With news that Harry Kewell is on the verge of signing for his former Melbourne Victory rival club Melbourne Heart, the relationship with coach John Aolisi is set to be an intriguing one.
Kewell may have been a disruptive figure in the Victory dressing room, but Harry Kewell’s friendship with John Aloisi should help him settle in at the Heart.
Teammates for the Socceroos for at least a decade, this should help both Kewell and Aloisi, who, after last season, both need as many friends as possible.
The 2012/13 football season wasn’t great for either player, or former player.
Kewell went back to England after a disappointing season at the Victory to support his wife, who was caring for her ill mother, and couldn’t find himself a club.
There were reports he even knocked on Stoke City’s door and was turned away.
He ended up getting a run out in the Middle East at Al Gharafa, but it was only a short term one as the club failed to qualify in the Emir Cup.
Meanwhile, Aloisi got his chance as a first team manager after only one year as the Heart youth team manager.
Thrown into the deep end, Aloisi was interestingly given (or chose) an equally inexperienced assistant in Hayden Foxe.
The reality is they struggled, pulling together a thin squad featuring some poor recruitment from overseas, while a couple of midseason departures didn’t help.
Aloisi’s high point was arguably the first round win in the Melbourne Derby, where he pressed the Victory high and had success playing disrupt and react football.
From there there was very little to get excited about, with the spine of the team looking weak for most of the season.
Now the pressure is on Aloisi and the club to get things right next season, especially in light of the recent reports that South Melbourne expressed an interest in buying the club.
What many are forgetting is that the club is only a couple of years old and needs at least a couple more to bed things down.
When the A-League was launched, all the clubs were given a five year window to get things right.
Clearly the FFA want the Heart to work, and the club deserve a fair chance to get their crowds and the quality of their football trending in the right direction.
With free-to-air TV on Friday night’s giving the Heart a couple of high profile games against Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers early in the season, it’s important they get competitive as quickly as possible.
I argued last season that the Heart is one of a few clubs who are prime candidates for a marquee player.
With some reports suggesting that Kewell will be signed on a minimum wage, the Heart could still entertain the idea of signing such a foreign marquee, perhaps a striker.
Certainly, Kewell as a part of the puzzle makes sense.
His friendship forged with Aloisi during the historic Australian performances in the 2006 World Cup qualifying and tournament should help him settle into the environment, provided the message is he needs to be part of the team.
One of my most memorable images of his time at the Victory was one of him sharing the white board at half time with the embattled Jim Magilton, the manager who came in midseason for the sacked Mehmet Durakovic.
It was revealing, suggesting that Kewell had far too much influence in what was going on in terms of the team’s tactics.
The same messages were emitting from the Sydney FC dressing room when Ian Crook was struggling early last season.
If they get a sniff that the manager might be struggling, big, experienced marquee players will be tempted to react by demanding more input.
It’s human nature, but it can become disruptive if not managed well.
What Aloisi has to do in managing Kewell is ensure the line between player and friend is clear and that he remains the boss, and Kewell knows it.
If they can get that balance right, then Kewell is still likely to offer something on the pitch, perhaps playing in a creative role behind the main striker.
But he can’t be the be-all and end-all.
The Heart had many technical holes last season, and it will be the overall recruitment and set-up of the team that defines their season.
Kewell should just be a part of the picture. If he turns out to be the entire picture, then the Heart and Aloisi are in for another tough season.
terry
Guest
better to be a has been than a never was.what did you achieve in the football world?
Bondy
Guest
I agree Towser I've enjoyed he's football too since he's been back, there are glimpses of the old Kewell but we all acknowledge he's age but used correctly could still benefit the nation, lovely passer of the football too very elegant and accurate I'd still use him for the national team if he gets fit and shows something for Melbourne Heart, I'd give him a solid 35 mins for the national team if he's fit and crisp.
Cameron
Roar Guru
This whole situation involving Kewell is turning into a farce. Just walk away Heart. Harry only cares for Harry... Which is fine but still doesn't change the fact he's selfish. Read on SBS today his pay would be on a pay-by-play basis... Already taking his money earnt figure into six figures.
Viva La North
Guest
If Australia do not qualify for the world cup, Kewell wants an out clause on his contract with Heart
Ian
Guest
this was also a good comment on the same article on the bleacher report. insert australian where you see american. exept football is popular in australia It is quite easy to see why soccer is unpopular in America. 1. The clock never stops. That is a big no-no in American sports. 2. The Action never ceases to stop and if it does, it is only for a very short period of time. No huddles or free throws to slow things down really gets in the way of a good time. 3. Offsides is something that happens only when someone moves prior to any action taking place not something that happens while everyone is moving. 4. The goal is far too big and rectangular. They prefer small and round or completely upright with no net. 5. A sport that values feet over hands must be inferior. 6. No Commercials? Over time it just adds up, soccer moves to fast for the average americ
Punter
Guest
'Harry polarises views like no other Socceroo'. Never a truer word said!!!!
Kasey
Guest
"The thing about the Melbourne Heart is they talk a good game but rarely deliver." I hope for MHTs sake they haven't prematurely leaked this and now end up red-faced as they did with Lucash. I'm not the biggest HK fan, but he would be a good fit for the league and this team. I hope it comes off, but the longer this circus drags on, the bigger my doubts become.
Kasey
Guest
If I may.. Harry polarises views like no other Socceroo.... For me Harry embodies the sense of entitlement that the "Golden Generation" appears to have developed since 2006. Like Tom Waterhouse becoming the lightning rod for the anti-gambling-advertising movement...Harry is the most high profile of the Golden Gen Socceroos and the circus that invariably follows his activities just annoys me as a fan.
Sky Blue
Guest
Excellent reads, good finds on those ones!
Cameron
Roar Guru
I said don't ask why ;)
Sneaky Backheel
Guest
Why?
Stevo
Guest
Easy does it Fuss, 99.99% of me is just having a chuckle about this new found media publicity HeartFC is getting and 0.01% is at your expense :) I think many of us will agree that a fit HK can still burn up the field in the HAL
Johnno
Guest
lol was funny now im really having a laf lol. Peppa Pig now there's a name, someone has actually made a fortune from this designing this pig
Ballymore
Guest
Still a quality acquisition for MHT, $48,000 is a steal. I don't expect much of an off-field impact this time, but his tiny wages mean even a sound on-field contribution would be good business. Unlike his stint at MV, he'll enjoy a proper preseason this time. I hope and expect him to do well.
Ballymore
Guest
Kewell is playing for MHT to further his Brasil 2014 ambitions. What if Australia are eliminated come June? Will he still play for MHT?
Bela Guttman
Guest
Tony, heart recruited poorly last season, not because the players that they chose were poor (Stephen Gray excepted) but that the squad was unbalanced with a surplus of similar midfielders and a shortage of quality defenders. This was well and truly exacerbated by: The complete first choice back 4 had moved to other clubs by mid-season The Board had prioritised profitability and so the squad size was small and the budget for mid-season recruitment was almost non-existent. Peter Sidwell has stated that the MH board has realised that they need to invest more money on players this season so it's unlikely that HK, if he signs, will 'be it'. If rumours are true then he isn't even a marquee. Heart does need to think carefully about whether they still wish to pursue their original goal of youth recruitment and development or whether to choose the more expedient path that may result in immediate success but dilute the vision and ethos of the club. I would imagine that: IF HK does sign IF the Socceroos do qualify for the WC IF HK has a full pre-season of preparation then his performance in the HAL will be more than adequate. Don't expect a repeat of last season from Heart.
Jukes
Guest
If he is going to the heart for minimum wage it will be the signing of the year. You would find it hard to sign some state league players for that paltry amount. I would be shocked if it was as low as 48K. Definitely worth taking a punt.
Kasey
Guest
politix to chip in? just to be clear, I'm with our Cambodian correspondent:) I hope H stops piddle-farting around with 'maybe signing' and actually joins Heart in time for the pre-season hype to get ramped up:) HK is still Australia's most recognised name among non-football fans and Heart sure could do with a bit of the hype that surrounded the 3 amigos(ADP, Ono & heskey) last season. Sure as an opposition player and an ex tard, I and thousands of other Reds fans would give him curry all night at Hindmarsh, but the beauty of the HAL is it gives Aussie football fans our own teams to love and our own villains to hate...just like Mr Muscat;)
realfootball
Guest
Significant... in terms of on the park - directly influencing the result of games he plays in - which didn't happen often at MV. In terms of attendances, purely qualitative of course, but in my subjective view, anything less than an increase of 20% average over the whole season is less than "significant". In other words, if he doesn't life Heart's average attendance over 10k, he will have fallen short of the mark. In terms of Kewell as a currency (or property), he is now generally seen as a desperate player for whom the A League is last chance saloon, which is light years away from where he was when he joined MV. He simply doesn't have the value, in terms of column centimetres or website hits - or sponsor interest - that he had back then. He's now just another has been looking for a last hurrah. Compare the response to this news to the response to his possible signing for Victory. Chalk and cheese.
realfootball
Guest
double post