One of the A-League’s biggest problems over the years has been getting marquee signings right.
Many visa signings have said all the right things during interviews, but when it comes to performances in training and on the field it’s more than obvious they are here purely to enjoy the Australian lifestyle while earning easy money towards their retirement fund.
Brisbane Roar, with the help of the APL, announced English forward Charlie Austin as a marquee signing for season 2022-23.
On paper this had the potential for Brisbane to be considered as a title contender, finally having a ruthless striker who would be able to finish the multiple chances one of the league’s lowest scoring teams create but never complete.
Unfortunately for the league and for Brisbane, that has not translated to the pitch, with the big striker announcing he will be departing Australian shores immediately to return to England.
Austin’s time in the A-League will be remembered more for his off-field shenanigans than his on-field efforts.
His social media posts looked like a typical Englishman’s holiday to Australia – littered with photos of his young family enjoying the beach, spending time with Australia’s cute native animals and the relaxed coffee lifestyle, all while living in Queensland’s tropical weather.
(Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Austin can’t be faulted for his interactions with fans on social media. He regularly argued about how poor Australian TV is compared to British and how Hobnobs taste better than Tim Tams.
In terms of on-field performance, Austin has been caught on camera multiple times showing his frustration at his teammates, including a memorable half-time argument with Connor Chapman, that showed fans a behind-the-scenes look into how passionate players can be.
This is not the first time this season Austin has let fly at teammates he believes have been underperforming – his outbursts in training have become a regular occurrence and he has cut a very isolated figure on occasions.
Austin is a classic English No. 9. He’s scored goals for fun all the way from the non-leagues in England to the dizzying heights of the Premier League.
Seeing a player who has always earnt his keep in the 18-yard box, regularly having to collect the ball near the halfway line and pass to teammates, has left the Roar’s fan base even more disillusioned than usual.
It makes it even more mindboggling because there are plenty of players in the current squad with the ability to cross a ball or thread an eye-of-the-needle pass.
Seeing how Austin was misused will pile even more pressure onto under-fire coach Warren Moon, who is likely to be sacked before the end of the season.
Another worrying sign was Austin’s yo-yoing physique. Although genetically never the physical specimen, Austin has gone on record saying he used to enjoy multiple pints and kebabs before and after matches when he was coming up in the non-leagues of England.
He was able to eventually get his diet under control, but it appears as though the habit has been hard to kick.
Austin finished in Australia with four goals in 11 matches, and his overall contribution was best summed up when he went clean through on goal in the recent match against Adelaide United and side-footed the ball into Row Z followed by a shake of the head and a wry smile.
He is also the latest in a long list of recent players from the motherland who have been spectacular fails, including Daniel Sturridge, Jack Rodwell and Zach Clough, to name a few
A-League clubs will need to be more thorough when recruiting players from England, who notoriously have not been able to adapt to Australian football.
The Austin family will leave their sunkissed Australian adventure a couple of hundred grand richer and with memories to last a lifetime.
No matter Charlie Austin’s opinion, Tim Tams are universally recognised as better than Hobnobs. You won’t find a single Australian disagreeing with that.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
Hmm, maybe it's because Charlie Austin is in reality not much better than most A-League strikers.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Add nothing or are nothing?
Grem
Roar Rookie
So lucky for that sport that it’s not played elsewhere. Imagine if European countries seriously played the game - you’d soon see how weak we were comparatively. And no one else plays the sport because…
chris
Guest
"better standard of play". Not sure about that. I went to watch a few matches in Zaragoza - Spain second division a couple of years ago. People just say things that just pop into their heads sometimes.
chris
Guest
Adio loves AFL. Says its good quality. And yes a tr oll is what he is.
chris
Guest
Austin comes across as a typical Englishman who looks down as Australian footballers. I've played with a number of these types and until we win a WC, that attitude will continue. He moves around like he is only semi interested and lazy also comes to mind. I don't think Moon will put a rocket up him because that's what he needs.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Despotovski the ex NSL player, was born in Perth, but his family went back to Yugoslavia . The he shot himself in the foot to get out of the Yugo army. There was Despotovic he was here half a season. You would have through Nani would get Macarthur over the 4k and they paid millions for him. The marquee idea has to be dumped, others will pay a fortune to hobnob with former stars and the price is now 10 times the actual benefits. Yorke was paid 1 million a year, and Del Piero 2. They payed Honda 3 million attracted nobody. Nani 4 million .
Nifty Nick
Guest
When you think about Marquee players the names that immediately come to mind are Dwight Yorke & Alessandro Del Pierro. These two really attracted widespread attention and were worthy performers on the field. Each club needs one. Honda was another to a lesser extent on field due mainly to injury. There was also a 2nd tier of import like Berisha, Finkler, Broich, Ifill, Despotovski, who were not well known but arguably better value on the field. Then there those rather forgettable imports who were largely tourists like Sturridge, Jardel, Junihno. This needs to be a calculated investment but one that can attract sponsors/crowd and get success on the park too. If every team can increase crowd and tv viewing audience then the FA executives then have more bargaining power with tv deals etc.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
He should return to the relentless might of QPR as they win the championship and then take out the Premier League in their first promoted season, before conquering Europe.
Grem
Roar Rookie
You only ever come on here to make negative comments about The Socceroos and the A League. You are a troll – that’s all you are.
Ar-O
Guest
Put it this way. I lived in England during the duration of his career and never heard of him. So great marquee. Nobody cares about him in the country hea actually from either. But yeah, you're right. The Championship is a higher standard than the A-League. Way higher. My bad.
Ad-O
Guest
Australia had one of the worst squads at the world cup and parking the bus to squeak out the group doesn't change that. You gonna tell me that Morocco is a better team than England cos they made the semis? It's a ridiculous argument.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Observation of his social media will show the change came when Charlie's wife left England, and she/they realised that separation from a young daughter is not for them. Can't blame anyone for that. As to a split dressing room, I can only say from listening to some of the younger players, they all speak very highly of him. Goals? He's had more than enough chances, missed. But yeah, it's all the club and coach's fault.
jbinnie
Guest
SS - I think your appraisal of CA is very close to the fact of the matter. It is easy to picture him as you describe, an old - fashioned No. 9 , hustling and bustling around the penalty area, getting vital touches from close-in, touches that resulted in goals. Actually recent history for Roar mirrors the same problem for their ace scorer Berisha, who, as you describe, finished at Roar chasing the ball back to his own penalty area in an attempt to get into the action. A move to Victory saw the same man revert back to his scoring antics. Is there a lesson to be learned? Of course there is. Strikers like Berisha and Austin thrive off their team - mates getting the ball to them with the correct brand of service. Was this happening in this Roar team?. The answer is no, it isn't, and one can't help but think Charlie soon realised he was not functioning as his past suggested he could, and quickly set about getting things back into order. This Roar team is building their points gathering not by scoring goals but by defending better than the opposition forwards, should I say just like the Socceroos ,and others in the recent World Cup displays. The question that the upper management should be asking was "Why with CA announcing his departure early in the week why was he even considered for the Jets game???" This is indicative as to how the Roar are being run and have been for the last 2 seasons, it reminds one of social football played for fun, with everyone being involved in saying goodbye. Under Fowler, Roar commenced to experiment with a back 3 formation and today, with 4 centre-backs playing in the start - up team and another coming on as a sub, it would appear from their goals against total the system could be made to work very well but the midfield is a barren waste when it comes to creativity and yet the same players are used every week. The use of subs is also mysterious with certain players, when introduced, immediately sparking up the attack function but not one of them could be said to be a natural finisher, result, one goal and a series of missed chances. With the WC on show all week it is a sad picture of the standard of these two teams tonight. The crowd reflected the interest. Cheers jb.
John Newy
Guest
So I can only comment on his on field performance. Dud.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Look when Armiento did the nutmeg gets to the byline, both Danzaki and Austin too lazy to run into a better position. Miluesnic went to near post drew 2 all it need was one of DAnzaki or Austin to present for the cutback and its a goal.
Grem
Roar Rookie
The A League that supplied most of The Socceroos. The Socceroos who will be rated the 11th best team at the World Cup in 2022 and whose ranking is about to rise to 28. The A League can’t be too poor add nothing. You’re always just a troll.
Grem
Roar Rookie
ADP needed players around him to do his defensive work. He should have been thankful to them as Sydney played with 9 players only when not in possession of the ball.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Austin scored a lot of goals 12-7 years ago, he hasn't been scoring for fun since. If a player goes downhill from 26-32 you dont get him at 33. Unbelievable they payed big money for this goose.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
WHat your saying is complete rubbish, ADP was frustated with Emerton not running, one match McFlynn two turnovers caused two assists. When did ADP score off crosses, he usually peeled off to the wing. Playmakers want runners, its that simple, a playmaker doesn';t want another playmaker.