Fowler ‘crisis’ shows A-League’s precarious state
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 25 Jan 2010 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- A-League, football, Ian Ferguson, North Queensland Fury, Robbie Fowler
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
Forget for a moment the cause of Robbie Fowler’s tiff with North Queensland Fury coach Ian Ferguson – that type of disagreement can happen at any club in any league around the world. What’s been fascinating is the response from the public and media.
For the uninitiated, Fowler refused to play on Saturday night against the Brisbane Roar following his demotion to the bench by Ferguson.
With Fowler watching from the stands, the Fury managed a point as Ferguson was left to defend his decision to leave the marquee player on the bench that led to Fowler’s move.
The Fury will hold crisis talks today as the wider football community waits to hear if Fowler will exit Townsville and possibly be lost to the league.
The debate that’s followed has focused on whether Ferguson was justified in benching Fowler in the first place, and although there is a strong case to be made against Ferguson’s decision – certainly when considering the importance of having Fowler start in a home match against a close rival for that reachable sixth place – the debate has also shown how precarious a state the competition appears to be in.
When Fox Sports presenters Robbie Slater and Mark Bosnich reported Fowler’s decision, it was with shock at not only Ferguson’s decision but seemingly at the damage done to the league as a whole.
Judging by various comments, the overwhelming feeling is that Ferguson’s decision would result in a severe blow to the A-League and shouldn’t have been made for that reason.
But should a coach really be restricted in his decision-making to protect a marquee player for the good of the league as a whole?
If so, is the A-League in such a precarious position that it must give-in to every whim of such marquee players for the betterment of the game?
Surely that is setting a dangerous precedent for future marquee players of the stature of Fowler.
Some portion of blame must fall on Fowler for his petulance in refusing a place on the Fury bench – ironic considering Jeremy Brockie’s injury in the opening minutes would likely have seen Fowler come off the bench anyway.
He has been, it has seemed, a model of professionalism during his time at the Fury, particularly on the field, so why the sudden act of irresponsibility?
We cannot know the exact reasoning for Ferguson’s and Fowler’s decisions, but it appears tensions have been simmering between the pair for sometime and came to a head at the weekend.
Fowler’s acknowledgement that his family hasn’t settled in Townsville is a fair indicator that his time in the north of Queensland is coming to an end.
Fowler’s time with the Fury has been one of the success stories of the A-League season thus far, consistently increasing crowd figures across the country (except for Gold Coast, where his visit coincided with Clive Palmer’s crowd cap), and his presence and performances have been the brightest spark in a challenging year for the expansion franchise.
Let’s hope a compromise can be reached between the two parties so they can end the season with dignity, and that we haven’t seen the last of Fowler in the A-League.
The A-League desperately needs players of his ilk in the competition, but clubs shouldn’t have to sell their soul to retain them.
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- Explore:
- A-League, football, Ian Ferguson, North Queensland Fury, Robbie Fowler
January 25th 2010 @ 6:36am
Vince said | January 25th 2010 @ 6:36am | Report comment
I think it is a ploy by the England WC 2018 bid team, could you imagine the boost generated by a Fowler signed Come Play jersey?
January 25th 2010 @ 11:51am
Marshall said | January 25th 2010 @ 11:51am | Report comment
Interesting theory!
January 26th 2010 @ 1:52pm
Anthony said | January 26th 2010 @ 1:52pm | Report comment
Who is Fowler?
January 26th 2010 @ 2:35pm
Marshall said | January 26th 2010 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
He’s better known as God
January 25th 2010 @ 6:57am
Gaz said | January 25th 2010 @ 6:57am | Report comment
Robbie’s refusal to sit on the bench should be seen as a protest against an incompetent coach. It’s not just a petulant dummy spit. It’s a valid way for Robbie to show people that Ferguson is not cut out for coaching at this level.
Here’s a marquee who has given the Fury everything whenever he’s out on the pitch, and yet they won’t even make the finals. That’s gotta hurt, and people in Nth QLD have gotta be asking who’s to blame?
Hint: Not Robbie Fowler.
And if he does leave Australia, that should make a few more people realise that we don’t just need top marquees, we also need top coaches and top referees if we are to continue developing the local game.
January 25th 2010 @ 9:13am
markwakefield said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:13am | Report comment
i don’t disagree with you about the quality of ferguson’s coaching but to suggest that ” It’s a valid way for Robbie to show people that Ferguson is not cut out for coaching at this level” is appalling… this behaviour is an aspect of football that should not be put up as an example of how to react to being benched… if it was to do with the quality of the coaching as you say then why wait until he’s been put on the bench? it’s a dummp spit plain and simple from someone who thinks theyre above the aleague but are willing to take the money to play in the competition… i’d love to hear your thoughts on ned zelic but i guess what you’d say already… further more fowler’s form warranted the benching…
January 25th 2010 @ 10:28am
Gaz said | January 25th 2010 @ 10:28am | Report comment
To expect totally professional behaviour from players when they are clearly not in a totally professional environment is a bit rich, isn’t it? And let’s note that Ferguson was a coaching student of Lawrie McKinna. ‘Nuff said!
January 25th 2010 @ 10:38am
markwakefield said | January 25th 2010 @ 10:38am | Report comment
i have no idea what you mean… if you have something to say you should just say it… eg, specifically how is the coach unprofessional?
January 25th 2010 @ 3:59pm
Gaz said | January 25th 2010 @ 3:59pm | Report comment
Should we start with the mediocre squad he assembled, after all kinds of problems? Or should we jump straight to his decision to leave the A-League’s #1 star on the bench? Or should we just let the table do the talking?
January 25th 2010 @ 6:23pm
dannyshepherd said | January 25th 2010 @ 6:23pm | Report comment
none of those things answer to your accusations of unprofessionalism but i dn’t disagree with any of them…
January 25th 2010 @ 10:46pm
Al said | January 25th 2010 @ 10:46pm | Report comment
It is not a valid protest at all considering he let down his teammates more so than his manager. No player is bigger than the club, not even a marquee player.
January 25th 2010 @ 7:22am
sunshine said | January 25th 2010 @ 7:22am | Report comment
Funny thing, I heard a rumour doing the rounds a couple of months ago that Fowler was happy with Australia but not in North Qld. He may be lost to the fury but may pop up as a sky blue marquee next season.
January 25th 2010 @ 8:32am
Jeb said | January 25th 2010 @ 8:32am | Report comment
Hate to say it as a roar fan, but having fowler in sydney would be very good for the league as a whole. SFC is the most important team in the competition as their popularity correlates with the amount of media the league gets nation-wide. Fowler shown this year that he’s still class and he brings people to games.
January 25th 2010 @ 7:40am
Australian Football said | January 25th 2010 @ 7:40am | Report comment
Robbie Fowler is nearing the end of his playing career—-this is about the control of the Fury coaching job… Don’t be surprised if Ferguson is sack and Robbie is installed as a player manager…
~~~~~~~
AF
January 25th 2010 @ 8:30am
Vince said | January 25th 2010 @ 8:30am | Report comment
AF
Interesting angle.
I think Fury could do worse than install Fowler as Player/Manager – his experience at the top level is invaluable and he would definitely attract more players to the tropics than Fergie (no disrespect to Fergie)
The Fury recruitment policy (aside from Fowler which was a fluke I believe) has been shambolic (I mean seriously, Jade North as a Marquee?) and a side with a solid spine of experience and lots of promising younger players is probably the way to go
January 25th 2010 @ 9:22am
Australian Football said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:22am | Report comment
Vince,
just after I pressed the comment button I then realised that Fowler would have to have a FFA coaching cert. So that will not happen unless he has one (he wouldn’t have) or they could install a puppet coach with a FFA cert with Fowler calling the shots while he gains a FFA coaching cert.
But yes you are a 100% right. Fowler would certainly attract a lot of good players to the club from overseas. Then that would make the club a better one and his ambition of eventually becoming a manager in the EPL much easier. Gaining some experience here in Australia, to test the waters with his ideas, before returning to the UK.. All very hypothetical of course and unlikely—-but an interesting idea that could be crossing his mind.
January 25th 2010 @ 10:38am
whiskeymac said | January 25th 2010 @ 10:38am | Report comment
How about this stry on the fox site? Roar sign Patrick Kluivert
Brisbane Roar have secured the services of Barcelona and Netherlands great Patrick Kluivert for a two-week coaching stint.
first thought was wow but then 2 weeks? can he teach reinaldo and Nichols how to hit the barn door in 14 days???
what a good idea to get some expertise in – big name retirees who do want to “teach” might get a gig like this.
January 25th 2010 @ 10:56am
Australian Football said | January 25th 2010 @ 10:56am | Report comment
whiskeymac,
well luckily I checked out FOX before I replied.. Now that is great news, not only for the ROAR but for the HAL..
I first thought you were making fun of my comment
January 25th 2010 @ 8:34am
Mick said | January 25th 2010 @ 8:34am | Report comment
No player is bigger than the club. The coach, no matter how controversial their decisions are, will always call the shots. As a Fury supporter, I didn’t like what happened on Saturday either, but these things happen. We saw it with Beckham at Real and Ronaldo at Man U. I just hope that Fowler stays on with the Fury, we need him.
January 25th 2010 @ 8:57am
whiskeymac said | January 25th 2010 @ 8:57am | Report comment
this is true and fundamental to any clubs integrity. Just as Craig Moore found out at the Roar star power shld not supplant the actually club’s “core” itself.
January 25th 2010 @ 8:48am
whiskeymac said | January 25th 2010 @ 8:48am | Report comment
All this supposes that he will go. I hope this won’t derail NQ too significantly as i understood that they were building a solid, if not spectacular, fan base and grass roots up type model. I agree that the Robbie Fowler marquee-ism was a fluke but kudos to them for doing it (both of them) as it has too date been exceptional and one of, if not the, most succesful partnerships between HAl and a “big name”.
The club has struggled at times, but so have others. CCM and Adelaide, Roar etc have all been disappointing this season whereas the Nix and Glory have been relatively average despite supposedly exciting new squads. IMO the coach has been no better and no worse than many of the others in the HAL.
But with unsettled family rumours surely the death knell for any season 2 – and the absent marquee position looming at SFC – i agree that if he were to stay here then SFC might well be his destination. fowler replacing (corica retiring maybe and) aloisi on the pitch – feeding brosque and giving support up front. he did wonders for McBReen maybe he cld make Bridge a better player also… cld be a good move for SFC, the HAL and RF. NQ just needs to bounce back if they do lose them.
If he stays. Well has he ever indicated he wanted to coach? Dwight did but has Robbie?
January 25th 2010 @ 9:42am
Australian Football said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:42am | Report comment
Robbie has gone on record that he wants to manage Liverpool one day..
January 25th 2010 @ 8:52am
AndyRoo said | January 25th 2010 @ 8:52am | Report comment
I don’t think playing for another A league club as likely.
He will hopefully finish this season at the fury and if he does decide to leave Nth Qld I think it will likely be back in the UK where I am sure he could get just as much $$$ and without any drama.
January 25th 2010 @ 9:16am
Gaz said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:16am | Report comment
Fowler told the Daily Mail that what appealed to him about the Fury was being part of a brand new club in a fairly new league. I have to wonder if he wasn’t inspired by Jason Culina’s decision to come here, which certainly generated enough headlines for Robbie to notice.
Anyway, if he wanted to be part of an exciting new venture, then why would he move to Sydney? Or even stay for Year Two at NQ?
I guess that if, like Culina, he felt himself to be an integral part of the Fury set-up, then he might want to push on with the dream. But Fergie’s decision to start him off the bench made it quite clear that Fowler is just another player. OK, well then… so much for any big emotional commitment. Adios????
January 25th 2010 @ 9:58am
Duncan said | January 25th 2010 @ 9:58am | Report comment
The coach reasoned that a change in system 1-4-1-4-1 led to the decision. Then one can assume that the formation was played out at training and if so where was Fowler- playing at the top of the formation, in midfield or collecting balls as they flew over crossbar! I gather from the media reports that he was hit with the news in the lead up to the match.
From an a-league perspective marquees need to be playing everyweek and from NQ perspective they need their best player on the park simple as that – the coach has made a serious blunder and will need to save his job TODAY!
I for one have no interest in watching NQ other than to see Fowler.