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Opinion
With the halfway point of the 2021-22 A-League season reached for most clubs, the challengers are starting to sort themselves out from the pretenders.
While Western United’s off-field drams continue to grow, their on-field consistency sees them surprisingly as pace setters – not bad for a side many predicted would finish in the bottom six.
Opposition coaches, players and fans can’t work Western United out. It’s like they lull everyone into a false sense of security before somehow, in the blink of an eye, take all three points.
They seem to be a reincarnation of the Arsenal side of the early 1990s that was known to bore teams to sleep, before netting a goal and winning 1-0.
Out of the 14 games they have played, seven have been 1-0 victories – which currently has the side tied with the ’99 Perth Glory NSL team for most ever 1-0 victories of all time in Australia’s national football leagues.
Many words have been used to describe this united team, boring may be the most popular – but perhaps conservative and efficient describe them best.
United don’t seem to want the ball, they’d rather the opposition have it.
They rank bottom in terms of possession of the ball and comfortably sit near the bottom in shots on target and expected goals per 90 minutes.
One thing they are extremely good at, is defending – letting in only 11 goals in 14 matches, to be leaders in fewest goals conceded.
Each player is working like a cog in a machine, knowing when to push forward or step back into their defensive line.
All credit for this goes down to the coach, John Aloisi.
Aloisi is beloved in his home town of Adelaide due to his family’s connection to the city, but a figure of contempt in Brisbane, having put a sour taste in many supporters’ mouths – his handling of youth was a sore spot at a club that has always prided itself on youth development.
It came as a surprise when he was announced as the Western United boss, replacing the volatile Mark Rudan – who was sacked after losing eight games in a row last season.
Mark Rudan in his days at Western United. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Aloisi has followed the tried-and-tested formula of experience. Statistics in the A-League show you are more likely to be successful with players over 30 rather than under 20.
He is in charge of the oldest side in the competition, with an average age of 30.7 years and nine players over 30.
Jamie Young and Nikolai Topor-Stanley are having Indian summers in their late 30s, while Alessandro Diamanti is like a fine wine as he edges closer to 40.
Crucially, Western United have two of the most under-rated signings this season with Leo Lacroix and Aleksandar Prijovic.
Lacroix is an absolute man mountain at 6’6″ and is capable of imposing himself against opposition attackers. While he has seen his career stall due to injuries, he has still seen the sights of Switzerland, France and Germany as a player. If United can keep him off the treatment table, they will continue to set the pace.
At the other end of the pitch, Prijovic. was an unknown commodity for many, even though he has a fine scoring record at club level – foreign strikers can struggle dealing with Australia’s hard pitches and weather.
An average of a goal every other game is a fine start for the classy Serb, whose hold up and link play is crucial to United’s attack.
United look odds-on to finish top-two and still leave people scratching their heads in disbelief at how they got there.
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