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Do they still host celebrity boxing matches? Because Gary van Egmond and Kasey Wehrman are the two combatants I’d most like to see pitched into battle.
Reading Wehrman’s comments on The World Game website last week was like looking into the future – you just knew he would be searching for a new club about five seconds after van Egmond got wind of them.
For those who missed the tongue-lashing, Wehrman claimed Newcastle’s tactics on the road were “naive” and suggested sitting back and playing compact were smarter tactics than what van Egmond was employing.
“Those are just my impressions,” added the combative Jets midfielder, who seemed acutely aware he was treading on thin ice.
Sure enough, the veteran was informed days later his services were no longer required, with the latest joust the final straw for van Egmond.
The entire affair was enthralling for two reasons: firstly, it was a rare case of an A-League player bluntly expressing his opinions and secondly, it prompted a swift and decisive comeback from his coach.
Perhaps Mehmet Durakovic should jot down a few notes, although what effect Wehrman’s banishment will have on the Jets is open to interpretation.
He was already playing like he had rocks in his boots and at the tail-end of a lengthy career, he probably felt the freedom to speak out when a younger player may have thought twice.
Hopefully Wehrman moves into a coaching role at the end of his long playing career or failing that, one in the media.
There’s nothing more refreshing than hearing honest opinions in football, as opposed to the carefully media-managed soundbites most clubs train their players to spew forth.
John Kosmina will have none of that and it’s one reason so many of us are looking forward to tonight’s AAMI Park showdown between Melbourne Victory and Kosmina’s resurgent Adelaide United.
It may not be Kosmina versus Kevin Muscat again – on Friday the 13th, no less – but Jim Magilton has already come to the party as a genial and quick-witted stand-in.
Magilton strikes me as the sort of coach who won’t bother to hold back his opinions and how he handles the likes of Harry Kewell and Carlos Hernandez will be fascinating to watch.
From a neutral’s perspective, the goings-on at Newcastle and the Victory are both absorbing stories and the kind of thing which drives interest in the league.
I can’t wait to watch Victory go head to head with the Reds at what will hopefully be a packed AAMI Park, and Central Coast’s showdown with local rivals the Jets should be just as absorbing.
It’s a pity the round will finish on a sour note when Gold Coast United host Wellington Phoenix in front of about six fans and a flock of seagulls.
Clive Palmer’s decision to close three ends of the ground because of ‘crowd trouble’ is surely the last straw.
It’s a crying shame for the supporters who still pay their money to support the club, but they’re being taken for fools by a man with about as much genuine interest in football as I’ve got in synchronised swimming.
Still, there are plenty of other fixtures to keep us entertained this weekend – starting with tonight’s AAMI Park blockbuster.