The longer the A-League season runs and the further behind us the pandemic appears, the more distant excuses and extenuating circumstances drift from the collective thinking around the performances of the 12 teams.
Things are finally in full swing, borders are open, fans in stadiums and matches are coming on thick and fast, in an attempt to catch up on a number of early season postponements.
Even Perth Glory have re-joined the fray, scoring goals at will and with three or four games in hand on all the teams above them, they look like potential ladder leaders when the lopsided playing loads are cleansed later in the season.
Now, with a third of the competition near done, it is more than fair to draw early conclusions and assess some emerging patterns.
Despite some doubters waiting patiently for Alen Stajcic’s Mariners to fumble, stumble and fold like previous incarnations of the men in yellow from Gosford, they continue to win.
The ladder lead is no fluke and Central Coast can potentially feel unlucky that further points were not picked up in at least two of their three losses.
After a hard fought 1-0 win against a ten man Sydney FC on Sunday, Macarthur FC are snipping away at Central Coast’s heels. The new boys look finals bound at this early stage and likely to challenge for the title; with the foreign talent in their squad looking as good as any in the league.
Brisbane Roar? Well, let’s be frank. They looked a million bucks a few weeks back, yet the goal scoring wheels have temporarily come off and one goal in four will not get things done in a high scoring league.
In much the same way, the jury is still out on Western Sydney Wanderers. Despite losing just twice, they have won just three from nine. If Carl Robinson’s stamp is still slowly being imprinted on them, they are potentially going somewhere.
Alternatively, if this is as good as it gets another mid table finish will be on the cards.
Carl Veart’s stamp is already clearly embedded on his squad in Adelaide. Young players given great freedom to express themselves will, at times, produce outstanding results and the Reds look like a team that is going to have some brilliant nights, as well as the odd ‘shocker’ thrown in when they venture into rarefied air.
So far, so good.
Like Perth, Western United have had less football than many others. However, after the stunning comeback against Victory on Saturday, it is clear the spirit is there and let’s not forget they have won three from seven. Mark Rudan’s troops look to be finals bound in 2021.
The champions Sydney FC are eighth and have won just three times. They’ve been lucky, unlucky, unconvincing, dominant and disappointing. It is hard to see Steve Corica’s team not climbing the ladder in the long term, although they do look far from competition heavyweights and/or favourites at this early stage.
The Jets are over achieving based on the pre-season predictions of many, yet do have an Adelaide like Achilles heel; with inconsistency and a vast chasm between their best and worst plaguing them thus far.
Sunday’s effort against Wellington was a prime example. After starting brightly, a little misfortune saw the Jets once again failing to believe. They switched off before the break and were unable to crack a time wasting opposition.
Melbourne City are another team light on for match play, yet starting to warm to the task. That task is to redeem last season’s grand final loss to Sydney FC and after doing so around a week back, they now look like a serious toilet seat contender.
Daniel DeSilva of the Mariners. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Wellington held hopes of being the same after a strong 2019-20 season, yet thundered the ball into posts and crossbars for the first six weeks of play and lost five matches from eight.
Doing it tough in their Wollongong home away from home, some luck finally came their way on Sunday night. The win in Newcastle could well be a springboard for Ufuk Talay’s talented squad, that could well make a run at the top six come June.
In unusual A-League news, Melbourne Victory will be battlers in 2021. Thousands across the country will have cheered that sentence; such has been the long term and sustained success of the club.
However, pre-season concerns around the squad Grant Brebner had with which to work have now combined with a host of injuries to make the light at the end of the Victory tunnel appear very distant.
Western United’s late fourth goal winner with ten men on Saturday said all anyone needed to know about Victory’s fortunes in 2021. Barring an injection of transferred talent, the squad will not be around come final’s time.
Thus, after finally being able to get something of a read on teams after a small body of work, my early crow on the make-up of the top-six reads.
1) Perth
2) Macarthur
3) Central Coast
4) Western United
5) Melbourne City
6) Sydney FC
That would make for a finals’ series full of brilliant stories and rivalries and one befitting what has been a wonderful A-League season so far.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Yeah that gives me idea that you making out that SFC played counter attacking, either it was tongue in cheek or you really think Simon is quick.
David
Guest
Jeez you were accurate about the Mariners losing to Perth..
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
The speed of Simon would have been a positive in those counter-attacking teams!
Punter
Roar Rookie
Interesting. UMMMM!!!! I'm there every week watching them playing over the years & never thought so, maybe I just imagined the most creative players in the league like Ninkovic, Mierzejewski, Brosque & Bujis playing for Sydney & probably again my imagination playing tricks on me, about speed of the likes of Bobo, Carney & the electrifying Matt Simon. That front 3 makes Salah, Mane & Firmino look so slow.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Corica has always put faith in youth, his problem is he has too much faith in old players as well. Corica's inherited most of his squad from chequebook Arnold rather than using the cheque book and Sydney FC unlike big spending self serving Adelaide are one of the clubs that are propping up Newcastle, so Corica is probably the only manager in A-league history who holds back on the cheque book by choice rather necessity. Until Adelaide start contributing to other clubs like Sydney have instead of bringing in current Socceroos and players from La Liga and trying to pretend they were too poor to contribute.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
They have all been counter-attacking football.
Punter
Roar Rookie
How many of SFC's title has been won with counter attacking football?
Squizz
Guest
That would be my only change from your six Stuart. Brisbane to come in and Sydney to miss out.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
So as fan you get invited to have a look at your clubs accounts and all the contracts? The point I would make is with A-league clubs buying players left right and center during the recent period its ridiculous to claim that Adelaide were in sole running for Juric at some bottom of the barrel price. Goodwin arrived later maybe not as many suitors but other clubs have had players arriving late as well, so they would have been offered Goodwin. I presume Goodwin is on a discount compared to his Saudi wages which would be over the top, but still the same logic applies why are clubs passing over Goodwin to let Adelaide having him on a discount. You are comparing Lopez to Isaias, chalk and cheese though a rejected second division player in their mid 20's is a much better buy than an old first division player. You cant even remember how old Isaias was when he came to your club yet we are supposed to believe you have the inside knowledge on all the books.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Almost all A-League titles have been won via counter-attacking football. The main exception is an Ange coached Roar.
Tigertown
Guest
Staj is a phenomenal coach. There’s been a huge cultural shift at the Mariners, & you can clearly see it in the determined way the team plays. Central Coast remind me of the Arnold era at the moment. There’s also shades of 2013, I can feel. Call me nostalgic, but they’re building a winning brand in Gosford.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Staj is a brilliant coach... our biggest challenge will be to stop him being poached by one of the bigger capital city sides...
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
You’re talking about a club you know nothing about, that’s like me saying I know what matt simon gets paid to score more than 10 goals in a season; I haven’t got a clue as its not my club! Goodwin as stated is a loan player, club will subsidise his wages, but again whatever figure you think it is, it’s nowhere near it. I’m assuming you’re estimating high 6 figures? Wrong again Sydney was never in the hunt for Juric, no a league clubs were seriously in the hunt for him. that’s what you’re not understanding. We had a completely free run to get him and he’s not on marquee wages, nowhere near whatever figure you’re implying it to be. 1 million plus I’d presume? Lopez’s wage is less than Isaias who was 28 when we bought him, (considering that was around $400k at the time for a player several years his junior, what do you think lopez is realistically on?) We are nowhere near the salary cap, for you to even suggest that is ludicrous. We haven’t been anywhere near it for years
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
played a below bar perth, (perth had there chances as well) lost against us. They've still gotta go to brissy, plus the scheduling has been very kind to them all season (like all the NSW teams). Look at the glut of home matches in there next several fixtures as well. The a leagues cinderella team will eventually lose their slipper and then people will see how average a team they are. That is essentially the same squad as well as coach as last season where they collected their customary wooden spoon with the least amount of goals scored and most conceded. what's changed so dramatically that their an over night success all of a sudden?
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
last time i commented on his coaching of the matildas, it led to many of my posts not showing up. Stajcic is an average coach he should've been sacked at the end of last season for languishing at the bottom. there is no club in world football that would stick with a coach for finishing bottom, but that's the a league way; reward mediocrity) if there was promotion/relegation the mariners would've been down many years ago and i dont think they would've come back up either.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Still cannot find out how this CCM has become so good. Maybe, the coach has let the players play simple because the squad is just ordinary. There is no sophistication. Being not a female soccer fan, I do not know if Alen Stajcic did the same in Matildas.
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
we've already beat them in 2 halves this season lol. I doubt any other team will also score 3 past them in a match at HBF this season either
Stuart Thomas
Expert
I've been writing about the culture change and the sustainability of it since Alen took over. This is not a flash in the pan and it is great to watch.
Hudddo
Roar Rookie
Yeah when Adelaide beats perth come talk, Andy.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
I think its safe to say CCM are the truth, Its still early in the season however you cant ride them off now for sure.