It was an eventful second month of the A-League with a lot of entertaining football being played, although the games in Round 8 were fairly one sided.
In my opinion, the A-League is an unpredictable and exciting to watch, considering the salary cap as well as the hot weather that football in Australia is played in and the second month of the current season showed why.
1 – Kevin Muscat – Melbourne Victory
Victory won all of their four games with their forward part of the pitch extremely potent, especially against the Roar with four goals.
The Victory were outstanding in their past four games, they took maximum points from all of their encounters.
2 – Warren Joyce – Melbourne City
He took a risk dropping Bruno Fornaroli and the gamble paid off with City playing some attractive football. City managed to win two out of the four games that they were involved in.
3 – Tony Popovic – Perth Glory
The Glory are on top of the ladder, but performed poorly against the Jets, even though they won the game two goals to nil. The Glory still remain unbeaten in their opening eight matches.
Popovic can thank Liam Reddy for the Glory being unbeaten to some extent.
4 – Marco Kurz – Adelaide United
Mixed results for the Reds, but they have had some injuries to some useful players in Mirko Boland and George Blackwood.
Isaias needs a change of role and to relinquish the captaincy. The Reds have to improve in some key areas to be a genuine title threat and for Kurz to go to the next level as a manager.
5 – Mark Rudan – Wellington Phoenix
The Phoenix have played some decent football and got some good results so that is why Rudan is middle of the road as far as the coaching ladder is concerned.
It has been a relatively good start to Rudan’s managerial career with the Phoenix playing some good football.
6 – Steve Corica – Sydney FC
The Sky Blues were fairly poor despite winning two of their four games; bearing in mind they were gifted a win over the Wanderers thanks to some bizarre behaviour from Wanderers goal keeper Vedran Janjetovic.
Having said that, Corica did move Brandon O’Neill to centre back due to an injury in the back four of the Sky Blues. That decision displayed that Corica is versatile as a manager.
7 – Ernie Merrick – Newcastle Jets
Despite not playing bad football, the Jets only won two out of the four games that they played, lacking the cutting edge in the final third. They have been without star striker, Roy O’Donovan.
8 – Marcus Babbel – Western Sydney Wanderers
The gamble to take possibly his best player off against the Sky Blues didn’t turn out to be a winner.
I can see that there is some light at the end of the tunnel for the Wanderers, but they need a result for confidence soon.
9 – John Aloisi – Brisbane Roar
I don’t see what game plan that the Roar have as it stands.
I can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel for Aloisi, with the Roar claiming just one win out of the four games that they were involved in.
The lack of discipline showed by Eric Bautheac in Round 8 is indicative of Aloisi’s lack of control over his team.
10 – Mike Mulvey – Central Coast Mariners
Four losses in the four games that the Mariners played from Round 5 to 8 was reason enough, but for me it was the Mariners’ lack of structure and system that was more of a worry than the results.
I am bewildered as to why Andrew Hoole always starts on the bench and the Mariners’ best defender in Antony Golec was dropped in Round 8.
Once again Michael McGlinchey always gets subbed off. Also, I don’t know why Mike Mulvey eluded to the fact that the Mariners don’t have a Baumjohan – in my opinion the Mariners squad is no worse than the Glory.
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