Mark Bosnich says this A-League season will test whether the competition is mature enough to handle a subdued build-up marred by off-field distractions and a lack of big-name marquees.
The 2015-16 instalment was launched this week with far less flourish than in recent years, when even peripheral football fans were enchanted by the presence of big international stars including Alessandro Del Piero, Shinji Ono, Emile Heskey and David Villa.
There will be no players quite like that this season and anticipation has only been further hampered by messy financial situations at the Newcastle Jets and Brisbane Roar, not to mention the FFA’s drawn-out negotiations with the players’ union and still no new Collective Bargaining Agreement on the eve of the first match.
“There has been a lot of negativity in the last couple of months about the CBA stuff,” Bosnich told AAP.
“And there hasn’t been the same vibe we had a couple of seasons ago when Del Piero arrived with Heskey and Ono.
“I actually think all of that is a good thing because it’s a massive test to see whether or not the league is mature enough to deal with all of that.”
“We have our core supporters and without them there wouldn’t be no game.
“But the one thing that we did with the Del Piero time is entice people to get interested in the game who in the past were not.
“That’s very difficult to do without marquees.”
At Tuesday’s launch in Sydney FFA boss David Gallop rejected any notion the A-League build-up has been low-key, declaring: “This time next week, I think you’ll be saying, ‘wow, season 11 started with a bang’.”
Bosnich didn’t put it quite in those terms, but he did expect to be pleasantly surprised once play kicked off.
“Let me equate it to those nights where you don’t really feel like going out but your friends are going `come out, come out’, then you go out and have the best time ever.
“As opposed to when you’ve got all your best gear on and you’re ready to go, then it’s a s*** night.
“That’s what’s going to happen this year with the A-League.”
Canman
Guest
Well said and lets hope come Xmas all we have to talk about is the excellent standard of football in the league and the eminent qualification of the socceroos for Russia.
Kaks
Roar Guru
You and me both brother, I'll probably run into you outside the stadium and we wont ever know!
Post hoc
Guest
I am useless at work today, I just want to go home get on the red and Black and get to Wanderland
Kaks
Roar Guru
"Mark Bosnich says this A-League season will test whether the competition is mature enough to handle a subdued build-up marred by off-field distractions and a lack of big-name marquees." Is it just me, or is it the media who are the only ones reporting a 'subdued build-up' of the A-League while us fans are itching for kick off?!
Post hoc
Guest
Your wife might have issues you meeting another one. All jokes aside, it is game day and season start, bring it on.
mwm
Guest
Speak for yourself Fuss!!! I demand that there be BMX riders doing tricks in the stand at every match...you know...for that unique football cultural experience lol
fadida
Guest
Unfortunately for the doom mongers on the Roar; We are Asian champions at both club and national level Our NT are a joy to watch. Pacy, positive, selection based on merit! The season will start on time With 10 teams Jets are about to be taken over The CBA is about to be signed off Police won't be employing the anit-SOCKAH measures at WSW Stubbins is gone and the Jets have two potential recruits in the Broich/Berisha mould Most clubs have also recruited players in the sweet spot - good European league experience, right age, hungry I'm expecting the season to be the best yet My glass is pretty full :)
Brick Tamland of the pants party
Guest
Oh Boz i know the nights which you speak of! The night i met my wife was one of those where i couldn't be arsed going out but my mates convinced me and the rest is history. I really hope this season ends up being along those lines because i must say i'm lacking enthusiasm at this point, i guess Glory's salary cap debacle still leaves a sour taste.
Bondy
Guest
The sport has to be continuously played down here in Australia .Why ?. So other sports seem relevant .. There were no marquee players last year so what's going to change this year ? .
AZ_RBB
Guest
When will be stop pretending Shinji Ono that was a household name before he arrived in the ALeague? Only a close follower of Japanese football would have had any idea who he was. The job now is to turn some of these lesser known players into stars in Australia much like what happened to Ono.
jbinnie
Guest
How right you are Fuss . The biggest problem facing the code is still getting supporters to break the habits of a lifetime and attend a game on a Thursday,Friday or Monday nights.a factor not controlled by the FFA itself but by the moguls in TV land who supply the funds to carry on.Time will cure this of course but in the meantime the arrival into our game of people like ADP did show an undisputable increase in interest everywhere the little maestro set foot during his early time here, and though it could be argued there are not too many ADP's around it was a good exercise for it's time. To me that is what measures the effectiveness of a "good" marquee,the number of "new" fans he attracts to the game all across the country,,not what his undisputed talent adds to whatever team he happens to be playing for..Cheers jb
Fadida
Guest
Agree totally. Most clubs have signed potential Berisha's and Broich's eg Jets Leonardo and the new striker, WSW and Roar's Spaniards, the new boys at Sydney. Who entertained me most in recent years? MV with Finkler and Ben Kalfallah. I want these types of players, younger, talented, hungry. Over the hill marquees can go to hell Unless it's Ronaldinho :)
Stevo
Roar Rookie
:) The MODERATOR had to approve my quoting Bozza's use of the s-word.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I don't understand this sudden Aussie interest in big new signings. It is pretty obvious that Aussie fans and Aussie mainstream media don't need big new signings to get excited about a new sporting season in AFL & NRL, so why is it with HAL that suddenly everyone gravely says "no big new signings, so it's a very low key season"? Real sporting fans don't need gimmicks to entice them to watch their team. They don't need BMX bike riders doing tricks in the stands. They don't need juggling, or flashing lights, or flashing goal posts. Real sporting fans just enjoy watching sport - be it 22 locals playing at grassroots level, or 22 of the cream of the world's talent playing in the World Cup finale. 12 months ago no one knew the name Fahid Ben Kalfallah. Yet, he lit up the ALeague season & had people talking. That's how real football fans operate.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Hahahaha, Nail.Head Bozza!!! I've got today mapped out already. Get to work. Tell everybody I've got an urgent task and I can't be disturbed all day. Secretly scan the internet for football stories. Pull the football gear on for lunchtime kick about with about 20 lads. Afternoon lunch and rehab while getting on with the mysterious 'task' LOLz. Get home, say hi to missus, have a quick bite then GAME TIME! Repeat this over and over again for the whole season!!!
Stevo
Roar Rookie
“As opposed to when you’ve got all your best gear on and you’re ready to go, then it’s a s*** night. Hahahaha, Nail.Head Bozza!!! I've got today mapped out already. Get to work. Tell everybody I've got an urgent task and I can't be disturbed all day. Secretly scan the internet for football stories. Pull the football gear on for lunchtime kick about with about 20 lads. Afternoon lunch and rehab while getting on with the mysterious 'task' LOLz. Get home, say hi to missus, have a quick bite then GAME TIME! Repeat this over and over again for the whole season!!!