Just 12 games remain in the regular season, and we learned a little bit more about most sides this weekend.
Here are your A-League Round 24 talking points.
City clinch third-straight premiership
With all the talk of Adelaide United’s great run and Western Sydney’s resurgence under Marko Rudan this campaign, Melbourne City might not have received all the plaudits that they deserved. Perhaps everyone is just getting used to City dominate in the regular season, as this is their third premiership on the bounce.
There’s no use rehashing the regular season versus Grand Final debate. Everyone already has their own notion, and putting personal preference aside, in general Australian sporting culture it’s all about which team can get the job done on the ultimate stage, in the ‘big dance’.
City are a big chance of completing the double in 2022-23, avenging last season’s semi-final exit at the hands of Western United, but irrespective of who lifts the toilet seat in Sydney, the work of the players, Patrick Kisnorbo and Rado Vidosic deserves to be recognised. While it’s not as strenuous as many leagues around the world, a 26-game season is still a war of attrition, so congratulations to City for being the most consistent side in the league once more.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Where will Talay land in 2023-24?
He’s one of the more promising Australian coaches going around, and at the relatively young age of 47, Ufuk Talay will likely have numerous attractive offers on the table for next season. Earlier this week the Phoenix boss announced that he’ll be leaving Wellington at the conclusion of their campaign, and remarked that his aim is to “get an overseas job, either in Asia or Europe.”
The rumour mill has been in overdrive since Talay’s press conference, with the two most plausible A-League links being his former side Sydney FC, and the struggling Melbourne Victory. In terms of the Sky Blues, a finals finish may be enough to save Steve Corica, but has Tony Popovic got enough credit in the bank for the Victory board to overlook their disastrous 2022-23 campaign?
With Victory officially out of contention for the finals series, it wouldn’t surprise me to see an imminent announcement that Popovic is out with Talay coming in.
But who knows, he seems to have the ambition to emulate the likes of Patrick Kisnorbo, Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat in achieving overseas moves, so if one comes up it’s unlikely he’d be too keen to stay in Australia.
Where do Victory go from here?
Popovic cut a despondent figure in the press room in the bowels of CommBank Stadium on Saturday evening.
He claimed his side weren’t that far off in the 2-1 loss to Western Sydney that ended their season, but outside of a short burst at the start of the second half before Roderick Miranda earned an early shower, it was the same old story for Victory: lack of bite up front, ineffective midfielders and relying on Paul Izzo to keep them in the game.
Poppa noted Victory “know what success looks like,” and it’s true they had a fruitful 2021-22, finishing second on the ladder before bowing out in the semi-finals. The problem is, coaches like him – think Marko Rudan – have a shelf life that is rarely more than a couple of seasons. There are myriad problems at Victory, but it seems the squad’s started to tune out the coach’s methods.
As mentioned, Talay will be available and the head coaching position at Australia’s biggest club is still an attractive proposition, so should the board explore the possibility of a new manager, there will be good options. There will most certainly be changes to the squad in the off-season, but it remains to be seen if it’ll be Poppa overseeing them.
Would a Magic Round work in the A-League?
After the success of the NRL’s Magic Round in Brisbane, Melbourne hosted the Super Rugby version, and we’ve just seen the AFL hold Gather Round in Adelaide with big crowds across the weekend. Oh, for the APL to have just sold a regular season round to the NSW government instead of its biggest spectacle. But I digress.
Football doesn’t have the nationwide footprint the other codes boast, so it may be a stretch, but I’d like to see it trialed in 2023-24. The worry, I suppose, would be seeing 1500 fans in attendance for Wellington versus Macarthur at AAMI Park, but after this season that kind of number probably doesn’t look so frightening.
There would be lots of logistics to figure out first, and I’ll leave that kind of thinking to brighter minds than my own, but a Magic Round would hopefully be a money-spinner for the APL and a chance to increase engagement for the league in the chosen city.
Grem
Roar Rookie
It was always a hiding to nothing, but his resume will look OK with a coaching stint in the big 5. I’d have him at Sydney.
Garry
Roar Rookie
btw re Kisnorbo.. "Australian manager Patrick Kisnorbo is lucky to still be in charge of Ligue 1 club Troyes after a tough start to his stint in France. The former Melbourne City coach has won just one of his first 17 matches in charge, with the club looking destined for relegation with seven games remaining this season"
Grem
Roar Rookie
Non player only means not a well known or top level player. Plenty of great coaches were only average players at best. There are plenty of occupations where you go into a job without really experiencing it – Prime Minister of Australia for a start.
Garry
Roar Rookie
In other news Toper-Stanley retires and NON player appointed Phenix coach - about time! "A self-described “nobody”, Giancarlo Italiano, unlike most A-League coaches, is not a former professional footballer. Italiano gathered extensive coaching experience at the grassroots level in New South Wales before joining Sydney FC in 2017 to work with their NPL and National Youth League teams." Ive always thought there's been a bias against non-players. I understand why but still felt it was a bit unfair.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
State of Origin works best when you are limited to 2 or 3 states. Rugby league has no issue with being NSW vs QLD. They even go as far to move Kiwis and Pacific Islanders into those two teams, because the money from State of Origin, dwarfs internationals. The AFL their State of Origin would be absolutely huge now, what they dont want to do is acknowledge their game is mainly SA,VIC,WA and have a three way State of Origin series. A three way State of Origin has various advantages that they can play each other once .They want to pretend they are national so thats why they stopped State of Origin. Football is national unlike those sports but that means there are too many states. State matches would have been a good idea in the old days when they had state leagues. If things go so pearshaped in this country there is no national league left, then introduce State matches. Until then forget it its not needed.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Destination NSW pays for the Socceroos to play in NSW and the Victorian state government also pays for the Socceroos to play. If SA (who pay for gather round and state of origin) put some money forward The Socceroo would be there, and any other state that will help with the cost of bringing the team home and flying the other squad in and accommodating them would get them as well.
Grem
Roar Rookie
In the last couple of seasons we’ve lost 2 x Kuols, Rowles, Devlin, Yazbeck, DaGostino, Atkinson, King, Birigghiti, Tourre, Dukuly, and many others to overseas competitions. We are about to lose Tilio, Bos, Cummings, etc to overseas competitions. We’ve got other young stars such as Irankunda, Gauchi, O’Neill, etc who will probably go overseas. We’ve got great players such as Leckie, Maclaren, Caceras, Redmane, Goodwin, Borello, etc playing here. We can add in imports such as Mac, Lolley, O’Shea, Davila, Nani, etc and you think we couldn’t fill two All Stars teams – you’re joking. If NRL can have two teams from their tiny pool of participation then I think football can manage from the biggest(by far) participation pool in Australia.
David Shilovsky
Expert
The problem with an Origin fixture is we can barely fill one All-Stars team, let alone two.
Skoose
Roar Rookie
Melb C are seen as a junior club of Man City by many. Need to get rid of the countries buy teams in different countries. The German clubs get plenty of fans and are 51% run by the fans, great games.
Skoose
Roar Rookie
No, not a good idea. Football is about your team, your patch. Having Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide playing in Sydney/Melbourne is another bad idea that will lose fans. This will drive more fans away from Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide. This didn't work when Super Rugby did it and Western Force played in Melbourne. How about a State of Origin, that might work. combined West/S Aus v, Qld & NSW v Vic (Semi's) winners play a final? Besides Socceroos only ever play in Melb/Sydney.
Grem
Roar Rookie
And we need tv personalities invested in football, not just the other codes.
338
Roar Rookie
I agree. His enthusiasm and investment in the game and across different teams is a breath of fresh air and when he hosts round ball rules it's a much more entertaining and enjoyable spectacle.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Tristan is a former player in Ireland, plus of course a ball room dancer of repute. This midfield whatever certainly not general is a disciple of misery guts Tuckerbox and co and their anti A-league agenda.
Garry
Roar Rookie
Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelade Crowd: 10,110 "We've also seen four games hit 10k in a single round for the first time this season. I don't know the last time this has happened, but it hasn't since before 2019-20 (even including the rounds not affected by COVID)." Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Crowd: 12,850 Eden Park, Auckland Crowd: 8,320
David Shilovsky
Expert
That's a little harsh. You can tell Tristan knows about the league. Sure, he's a little overzealous sometimes, but he's not too bad.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The Irish guy is the only who isn't part of the old boys network and rocks the boat. Harper tries to find the nearest young bloke to the action and blames him for everything.
Garry
Roar Rookie
"Victory are the biggest club based on membership numbers" cant find more up-to-date numbers but:- "Melbourne Victory is excited to announce that the Club has reached 10,000 members for the 2021/22 season." "Sydney FC has smashed its club Membership record reaching over 17,000 Members for the first time in its 18-year history" 1 Feb 2023 In light of their troubles I cant imagine MV being that much atm
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
alot of people underestimate the a league rivalry between sydney and adelaide - the original "rich vs poor" match from season 1 (where adelaide was the premiers, but sydney were the champions) outside of victory coming to hindmarsh, sydney get the next biggest crowd and is the one side besides the obvious (victory) that fans love to beat. like i said above its rich vs poor, big city vs small city, arrogance against humbleness etc the fact sydney have quite a good record at hindmarsh riles up locals even more
Garry
Roar Rookie
Actually I thought considering the Union game teh surace looked ok..it looked pritine beore the Waratahs ga,e! It maybe was a bit heavy but even the women played well on it - despite managing to find the WU goalie over 8 times (and she made some great saves too :crying: )
Garry
Roar Rookie
"Most wins in a season: 20, Sydney FC " "Fewest defeats in a season: 1 Brisbane Roar (2010–11) Sydney FC (2016–17)"