Questions will be asked of Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson in the wake of Australia’s quarter-final AFC Asian Cup exit, but perhaps it’s also time to direct a bit of scrutiny elsewhere.
Late last year Gustavsson said he was “all about tournament mode”, but unfortunately for the Swede there are no more major tournaments on the horizon until next year’s World Cup.
The Aussies were forced to contend with a dodgy pitch, some dubious refereeing and a couple of uncharacteristic misses from Sam Kerr in Pune, but it’s hard to see how defeat to rank outsiders South Korea is anything less than an abject failure.
It shouldn’t be particularly contentious to point that out, yet there’s a bit of a strange vibe surrounding the Matildas online – one that in certain quarters seems to equate any criticism of the side with inherent misogyny.
Yet for all the criticism of Gustavsson’s tactics, his choice of substitutions against the South Koreans and even the side he opted to field in the 18-0 group stage win over Indonesia, it’s hard not to wonder whether there aren’t some other factors at play in the continuing employment of a coach who has now lost ten of his 20 games in charge.
Now that Football Australia is cut off from the revenue streams brought in by the A-Leagues, they need a successful World Cup co-hosted with New Zealand to help replenish the coffers.
Gustavsson, with his bold personality and gift of the gab, is arguably the most commercially appealing manager the Matildas have ever had.
But can he coach? I still don’t know the answer to that, and on the basis of everything we’ve seen from his time in charge so far, I’m not sure Gustavsson does either.
However, one person who has a better idea about women’s football than most is Canberra United assistant coach Sarah West, who wrote a long and detailed thread on Twitter last night pointing out that the women’s game remains chronically under-resourced.
Is the Matildas’ malaise just another example of why the top-down model is failing?
(Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)
It’s a question the Western Sydney Wanderers might as well reckon with this week after the club sacked coach Carl Robinson on the back of Saturday night’s dismal 3-0 defeat to Brisbane Roar.
Robinson’s position was untenable long before the latest in a long line of baffling losses, even if few online critics – many of whom are based in Sydney and Melbourne and tend to ignore clubs outside of those two cities – gave the impressive Roar much credit for the win.
After Josep Gombau and Markus Babbel, Robinson was the third foreign coach brought in to oversee a club that once boasted the biggest and most boisterous crowds in the league.
There’s no doubt the Wanderers were adversely impacted by the demolition of Parramatta Stadium, yet they’ve been playing at the best stadium in Australia since October 2019. When are they going to make some decisions that might actually go some way towards filling it?
The only game they’ve looked like a half-decent football side in recently was that 3-3 draw with Melbourne City, in which Labinot Haliti took charge for the ill Robinson. It begs the question of why they recently brought former Newcastle Jets coach Gary van Egmond in as another assistant.
However, one of the reasons there’s relatively little scrutiny of the decision-making processes in the A-Leagues – at least compared to Europe – is because there’s scant football media to conduct it.
But if administrators want to act like this is all just the same as European football, then a little extra scrutiny surely wouldn’t go astray. That way we might end up with some better decisions – like scheduling more night-time football instead of kicking off at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon in the blazing Sydney summer sun.
And maybe we’d understand a little bit more about how a coach who has won six games in charge of a key national team plans to win a World Cup on home soil too.
TEN TRIBES
Guest
It wasn't the coach who missed 3 easy straight-out- in-front goals. The coach had nothing to do with the loss. Sam Kerr lost it. 3 times she was served the ball on a platter by team mates merely a few meters out from an.open goal and she missed the unmissable. Kerr cannot score unless she is gifted a goal by pin point passes but then any other player could score with perfect delivery. Kerr cannot manufacture goals for herself or her team mates. Blame Kerr. Stop blaming the coach.
Waz
Roar Rookie
It is interesting how fortunes changed; and yes the stadium was built on the back of Wanderers early success. Two things worked against the club though - Gallops “War on Fans” which wanderers felt the brunt of and the disastrous move to an oval stadium in the interim. It’s a case of “what might have been” with wanderers
At work
Roar Rookie
The Matilda's played terribly at the Olympics, and our overall result masked our lack of structure and tactics. We were lucky due to individuals doing what it takes, there was nothing from the coach (from both the Olympics or this Asian Cup) that gives me confidence for the WWC23.
Terry Polious
Roar Rookie
Fair point and I accept it, but I live in Parramatta and the general sentiment was that the stadium was built on the back of the Wanderers success. The Eel were a basket case for so long but the stadium has been a big part of the clubs fortunes changing, 20k averages in non covid times and nationally recognized brands as sponsors, this was meant to be the future for WSW, just interesting how quickly fortunes can change.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Fully agree. I've long felt that modern professional sport has been captured by administrators in expensive attire with business/law degrees/diplomas from local and international institutions. Their focus is on generating $$$$ which then/possibly trickles down to improve their own salary and those around them. These administrators are prone to hyperbole, like David Gallop saying that football will become number one in Australia. That was clearly BS and putting the horse before the cart. I'm putting some confidence in JJ, a person who has a football background and I think understands the strategy/work that required for football to be successful, from grass roots to the professional leagues.
Robert Pettit
Guest
Spot on comment. The CEOs of APL and FA and the Chair of FA should each and separately set aside a time each month to address a grassroot club. An open invitation issied to all those involved in football in the region and rotate appearances between the 'state' federations. The APL and FA would learn a lot enabling them to build a football wide consensus to grow the game sustainably in Australia.
Robert Pettit
Guest
As a starter, to keep pace with overseas developments, there needs to be much larger and sustained over many years investment in coaching and facilities at the girls grassroot level noting that 'a rising tide raises all boats!' Additionally the ALW needs to become fully professional with a 30 games plus home and away season complemented by a women's FFA Cup. Both should have been introduced prior to 2022 so as to more fully prepare potential Matilda's for a strong performance at the WWC23. The APL and FFA should have taken a calculated risk and invested substantially more in women's football in the lead up to WWC23 as the tournament is a once in a generation opportunity to grow football to a new, higher level in Australia. For the record Gustavsson needs to go as he is the second coming of Rudi Gutendorf!
David V
Guest
The incompetence and short-sightedness of management at Western Sydney Wanderers, the A-League and the FFA is doing immensely more harm to football in this country than rival codes and the mainstream media could ever think of doing. Football has often been its own worst enemy in this country and the sooner we admit that the better.
rodney
Guest
Haha the Ref. I think she and the commentator went to football school together. Neither one knows the game.
rodney
Guest
There's a handful of talent in this team that needs the dead weight moved. Let's face the truth. I don't know the real reasons behind the Stajic departure, BUT....They haven't been anywhere as good since.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
@Jupiter – I watch their goal several times last night and even today. Mary was pushed off the ball way too easily, and stopped chasing, [a cardinal sin when defending] Carpenter didn’t want to leave her player so left it late to go and close Ji down, If Mary had kept up the pressure, I believe between to two of them they would of made it more difficult for JI. Plus none of the defensive players in the middle came out to try and put pressure on the offensive side, by playing the offside trap. They were all ball watching. So the ball couldn’t be laid off, everyone who knows Ji or knows of Ji has seen her capabilities, knew she only has one peg, and as soon as it went onto her right foot she was likely to score. Annoyed, Angry and Disappointed.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Hear Hear and so say all of us.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure JT will be given some opportunity but Rudes will expect a lot more from him.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
@Tigertown - That is Exactly what I was thinking, when do they play Sydney, better make it a Saturday night FTA show and reschedule it to Parramatta. Any excuse will do.
Grem
Roar Rookie
They did beat Great Britain, drew with and lost by 1 goal to the USA and Sweden at the Olympics. At their best they were rated 4 in the world. With the right coaching, selections, tactics and some luck they could possibly win the World Cup. The fact is they are one of the best teams in the world (11 ranking now) and we need to keep them there. If we sit back and do nothing then 11 becomes 21 and so on. I think it's worth discussing what went wrong and trying to fix it.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
rudes is a great pick up, if the football departments stays out of the day to day running of the team and the boardroom stays away from influencing selections - this could be a match made in heaven
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Can we be world beaters though? I haven't seen much to indicate that's the case, and you'd think other nations have more upside than we do if they put resources into their women's game. Even in the Olympics, our win loss record was poor. The media narrative was that it was a successful campaign, yet we only beat lowly New Zealand in regulation.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
There certainly was a perception of the club outgrowing the stadium - but it was perception only. However, despite only opening in 1986, the stadium was tired and facilities were poor and Western Sydney needed something a whole lot better. Unfortunately, it all coincided with the sale of the club to Lederer or the Primo brigade and between him and his cohorts they have taken the club on a downward spiral evidenced by a succession of poor appointments in both coaching and playing, alienation of fans (not just RBB) a focus on the corporate dollar, dwindling crowds (regardless of covid) and probably quite a few other things. Prior to the ownership change, the club was indeed loved by many fans but the love has to be reciprocated and that just isn't the case and so fans fall away, find other things to do and now there is almost an empty shell. When Mr Gorman was CEO the club felt like Well Run FC; now there is just a void!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Tennis you have 1 shot a year at a 4 different majors, with Barty as a top ranked player. Swimming womens you have about 20 gold medals once every 4 years in the Olympics, Commonwealth games where Australia are easily the best. Matildas they have 1 shot at the Asia cup ,World cup and Olympics every 4 years. World cup and Olympics Australia are ranked about 10th are a long shot. Asia cup is the only one they are favourites in, but Asia is the second strongest confederation in womens and has 4 teams in the top 20 in the womens, so 3 teams can potentially knock them off. Socceroos were as highly ranked in Asia over the years as the Matildas have been. Winning a womens world title is a bigger possibility than in the mens, its still a long shot. Winning the Asia cup both teams have done it. Matildas were I think 4 or 5th ranked team in Asia when they did it in 2010 , while the Socceroos were probably 3rd ranked in 2015 and at home.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
AA - I hear you loud and clear - maybe I should stick to worrying about how WSW might just find a new owner and a CEO that has some idea about recruitment and running a well oiled outfit - not the shambles the club has become.