Massive consequences in Round 10 of the A-League could make it one of the best weekends on record

Berisha, MacLaren, Taggart were the last three to succeed. I would argue Maccarone with a goal every three games (in a poor side) was a success as well but that’s often controversial because everyone decided he was too old before he’d kicked a ball. Your point is valid and striker was #1 problem to fix in the winter, they said they’d sign someone and didn’t, that was a big factor in Ross leaving (not the main one) and will remain an issue until, as you say, they figure out what to do with strikers. Waddingham’s problem is not effort or ability, it’s poor movement. If you want to see a striker with great movement have a look at any of Woods three goals for Forest v Newcastle in the EPL … classic in/out and out/in movement to create space to score - Waddingham doesn’t have that experience yet and won’t get it by just playing him week after week as Ross was told to do. BUT … I’m wondering if Waddingham may benefit from this coaching change - did RA get frustrated with behind the scenes activity and Waddingham got the rough end of all that??

As a seasoned professional I feel his decision was probably more based on his family then commitment to the Roar. Brissy is a great place to live compared to the UK or uprooting his family for another Aleague club for what could be his last contract of his career. There is a longer and bigger game outside football being played here by the Irish man me thinks. I am just glad he seems to love it here in BrisVegas. We’ll have him for as long as he wants to play I reckon.

Roar haven’t been able to play with a single striker for years. For what ever reason it is not in the player’s DNA, and I am not talking about the strikers, I mean the other 9 outfield players. There has been no decent service to the box for a long time. Lescano had quality and did some great things when he started dropping in as the false 9 allowing players to play off him, but the expectations was for him to hit 15 goals as a goal scoring striker, so he was dismissed. Austin then fell into the same situation. He was getting no service so he also dropped deeper into the false 9 and again was very effective in releasing the wide men outside him. But again, he did not hit a goal a game so again everyone was disappointed. They then employed Mileusnic as the 9 and in my opinion wasted the bulk of his playing season putting him there. Now, enter Waddingham and we are still waiting for him to get going with again precious few real chances created for him. He has been very unlucky in probably 3 to 4 clear cut chances being denied by some well above average goal keeping as his movement and work rate has been very good. Perhaps it is time the gaffer look at running 2 out and out strikers, possibly allowing Tommy some freedom to move without 2 CBs right up his Croydon all day, or the team needs to work more on creating better chances around the penalty spot. Otherwise we just accept that he is there to distract the defenders and run his guts out with no reward other than the knowledge that his presence allows Mileusnic and Hore more space when going forward.

I am a selfish football fan and admit it. I love watching our A Leagues and seeing players doing well and players developing from whichever club. The owner of the Macarthur Bulls admits he is losing money and is prepared to do so. I will go along to their games for as long as they exist to see all the things I mentioned above. I really enjoyed their game against Adelaide – an exciting come from behind win against a team I also like watching. Another club is another avenue for our young talent to go to. We need more teams. Were they a good choice? Spectator wise – no, but they (at this moment) are financially stable and have some great players to watch. And I’d love to see an AIS team in the competition as well, providing they can finance themselves! And when Macarthur play Sydney, WSW, CCM and Newcastle then of course they will play more games in their own state, just as Adelaide would if the situation was reversed.

the AIS (adelaide institute of sport) lol should be the second team in adelaide. so many good teenage players here, that should already be playing professionally

you have to remember that no other a league club is losing as much money at there homes games (with the exception of western united) then macarthur. they need to average 12,000 fans at a home match to break even once you factor in stadium security, police, paramedics/ambulance, food etc. without having the best stadium deal out of any professional sporting team in australia, macarthur more than likely would've already folded up and the licence moved on to another team. do the sums, macarthur are losing upwards of $220k every home match (with western united closely behind them) - will be over 3 million for the year it doesnt matter how deep the owners pockets are, eventually you will grow tired of losing money. imagine if they were actually leaving nsw more this season (dont forget how bias there scheduling has been this season (only 1 game played outside of nsw) factor in the travel to asia and the games they will play interstate this season and i would estimate a loss of between 4-5 million dollars

Can’t and don’t need to argue with any of that. I understand and agree completely with all, except perhaps for the Ravens and 49ers, but I’m sure many people enjoyed that game too. And yes, crowds lifting a team is great to witness.

Grem, You should have watched the Ravens vs 49ers on Boxing Day - especially good when the visiting team gets in front and the home supporters are desperate for a life saving “Hail Mary” or similar play. I’m not convinced that cow bells contribute to a good atmosphere. Vuvuzelas killed the atmosphere for many at the 2010 World Cup - I ended up watching all the games with no sound at all. cow bells do a similar job for me …but that’s just me. I’d like to have seen MacArthur kick off with similar crowds to when WSW first arrived in 2012. however, the same research wasn’t carried out and a lot of assumptions made about fishing where fish are…….whilst that maybe a starting point, you need to understand tides, cloud cover, darkness and the right fishing gear and to my way of thinking FFA failed on all accounts in relation to both expansion teams. Contrast that with the MLS expansion that saw Atlanta join and then LAFC. They got it right and the MLS is going from strength to strength. Whilst a direct comparison is not fair or valid, what is worth looking at is how they go about things. We keep hearing that Adelaide is the only place where crowds are holding up and AU are pulling them in; let’s hope that doesn’t mean someone makes the assumption that a second Adelaide team is the way to go. It is a matter of scale and my guess is that AU are pulling in just about every football fan that can attend and that doesn’t hate the A League.

Perhaps if it was played at Lumeah on a Monday night they’d crack 10000. And I think 10000 is a key number to have atmosphere, especially in those smaller venues. Monday seems to be Macarthur’s night. The Macarthur supporters are small in number, but they are vocal and would see Sydney and WSW as rivals. And as a “neutral” (I do have a 6 game Macarthur membership to watch more live football) I do look forward to these games between two decent teams. I do understand how you prefer better crowd numbers, though, and I partly agree. Bigger crowds do add to the spectacle. It’s funny though, I watched an NFL game at Accor with around 70000 people, but it was still a rubbish game to watch! I don’t think a million spectators would have improved the spectacle. In my opinion some sports or codes are just rubbish no matter how many people come through the gates.

Fantastic to see O’Shea sign a new 2 year contract. He really seems very passionate about the Roar and their future. And he’s about to become an Australian citizen – hopefully some future O’Sheas in the Socceroos and Matildas.

Hopefully Paramount doesn’t let me down (I have reported my issues to them). I’m one of those neutrals who is really looking forward to the game. As Stuart wrote though, every game looks pretty interesting to watch - the Mariners going into the top 6. Can they fight against the odds again. This new coach could have been another piece of Monty magic!

Neither side can afford to lose a second consecutive game so it will be interesting.

I love your MacArthur optimism Stuart. Could grow into an interesting derby - just like playing SFC. You need two teams and two sets of supporters and some kind of rivalry real or imagined to create a good derby and if MacArthur were going to create any interest it would have materialised very quickly. Realistically, nobody is interested in creating a rivalry with them - they would be better off hoping for a Wollongong team and to create something with them. either that or maybe come back in 100 years!

Monday, January 01st, & there’s a tasty derby to start 2024 at CommBank – WSW verses Macathur. Both teams are on equal points. An entertaining match for neutrals, it appears.

The game against CCM and WU were both poor in terms of game plan, best we delete them both from our collective memory. Your description sums it up perfectly though - what is Waddingham meant to be doing? Playing in a 4-2-3-1 he must have two roles: As the point man, the striker, finisher, the muscle up front for wide midfielders to play too, or off. The second role is as a holding 9: turn his back on the opposition goal, look to receive the ball at feet, drop deeper to receive the ball, and link with other players. He can definitely play the first role, the Cup proved that although not against AL opposition full time. The second role he hasn’t demonstrated he can play it - I said on the other article posted today (Stuart’s) that Waddingham may be the beneficiary of Ross moving on: maybe now someone can sort out what he is supposed to be doing.

On the topic of Waddingham... Is he employed as a hold-up and play off type of striker, or as a finisher of crosses and balls played to him in the box? I attended the game against CCM and couldn't work out what the team was using him for. When the team was attempting to play through the middle of the park... nothing to his feet nor balls over the top for him to run onto... and when the team probed the wide areas it was almost always a case of stop, turn and firk around the edges, play back and lose the ball. For me, he's a target man. Get the ball to his feet and get him turning.

For as much as it would disappoint me as a Mariners fan to see Benny get his chance with Brissy and not with CCM, it's well deserved. You can't be disappointed with Benny for getting his chance, or Brissy for giving him it.

You cant argue the competition makes more sense now than it did at the start of the season. The big question is how good are Wellington and Melbourne Victory really. We saw against City Fornaroli lack of pace being beaten to every ball and being too slow to get to a great through ball looked like he has the past couple of seasons. Phoenix have an effective style of play, but the mystery is working out why CLayton Taylor took them to the cleaners and others are stuck in the mud against them. Wanderers being beaten by Wellington was certainly not the plan, maybe 0-0 was the plan and Rudan looked devastated, the question is what they were doing against VIctory and Fornaroli, and why Rudan didnt seem that bothered then. Macarthur were pretty good and determined, they were near the top, but then bang they look like they have gone into zombie mode. Aloisi had the formula during the Australia cup they went crazy in pressing, so the lure of the CHinese dollar has meant that he abandoned the mission. Trani is he continuing the mission or is he going to be helping City like they did the past few years. City I think Natale has improved his play, fitness and defensive work and they have some young subs. I dont think they are title contenders. MAriners have come into it , they are looking much better and ready to mount a challenge. Sydney look like they are aiming for maximum goals at both ends. Western United another team myteriously bad in some games, performs well in others, they are very weak aerially now and concede off corners though. Newcastle from playing ok with bad defending to just being hald dead. Perth with Stajic, they try a lot harder in Perth than they do away but not good enough.

Roar are entering something called “re-rebuilding” or for you youngsters “Rebuilding 2.0”. Ross’ departure was anticipated, the most open of secrets circulating in the football community - it was only when he was going to Japan that was in question. Having already turned down a J2 coaching position Muscat persuaded him China is the new Japan (not sure it is Ross). And don’t be surprised if Hore follows Ross next month. So new management face a bit of a test for the first time. Fans so far have largely given them a free pass thanks to some excellent, albeit oily slick, communications. But you can hear fans patience starting to creak, possibly under the weight of expectations Ross’ team created. And how long will this rebuilding lark take anyway?? But I don’t think Roar will return to form until injuries clear, most likely late January so we’re in for a rough 4-5 weeks I recon. The player at the center of all this, Waddingham, may actually benefit the most. Either dropped to the fringes to continue his development outside of the weekly spotlight or starting games in a re-gigged set up with some striking support. That last one depends on whether they can sign that striker, or possibly Mauk although I suspect Adelaide must be favourites for his signature. Then it’s a case of what does this re-rebuild look like? Trani is surely interim only until June when Cahn takes over (that was always the plan, wasn’t it???) and then who does - or more likely who can - Big Ben sign to complete this squad and replace the inevitable departures. For the City game options for change are limited: Acton coming in is about as far as a big change is likely to go … many of the current starters would struggle in NPL so not likely to over achieve in ALM this side of Armageddon but there’s few options in a squad over ridden with injury now so it’s a case of “here we go, good luck lads”. I always said Roarie the mascot should be replaced with a Groundhog. Prove me wrong Zac, prove me wrong!