Season previews always involve some sort of tentative hoist into the veiled unknown.
So many safe assumptions made in theory crumble under the harsh terms of reality; I could make an argument, one supported by tactical evidence from last season, and buttressed by sensible forward projections, that Perth’s 2017-18 season will be a trying one.
But, in lieu of the arid dryness of that avenue, why not indulge in a little soothsaying instead?
As we pluck cards from the deck, each instilled with a heady prophecy, we’ll wave away the fog of fate, allowing the faint outline of what’s in store to emerge.
Adelaide United: The Devil
A symbol of wretched inversion, expressed best by the inverted pentagram, the Devil is a card most associated with a self-inflicted sense of chaos.
Looming over the man and woman, the Devil mockingly holds up a hand of false wisdom, which is really a disguised intention to wreak havoc and dysfunction. Mistakenly positioned as an external corrupter, the Devil in fact spawns from within, impairing progress, killing creativity, spreading hopelessness.
Adelaide’s title defence, as hopeless as any in the A-League’s history, was a calamitous cavalcade, where a sudden exodus of talent in the pre-season, and a vicious cycle of bad results and lost confidence, sent them spiralling from champions and premiers to the second-worst team in the division.
Eventually, after enough demoralising defeats, the Reds gave in, allowing the darkness to envelop them.
The lesson taught by the Devil illuminates the power of self-reliance; only Adelaide can take themselves back into the top six this season, and looking inwardly, not pointing outwardly, is the only way to do it.
Brisbane Roar – Justice
Sitting, unmoved, Justice holds the celestial scales which balance the laws of the universe. He has a sword raised to deliver punishment to those who deserve it, and to anoint those who have earned it. Justice does so without ceremony; the logic of the scales are clear, and weighing down one side will cause an unavoidable imbalance.
Brisbane are preparing for the upcoming season apparently wilfully ignorant of all of this; they have lost the joint-leading scorer, and have replaced him with a 37-year-old marquee. They bade farewell to a club legend at the end of last season.
Having instated a three-at-the-back system over the pre-season, the Roar have been beaten 5-1 by the Victory in an FFA Cup tie, and 4-0 by the Wanderers in a friendly.
Their transfer business has been, generally, lacklustre. The team has been insulated from the instability caused by the club ownership over the last few years, making a finals appearance in each of the last five seasons, including three finishes in the league’s top three.
But it does seem as though Brisbane is due for a down year, and perhaps Justice, looking on dispassionately, will deliver a blow to right the karmic scales.
AAP Image/David Crosling
Central Coast Mariners: The Magician
The Magician wields divine powers of transformation, turning nothingness into somethingness. The symbol of infinity represents the limitlessness of his power, but this power does not come from within him; it is, in fact, only channelled through him.
The sources of power are outside of him, and just as he relies on these sources, so they too rely on him as a conduit; they are disparate, impotent and haywire without him.
Paul Okon appears to be growing something, coaxing out timid seedlings, from the barren plain that the Mariners have been trudging through for so long. His team finished third-bottom last season, but was extremely young, and offered up more than enough evidence to suggest progress is being made.
Crucial to the Magician’s potency is his clarity of thought; he must know not just what to do, but how and why to do it. Okon’s team is, in many ways, unknowable; Daniel de Silva is searching for a career revival, Andrew Hoole is overflowing with volatile potential, and Connor Pain only showed tantalising flashes of his value to the team last season.
Okon’s abilities – themselves largely untested – as a manager will be strained, but if he can conjure something this season in Gosford, a wondrous piece of genuine magic it will surely be.
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Melbourne City: The Tower
The Tower looks like a scene of catastrophe, but really the card represents the necessary destruction of old, crumbling pillars we lean so lazily on. Destruction can be a catalyst for creation, and the Tower’s golden crown, toppled by a divine lightning bolt, is being removed from cold stone so it can better, more effectively, sit on human heads.
Melbourne City, having won the FFA Cup last season – beating Sydney FC in the final no less, a team that had looked utterly imperious, and which continued to look that way in the league – rested on their laurels, the richest club in the country, with the nation’s greatest ever Socceroo drawing crowds around the league.
They seemed encased in stone as the season wound its way toward the finals, unable to reinvigorate as a team, slipping to uninterested defeats and draws, eventually being beaten 2-0 by Perth in the post-season.
In what may be Tim Cahill’s final season as a player, City must take the opportunity to rebuild up their tower, having learnt the lessons of last season; a new tower, sitting on the rubble of the old one, will stand taller and prouder.
Melbourne Victory: The Chariot
With the two sphinxes bridled and sitting as well-trained steeds in front, the Chariot symbolises the powerful torque you can achieve with properly controlled emotions, and a laser focus on the destination.
The Victory, one of the league’s most successful and consistent clubs, tend to accrue this demeanour, and last season it seemed possible they could have caught leaders Sydney, wheels spinning furiously, horses galloping, a snorting pursuer. They were, in the end, pipped to the premiership, and lost to Sydney on penalties in the grand final, a cruel finish.
A James Troisi transfer saga for the ages threw the off-season into relative turmoil, and Marco Rojas and Fahid Ben Khalfallah both left; the horses were braying, throwing off their yoke and reigns, ready to bolt.
Then Troisi was suddenly re-signed, and Mark Milligan was brought in, and the mounts were calm again, pointing in the right direction, with Kevin Muscat steely-eyed and focused in the driver’s seat, reins in hand.
Momentum, increasing with every stride, carries the Chariot steadfastly toward its objective.
Part 2 tomorrow…
Waz
Guest
I think one of the wheels came off the chariot last night ? that can happen when you've only got 16 first team players a little over a month out from an ACL season.
Waz
Guest
Maccarone is the gamble - if he has the quality/fitness then Roar won't be short of goals. Skapetis I think will go really well, he won't be long in the A league.
j,binnie
Guest
Waz - Three good questions,and the longer this "lack of quality signings trend" goes on,,the answers to the latter two remains in limbo. Cheers jb.
Footoverhand
Guest
Brighton Hove Albion
Bazmace
Guest
Think he was heading for Bolton in the championship
Waz
Guest
Well I think the answer to the question "do they want to be a big club" is yes they do; the bigger question is do they have the means to invest to get there and, more crucially imo, do they have/can they get the management capability to take them there?
j,binnie
Guest
Waz- Had actually read the article you mention before I wrote my reply to you and,as you say there are some interesting things said in his discourse on what is going to happen,but you will perhaps forgive an old cynic when I say "yes ,we've heard all that before so will wait and see". What was noticeable,though he did not expand upon it,was his admission as to his embarrassment when he kept getting tweets during the Cup game. As you have also spelled out that was an embarrassing performance but unfortunately that was as far as he went. He does not mention what we are discussing here,the subject matter being do Roar want to be a "big club" in the HAL ,or just another also -ran ,content with a minor placing or would he like to see not only a championship being won here but an advancement when the team plays in Asia. What I am using as a measure to that ambition is the club's recruitment policy for lets be honest there has been very little to show for 5 years activity in the new procurement market,while our main opposition in the HAL appear to be constantly on the outlook for international quality and that to me is a significant difference of which, unfortunately, the chairman makes no mention. cheers jb.
Waz
Guest
jb. I agree that the breakaway is starting to occur - the investment in infrastructure is crucial as will be the future division of revenues which is likely to favour sides at the top if the league each year over those at the bottom. Will Roar hang in there? Not if crowds don't grow, 14k is respectable but in a one team city it's not enough to keep up with the big 4 and if a second team divides support then both teams don't be able to keep up and Brisbane will become to the A league what Bristol is to the EPL. Have a look at kingsman's message today, some very interesting facts n figures in there.
Ben Sewell
Roar Pro
Jesus give the man some time. Bundesliga 2. is a solid 3 games into the season..
Bob
Guest
Berisha >>>> Macalaren who's not even getting off teh pine in Germany
Bob
Guest
The wheels will come off Vucks chariot this season - 6th place again. They've left it too late to sign the remaining 4-5 players
Waz
Guest
Great update from Kingsman here; some detailed facts and figures on expenses etc as well (you can actually work out Suncorp stadium rental costs for the first time): http://www.brisbaneroar.com.au/article/report-brisbane-roar-fc-managing-director-update/1fk3zgheeduio1g5ii2evopbek
Footoverhand
Guest
I must admit Milligan is class, he only missed out on playing in the EPL because of Australia's average ranking over 3 years, missed out by half a point.
Footoverhand
Guest
I think Andrija KALUDJEROVIC did well at the Roar didn't he? He could be a great signing. Paracki seems interesting, what do you think of him? Galloway seems a good signing and they brought in a few defenders, so they are probably more ballanced, especially in depth. I must admit the new coach Kalizic seems to have good pedigree and we all know Rado was the brains behind Ange's Roar! Maybe I was a bit hard on them, it will be interesting to watch them as well for sure.
Lionheart
Guest
The Nix look to have a few good signings and new coaches - I know they're not part of this article, but I'm really looking forward to see them play.
Waz
Guest
Penalties are different types of goals though. We had 7 last season, I don't think we had 7 in the previous 3 seasons. We can replace a penalty taker easier than the 13 goals from open play. If Maccarone (or Skapetis) get 10 goals including 7 pens we're in bother. If either get ten from open play we'll be fine. Then the other factor is Maclaren was a classic goal poacher, a finisher, not a creator hence 40 goals in two seasons and only about 2 assists. For a possession based team that was problematic and - not a problem of his making - Broich/Borrello on either side were not goalscorers hence Roar had a goalsciring problem last year - we absolutely dominated teams at times and ended up drawing the game still so this season goals have to come from more places. And the contrast between Berisha and Maclaren doesn't hold, they're different types of players. Look at the number of primary/secondary assists Berisha gets involved in, the amount of times he receives the ball and holds it up. always wondered if Bes and maccers could play in the same team as Keogh/Maccers did?
j,binnie
Guest
Waz - You cite one of the main reasons that keep Roar fans coming back,no even growing, year after year ,and that is the team's abilIty to "hang in there" year after year and finish high up the HAL. I agree with your sentiments and it says a lot for the players involved over those years, for in fact the coaching position has altered dramatically (4 or 5 changes I can think of) over the 7 years you mention adding just a little bit of "mystery" again to the question "What is a successful coach"??? Another angle to be considered is the measure against the standard of the HAL, for in all that success, Roar have seldom,if ever,made any advance when playing in the next level up,the Asian Cup. IMO the standard in the HAL is changing and we have 4 or 5 clubs starting to show they are in the comp for the long haul, Victory being the obvious trend setter closely followed by Sydney FC and, (when they get their home ground sorted ) WSW.. Do Roar want to keep pace with these clubs or are they quite content to waddle along behind them hoping to come up with a score or two to keep the fans happy. We are in the entertainment game whether we like it or not, and to be "top of the bill" in entertainment you have to have some stars in "the show". In football the only guide we have to that "stardom" is the new signings that are arriving at the club and to date Roar have fallen behind others in procuring "stars".This present close season is perhaps the worst so far and I think it is this inaction,or poor action,that is causing unrest in the minds of some regular fans like yourself. Cheers jb.
steve
Guest
Maybe you are right there Waz, who knows, just purely looking at the stats I'm not sure any Roar fan should be looking at a McLaren or Berisha return from him in goals scored. Maybe he will bang in a goal a game or close to it, I guess we will find out. That's ais, as a Roar supporter, I'm not at all feeling confident of a finals appearance this season, and signing a 38 year old " marquee ' at the tail end of his career doesn't fill me with confidence.
Footoverhand
Guest
Pretty much agree, but with MV and SFC in the ACL, it will be interesting to see how they go. Both teams don't have the best records in it, but their sides are playing better than before, it will be interesting seasons for them. Most teams in the ACL need good depth and still suffer a bit in the regular season. Adelaide could go either way, but Kurz is a pretty good coach so they could be up there. I'm really interested in watching CCM, I like their Dutch signings, they could surprise some people and it would be great to see DeSilva performing at his best, their striker is an unknown to me and the loss of Izzo is a big one for them. The Nix and Perth look like they might be fighting over the wooden spoon for me, but with the Nix loosing so many players for internationals and Finkler didn't perform last year, also the loss of their RB, they look to have it in the bag.
Fadida
Guest
What, so we aren't counting penalties now? I'm betting Bersiha got at least 5 penalties per season to top up his tallies.