We saw the season’s first coaching change, plenty of goals and entertaining football across a busy week. Lots to discuss so let’s not delay.
Here are your A-League Round 3 talking points.
New coach bump for City – but was punting Rado right call?
A surprising decision out of Victoria earlier in the week – albeit one that some commenters predicted – with Rado Vidosic dismissed after Melbourne City’s slow start in their first two fixtures. Vidosic, who was Patrick Kisnorbo’s assistant before being handed the top job, only lasted 12 months as head coach and was not the bookmakers’ favourite to be the first manager fired in 2023-24.
It’s true that Kisnorbo had laid a very strong foundation for him but Vidosic still led City to a third straight premiership, which is nothing to sneeze at. It’s a harsh call but clearly the powers that be saw Vidisoc’s tenure as untenable. To be fair, two huge defeats in three league matches are bad enough but when one is in the Grand Final, questions are inevitably going to be asked about the culture of the management and playing squad.
The new boss at AAMI Park, Aurelio Vidmar, was cooking a meal for his family when his phone rang. By the next day, he’d rejoined the A-League coaching ranks after more than a decade out of the competition, and a few days later he led City to a bounce-back victory over the mightily struggling Sydney FC. It was the perfect start but there’s certainly some work ahead for Vidmar, who’ll still be missing star winger Mathew Leckie for at least another month.
Melbourne City’s Mat Leckie. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Two points dropped but Poppa’s Victory look a new side
Speaking of managers and pressure, one club where expectations are always high is Melbourne Victory. After an 11th-placed finish last season, Tony Popovic would’ve been feeling the heat but his side have made an unbeaten start, with two wins from three including a commanding three points in the Big Blue.
Credit to Popovic: Bruno Fornaroli is looking like a much younger version of himself, ex-Sydney FC midfielder Ryan Teague is bossing the centre of the park and Daniel Arzani’s give-a-s**t meter is way higher than I’ve ever seen it.
Arzani is yet to find the back of the net but his link-up play has been great, and he’s working much harder on the defensive side of the ball, too. If Arzani can find the scoring touch he displayed in the early part of last season while he was a Bull, he’ll be amassing Alex Tobin Medal votes quick-smart. The 24-year-old has always been one of Australia’s most talented prospects – can he finally make it all click at the same time?
On Adelaide United, a case could be made that they should feel disappointed with the draw after Roderick Miranda’s second-half send-off. Paul Izzo made a couple of great saves to deny Carl Veart’s side. The Reds next face Sydney FC, whose current form should ensure the points remain in the City of Churches.
Irankunda will learn from unfortunate red card
It seems Nestory Irankunda won’t be in the A-League for much longer, but while he’s here it’s clear defenders are starting to take a, let’s say… cynical approach to stopping him, which was no more evident than on Saturday night at AAMI Park.
Alex King was within his rights to issue the 17-year-old rising star a second yellow, however, discretion is a handy tool as a referee. Let’s put it in context: it’s deep into injury time, it’s a young player – is it really worth sending him off?
King ruled the initial contact from Chris Ikonomidis was insufficient to call a free-kick, telling Irankunda to “be stronger.” Well, that’s a foul. Plain and simple.
Should Nestor have reacted that way? No, of course not. Controlling your emotions, even when you’re being kicked mercilessly, is part of football. This will be a good lesson for the young man. But if King does his job, there’s no reaction, and there’s no second yellow.
If quality of play isn’t enough to bring back the fans, what will?
What the data shows is a familiar trend around the league: the bigger clubs doing most of the heavy lifting with Macarthur trying their best to drag the average down. The fact Western United still haven’t played a home game is concerning, too.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Thanks in part to some nice and mild Spring weather, the football on show has been great and aside from the NBL – which is punching above its weight, to be fair – there’s not much currently hogging the general sport fan’s attention. We’ve got around a month and a half before Test cricket and Australian Open warm-up tournaments begin, and yet the fans just aren’t showing up.
Has the A-League reached a point where every regular fan is already on board, or can the APL do more to attract casuals?
Quick hits
-Patience must be running thin for Scott Barlow and the Sydney FC board. The Sky Blues are scoreless and zero from three in an utterly miserable start to the new campaign. How long can Corica hold on, especially with the next two challenges a trip to Coopers Stadium and then the Sydney Derby?
-Macarthur deserved the win but a cruel way for John Aloisi’s men to drop all three points after Ben Garuccio’s unfortunate slip. It was a solid enough performance from a side who needed to respond after that drubbing at the hands of WSW.
-Oskar Zawada notched this season’s second hat-trick in the Nix’s big win over Brisbane. Wellington don’t usually get much attention around the league but their Polish No.9 is definitely underrated.
-The Original Rivalry certainly delivered. Let’s recognise a couple of great shot-stoppers in Joe Gauci and Paul Izzo, who were outstanding.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
from what I saw, 2 channel 10 matches and highlights on you tube, another good round. Wellington were good.
David Shilovsky
Expert
I think the bar for A-League clubs is higher than the ownership simply remaining solvent. If Western United were 'on another planet', they wouldn't be taking home games to Tasmania. Their ambitions are lofty but they have yet to follow through with them.
David Shilovsky
Expert
It's a little strange, because he's obviously capable of finishing, as shown in his form for Macarthur early last season. If he can recapture that he'll be a menace for defenders.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Crowds are lower than Fury, Macarthur and Western United you cannot question their financial backing. They effectivey put in a license fee of around 15m each through foregone TV money in the case of MAcarthur. These two clubs are totally different to Fury. Western United they are on another planet, considering they are putting into building stadiums,. Fury I think was the result of Don Matheson with a failing golf course resort, looking to get any sort of money in by making an A-league team to attract investors. Fury apparently ran out of money only weeks in to the season, so my assumption the investment moiney went into paying the golf course resort bills . Don Matheson has been involved in PNG with the CHinese and ports. The irony is that apparently Australian foreign aid is being paid to Chinese companies to build stuff and they have done a rubbish job and guess who is in the thick of it Don Matheson.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
To say Brisbane should be doing better just because they lost to the Nix is stupid, how much are you underestimating Wellington? And also the Roar. They lost to the better side however it doesn't mean Brisbane are crap - early days ahead.
JoshW
Roar Rookie
Don't forget Hatamoto.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Its the growth corridor with little growth in the last 20 years till recently and that new growth is happening further north and west, 10-15k from the stadium. Saviour for a rugby league team is getting a good pokies den, Leumah is more an industrial area, so people are going to travel to their nearest pokie palace. Its also away from Sydneys Asian community which is a big funder of rugby league in Sydney these days. Wests Tigers they make all the money from Ashfield leagues club in a heavily Chinese area. For an A-league club in SYdney they need a huge chunk of population to sustain it, and a stadium on the outskirts and 20km from the nearest big population center isnt it.
At work
Roar Rookie
That's some slump! Ironically the big bump in the lull was the demo of Parra stadium which was necessitated by the success of WSW and building the new stadium. Playing in a big Oval in Homebush along with less than desirable results really killed off a lot of support. Fair to say, even from a SydFC fan, is that everyone wants the Wanderers off field (not on field :silly: ) to get back to its peak and beyond.
At work
Roar Rookie
Arzani should stop aiming for row Z when taking a shot. He's looking very dangerous in an attacking sense and distributing quality balls, but he needs some more composure when taking a shot. Glad I took him out of my fantasy team, whereas Bruno keeps delivering :stoked:
At work
Roar Rookie
Regarding the Irankunda red card, if the ref actually did his job and called the foul then he wouldn't have lost his cool. Fair second yellow card for Irankunda abusing the ref, but maybe the ref should do his job properly next time.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
It was derby with Western United as well, definetly a lot of extra people in the crowd wearing dark clothing than a usual City game, I thought they were Western United supporters but they were just wearing dark clothing and only a few with Western United jersies. What stood out is Western United active support looked a lot better and they were in a corner.
Tigerinthetank
Roar Rookie
Semi regular attendee for City and I was there in Round 1 and definitely 10K would have been on the money, but it was not the Active area where the spectators were so you would not see it on TV. City's active has split in two after last year's notorious MV game and no longer city in the same area as each other. General Admittance was particularly high with families due to being a double header with the girls kicking off early, there were hundreds of kids in GA who would not be normal attendees of matches due to the kick up from the Matildas. Round 2 was only the men on Friday night whilst the girls played Sunday against Western at the new Casey ground. I think this is the direction City is taking with looking to families especially in the south eastern corridor of Melbourne which is a significant residential family growth area in Melbourne as growing their support. This will take probably a generation to gain fruition so not a quick fix to their support.
JoshW
Roar Rookie
It's Wanderer's territory. Campbelltown is Western Sydney.
JoshW
Roar Rookie
WSW are in a 9 year slump. Only a period of sustained success will fix that club. The good news though, is that at least the fans exist.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“Brisbane could be doing better” If they were a better run club they would be but after a decade of poor management, a nomadic existence, staff suing the club over unpaid wages (the latest one coming last month), unpaid bills (ongoing), under investment in the playing squads and a long list of niggling things that alienate fans it’s not a surprise “they could do better”. If first the FFA and now APL had some form of ‘Code of Conduct’ and had taken action against poor owners we might not be in this situation. But it’s Brisbane not Sydney, so authorities were happy to let it slide. You can’t have your cake and eat it — fans have become disillusioned and walked away. Roars worst case now is a poor run of results leaves fans with the thought this squads not ready for A League football and react by staying away until it is, then you’ll see some attendance records broken. (I’m optimistic that last point won’t happen but it won’t take much more than an injury to a key player to bring it about).
Waz
Roar Rookie
There was no way they had 10k in R1 though. No way.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“Let’s put it in context: it’s deep into injury time, it’s a young player – is it really worth sending him off?” Yes. Unless you’re trying to make a case that’s it’s okay to verbally abuse the referee if you, the player, think he’s got a decision wrong. Who would be a referee if that were the case?
David Shilovsky
Expert
For sure. They actually cracked 10k in Round 1, but reverted to the usual 5-6k on Friday night.
Garry
Roar Rookie
City's crowds are a drag too
David Shilovsky
Expert
I’m about 50 kilometres from Campbelltown Stadium, which tells you about this city’s urban sprawl, so I’m not really familiar either. That phrase “growth corridor” is always bandied about – I can only imagine the region’s population will swell over the next decade, presumably including more football and sport fans. Unfortunately, it could all be too late for the Bulls. They are in North Queensland Fury territory with their attendances, and we all know that franchise’s fate.