Kewell’s transfer is obviously a massive coup for the A-League and a considerable boost for Melbourne Victory, even if it’s impossible to quantify the magnitude of his signing compared to similarly high-profile transfers in other codes.
And while there’ll be plenty of hype around Kewell in the build-up to the A-League’s much-anticipated kick-off in October, it will die down quickly if the Socceroos star arrives in Australia unfit and struggling to perform on the pitch.
Already Kewell’s transfer has been offered a lukewarm appraisal by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Mike Cockerill, who says Kewell needs Australia more than we need him – not a surprising summary from a journalist who had a very public falling out with Kewell at the last World Cup.
A few weeks back Cockerill penned a piece claiming Sydney FC had contingency plans should they fail to sign Kewell, curiously naming Austrian goal machine Marc Janko and Swedish international Markus Rosenberg as potential targets, despite the fact both are entrenched squad members at FC Twente and Werder Bremen respectively.
Instead, the only new European name in the squad is Dutch defender Pascal Bosschart, although Slovakian veteran Karol Kisel is also back for a second spell.
But the playing qualities of those mentioned aside, perhaps the most glaring aspect of Sydney FC’s approaching campaign is that they’re still without a shirt sponsor.
And that’s a situation made all the more difficult to rectify by the fact Kewell has just signed for their biggest rival.
With Kewell aboard, Victory possess even more clout when it comes to luring sponsors, so the likes of Sydney FC and the no-frills Central Coast Mariners need their football to do the talking in the relentless fight for sponsorship dollars.
That’s not a major concern for Gold Coast United or the Newcastle Jets – bankrolled by billionaires Clive Palmer and Nathan Tinkler respectively – although neither have signed any big-name stars for the new campaign.
In fact, Gold Coast United go into the upcoming season essentially employing a youth-team squad sprinkled with a few veterans, including new Dutch signing Paul Beekmans.
It’s over in the west where much of the transfer activity has taken place, with Perth Glory embarking on an impressive spending spree.
Former English Premier League midfielder Liam Miller, ex-Adelaide United skipper Travis Dodd, the combative Bas van den Brink and the highly-rated Danny Vukovic are just some of the Glory’s eye-catching signings, while Shane Smeltz will look to form a potentially devastating strikeforce with ex-Socceroos flyer Mile Sterjovski.
Whether coach Ian Ferguson can mould the dispirate figures into a cohesive unit will be one of the more intriguing subplots of the new campaign, however passionate club owner Tony Sage invariably has his sights on upsetting the Victory apple-cart.
Adelaide United are another to have been active in the transfer market, bringing in ex-Ukrainian international Evgeniy Levchenko, Zenon Caravella, Jon McKain, Socceroos hopeful Dario Vidosic, Spase Dilevski and former fan favourite Bruce Djite, among others.
The Reds might have lost Marcos Flores to Chinese side Henan Jianye – perhaps they could sign Carlos Hernandez as his replacement? – but the South Australian outfit should be a tough team to beat this season, particularly at their Hindmarsh Stadium fortress.
I just wonder if all the hullabaloo surrounding Kewell might not prove a distraction to Melbourne Victory and an incentive to their rivals.
There’s no doubt the Victorian giants possess a star-studded squad, yet the circus surrounding Kewell may be just what Victory’s rivals need to inspire them to a legitimate title challenge.
Kasey
Guest
The first impact of Harry signing with the A-League could have been the final straw that led to Brett Emerton signing on the dotted line with Sydney. I have no proof, but it could have been. How silly is Lucash Niell looking now for going to the ME? Why not sign on in the HAL, If you were going to come down a level(of intensity) to prolong your career in the hope of making the 2014 squad, surely you'd come home and play a 30 odd game season in nice weather. Or you could take the big $$ on offer in the ME. IIRC its only a 1yr deal with Al Jazira, maybe he'll follow Harry and Emo back next year? Sydney come out of this Emo deal looking very professional IMO. they kept it pretty quiet until they were ready to announce rather than stringing their fans along like MV did for 4 months. could this signal a turn around in the Sky Blues offpitch profesionalism? I for one hope so. When SFC is limping, it gives the whole league a bad look:(
David Heidelberg
Guest
No big name signings at the Jets? Apart from Jason Culina, probably still the best player in the HAL.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Bah, you cheat, I was mentioning the coverage in the Guardian the other day! :)
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I think you'll find that the British have been quick to chop down (pun intended) Brits from "north of the border" ... another Scottish knight, William Wallace, springs to mind. ;-)
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I think only the Sydney-centric media lauded Lavicka's coaching methods. For the forseeable future, Ernie will hold the mantle as the HAL's most successful manager but, perhaps, with the squad at his disposal, we should never have finished so poorly in Season 1 & 3. Additionally, in Season 5, if Ernie had simply introduced Mitch Langerak into the starting 11 one game earlier, I have no doubt, we would have won the League. Ernie never liked to make changes ... unless the player was Angulo - he seemed to never give that lad a decent chance. Also, he never liked to play the wings - which, to me is a crime in football - and, explicitly or tacitly, he allowed Petkovic (Theo & Langerak never did this) to persist with the absurd long goal kicks, when everyone in the stand could see that such a strategy simply resulted in the ball being returned into our half. But, despite his shortcomings I know at least one guy - Robbie K - will forever be grateful to Ernie for having faith.
Roger
Guest
Where do you get this stuff? As a staunch and long time Melbourne Victory fan, let me assure you that his surname has nothing to do with the criticism. Also, no one has forgotten seasons 4 and 5. But we aren't in seasons 4 and 5 anymore, it appears Carlos doesn't have the same attitude anymore, and the league has evolved - which means previous styles don't work anymore (as evidenced by last season).
The Cattery
Roar Guru
lol, very good whiskey, a worthwhile interjection!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Roger Ernie has been pilloried from day one by MV's own fans, despite returning two doubles, and a runners up, and being the one responsible for scouting and recruiting the likes of Fred and Carlos. Have people already forgotten that around season 4 and 5 of the A-League, no one touched Carlos in capability with the round ball. So I simply say to you that ultimately, Ernie's biggest crime was being a Scot, whereas if you came in with an exotic sounding name like Lavicka, no matter how boring your game plan was, no matter how many 1-0 wins you conjured, you were immediately hailed as miracle worker akin to the 2nd coming of Christ (revealed as having no loin cloths by the 2nd season).
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
The Germans, too, are aware of our boy Harry making the move to MVFC. From an MVFC point of view, you simply cannot put a price tag on this type of subliminal "product placement" advertising. Source: http://360bundesliga.com/german-news/45-german-news/6677-melbourne-victory-snap-up-kewell PS: Although, to be fair, apparently the Folau signing was widely reported in the Tongan press ;-)
Roger
Guest
I'm not worked up, I'm just saying. It sounds lame... whether or not it's supposedly endearing or not. Although, I find it difficult to believe its supposed to be endearing given its short for retard.
Roger
Guest
What is this about Ernie's greatest crime being a Scot?? The reason why he was let go in the end was nothing to do with any of that kind of stuff, and all to do with the playing style (or lack thereof) of Melbourne Victory. The kick and run/long ball play (combined the odd build up of play care of Fred or Hernandez) served Melbourne Victory well for a long time. But the league has improved, with Brisbane Roar a shining light, and that style just isn't good enough anymore. And no one is arguing that Fred and Hernandez weren't brilliant, and it's a pity that it looks like we'll be losing Hernandez. But if the stories are to be believed, Melbourne Victory are having a tough time with Hernandez for off-field and training reasons.
apaway
Guest
I bet if he offered to buy the Power, the Kangaroos or the Demons right now they'd jump at it. :)
Kasey
Guest
Not just Australian News, but befitting the global reach of the beautiful game is this gem from The Guardian: Galatasaray have seemingly had enough of ute-driving, barbecued shrimp-eating Aussie gallahs, Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill, with the knack-prone one heading back to Melbourne Victory and the greedy one off to the UAE to trouser Al Jazira's millions. On the back of this full article the day before: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/20/harry-kewell-australia-melbourne-victory?INTCMP=SRCH Further evidence that this is the biggest signing in Australian sport 'ever' the global reach of fotball all but guarantees that title.
whiskeymac
Guest
they arent anti british in britain, normally =)
Kasey
Guest
Cringeworthy everytime it happens, picture of clueless 'celebrity' holding a collingwood geurnsey and footage of attempting to handpass the ball, its part of the AFL's " see we're relevant offshore" dream and a dream that the Herald Sun happily pushes to the deluded masses that purchase that paper. Of course it will be Collingwood, eddie is allegedly a football fan(Celtic) and don't Collingwood also train at gosches paddock on Punt road there? Hopefully someone inside the Kewell/Victory camp is on the ball and would prevent H besmirching his city wide apeal by holding up such filty piece of cloth as a collingwood geurnsey. If they frame it as a commercial decision, it should stir the attack cobra and prevent the offending photo being taken. Won't stop the Melbourne media asking the question, which is akin to asking Cadel Evans if he rides his bike to the shops on the weekend to pick up the milk:(
Kasey
Guest
You shouldn't get worked up so much about football banter. Banter is just that. the tards are also known as the Mexicans by NSW football fans, but mostly tards. which makes Heart the Jam tards I've only recently been informed that the Jets are the Sea Bogans(I thought that was the Mariners, but apparently they are the Gypsies(Gyppos) Sydney will always be the Bling, despite a distinct lack of anything resembling bling these days, but you can be sure some lazy journo will refer to SFC as the HALs ' Glamour club' at least once a week :( Us United fans are Barrel boys or inbreds if you listen to the tards, but they will have to alter that last one on the day Tasie gets a team surely?
Karmikel Funk
Roar Rookie
More like 400M for GWS titus and a lot of it comes from NSW taxpayers. Plus the 500M they spent [or wasted] on trying to establish AFL in Sydney for the last 20 years already. And what has it got them - AFL is going backwards and less popular in Sydney than it was back in 1998.
TJ
Guest
Valencia or Seville? Perhaps Seville...
Eat some carbs Crouch
Guest
Why are you reading A-League articles, and commenting on the A-League then, it obviously interests you or you wouldnt even give it the time of day. By the way, the NSL sucked, it was an italian fans team vs a croatian fans team vs a greek fans team vs an oz fans team vs blah blah blah you get the idea. Unite a city or region, not an ethnic group, follow an international team if you want to do that.
Karmikel Funk
Roar Rookie
Harry has already had an impact on the A-League. 16K watched last weekend's pre-season friendly game between Brisbane Roar and Wellington Phoenix - amazing! Unfortunately for the home crowd Roar won 5-1.