Four games into the season and Sydney FC coach Frank Farina is well and truly feeling the heat. Is the pressure warranted, or are A-League coaches on the wrong end of a trial by social media?
It was hard not to feel some sympathy for Farina last Saturday.
His Sydney FC largely outplayed Perth Glory in the heat of a blazing Western Australian afternoon, only to come unstuck at the hands of some poor officiating and a toothless attack.
It wasn’t the first time Sydney FC have been unlucky, but it didn’t stop the #FarinaOut hashtag doing the rounds on Twitter.
There was nothing unusual about that, but what set the trend apart was the fact Farina used his personal website to respond to it.
And in opening up so candidly, Farina offered a fascinating and all-too-rare insight into the mind of an active A-League coach.
“I do have a question for the small group of people – who mostly hide behind fake names or no name – who hurl mistruths, abuse and personal insults at me, some of the staff and the players. Are you really real football fans?”
It’s a legitimate question – particularly in the context of a season only four games old, with the Sky Blues in the midst of an injury crisis.
“A real football fan follows their team through thick and thin. A real football fan, when faced with one win and three losses for the start of the season, is asking what they can do to help get the team on track,” argues Farina.
It used to be that fans supported their club through all kinds of trials and tribulations, and maybe there’s something to be said for the relative youth of the A-League when it comes to teams lacking traditional ‘rusted on’ support.
But then it’s also worth looking at the types of fans who might support an A-League team in the first place.
If A-League clubs are aiming to attract a youthful demographic, then it should be contingent upon the understanding that younger fans have myriad entertainment options, arguably possess shorter attention spans and invariably engage with social media.
Furthermore, we are increasingly living in a society with demands for instant success.
Couple that with fans who fork out financially for match-day tickets, and it’s no surprise that some supporters equate that investment with the right to air often venomous personal opinions.
That hasn’t changed from the days when supporters used to ring talkback radio shows to voice their various concerns.
But what has changed is the medium, with social media allowing more fans than ever to voice ‘groupthink’ beliefs in an increasingly un-moderated environment.
Little wonder then, that some fans get caught up and overstep boundaries, making statements tantamount to libel in a manner they’d never dream of if they were standing face-to-face with the intended recipient.
There’s an element of de-humanising one’s adversaries on social media and in the case of Farina’s legitimate gripes, it actually works both ways.
“I’ve done nothing else except work in football since I was 17,” writes a man who blazed a trail for Australian footballers in Europe and who in his day was revered as one the Socceroos’ most popular strikers.
In other words, Farina has never experienced the mind-numbing drudgery of office work or ducked off for a smoke-o on a construction site – he’s only ever been paid to play or coach football.
So although he’s right to question the motive of those who leave “expletive-laden messages about not going to the game,” perhaps it’s also worth trying to understand the environment fans leave them in.
Were Sydney FC to sack Farina, it would go against the very stability the Sky Blues were supposedly trying to implement.
But would it also be a victory for the hoi polloi of social media? Or do A-League coaches deserve all the scrutiny they get?
Evan Askew
Guest
Good article but am going to have to pull you u on one point. "In other words, Farina has never experienced the mind-numbing drudgery of office work or ducked off for a smoke-o on a construction site – he’s only ever been paid to play or coach football." From 1981 to 1988 he played at Mareeba in the Queenslad State league, Canberra FC, Sydney City and Maroni before making the mve to full time football in Europe at Club Bruuge. From 1981 to 1988 he would have bein playing part time football whle holding down a job. So he would have some experience working in mind numbing drudgery.
nearpost
Guest
For all Sydney's problems - their keeper is their major concern. Can you imagine Galekovic letting in the goal Perth scored, the Ono second goal in the Derby. Keeper gives a team, any team huge confidence if he is reliable and performs well. Vedran seems just a tad out of his depth - and struggles due to a lack of height it would seem. He saves the Ono shot, does anything better for the Perth goal, and Sydney remain in the game. The Socceroos have thrived on Schwarzer's ability - maybe Farina's biggest mistake is his choice of keeper, or that he did nothing about it pre-season.
Matthew Skellett
Roar Rookie
woohoo Mid great work !!! :-)
Midfielder
Guest
Fri TV #ALeague #MHTvWSW SBS2 134k not including regionals Other sports on Friday: Fri TV #NBL 22k ONE Fri TV #RLWC2013 7mate Sco v USA live 37k replay 23k Fri TV ratings #golf #AusPGA 88k ONE @PGAofAustralia
Arto
Guest
@ Andyroo: Very true. Emerton more so than Carle (although one might argue that FF playing Carle as DM hasn't been the success he had hoped for). They just signed a rather unknow Serbian striker today (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranko_Despotovi%C4%87), so here's to hoping he's a Besart Berisha clone rather than a Kruno Lovrek one!!! :-)
Arto
Guest
@ j binie: GREAT post!!! :-) I second your thoughts!
Arto
Guest
@ Matthew Skellett: Don't agree with your assertion that "he stuck by the older brigade" - Adam Griffiths, Trent McClenehan, Paul Reid, Lucas Neill & Pascal Bosschaart are all players the wrong side of 30 - plus, Kruno Lovrek, Fabio & Nathan Sherlock were all players who had failed to make the grade too, so 8 out of 26 were released at the club's request (also 34y/o Joel Griffiths was released too). Of the older players who have been retained, Emerton is in the final year of a big contract, ADP was worth the money, Carle came back from a successful loan spell after having been one of SFC's best players the year before, and both McFlynn & Tiago were resigned on a lower wages as squad players. Then you could rightly argue the 'new' older players signed were good deals: Garcia was Heart's best player and had a good debut HAL season, Thompson is a short-term injury replacement for Antonis, Bojic won the GF and was arguably in the Top3 RBs of the HAL, so please tell me who YOU would have signed instead of these players & which ones YOU would have axed that are still with SFC??!! As far as "wast(ing) the opportunity to re-make the team in his image", I think you're being a bit pre-mature after only 4 rounds. IMO, he's spent the entire pre-season doing just that as well as bringing in Rado Vidosic to help, so how about holding fire on the criticisms - you risk sounding like one the young fans of the HAL in Mike Tuckermann's article otherwise. :-)
Simoc
Guest
You'de hope management are above and don't have the time available for social media. We see on the Roar absolutely nothing worthwhile to the games development. It's mostly self important people exposing their lack of knowledge. And that is fine to put out there. But who cares. We're here because we have a half hour to waste so why not unload todays vice, irrelevant drivel. Ups and downs are huge in soccer so if goal attempts go in, your world changes (for the coach). If you don't believe that check out the last two Wallaby games vs Argentina, England at rugby union at opposite ends.
Midfielder
Guest
Fuss That is very close ... Take the same AFL ratio ... 276 K Take the RM ratio ... 258 K As I said the bigger issue is in ACT, NSW & QLD or where 52.5 % of the population lives Football outrates AFL even using existing OzTam methods ...My gut tells me Footballs rating from the Gong to the Hunter is very high ... with 3 football heart lands ... The Gong, WS & Hunter ..[ I accept they are shared heartlands with RL]... I think the ratings are closer to 300 K ... remember the Hunter which is never counted is a huge football area ... I have posted in the past the big fraud in the ratings is the non counting of NSW & QLD regional areas... did you know that NSW regional, ACT & QLD regional have a bigger population that WA / SA / TAS / NT & VIC regional ... Something I don't think you kinda understand is the link between RL & Football at a community level in NSW / ACT / QLD both codes share a lot of information and often play on the same fields ... the average RL fan could name the Socceroo squad and hold a reasonable conversation with you regarding football... they understand offside, keeping the ball, running at angles and creating triangles etc... because that is also part of RL and the huge connection between touch and football ... Most AFL folk have no idea how big touch is ... 500, 000 players to start with ... many touch players also play football and many football players play touch... [I have often played touch and five a side one after the other] I am starting to labour the point .. what I am driving at is Football rating in NSW , ACT & QLD have a huge potential because most RL fans don't mind football ...
me, I like football
Guest
I think you misunderstood, as you know AF has strong support in some areas (Vic, SA, WA Tas and the NT), and litlle in other areas (NSW, Qld, ACT) so when using the ratings for the AFL you are going to get a larger ratio between a survey area that is considered to be 50.7% AF heartland (5 city FTA) v a survey where only 38.5% AF Heartland (Foxte) as compared compared to soccer which has relatively equal support across the country.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Middy You've accurately identified "SBS's the missing ethnic viewers". Friday night viewing Foxtel AFL: 269k HAL: 107k => HAL viewers = 40% AFL viewers FTA TV (5 city): AFL: 689k SBS: 152k allegedly HAL viewers = 22% AFL Viewers But, we know OzTAM underestimates SBS viewing numbers. If we use the Foxtel multiple" of 40% (i.e. HAL Foxtel viewers on Friday are 40% that of AFL Foxtel viewers) & apply this multiple to FTA TV... We find that the FTA TV viewing for SBS should be 276k ... not 152k as OzTAM suggests. Now it gets interesting... Roy Morgan Research (RMR) found that, for the 2010WC, true viewing numbers on SBS were 1.7x OzTAM's figures. OzTAM has said SBS Friday night rates 152k & when we apply "the RMR multiple (1.7x)" we get a true viewing on FTA TV of 258k. So, we now have 3 possible figures for Friday night HAL on FTA TV a) 152k OzTAM b) 276k if we assume the viewing of "HAL compared to AFL" (40%) on Foxtel is the same as on FTA TV c) 258k if we assume OzTAM's figures are underestimating the HAL viewing numbers on SBS by the same factor as they underestimated WC2010 viewing numbers on SBS. My conclusion: the true figure for Friday night SBS viewing after 4 matches is approx 260-270k across AUS
pbedo
Guest
When I decided to support Colo Colo (in Chile ) at the age of ten my loyalty started from day one. It didnt take any time at all.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Thanks for the reply Fuss.
pbedo
Guest
You've hitthe nail on the head Matthew. I dont know however, whether he had the resources and backing to do just that
Midfielder
Guest
me, I like football No its ration between Fox & FTA ... in AFL it is 2.6 for the metro ... in football its .42 ... Meaning if say 100 people watched Fox then FTA AFL figure would be 260.. whereas the FTA football figure is 142 ... My gut tells me that this cannot be right ... especially if you consider two of the cities counted in Sydney & Brisbane football has a bigger following than AFL...
me, I like football
Guest
Midfielder, that can probably be explained by the fact that of the Metro FTA figures 50.7% people surveyed live in AF areas whereas those surveyed with foxtel only 38.5% of households live in AF areas due to a lower take-up and regional WA, SA and the whole of the NT not being counted.
Australian Rules
Guest
Fuss: "I suggest you search through AUS newspaper archives from January 2009-December 2010." Translation: "I can't think of one...but damn I hate that Aussie Rules Football".
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@ARules I suggest you search through AUS newspaper archives from January 2009-December 2010.
Australian Rules
Guest
Fuss, I probably shouldn't, but I just can't resist - esp knowing that you're such a stickler for facts. But can you show us one example of the AFL "sniping" soccer? And while you're at it, discuss how exactly the AFL showed "pettiness" in the WC Bid? ... (remembering now, that the AFL gave up the MCG, Skilled Stadium, Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval and Metricon Stadium for the FFA to use exclusively in the event of a WC).
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@ARules So I take it you attended ZERO ARules matches in the 1970s & 80s?