. Mind you, with 3 (count them, 3) Roar defenders clustered around him, you’d think one of them might have actually challenged for the ball.
I think Roar need to find someone else to take free kicks too, beause Cernak sucked last night. Tiatto probably came back a week too early, and now might be out for longer given the way he limped out.
Van Dyke played really well I thought, and Nichols played ok – he isn’t an out-and-out striker, though, which explains why he spent more time dropping into midfield.
I’m impressed by the way the Jets have started to play too – vignaroli looks like he’s taken on the Marquee role now, but i’m surprised I didn’t see Ali Abbas or Kaz Patafta in the starting lineup this week. Bridges is a great acquisition!
Midfielder said | October 31st 2009 @ 5:54pm | Report comment
Tony on the F3 derby … trying to allow for my bias BUT over ten games on that display we would win 7 draw 2 and loose 1…
Its funny if we play like the the Jets do now … we get called names and the Scottish efffect on Australian football.. shall be interesting to see the fair Fozzie comment…
AndyRoo said | October 31st 2009 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
Everyone else has allready said, the Jets were good value for their point but the Roar lack the X factor.
A fit Charlie miller perhaps?
Pippinu said | October 31st 2009 @ 10:03pm | Report comment
The GCU express has completely derailed.
While everyone’s 2nd favourite team continues to rocket up the charts.
Fowler’s first goal looked like a carbon copy of about five other goals he’s scored this season!
When are defenders going to learn?? He runs in late boys – you gotta watch him – half a sniff and he nails them mothers every time!!
Chook said | November 2nd 2009 @ 9:25am | Report comment
NJ certainly commanded thier defensive line and BR didnt really look like scoring, it where all teams start from a good defensive structure. But the BR had one dimension to attack via Tommy Oar, (which isnt a bad thing as he certainly is a very capable player and is only getting better) But I think that the cross into the box isnt going to work with NJ unless you have them on the back foot. If you can commit the Italian bloke forward there is room behind him for a smaller quicker player to do the 2 NJ central backs.
As far as the the BR they arnt looking as bad as I thought with most of the possession and hopefully the inclusion of henrequie, murdocca, Mccloughlan there is hope.
Whilst they look jaded in attack there is good opportunity for the Roar.
Cernaks passing I can fogive and he had about 4 totally shockers but to his credit improve
, Tiatto I cannot 8 passes went astray will little or no pressure this is diabolical coming from a senior player and should be shelved with Malcolm.
Tony Tannous said | November 2nd 2009 @ 9:10pm | Report comment
Good point about the one dimensional approach with Oar Chook. While there were some good crosses, they were largely from deep and it was pretty comfy for Costanzo and Topor Stanley I thought. Meanwhile, the Roar could certainly do with a little more penetration from central midfield. McKay had been getting into some good positions of late, but his finishing, as Andy Harper has pointed out, has been wasteful.
Midfielder, the trick for NJ is to get back to the way they were playing, and still pick up points.