- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Language is everything when it comes to football clubs.
During both pre-season and the competition proper, managers, administrators and captains continue their positive speak around all things football.
No matter how bad things might look or be, discussion will always swing back to the ‘week at a time’ approach. Managers will reference the wonderful opportunities presented to their talented yet inexperienced young players; those asked to step in and fill roles made vacant by injury and poor form, but reiterate the clubs ability to rebound from poor recent performances.
It is quite rare for a manager or captain to throw their pupils or peers under the bus, call a spade a shovel and admit to major failings within their squad.
We did witness it last week as Wanderers captain Mark Bridge described the performance of his embattled Club as being something near ‘all over the shop’.
However, the general default position of football clubs is to maintain an exterior positivity that may defy some of the real issues lying below the surface.
In fact, each and every club faces those challenges, albeit to differing degrees and being able to turn potential negatives into positives is an immeasurable art form.
Being able to face, combat and rise from these challenges as a better team is what football and sport is all about.
Season thirteen of the A-League has already seen a number of clubs faced with immense challenges that required solving with some lateral thinking, flat out hard work and a touch of fortune.
The Newcastle Jets are the talk of not only their town, but a significant part of mine as well. In short, they are entertaining. Whilst things look terrific right now, the loss of import Ronny Vargas in October loomed as the potential derailment of their season.
Throw in the injury to Roy O’Donovan that has bothered him for the past month and the suggestion that their run could potentially hit a hurdle would not have appeared a rash statement.
In response, Andrew Nabbout has finally taken the step that I, and others, always felt of which he was capable. Playing more centrally and with less wide running on the left, Nabbout has taken on the up-front responsibility usually provided by O’Donovan.
(AAP Image/Darren Pateman)
Along with the sparkling form of Dimi Petratos, the Jets attack has turned a potential negative into a host of options for Ernie Merrick and the way he sets up his attacking weapons.
Sydney FC have continued their wonderful form of 2016/17 and will be favourites for the A-League deep into the home and away fixtures.
However, it is important to remember the considerable difficulties they faced leading into the season. With the losses of Bernie Ibini, Danny Vukovic and marquee Filip Holosko, as well as the release of mainstay Milos Dimitrijevic, the sky blues were always going to look a different squad.
Much of the shuffling was no doubt made in an effort to keep Johnny Warren medallist Milos Ninkovic on the books and the risk associated with placing eggs in such a valuable basket is always high.
Rhyan Grant’s ACL, which ruptured last July, further complicated the recruitment dilemma for Graham Arnold. Moreover, replacing Vukovic looked near impossible after his efforts in the Grand Final.
However, similar to Newcastle, a distinct positive has emerged from their predicament.
At thirty-six, Luke Wilkshire has proven a masterstroke, with his ability to play a similar running role to Grant, moreover, Andrew Redmayne has exceeded all expectations and made very few errors in goal.
Nothing really needs to be said about the late acquisition of Adrian Mierzejewski, he has been astonishing, however, so delayed and mysterious was his arrival, Sydney fans feared the worst. Ironically they appear to have inherited the best.
Arnold now takes on the same challenges as Merrick, with selection headaches resulting from good form.
Melbourne Victory have faced more negative and curious press coverage than any team thus far, after starting their campaign with only one win in the first eight weeks.
Personally, I kept tipping them, assured they would turn things around, however the thumping four-one loss to Newcastle in round eight appeared to have galvanised the concerns of many.
Kevin Muscat was strangely composed yet must have started to question his approach.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Despite Leroy George looming as a new A-League star and Besart Berisha back from suspension and starting to find form, it appeared a different Victory to years past.
Subsequently, the dire straits in which they found themselves after that clash against Newcastle have calmed somewhat, based on three wins from their last four, including a derby triumph against their cross town rivals last Saturday.
All of a sudden, Muscat’s men sit fourth, looking dangerous and getting better all the time.
Paul Okon’s Central Coast Mariners have also ridden a roller-coaster throughout the season and the manager must be craving a sequence of solid, unadventurous results for his young squad.
Written off by many, Central Coast have started to gel, with their imports Wout Brama and Tom Hiariej leading the way, despite the fact that they have let more points slip from winning positions than any other team.
Losing O’Donovan, Paul Izzo, Fabio Ferreira and releasing Jacques Faty and Mickael Tavares in the off season appeared to create a crater requiring much filling and the short space of time at the Manager’s disposal made that seem unlikely.
However, the spaces and gaps afforded chances to players like Daniel De Silva and Ben Kennedy and along with the Dutchmen, Okon has his team playing attractively and many would say, unluckily.
While not inside the six right now, they probably should be and if their steady progression continues, Okon’s men, despite some poor refereeing decisions and youthful errors, could still overcome their challenges and cement a place in the finals frame.
All four clubs have faced clear hurdles and challenges thus far yet they have turned troublesome issues into rewarding opportunities.
Perhaps this is what the good sides do and come seasons end, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if all four of them are in the mix.