Roar Guru
Joined July 2009
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Australia are as much as two games away from contesting the Unofficial Football World Championships. Running in parallel and within the looming 2018 FIFA…
September 2014 and FIFA’s World Ranking release sees Australia drop to 84 in the world and become the AFC’s ninth best nation. What are…
As A-League clubs begin to focus on their youth pathways, is there room for developing the next generation of players for the W-League? Sydney…
In bringing football facilities and the quality of pitches into sharp focus in yesterday’s State of the Game address, FFA CEO David Gallop has…
After news broke yesterday that Lucas Neill is on loan to English Championship relegation-contenders Doncaster Rovers after just one month at Watford Hornets, can…
The Newcastle Jets made 291 passes in their F3 Derby win at home to the Central Coast Mariners, 156 fewer passes than their visiting…
Captain Jobe Wheelhouse says it will take time, while coach Gary van Egmond says he's technically good with the ball at his feet. What…
The first round of Season Eight is near and the Jets form during one of the few uninterrupted preseasons in the club’s A-League history…
Hands up those who are finding it difficult to do the impossible and place standings for A-League season 8? With most if not all…
With six rounds to go to the 2012 A-League final series, fans of eight clubs are wondering where their team will sit come the…
Football fans in Australia are part of one family, but they are divided. They have acknowledged this and together, let us now take the…
Coming up to its fifth birthday, the A-League is a young, vibrant, growing child that has its fair share of stumbling blocks that is…
It’s all on JJ. That is a good and bad thing.
I believe he is capable. Just that he doesn’t have the total control that seems to be needed to make meaningful change, unless he can steer all stakeholders in the right direction for the game.
Can football be saved from itself?
City should have their heads up after this game: this wasn’t a choke or a weak performance by any means.
City came out hard and had Sydney pegged back a little early – making Grant hang back a little took the pressure off that side highlighted this – but as the game wore on one thing became apparent:
Sydney’s bench is quality and deep, something which City suffered from late game as both teams emptied the pine.
Both keepers had good games, especially Tom Glover who kept City in the game to allow his forwards the opportunity to level.
This is where Noone would have frustrated me as a fan: good positions and ball in the box but one too many touches destroyed the slim chances he had throughout the game. And McClaren was kept quiet as Sydney midfield turned the screws, their quality subs even more so, and began to peg back City’s defence, allowing Grant to overlap and bomb forward as the game wore on.
Easily Curtis Good and Glover could have earnt the Marston Medal – perhaps they would have if City won – but hard to go past Grant’s influence.
Grand Finals: nothing wrong with them when all is said, for the 43rd edition 😉
Gripping grand final proves there's still life in the A-League yet
The obvious choice is City and Sydney.
It is no surprise if it will be WU vs Perth.
WU vs Sydney very possible.
The Roar's A-League expert tips and predictions: Semi-finals
So the strategy of defending a narrow lead, or stiffling your opponent and hitting them on the counter, narrows the form gap in a one-off game. It is just smart coaching to adjust for this part of the season if you are unsure your current setup will do the job.
Sydney have barely changed between pre-and-post COVID break on top of a shift in strategy for this part of the season by likely opponents.
A couple of fast, early goals for Sydney or City will mean Perth and Western United will have to change and open up to win the game, which could play into either of the ‘sky blue’ teams’ hands.
I expect only Western United currently are capable of over-hauling that sort of deficit.
Sydney FC and Melbourne City had better be ready for their A-League semi-finals
Would it be necessary to put a -*- next to the season if Western United become Champions?
Like the Nix winning the dunny seat, Western United would give plenty to talk about during the off-season until December or February kick-off.
Are Western United a Cinderella story or the A-League's ugly sibling?
Daniel Garb and Hill’s Monday podcast was brilliant, as was Peacock’s Wednesday edition.
Simon has a new one out with Craig Moore and Zeljko Kalac – a must listen already and showcases Hill’s journalistic and presenter credentials. As well as his ability to call various levels of football for answers.
Hill would be brilliant as the new FFA community and comms manager – a well respected media and community personality to get the stories of football out there into the public domain, and to the community. Who knows if he’s going for it but a key role post-COVID normality.
I’m glad Hill is not lost to us and to football journalism in Australia, which has been decimated these past few months.
—
On the Bozza vs Speedy stoush: My recollection last night was that Speed was not giving up the debate, but Bozza had moved on. After four to five minutes it sounded like Bozza had had enough.
Not great in the end, and Bozza was a bit cheesed off for a bit, but Speed should have moved on earlier after his third attempt at winning the debate.
Maybe FoxSports have cost-cutted production crew so much there wasn’t a producer in their ears to ‘move on! You’re live on air, gents!’…
Simon Hill's departure from Fox Sports leaves a gaping hole
LH – technically I thought a vector had a value and direction.
Velocity and speed are synonyms. Just a value. Like acceleration, but different. 😛
Simon Hill's departure from Fox Sports leaves a gaping hole
Well it turned out to be a win but Adelaide need to slip up badly and us to win for a slight chance on sixth.
Read a comment after the Sydney game that Robinson was two games too late this season.
That’s possible but Robbo’s already planning for next season, reflected by the starting lineup and his now oft line of ‘show me if you want to be part of my plans’.
Ibini replied with some fine defensive cover and midfield runs, plus a couple of exquisite attacking passes.
Fitzgerald’s scissor goal nice on the CV but expect some more starts from him.
Some signings will depend on ownership, unfortunately.
Newcastle Jets’ disastrous restart makes three points tonight against Sydney a must
Sure Sydney were dangerous but the Jets played well and with confidence, deserving the win.
Similar to how they had been playing under Robinson pre-shutdown.
Finals football requires four wins from four.
It is definitely possible on that performance.
The feeling's sweet as the Newcastle Jets defeat Sydney FC
As mentioned, as bad a situation as you can get with the pandemic, there is no greater time for the game to shift itself around for the better.
You can’t please everyone all the time but the game needs everyone to move in the same direction for once, even if not everything aligns with a certain view right now.
Play the long season, game by game 😉
With that, I think we are lucky JJ is at the helm at this point in time.
The A-League's fan-base could use an attitude adjustment
My Dad was from Sydney. Playing in schoolboy tournaments up here he said they loved whipping the Newcastle sides.
It’s an old rivalry.
The Jets versus the Sky Blues: Another A-League rivalry
Hopefully in time there will be more teams in A-League A1 and A1, and before that a second division, to give more Aussie coaches the time they need to grow.
In the long run the more Aussie coaches that can then make it overseas, the better in that part our game will be.
Over the Moon: Brisbane Roar announce new head coach
Cynical me says this is cost cutting but interesting it is framed as refs taking on greater responsibility of the game. This is the same responsibility refs had before.
Can fans handle a contentious call going against their team? Given before and during VAR, probably not.
Coaches and players fine after VAR scrapped for A-League restart
Sydney, Perth, draw, draw, Wellington.
The Roar’s A-League expert tips and predictions: 27 in 28 (Part 1)
Hopefully the FFA have now got a Plan C ready for QLD well before NSW makes their 24 hour announcement.
Will fans even be allowed in NSW stadiums at this point? Speaking to a few Jets fans and the consensus there is ‘No. Too risky’.
The Grand Final seems like a sprint with an ever moving finish line that can’t be seen…
The A-League season 2019-20 is far from done and I'm still scratching my head
Stuart I suspect this question will appear in the FFA’s ‘XI Principles’ surveys that will be rolling out over the days ahead.
A result to keep an eye on with the potential for a much larger survey response.
Winter A-League survey: The results are in and not what you may have expected
Deans certainly was a good transition coach who at the end swapped a few players out of the starting line up that needed to have been far earlier, while tweeking the formation to accommodate returning players.
Burns finally starting was great but sadly he won’t finish the season with us along with Hoolahan, who just added to whole momentum on his return.
Similarly while Boogs return seemed to provide that leadership and solidify the defence, his passing from CB is underrated imo.
COVID came at the wrong time for the team’s momentum heading into the final rounds but if affects all teams so can only go into our final four games positively.
The ownership saga has been a long time brewing. After initial notice there was interest it has died down again. Secretly we are hoping the ‘owner’ is more than one person this time round…
Each club's state of affairs before the A-League restart: Newcastle Jets
Mid, correct me if I’m wrong, but this sort of sounds like the SAP sides in that younger bracket that arrived after – selecting kids for technical development.
Listening to a podcast from Garry van Egmond from the other week and he identified that not all the very talented kids play against all the other very talented kids regularly, or for as much of the year as needed.
Similar sentiments to what has been said before. There appear to be gaps in youth development but who knows when that will be looked at, considering the changes can take a decade to emerge.
Why the A-League must remember the associations
On the other hand you have kids in Jets kit, but you also have the Messi’s, Ronaldo’s, Salas, etc. etc. etc. on various kits as well.
The A-League could do with celebrating it’s own heroes more, if it could cut through the noise from other leagues.
Potentially the only way is for an A-League player to make it big.
The only candidate right now is Sarpreet Singh with Bayern Munich. Maybe wrong team for this part of the world.
In part a few players from various teams making it in the EPL, or just becoming as big to be mentioned in the same breath as Messi et al, would have local associations and the A-League celebrating this more to connect with local kids.
Having more players make it overseas would help connect a few more among the player base to consider supporting their own professional league.
Why the A-League must remember the associations
The question is why you would pay $28k for an ‘academy’ without any guarantees for the kid?
It’s not like they’ve said: Hey, we want your kid! We’ll pay to move you to Barcelona…
Sure clubs can’t exploit kids at their main academies anymore, but the income is still streaming in.
Why the A-League must remember the associations
…and looks like Kayo is deleting ALeague content.
How much would you pay to watch the A-League on an app?
This is pretty much it.
If FFA/ALeague onsells to Optus then there’s more football in one app as a bonus but my money goes where the ALeague is at.
And it is mainly a young fan demographic so no barriers to take up a sub and watch content.
It could also be said it is far easier to get an app than for some to go to games.
How much would you pay to watch the A-League on an app?
Makes you wonder who at FFA agreed to that clause originally. May not have seemed important at the time but a potential minefield if FFA do not want $11m per season over next three seasons.
What then if FFA say no Fox keep your existing contract for next three years? If FFA hold up their end of the contract, it could get messy if Fox really agitate get out of contract.
A-League reveals restart plans
More Aussie coaches overseas is a good thing.
If Poppa can get a team back into the top flight then more power to him to do so.
Popovic leaves Glory to join European club