A-League transfers are all Roar and no bite
Columnist By Davidde Corran, 7 Apr 2010 Davidde Corran is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- A-League, Adam Sarota, Brisbane Roar, football, Frank Farina, Michael Zullo, tommy oar
Melbourne Victory's Tomislav Pondeljak tackles Brisbane Roar's Charlie Miller, during round 2 of the A-League Season, played at the Ethihad stadium in Melbourne, Saturday, August 15, 2009. After full time, Victory drew with Brisbane Roar 3-3. AAP Image/Joe Castro
If I was a Brisbane Roar fan right now, I’d be mighty peeved. When former coach Frank Farina was jettisoned in controversial circumstances and replaced by Ange Postecoglou midway through last season, supporters were promised the squad would be rebuilt.
Instead, the club went backwards.
Even now, with the season well and truly gone, the wheels still seem to be coming off the Roar’s bandwagon.
While the sale of Tommy Oar, Michael Zullo and Adam Sarota is good news for the Roar’s bank balance it could very well have crippled Brisbane’s ambitions for next season.
These sales bring the total of players sacked, retired or sold since Postecoglou took over to nine. That figure includes the likes of Craig Moore, Danny Tiatto and Liam Reddy, hardly peripheral contributors.
According to The Australian the former Young Socceroos coach will need to sign, “a new striker, an entire midfield and a centre back” before the start of next season. Such wholesale change is like signing an entirely new squad.
Few will expect Melbourne Heart to reasonably challenge for the A-League title next season and you can probably put Brisbane into that basket as well.
Roar fans lost last season to rebuilding and now it looks like season six of the A-League will be going the same way.
Ignoring the debacle with Joel Griffiths, the Newcastle Jets, who went through a similar last minute coaching replacement last season, have shown a more positive way of handling managerial change.
Instead of alienating the Jets’ key players, the promotion from within of Branko Culina, united a fragmented and inconsistent squad.
Culina’s promotion also maintained some continuity at the club and the Jets have continued moving forward in the off-season with its first player signings. The only noise from Brisbane meanwhile has been from players going, not coming.
It was on that point that Jesse Fink ripped into Postecoglou this week in his The World Game blog.
“And where was the great Ange when all this frenetic transfer activity (with Oar and co moving to FC Utrecht) was taking place?” asked Fink.
“In Greece, of course, on a “scouting mission”.
“Not West Africa. Not Thailand. Not India. Anywhere there is a young inexpensive player bursting with ambition and talent who wants to come to Australia and sees the A-League as a stepping stone to fulfilling his dreams, but Greece!
“Gee, Ange – out of the box! It’s about as bad as Remo Nogarotto and his “scout at large” gig in Italy which has delivered to the Newcastle Jets the sum total of Fabio Vignaroli, a talented player but one that should have spent more time on the pitch for all the money spent on him as a “marquee”. Instead he saw out most of last season wincing on a physio’s table.
“The A-League doesn’t need any more horse trading in superannuated has-been Europeans.”
While I don’t entirely agree with Fink on Vingaroli who, when fit, offered a touch of class the A-League has mostly missed in its 5 seasons, he’s on the money about the paucity of creativity in A-League recruiting.
Almost two years ago Scott McIntyre wrote on The World Game about Indian superstar Sunil Chhetri and his national team-mates, suggesting they would make the perfect A-League signings. At the time Scott was routinely laughed at.
Now Chhetri has finally found a club outside of India and the early signs look promising.
At long last someone has woken up to the potential, both on and off the pitch, Chhetri offers. Unfortunately for Australian football fans it’s the new “most popular club in the world”, the Kansas City Wizards, who are reaping the benefits.
All this says to me that the A-League desperately needs some exciting and creative thinking in it’s recruitment.
Meanwhile, Brisbane Roar fans probably need a stiff drink.
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- Explore:
- A-League, Adam Sarota, Brisbane Roar, football, Frank Farina, Michael Zullo, tommy oar
April 7th 2010 @ 10:36am
Rob Gremio said | April 7th 2010 @ 10:36am | Report comment
Davidde,
I disagree with your article in general, and think you are being a wee bit hard on Postacoglu. He inherited a squad that was underperforming, in large part due to “the likes of Craig Moore, Danny Tiatto and Liam Reddy”, players you refer to as “hardly peripheral contributors.”
Now, Craig Moore lost interest somewhere during last season (before Ange arrived), Tiatto was injured and hardly inspirational anyway (and indeed WAS a peripheral contributer), and Liam Reddy was playing like rubbish (as demonstrated by the fact that Griffin McMaster, of all people, was able to get a start ahead of him at the Roar – talk about scraping the bottom of the goalkeeping barrell). Sure, Reddy played brilliantly for Wellington, but heaps of players perform well when their careers are on the line.
The other players they got rid of, such as the hopeless Bob Malcom, and the overweight and lazy Charlie Miller, were dead wood and needed to be removed. In addition, they were disruptive to the squad and refused to accept Ange’s rule.
So what’s the problem with clearing out players who don’t want to follow the rules? What’s the problem with selling three promising players for a tidy sum to an overseas team before their contracts run out and they can move on for nothing?
Your article, to me, glosses over these points in favour of an attack on Ange Postacoglu that, in my view, has no foundation. He has had to stamp his authority on the squad, which meant getting rid of a few players. No doubt the directors decided to accept FC Utrecht’s offer, and Ange has to wear it, as others have said here. So what’s your point?
April 7th 2010 @ 11:10am
Towser said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:10am | Report comment
To be honest I think Ange has been crucified before hes even been nailed on the cross.
Okay his coaching at club level is limited. But he did win 2 NSL titles with South Melbourne.
Then he went to youth level. Its hard to get stats on this,but from OZfootball stats then the FFA site his record looks no better or worse than any other coach,given the players at his disposal.
April 7th 2010 @ 11:14am
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:14am | Report comment
Well said, Rob. You analysis of the 3 Stooges is spot on. I saw Moore ship 5 against GCU. He was awful and has been for some time. As for Miller, he was ineffective for GCU, completely past it. Tiatto was generally injured and a graceless thug when not. And as for Malcom, not even worthy of the title Stooge – words fail me.
Anyone who had to sit at Suncorp and watch Reddy cost the Roar game after game would know why he was let go.
Who would be Ange Postecogou?
April 7th 2010 @ 10:43am
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 7th 2010 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Much will depend on who the Roar recruit and how the team is brought together. Whilst I am a keen advocate of Asian football and would love to see Ange checking out some of the talent in places such as Iraq, Syria and Jordan I will reserve my judgment until the signings are actually made and the team takes to the field.
One of the main problems with Ange going to Greece to scout is the message it sends to the supporter base. Confidence in management is key for the Roar faithful and Ange needs to play his part in the rebuilding.
April 7th 2010 @ 11:18am
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:18am | Report comment
The trouble is, the best middle eastern players are on big money, as are their counterparts in Japan and Korea. The accessibility of quality Asian players for our clubs with their limited resources is vastly overstated.
April 7th 2010 @ 11:26am
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Syrians are earning around USD6,000 to USD12,000 a year and the big money imports from Brazil around USD72,000 a year according to this article
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KG29Ak01.html
I’m not sure about the Jordanians however I imagine it is something similar whilst the Iraqis are definitely on a lower amount however scouting is a little more problematic.
April 7th 2010 @ 11:36am
whiskeymac said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:36am | Report comment
the iraqi for Jets (Abbas) was a good acquisition for the club
April 7th 2010 @ 12:25pm
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
I’d say he’s been average.
April 7th 2010 @ 12:27pm
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Yes, but I was referring to quality players. Why would their run of the mill players be any better than our state league players?
April 7th 2010 @ 12:33pm
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 7th 2010 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
there will be some good emerging talent there as well as some established talent. It is important to remember that the Middle Eastern clubs also have foreigner limits and also have a penchant for Brazilians and Africans, leaving a number of good players in the domestic scene. I’m not saying that places such as Syria and Iraq are awash with talent, however I think that there is sufficient talent there to be worth a look in on scouting mission, particularly given the AFC’s 3+1 rule.
April 7th 2010 @ 1:07pm
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
Please acquire bodyguards and flak vest before leaving the airport.
April 7th 2010 @ 1:42pm
AndyRoo said | April 7th 2010 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
Ben
MV are a great example of out of the box recuitment but they have a much better developed football department.
At the Roar I can’t remember his job title but their former marketing man was promoted to be in charge of football operations and before Ange took over the roar didn’t have a director of football.
Their is a lot to be achieved in one short season and Ange is already under fire. As someone else mentioned they tried to get in some Ghanian trialists so they are open to such thing but I don’t think going into the great unknown (like say the Vietnamese League) is the right call now. Actually signing those players poses a lot of dificulty and is abigger risk.
I really don’t see any problem in him going to Greece as players come from everywhere. The second division is a decent standard and Greece’s ecconomy is up the *****. Their could be a kid on the outer at his club who wants an oppurtunity, an older star who wants an aussie adventure or an experienced journeyman who want’s his pay cheque not to bounce.
Edit: Arsene Wegner did pretty well signing Frenchmen
April 7th 2010 @ 11:29am
Football Person 2 said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:29am | Report comment
I don’t get the hole thing with Brisbane handing back their license. It seems that the reason for this is because of crowds, a rebuilding phase, the transfer of 3 youngsters and a crap stadium.
A. Before Bubble Land Melbourne had a crap stadium, it would be a dream for me if we could get one (bubble land) up here.
We, just like Melbourne, played at a corporate fortress because we are making much more money than we would at any of the other stadiums. If were averaging 8k at Suncorp, we would be averaging 4k at Perry. Club built stadiums are a dream for all the pissed of A-league followers in this country but the FFA is stalling in this one.
B. What happened to Newcastle after season 3? They had to rebuild, They finished last place, we managed to finish one better. This year they finished 5, maybe we can next year.
) but we have signed theoklatos (or whatever).
Its disappointing to lose Tiato and Moore (Malcolm im pleased to see go
C. Would of been nice to have kept the three young stars but what can you do, there young
.
“HAL like 95% of leagues around the world is a selling league an that is a fact” – Sums it up.
D. The crowds aren’t great but do you live up here? no? they you don’t know how much advertising we got this year. The only thing Ten news reported on was Farina going out, 7 had the scores (well done 7) Remember those days we averaged just under 17k, their were three differences to this season. Firstly, we were having our most successful season yet, we had also gone on a run of seven straight wins at suncorp
. And the most important, single game advertising to the tune of that reign song.
Some A-league clubs may struggle with finances but the FFA is a million dollar organization ( or is it billion? ) which will always be there to save the clubs they see fit. I only hope that the Lions ( their real name ) are one of them, and if not, which way to Richlands?
And in regards to the ethnic thing, I doubt most Lions fans know any thing about their Dutch past, and if they do, they probably think it was just created by Dutch people five years ago, not Dutch immigrants 53 years ago.
I hope that’s understandable
April 7th 2010 @ 11:46am
TheMagnificent11 said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:46am | Report comment
I think I agree…it’s hard to understand what you saying. Written English is a different beast to the spoken version.
April 7th 2010 @ 11:38am
gingerbeer said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Dont get me started on the Roar….
Start of rant.
1 – Chris Bombolas….current Roar Chairman
a) Lazy – as called by his previous employer (Anna Bligh) for not pulling his weight in parliament and a ‘poor work ethic’ ie lazy arse.
b) Massive League Fan – as self declared Bronco lover which I have no problem with but probably has not a clue what football is about.
c) Dodgey – when appointed to the Roar as Chairman On becoming Chairman, Bombolas was reported to have stated that “I know a lot of members of Government, I know many bureaucrats and I’ll be leaning on some of those to try to work out some deals for the club.” The CMC in Qld launched an investigation but no evidence was found.
d) Health Issue left his current job as member for Chatsworth because of health ‘issues’. Since he wasnt doing any thing any way I cant see as Chairman that I would his work load to increase.
2 – Marketing – they are trying to do every thing to keep fans away.
a)$32 – for home end up from $23
b) unbelieveably jumpy secruity, I have seen quite a few incidents where people were sitting in the wrong place and secruity made them move 20m to the right where they where sitting. way to piss off the remaining members
c) they isolate all the brisbane clubs being a off shoot from the Brisbane Lions.
d) massive jump in season tickets.
e) treat juniors like crap, thy should be free under for 14s
f) dont engage with junior clubs not nearly enough
3 – Ange
a) control freak – which isnt bad as a coach except when you sack Packer for eating a pie at the airport, or not pick a players for laughing at training, refuse to pay medical staff.
b) feels threatened by anyone over the age of 21. as they might have an opinion or more expirence.
c) when at Panachaiki got a gobful from the owner so pack his bags and left like a little kid.
d) is in Grecce atm visiting relatives on the Roar $$$
4 – Stadium
a) simply too expensive with very expensive fines for not having over 10,000 to a game
b) at $500 K a year minimum not including fine. the roar cannot afford to paly there – mind you its a great stadium.
5 – Courier Mail ( not really the Roar fault but you cant stop me know)
a) dopey bastards at the CM ( news ltd owns the Broncos) cannot get basic things right I read that Jimmy Oar was to going to Holland the other day ( must be his brother )
b) Another fine example was when the Roar played in Melboune got 5 pages in but the CM run with a storey that Johnthans Thurstons 14 year old cousin twice remove might like playing league on the back page. Yet the Oz stuck in on the back page
End of Rant
But if the Roar have to sell 3 players for 1.8 million to keep aflaot I dotn see what choice they have.
April 7th 2010 @ 11:40am
Lu said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:40am | Report comment
I feel for poor Ange.. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.
It’s hard for a new coach to come in and try and implement this style to someone elses team.
a clear out is what any underpreforming team needs to do and big ups to Ange for having the balls to do it mid season..
Season 6 will show what Postacoglou is made of.
April 7th 2010 @ 11:51am
Rob Gremio said | April 7th 2010 @ 11:51am | Report comment
I agree. He’s having a crack at stamping his authority on the side, in spite of poor management, and ill-informed media reports and opinion pieces like this one and Jesse Fink’s latest effort.
Let’s wait and see who else he recruits (he’s got Paartelu and Theoklitos, both good signings) before we condemn him.
All this negativity is premature, and, like Towser said so eloquently, smacks of Postecoglu being crucified even before he’s been put on the cross.
April 7th 2010 @ 12:04pm
AndyRoo said | April 7th 2010 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
I don’t think he’s going to get a chance.
Unless he is well backed from management (who have already indicated no marquee) it’s going to be a really tough season. All his signings look good on paper but they do need more, and the two risky ones (no OZ experience) Bryce and Colless were only short term (smart move).
It’s a tough assignment for any coach in the League and he’s clearly operating with less goodwill than most.
The only departures that hurt were Van Dyke and the 3 kids. But kids leaving to try Europe seems the natural order and he was very public on how much he wanted Van Dyke to stay.
April 7th 2010 @ 12:26pm
gingerbeer said | April 7th 2010 @ 12:26pm | Report comment
I tell you what I will back Ange the whole way but if we aint inthe top 6 by Christmas
CHOP!!
April 7th 2010 @ 12:32pm
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
I think a mid table position would be a good result under the circumstances.
The A-League needs a strong club in Brisbane. The Roar’s problems reflect a general loss of profile and momentum for the League as a whole.
For which the FFA must shoulder a huge amount of responsibility. Buckley talks the talk, but unfortunately the walk just isn’t there.
April 7th 2010 @ 12:48pm
chook said | April 7th 2010 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
I think it would do no end of help to have a decent Brisbane side for the profile of football in Brisbane.
50% of boys 6 – 16 years of age play football in Brisbane so it not like no one plays it. It jus the support that is lacking and the general disinterest.
I can see Paul Okon the next in line for Ange.
April 7th 2010 @ 12:44pm
Towser said | April 7th 2010 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
Merry Xmas Ange .
What you forgot the Xmas present.
Your not the messiah your just a naughty boy.
No nails through the wrist for you lad ,the cruxifiction will last all season.
No lets end it by Xmas.
By the balls Centurion,by the balls.
April 7th 2010 @ 1:10pm
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 1:10pm | Report comment
What I would like to know, Davidde, is just what it is about Postecoglou that has got up the nose of commentators like you and Jesse Fink? Was it his record with the Young Socceroos? His previous role on Fox? Did he at some point sleep with your girlfriends? Because it sure looks personal to a bystander.0
April 8th 2010 @ 8:03am
Davidde Corran said | April 8th 2010 @ 8:03am | Report comment
I have never met Postecoglou personally so naturally have no problem with him. Can’t speak for Jesse though you’d have to ask him.
In terms of “looking personal”, while I do quote Jesse I don’t say anything personal about Postecoglou. This article isn’t appointing blame for Brisbane’s mess but acknowledging it’s existence while pointing to what I feel is a concerning trend throughout the league in terms of recruiting.
April 7th 2010 @ 1:31pm
David V. said | April 7th 2010 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
Once more nationality and stereotypes comes into it. Australia is looking more and more like an unsophisticated hick outpost of the game where people have a fishbowl mentality, rather than a stronghold of the game where people can actually analyse and scrutinise things.
April 7th 2010 @ 2:06pm
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 2:06pm | Report comment
Possibly that is because it really isn’t a stronghold of the game, and looking much less like it than it did 2 or 3 years ago, which is about the time O’Neil left and Buckley started. Is this a coincidence? I don’t think so.
Since Buckley and Fraser have been in charge the A- League has had zero marketing, zero promotion and zero leadership. A perfect score in all the wrong ways.
April 7th 2010 @ 3:32pm
whiskeymac said | April 7th 2010 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
concentrating on international markets and not the local market maybe? hopefully this will be redressed once the distraction of the world cup is over
April 7th 2010 @ 3:40pm
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 3:40pm | Report comment
Probably, but still nowhere near good enough.
April 7th 2010 @ 4:24pm
David V. said | April 7th 2010 @ 4:24pm | Report comment
I’m talking more about the way Australians tend to support the game and talk about it, which tends to be about the broadest cliches and generalisations imaginable- making it laughable for expert fans. Whether it’s mindless worship of names, or generalising players’ and coaches’ abilities on national origin, we are looking more like a joke.
April 7th 2010 @ 5:10pm
Ben of Phnom Penh said | April 7th 2010 @ 5:10pm | Report comment
expert fans? But surely everyone is an expert
April 7th 2010 @ 5:54pm
David V. said | April 7th 2010 @ 5:54pm | Report comment
I like to present cold hard facts, rather than fantasy and unfounded optimism.
April 7th 2010 @ 5:59pm
Realfootball said | April 7th 2010 @ 5:59pm | Report comment
Not much fantasy and unbounded optimism on this thread.
Can I buy some? I could do with a shot.
April 7th 2010 @ 6:07pm
Dogz R Barkn said | April 7th 2010 @ 6:07pm | Report comment
Absolutely!
There are older heads such as yourself and Towser who clearly understand the game, with a very deep understanding that shows you’ve had plenty to do with it (as both a fan and most probably as a player) – and over a longish period.
But much of what you read in forums, often by younger minds, is so obviously informed by the X-box or playsation that it becomes an absolute drag to read the exact same lines over and over and over.
Or people latch onto to certain ideas that it becomes almost unshakeable: cliches like the fabled “British” style; or the fabled creative playmaker (and woe to him if he has a good physique!!) – it’s such a drag to read this sort of stuff over and over and over.
As if a strong, athletic Italian footballer has never existed!! (people there are stacks of them – and they are very good with the round ball!!), or as if a strapping, muscley German footballer can’t be a technical player (the Germans can as technical as anyone else!!) – there’s this depressing lack of understanding of the game, people informed by computer games, getting all sorts of concepts like technique, creativity and flair completely mixed up.
It’s such a drag!!
April 7th 2010 @ 9:25pm
agga78 said | April 7th 2010 @ 9:25pm | Report comment
Being A celtic supporter, I have seen 1st hand what a manager can do in the space of 8 months, Tony Mowbray sold or let go a whole squad of players including a guy scoring a goal every two games in Scott Macdonald and replaced them with unproven players from Norway and Denmark and added a great player in Robbie Keane who will leave after his six month loan is up. All because he wanted his own team, to play beautiful football straight away, instead of using the players he had and replacing 2 or 3 players at seasons end, it did not work he was sacked because Celtic were 10 points behind the worst Rangers ever and now it will take 3 years to repair the damage.
Im afraid Ange has done the same thing at Roar, he has lost a goal every two games striker, his best defender, his better goalkeeper, his most creative player and now his two best young players, to make his own team, it is doomed for failure, you can not replace that many players in 6 months and expect to compete against the likes of MVFC, MHFC, SFC, GUFC , AUFC, WPFC, PGFC, who will all be better teams next season than the Roar were at the start of last season, even the Fury will have a more settled line up than the Roar.
April 7th 2010 @ 9:47pm
David V. said | April 7th 2010 @ 9:47pm | Report comment
Mowbray’s position was untenable however good his intentions was, as you say, being behind a dismal Rangers side is a damning indictment on Celtic and on the league generally. You’d have to think the SPL is not only at its worst ever, but one of the weakest top level leagues in world football.
BTW, Serbia are winning 3-0 in Japan with both teams playing exclusively home-based squads. Hmmm…
April 9th 2010 @ 3:42pm
James Wiley said | April 9th 2010 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
I think you forgot to mention NJFC. Surely they will have a better team next season
April 7th 2010 @ 10:06pm
jmc said | April 7th 2010 @ 10:06pm | Report comment
The roar board have to be held accountable to members for such decisions. Full disclosure of the transfer amount, financial position of the club, strategic plan for player retention & balancing the books must be published. In one year the team has lost 30% of crowds, squad turnover is at 80% – If this was a publicly listed company such performance would be viewed as incompetent. Furthermore the Ange revolution promised supporters a focus on youth – yet the club releases it’s three best future talents in one hit.
A more measured approach would be to sell two, retain one for another year. Fully disclose the $$ and advise what split of re-investment in the squad v paying off debt is intended. It would be sound business acumen and may retain the faithful.
I eagerly await the news come July where the Roar acquire some loved up socceroo on a retirement plan that adds as much value as Stan Lazaridis to did to Perth Glory (God bless Stan).
As a foundation member I will not renew my season tickets, however I’m happy to provide Qld Roar a business plan template should they require one.
April 8th 2010 @ 9:55am
Dogz R Barkn said | April 8th 2010 @ 9:55am | Report comment
The club is virtually broke, and a European club comes along and offers nearly $2 mill for three young players still finding their way – and you’re questioning the motives of the club’s management?
Such offers to no materialise every day.
April 8th 2010 @ 10:38am
Rob Gremio said | April 8th 2010 @ 10:38am | Report comment
I agree, Dogz, the offer was way too good to refuse, but I also agree with jmc about the business plan and more accountability to the fans.
We would love to know what their plan is for marketing the club, where the transfer money is going, how they are going to deliver on youth development, and what the plan is for the clubs in the next 3-5 years. Such things as how they are going to recapture the 30% of fans lost – ticket prices, promotions, how are they going with community engagement? What are the Roar doing in terms of supporting Brisbane’s clubs? That sort of thing woudl be really lovely to hear.
But I’m not holding my breath…