How much longer can Tony Popovic hold on to his job? The sense of malaise around the Wanderers surely matches the mood on offer after a ho-hum round of action.
Popovic has already hosed down speculation linking him with Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua, who according to Fairfax Media have already twice made approaches for the Wanderers coach.
He may need to reconsider if yesterday’s performance against the Mariners is anything to go by, with the Wanderers turning in another insipid display at their unloved home away from home, Spotless Stadium.
Take nothing away from Central Coast, who fully deserved their third win on the trot, but surely Wanderers fans deserve some answers over their side’s dismal campaign?
They could start by asking about the sort of recruitment that sees Mitch Nichols play as a striker, and perhaps touch on why the Wanderers have gone from the best-supported club in the league to one that now plays in front of funeral atmospheres.
How much is Popovic personally responsible? His recruitment and retention has been questionable, but then juggling squads is a difficult business in a salary-capped league. Just ask Adelaide United.
Meanwhile, there’s not a lot the Wanderers could do about having to move while Parramatta Stadium is rebuilt, even if it has now become abundantly clear that many of their once-loyal supporters have no intention of trekking out to the Olympic precinct.
Yet for all Western Sydney’s success – and an AFC Champions League trophy and three A-League grand finals is nothing to sniff at – there’s a growing perception that Popovic is on borrowed time.
His gruff demeanour and tendency to deflect questions from the media has won him few fans, and there’s a sense next weekend’s Sydney derby could be make-or-break for the former Socceroo.
There’s not quite the same sense of urgency around the rest of the league, which perhaps explains why Round 19 was one of the most forgettable of the season.
The most interesting match of the round was undoubtedly Melbourne City’s clash with Brisbane Roar, with a depleted City fighting back from nine absentees and a dodgy penalty decision to draw 2-2 with the visitors in an absorbing contest.
The match was notable for the impressive return in goal of ex-Danish international Thomas Sorensen and the fact that referee Alan Milliner awarded two questionable spot-kicks.
Both were converted – with some suggesting Nicolas Colazo’s 61st-minute penalty was a square-up – as City showed plenty of mental fortitude to equalise from two goals down.
However, the game was watched by just 8,414 fans at AAMI Park. Or 7,914 fans if you believe the A-League website, which posted a different figure to the one reported by exactly 500 fewer supporters.
We can argue all we want about how crowd figures don’t influence the football on the pitch, but the fact is empty stands don’t make for good metrics – and there were plenty of bad metrics around this weekend.
At least the W-League final drew a record attendance of 4,591, and it yielded a double celebration for Melbourne City, who downed Perth Glory 2-0 to record their second title win in succession.
It was a deserved triumph for the visitors at nib Stadium, who had much-travelled Welsh star Jess Fishlock leading them around the park in a player of the match performance.
Fantastic as it was to watch an entertaining W-League final live on Fox Sports, it’s hard to escape the feeling that the women’s league has largely been left to struggle on in the shadows, while the AFLW has exploded into public consciousness.
And while the A-League has been more solid than spectacular of late, it could probably do with some positive headlines too.
Maybe they’ll come from the Hunter tonight, where the Newcastle Jets host Melbourne Victory in their rearranged fixture.
Here’s hoping. Because with eight rounds left to play, it feels like we’re just going through the motions.
Nemesis
Guest
@Leonard did you write that post in a foreign language and use Google Translate? I'm sorry but it doesn't make any sense. The fact you and others who don't like football are spending so much time discussing football issues is clear indication that football is firmly in the minds of Australians. Watching sport is irrelevant to the actual sport. Sport is not created for spectators. Sport is created for participants. If people want to watch the participants - no problem. If they don't want to watch the participants - no problem. The only reason we have sport is to see a contest. If no one is watching, it doesn't matter it's still sport. Only Aussies who seem to have very low sporting intelligence equate sport with TV ratings & crowds.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
And up ... I think I'm being naughty here :)
Stevo
Roar Rookie
And up ..
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Truly monotonous conversations on this thread but just to get the number up ...
Beny Iniesta
Guest
That would be one way to get to the 27 games requirements.... With 12 Teams. 22 Game Season (NO FINALS). Winner is the Premier (League Premier). FFA Cup (Guaranteed 1 game for each A-League Club) A-League Cup (Replacing Finals) 4 Groups of 5 Teams 12 A-League + 8 Best performers from the FFA Cup? Or 6 State League Champions? 8 if you include the territories? Play other 4 teams in the group once (4 games = 27 games) Top 2 go into Quarter-Final Knockout. Winner is the League Champion. 27 games reached - and the season doesn't drag.....
Leonard
Guest
About "The FFA has failed to engage with Australians. The A-League isn’t even on the radar of the typical mainstream Aussie": if this is even half-true, it is a huge problem, especially if soccer's huge participation numbers are taken into account. Isn't what we have here the difference between sport-as-informal-recreation and sport-as-professional-competition? If "typical mainstream Aussies" meet soccer mainly as park recreation or as kids' Sat'd'y morning games, but their adult competitive sporting interests are Rules or one the Rugbies then soccer, for them, is for kids. And if their kids develop the same mindset as they grow up, then these new adults will not be interested in kids play. A similar point could be made about the respective physical / physical between soccer and the eggball sports - if soccer is seen as boring, as bruise-free and as an activity which sloths could excel at - then that is a mindset which soccer has to change. And which will NOT be changed by slagging off at 'eggball' or with boastful cliches about 'the world game'.
Leonard
Guest
Re "follow[ing] the recommendations of the Crawford Report" - one of those worked wonders for the V-AFL in he 1980s.
Joe B
Guest
I think that is exactly why the AFL is having free entry, and might do for a few seasons, so as to establish a strong supporter base that will eventually pay for entry... and they would start ticket pricing very low. The AFL has shown it is always prepared to back itself, and play the long game. It has money, it can do this. HAL will continue to slowly grow, it has been for years. HAL is unfortunate in that it has to compete in a very busy domestic market, AND against the premium euro leagues.... BUT, it still grows.
Nemesis
Guest
Do you own a mirror?
Realfootball
Guest
It's a question of personal perception. Your posts have always been marked by a myopic inability to encompass any views contrary to your own. That and straining attempts at comedic sarcasm.
Paul
Guest
Mid, DH, Nemesis, This was quoted in a smh story today: "Clubs are increasingly coming around to the idea that a clean split might need to be made to act as a circuit breaker for the impasse that is looming" The club owners have thought this through at great length most likely as a bargaining chip but for the clubs to organise their own league would be consistent with the Crawford report and FIFAs expectations, and for the ffa to deny their existence after a split would risk sanctions on the FFA by FIFA. It's a dangerous time but as I commented this has been discussed at great length and will be a feature of today's negotiations.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Well that answers your question then. 33 rounds of football it is Have fun scheduling.
Chris
Guest
I didnt know you spoke for all mainstream aussies. I'll definitely be paying more attention to what you have to say from now on.
Nemesis
Guest
No thanks. The FFA Cup is a knock-out cup competition. For sure, there is the option to have another competition in the future called the "FFA League Trophy" that has this type of format with Groups but lots of other issues to sort out first.
BigAl
Guest
Wrong !
j binnie
Guest
Cameron - I sincerely hope the derby attracts more than 50k but you have to appreciate that the "derby crowds" can only occur in our game when two teams from the same city or same district meet . In the truly national league in our huge country there is a limited number of this type of game in our season and if anything those excellent crowds tend to send out the wrong messages to John Public. Lets compare. WSW in their opening game of the season ,a derby, drew 61,880 to an HAL league match. Now in my 50 years in Australian football can you imagine what I felt when I saw that crowd? Fantastic,wonderful,unbelievable ,- actually words can't describe how I felt. Two weeks later they drew 13,250 when playing Jets,a team from roughly 100 kms away!!!!!!.. Therein lies a problem for the HAL. Being a national competition, derby games at the moment are limited in number. To maintain our standard of football we have to still depend on imported players. and this involves costs that some of our teams just cannot compete with We have people screaming for expansion and yet it is true to say we have 3 or 4 teams that are still struggling to "make the grade" so to speak. There is still evidence of "growth" but if it is to be maintained in our competitive market place something has to be done to overcome the media bias we have to endure. Cheers jb.
tully101
Roar Guru
not a fan of that idea, will not be fair
SonOfLordy
Guest
Truly staggered by those crowd numbers. TV viewing figures aren't that much better. Talk about expansion is pure madness when a glamour club is attracting sub 10k (maybe even sub 8k) attendances. I'm not sure if people truly recognise the gravity of the situation. Soccer has suffered a BBL and now AFLW double whammy during the summer. The FFA has failed to engage with Australians. The A-League isn't even on the radar of the typical mainsteam Aussie. This could be a crucial time for the FFA. It will be interesting to see whether they get desperate and expand, or bunker down and get on with the job of trying to consolidate the product they already have. The BBL for all their success with massive attendances and massive TV numbers, have no interest in expanding the number of teams. And please, don't get me started with entering a team like South Melbourne in the A-League. South Melbourne might have changed their name, but in their club colours, uniform and team emblem they make it patently clear that they are still a soccer club for Greeks. Are the A-League serious about shedding the ugly image of divisiveness and intolerance that plagued the National Soccer League. There’s no place for a Greek team, with Greek colours, a Greek emblem, and an informally used Greek nickname — in 2017. Just like there’s no place for Melbourne Croatia in 2017. It would be no different to having a Bankstown Egypt, or Sunshine Sudan in the A-League. Promotes intolerance, exclusion, divisiveness. Move on A-League. Stop looking to the past. The Victory embrace ALL Victorians. City embrace ALL Victorians. Melbourne Croations embrace only Croatians. South Melbourne Hellas embrace only Greeks. Get it?
Cameron
Roar Guru
It all goes hand in hand, doesn't it jbinnie?
j binnie
Guest
mf - the average after 95 games is 12,815. Compared to last year that figure is showing an increase of 3.5% which has been dragged down from the 5.5% after 90 games(last week) that we were enjoying up to the horrendous scheduling of games in this latest round, spread over 5 days,three of them working days. Now it is OK for the TV channels to get maximum exposure for their money, but if they want atmosphere at their telecasts they are going to have to sort out this problem ,and do it quickly. Cheers jb.