It has been a big week in the A-League on and off the field, and it’s only appropriate that we take a second to look back at the weekend that was. These are the talking points to emerge from round seven.
Melbourne Heart’s undefeated run
While not nearly as significant as the Brisbane Roar’s streak, Melbourne Heart’s win against the Gold Coast saw them five game undefeated and with consecutive wins for only the second time in their history.
The Heart have attempted to play attractive football from day one however attractive football isn’t always winning football, and Melbourne’s ‘other team’ have struggled to find form and on-field success.
It must be said however that the Heart have only played a season of A-League football, and last year was really only a test for the club.
Fred may prove to be the x-factor Heart need and should he begin to find the back of the net (or help others in the team to do so) Heart may be able to convert good football into good results.
Auckland’s team
Over 20,000 attended Wellington’s ‘home’ game against Adelaide in Auckland this weekend.
The home of the infamous New Zealand Knights proved it could turn up in numbers and brought into question the future viability of a second New-Zealand based A-League team.
However it must also be stressed that Auckland’s previous attempts saw average crowds similar to the Gold Coast’s and this weekend’s excellent turnout may have been a one off event.
However, in a league that desperately needs stability Auckland may not be a clever choice to house a new club despite recent comments about the city.
Brisbane equals the record
It was a great feeling for many A-League fans. After only seven years, a club had created a place for itself in Australian sporting folklore.
Brisbane’s gutsy comeback against Newcastle saw them equal that 70 year old undefeated record and next week’s home clash against Perth may see them beat it.
Brisbane’s success could mean great things for the A-League and football in Queensland.
Despite being a little shallow to base success, on this record alone it cannot be denied that it will turn heads and get people talking about football in Brisbane and Australia.
Central Coast breaks the SFS curse
Four years have passed since the Mariners won at the Sydney Football Stadium, but Saturday night’s win broke that record and lifted the Mariners to second on the table.
Despite a slow start and being six points behind Bribane, the ladder leaders, the Mariners have found the rhythm that got them into last year’s grand final and could prove to once again become the league’s silent achievers.
Mehmet in hot water, Muscat under cover
Four draws at home is simply not good enough for Australia’s biggest football team and the fans are showing their dismay.
After a preseason of ensuring fans the club was headed in the right direction Melbourne Victory have failed their fans, at least on the pitch.
Fans are calling for Durakovic’s sacking after the clubs inability to get results however rumours suggest it is in fact Kevin Muscat (Victory’s assistant manager) pulling the strings complicating the situation in Melbourne.
Should Mehmet be sacked? Should Muscat be sacked? Why isn’t Victory getting the results expected of it?
Many questions surround the club, hopefully for the fans the return of Harry Kewell can steer the club back in the right direction.
j binnie
Guest
Clayts - The monies being charged for stadia in Queensland is indirectly controlled by government agencies. Clive Palmer has already high-lighted the ridiculous scale of charges for Skilled Park where, if the crowd is UNDER 5000 ,it costs approximately $30,000 but,if the crowd is OVER, say 6000, it costs between $100,000 &$150,000.!!!!!!. Now anyone with half a brain would consider that ridiculous ,there being nothing wrong with a "sliding scale" operating in increments of 5000 up to ground capacity,but to consider an extra 200 people (5200 people) costs in excess of $100,000 is just plain crazy but that's what the "brains" tell us is a valid point. Re. Roar (and others) the FFA does have a say in where they will play their games and it has long been rumoured in Brisbane that the Broncos,as sitting tenants, enjoy a far better deal than others using the facility.Now if only the "landlords" would recognise that these facilities were built for the people ,using the people's money they may just look at more realistic charges depending on the numbers being attracted, say last year's average crowd.Your thoughts? jb
Clayts
Guest
You would not have either Melbourne club at AAMI park?? Tell me you don't live in Melbourne or surely you would not suggest that. Etihad is TERRIBLE for football. Even none of the AFL clubs want to play there.. Also Brisbane are and have been losing money since day 1 at Suncorp, as good a stadium as it is, it is too big for the Roar.
j binnie
Guest
Ben How does one differentiate between "squads"& "teams"? I still stand correctable that a club that had gone some 27 games without defeat last year,and the team that finished second to them, would NOT be considered for good performances in this years comp. provided they had done some good recruiting to replace losses in their squads.I think events have proved that could well be the case. You did note I did not say "midfielder" was WRONG in his statement,simply that he was on dangerous ground comparing "paper squads" with "actuals". He may still be proved correct. jb
Eat some carbs Crouch
Guest
Brisbane - Good at Suncorp Gold Coast - Need a 10-15000 seater custom built close to the sand and strip similar to Central Coast Central Coast - Stick with Bluetongue for now Sydney - Anywhere but the big stadiums, even NRL clubs started small before extending stadiums, maybe Leichhardt Newcastle - Prob need there own ground but cant afford it, Tinkler wont pay Melb V - Ettihad Melb Heart - Ettihad Adelaide - Stay where they are Perth - Same NZ - Same
Futbanous
Guest
No need to look at RL in NZ KotG,football having had 2 flops previously in Auckland must indeed proceed with caution. The fact also that you also mention Sydney Rovers confirms that any expansion anywhere needs a great deal more scrutinisation from the FFA than previous input. That bid going belly up due to lack of finance by the favoured group bid Lack of finance in Sydney you may well ask why? Seems the MLS are far more stringent in their requirements for new start up clubs than the FFA have been. Hopefully they have learnt from previous mistakes & new clubs are vetted better in the future.
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
One good crowd does not mean a city deserves a team. What about Western Sydney? Whatever happened to the Sydney Rovers? Dunedin will get 18K in a couple of weeks. does that mean they deserve a team? NZ does have growth potential, but dont rush it. RL still only has one team there, a 2nd one could be very difficult to sustain.
Johnno
Guest
Midfielder, but this wa sthe days before the soccer's made the world cup, pay tv had really advanced in this country, the Asian champions league. Think what a modern South Melbourne could do in 2011 and into the future.
Ben G
Guest
Well, if you read his post, he said best squads, not a the teams that would perform best - though, that may have followed. I don't think it's a stretch to say Melbourne and Adelaide look better on paper than Brisbane and a lot better on paper than CCM.
Midfielder
Guest
Johnno Heart are South Melbourne ... further a big crowd for Olympic was 8K ... United 5 K... Often SU drew under 2K and Olympic under 3K... They did pull the odd big crowd but so have the Smurfs... for evry 10 K + crowd United had the Smurfs have pulled a 25 K crowd... As for the ZSmurfs moving could not agree more ... Assuie is not where i would play them...
Futbanous
Guest
Nathan of Perth Sometimes that moment when you have to dig deep defines a season. Can be the other way & a team with no heart collapses. Perth for me didnt show that. Some Roar fans identify the game last season against AU when we were down to ten men & won 4-0 as our defining moment under Ange.
Clayts
Guest
Totall agree with everything you have said here. Fantastic post
TheBeautifulGame
Roar Pro
You cannot dispute the fact that Victory fans have high expectations for the club, we are saying that Mehmet is under a lot of pressure at the moment while Melbourne Heart a finding their feet in the league. The club is hardly in crisis but it is heading in the wrong direction and unable to get results, it cannot afford to frustrate fans any more then they have and simply needs to start winning games to turn their season in the right direction and take the pressure of their coaching staff.
Clayts
Guest
But your coach seems to think that leaking goals is your main problem? Odd
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Oh dear god I hope we've turned a corner. We were definitely showing something in the second half against Victory we weren't showing in the second half against the Mariners: heart. No Guts, No Glory
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Worth pointing out three of those goals, from memory, have come when the opposition had ten men.
pete4
Guest
+1
Rellum
Roar Guru
The only change I would make to my pre-season predictions is Newcastle finishing much higher now they have a manager who plays possession based football and can get a team playing it well
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Enough, thanks. Roar Mods.
j binnie
Guest
A strange comment to make midfielder. Considering the performances last year of Roar & CCM, allied to the level of the procurement both clubs have made in the close season,Roar having signed 2 very experienced internationals and 2 Australian youth internationals to replace their losses,how any pundit could leave them out of a performance projection for this season is almost beyond comprehension and sad to say for you it appears to be a very big error.However,as you say. it could be early days. jb
Futbanous
Guest
Hope we get to see more of James Myer seems he likes to have a crack at goal from wherever. Saw him score a hat trick in about 15 minutes pre season. Understand Roars(Anges) playing philosophy stick to & keep on improving the style of football. But sometimes an instant response is whats needed & Meyer provided that last Saturday. Also impressed that GVE didnt "park the bus" (to quote the latest catchphrase) & played against the Roar. I expect NUJ to keep improving under GVE. Agree with the point midfielder put forward ie its too early in the season to judge most teams for varying reasons. In the first few seasons we had more of an idea where teams were heading because 7 rounds was a third of the season. But seems the Roar & CCM are looking the most settled teams so far. Just wonder at MV whether the Mehmet/Muscat Combo are compatible ,guess once again time will tell. Same with Emerton at SFC. His free kick was quality last Saturday,maybe by mid season he'll be firing on all cylinders & SFC wont have to keep playing catch up. Adelaide hard to tell & Perth maybe turned a corner? As for the NZ market,well I'm not adverse to up to 3 teams in the A-League from there. Auckland is as big a market as Adelaide or Perth(maybe upgrade Auckland FC) & Christchurch similar to Wellington. Perhaps a South Island team playing some matches in Dunedin & some Christchurch. Whatever I dont think we should be so myopic as to discount Kiwi teams. All in all though the most interesting season for me(discounting my Roar bias of course) since season 3 & football overall has genuingly improved since the early seasons.