Comments on: New-look Adelaide continue to impress in Asia

By: Midfielder

Midfielder — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:47:08 +0000

Fooking brilliant … go Inbreds

By: jimbo

jimbo — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:22:35 +0000

Brilliant win by AU in far away NE China.

The wooden spooners of the A-League showing the current champions how to conduct an ACL campaign

By: Joe FC

Joe FC — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:12:26 +0000

Well done Adelaide. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic I’m quite happy to see Melb bomb out.

By: Football Person 2

Football Person 2 — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:34:32 +0000

good show from Adelaide

By: Ryan Steele

Ryan Steele — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:30:25 +0000

How is that fair to say, Gibbo?

Adelaide face the reigning champions of the tournament, one of the most successful Chinese teams (especially in recent years), and a team with a striker like Hisato Sato is always a cause for concern.
Melbourne face the runners up of the K-League, runners up of the J. League who have an injured captain/playmaker for the rest of the group stage, and the current Chinese champions, who have yet to start their season.

If anything, it’s evenly matched.

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:10:02 +0000

Rubbish. Adelaide has a crazy schedule last time they were in the AFC, and managed to make the final. Melbourne had two games in one week, big deal. They have a week off now, and were playing in Australia both games.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:01:19 +0000

Don’t know how I forgot him, actually. Thanks for that, AndyRoo.

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:59:02 +0000

You could have even added Luke Devere to your list as well Rob.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:48:23 +0000

“If the rumours are true and SvD is about to sign a three-year deal with us, then I will jump for joy as we have finally signed a striker capable of scoring regularly.”

…and I will bemoan the Roar’s lack of money meaning we couldn’t hang on to him. He’s a fantastic player and the Roar should have been bending over backwards to keep him.

I have heard of Luke Brattan but haven’t seen him play. If he is what you say he is, then the Roar will have unearthed yet another gem!

By: Kazama

Kazama — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:20:51 +0000

Off the topic, but we are definitely producing players. There will be a few that graduate from the youth league this year. One guy who really impressed me was Luke Brattan of the Roar. He killed us in a 4-4 draw down here at Hindmarsh earlier this year. He has a very good right foot, and I think he has signed with the Roar’s senior team, so he is another one to watch.

Great win for Adelaide. The Roarers who say van Dijk and Flores were what was missing are correct. We lacked a lot of movement in the final third and they are giving us plenty of that, and both are able to create opportunites which our other forwards and midfielders couldn’t. If the rumours are true and SvD is about to sign a three-year deal with us, then I will jump for joy as we have finally signed a striker capable of scoring regularly.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:46:08 +0000

This is true, Ben, but Melbourne have also been in Asia before, so what’s their excuse? (Oh, scheduling…)

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:42:22 +0000

I read about no players coming through the system all the time too, mate, but that’s usually from News Limited hacks with little to no knowledge of the A-League. Leckie is one excellent example, and Marrone too, if I’m not mistaken. Then we can look at Brisbane and Sarota, Oar, Zullo, Kruse, Minniecon (who has gone well and truly off the boil), Kantarosky (if that’s how you spell it), the young keeper for Melbourne, and the Sydney bunch, Danning, Gan, and the others whose names escape me. That’s forgetting about the kids that have already gone overseas, such as Vidosic, Djite, Burns, among others.

So Tadpohl, yeah, we ARE producing players, as you know, so just ignore the ignorant fools who would seek to tell you otherwise.

I’m impressed. I did not resort to furious swearing to describe those who seek to discredit the A-League’s ability to produce players. I normally get so riled up by this sort of thing that even the worst demons in hell would be blushing from my tirade…

By: markwakefield

markwakefield — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:30:47 +0000

” I usually like Fox’s commentators”… like robbie slater? the guy has the iq of a tadpohle…

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:13:04 +0000

fair to say MV have a tougher group.

and some repetition here, but van dijk and flores really seem to be just who AU were missing all year.

By: Tadpohle

Tadpohle — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:03:10 +0000

Adelaide, apart from a lapse of discipline that yielded a number of yellow cards, to my mind looked the goods tonight. I thought that the camera work of the coverage was good, ie they panned back far enough to see the tactics and defensive lines, but the commentary was worse than ordinary, I usually like Fox’s commentators.
I continually read about no players coming through the system, Leckie showed outstanding ability in the “Hangtime” header, the run in, the timing, the placement and even managed to make the cross look a good one.
I would seriously consider that the “game” put on by Adelaide would probably solve a lot of the FFA’s ALeague problems if some of the other teams would lift to that standard.
Congratulations to Vidmar and his team on an excellent presentation.

By: markwakefield

markwakefield — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:45:41 +0000

disagree… vidmar has proved himself tactically in the afc and in truth is a better coach then merrick although the latter has better players… so yes vidmar has a better game plan for the afc… merricks crash and bash style is more suited to the a-league but it also is a result of the evenness of the teams in the aleague due to the salary cap…

By: Ben of Phnom Penh

Ben of Phnom Penh — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:34:54 +0000

There is also the matter of the way the club manages the players and staff in Asia. Adelaide learned a lot from their first outing in Asia and have applied the lessons. It helps.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:25:41 +0000

It’s definitely a tactics issue. Adelaide know how to play a tight game where what possession they gain they make the most of, against difficult, often superior opposition (not that last night’s opponent was particularly superior), whereas Melbourne have looked bereft of ideas in both of their ACL games this season. They were outclassed by Beijing, and, very Melbourne-like, hoofed the ball down the park, and the game against the Koreans was also very ordinary in terms of ball retention. Sure, the pitch was horrible, and Hernandez was on the bench, but both teams had to deal with it.

The only time I can remember where Melbourne really looked like a classy team was in the game against Sydney on Sunday. They were simply superb. Now, if only they could play that ball into feet, slick passing game all the time, rather than the “long ball to Archie” (I know, I’m over-simplifying here, and expect to be shot down by MV fans) behind the defence tactic that they mostly play.

But most importanly, Melbourne need to VALUE possession more. Melbourne annoys me because the team has a bunch of truly gifted ball players but more often than not relies on Muscat to Archie, second ball Hernandez, who THEN looks to create, when they really could be playing a much better style of football and still tearing teams a new one. Because they don’t play ball retention football, they come unstuck in Asia, where the teams are better technically, more astute tactically, and just as fast as the Archie Thompsons of this world.

But enough on Melbourne. Great Game Adelaide. Adelaide had less possession than their Chinese opponents, but when they had possession, used it very well to create opportunities, and looked dangerous. Flores and van Dijk (much as I hate seeing him anywhere other than at my beloved but frustrating Roar) are great additions to the squad and really give Adelaide a pointy end that was lacking in the A-League. And Leckie is really starting to light up. Marrone was great last night, keeping possession in tight areas and finding a good pass into feet. I am warming up to Adelaide now that they’ve gotten rid of Jonas Salley and stopped kicking the crap out of the opposition. They play good football, well, at least in Asia.

By: Australian Football

Australian Football — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:41:10 +0000

Eamonn,
Could this be the new look side for the 2010/11 season? If so, they will be up there knocking on the door for the Prem-Plate.

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AF

By: Eamonn Flanagan

Eamonn Flanagan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:26:06 +0000

Scheduling doesn’t help…but tactical battle clearly won by Vidmar over Merrick…last time the to played in Asia and looks about the same again.

Adelaide’s league performance would have been a tad better if they had a striker, see Van Dijk and of course a playmaker, in Flores. In truth these two players would have changed United’s A-League season.

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:54:28 +0000

If Adelaide had Flores from the beginning of the A league season they would have made the finals.

By: Australian Football

Australian Football — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:28:17 +0000

Punter,
It’s the poor scheduling—although we hate the Tards with a passion you can’t but help feel that the ‘Scottish One’ (Merrick) had a legitimate point. To have to play a match two days after the final with SFC was a bit much of an ask.

——
AF

By: Punter

Punter — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:18:46 +0000

Why is that Adelaide United, bottom of the A-League succeeds in Asia, why Melbourne Victory, first team in GF, flounders, is it the schedulling? Or does Vidmar have a better game plan than old wily fox Merrick?