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While yesterday’s piece was all about the solutions the bottom five are searching for, there’s a more positive outlook for most of the members of the current top six.
Wellington Phoenix
It’s the same old story for the Phoenix; 10 points from 12 at home, a paltry one from 15 on the road.
It’s a good thing for Ricki Herbert then that five of their next eight games are at the Cake Tin, so there’s a good chance we’ll all have to close our eyes as the shirts come off in the Yellow Fever.
But some big tests await, with visits from the Brisbane Roar, Central Coast and the Melbourne Victory coming, so it’s imperative the Phoenix pick up their away form. That won’t be easy, with long trips to Adelaide and Perth pending.
The man I feel most sorry for is Mark Paston, who was outstanding in the opening four rounds to back up his heroic feats in Germany, only to find his spot taken by Danny Vukovic, who has produced a couple of great saves in recent times.
Herbert made an enterprising start to the season, starting Chris Greenacre in behind Dylan Macallister in a very positive 4-2-3-1.
But a pair of losses at Brisbane and Perth, and the arrival of Nick Ward at the same time as Vukovic saw Herbert adjust to a 4-3-3, and Paul Ifill in particular has suffered with this more conservative system.
Ward made a great start, but Victory and Perth fans will tell you he always does, before performances fall away. This is a key period in his career.
The man who has hitherto found himself on the outer as a result of Ward’s arrival is another former Victory man, Vince Lia, and he can consider himself extremely unlucky given he was a big part of Wellington’s success last season.
Elsewhere, Manny Muscat is arguable one of the league’s most improved, Greenacre has been working the house down and getting rewards, while the partnership between Andrew Durante and Jade North should evolve.
There’s some fine tuning to be done, and getting Ifill and Leo Bertos firing, home and away, is key.
Melbourne Victory
Given that Carlos Hernandez is yet to hit his straps, Robbie Kruse has spent large parts of the season injured, Kevin Muscat has missed the past few, Michael Petkovic had a torrid start, Archie Thompson is a fair while away and Billy Celeski is recently back from a long term injury, Ernie Merrick’s men aren’t travelling too bad in fifth spot
Dishing up some decent football, in parts, they are still hard to beat, and with Petkovic back in great form, that’s likely to continue.
After leaking seven goals in their opening three games, they’ve only conceded two in the past six games, including five clean sheets, four on the spin. Impressive stuff.
But the bad news lies at the other end, where Muscat remains the season’s leading scorer with only two, both from the penalty spot in that classic against the Fury. Elsewhere there are seven individual scorers, Hernandez not among them.
Sharing is one thing, but finding a regular goal-getter remains the priority.
Ricardinho has one but has yet to take off, while Mate Dugandzic and Marvin Angulo also need to be more consistent as Merrick seeks solutions in Thompson’s absence. Geoff Kelloway has arrived from nowhere to add some pace and impact.
Behind them, much of the responsibility has rested on the experienced defensive trio of Grant Brebner, Adrian Leijer and Rody Vargas, who have steadied the ship, but like Muscat and Tom Pondeljak, Merrick can’t rely on Brebner and Vargas forever.
In that respect, the emergence of Diogo Ferreira is encouraging, while Surat Sukha continues to evolve. Others that need to step up at the back are Evan Berger and Matthew Foschini.
The Victory remain a work in progress, and with Merrick’s resourceful track-record, you’d be silly to discount them, especially if they can get maximum points in the derby tomorrow night.
Gold Coast United
It looked like it would all unravel for Miron Bleiberg when Shane Smeltz went to Turkey, but the arrival of Bruce Djite and his blossoming partnership with Jason Culina looks like it will save Gold Coast’s season.
His arrival has resulted in an unbeaten five game stretch, and after showing his game and touch had evolved in his first couple of outings, the goals have started to flow. Both against Wellington were gems.
With Culina producing his usual high standards, further up the pitch then we’ve been used to seeing, and others like James Brown, Tahj Minniecon and Adama Traore chipping in, the likes of Smeltz and Joel Porter haven’t yet been missed.
More recently we’ve been introduced to youngsters like Ben Halloran and Chris Harold, showing Bleiberg is prepared to nurture kids.
But behind them all are the two unsung heroes that help this side tick, Zenon Caravella and Michael Thwaite, two players I could watch all day. They are the Matt McKay or Mass Murdocca of this side, always looking to win the ball and start the play with effective forward delivery and support.
One shouldn’t underestimate the contributions of central defenders Kristian Rees and Dino Djulbic, the latter having usurped Bas van den Brink as the starting right stopper.
Central Coast Mariners
Graham Arnold made no secret of what he was looking for in the pre-season, and the early evidence is that he has done a grand job.
Primarily he wanted a number 10, a “Lionel Messi type player” in his words, and the early suggestion is that Patricio Perez has the game to live with the hype. The Mariners are comfortably a better side when he is on the pitch, and if he didn’t have a legitimate penalty at the SFS, he certainly did on the weekend, not that Kurt Ams agreed.
Arnold also wanted an experienced central defender and Patrick Zwaanswijk has slotted in beautifully alongside Alex Wilkinson.
It is a well organised unit at the moment, with the diamond midfield propped up at the base by Rostyn Griffiths, who has usurped John Hutchinson and is tracking nicely. The Roar’s resident Mariner, Midfielder, has certainly been singing his virtues.
Meanwhile, Oliver Bozanic, a future Socceroo if ever there was one, has looked a gem on the left side, combining well with the forward-minded Joshua Rose.
It is the same on the other side, where Michael McGlinchey adds bright moments and combines well with both Perez and right back Pedj Bojic. The latter is an unsung hero and is having a storming season, relegating Brad Porter to the bench.
The impetus provided by the Mariners fullbacks shouldn’t go unrecognised, and Daniel McBreen and Matt Simon are certainly relishing it.
Like the ‘Nix their home record looks imposing, but the next five weeks will be instructional as the Mariners go on the road while the Bluetongue surface is re-laid.
Brisbane Roar
Like Sydney last season, Ange Postecoglou spent the pre-season getting mileage into his men, with games aplenty, and it has showed.
They look a well-drilled unit, fully acquainted with the task at hand, which is all based on mobility, playing high up the pitch, winning the ball back quickly and rapid movement of the ball, with bodies in motion.
With such an offensive template, Matt Smith and Luke Devere are often left alone at the back, very much in the way Guus Hiddink left Craig Moore, Lucas Neill and Scott Chipperfield to clean up at the back in 2006.
Risk, but with reward.
In a word; control.
Teams have struggled to live with the movement, both of the ball and the men, with McKay, Murdocca and Erik Paartalu setting the tempo behind the hard-working and mobile front trio of Thomas Broich, Kosta Barbarouses and Reinaldo.
The inter-change, combination and movement between the middle and front thirds has been a joy to behold, as good as you are likely to see in any league. Right now, McKay is untouchable.
Only the Victory, when they pressed high and battered the Roar physically, were able to disrupt the momentum.
The only thing truly lacking are the goals, with Henrique injured, Barbarouses still working on his composure and Reinaldo seemingly more interested in teeing up his team-mates when six yard out then hitting the back of the net.
Both Barbarouses and Reinaldo only have two goals, and this really has to improve if the Roar are to entertain the notion of going all the way.
Adelaide United
Can’t do anything wrong at the moment, evidenced by their come from behind win in Sydney on Monday.
While Rini Coolen has made no secret of his ultimate desire to play a possession based game built on controlling the opposition, right now he is happy to use the players at his disposal in the best way possible, and that’s via the counter-attack.
With the pace of Mathew Leckie, Lucas Pantelis, a rejuvenated Cassio and Iain Ramsey, Coolen’s men have the ability to absorb and punish like no other team.
With Sergio van Dijk and Marcos Flores providing the quality through the middle, it’s looked a well balanced attack, with Cassio providing wonderful forward thrust from left back.
With van Dijk, Flores, Leckie and Ramsay all multiple goal scorers, it’s little wonder the Reds are four clear of anyone else in the goals for column.
Meanwhile, the defensive unit has been great, starting with the hard-working central midfield pairing of Paul Reid and Adam Hughes. The latter, like right back Cameron Watson, looks like he is benefiting from a great deal of belief from his manager.
That looks to be Coolen’s brightest point, an ability to draw the best from his men. Daniel Mullen is certainly back to some of his best form, while Eugene Galekovic, toey in the pre-season, looks happy and has maintained his high standards.
Tests will follow, like how he deals without Flores, but so far Coolen has proved very resourceful and the Reds are well placed and far from one-paced.
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