I’m sure the APL are patting York on the back at the airport right now, given it avoids asking them about yet another Paramount+ glitch…

…or the double digging up of Hunter Stadium (ok that’s a Jets problem they are avoiding, but still 😡 )…

But Gauci, Reds getting reds, the looming bottom of the table clash Big Blue, the Nix rolling Canberra and Mariners in a double header, and who is going to get the coaching chop out of the bottom four clubs first are, I agree, preferred talking points 👍

A win for Jets, Victory, Adelaide and City. Draws for CCM/WU and MAC and SFC.

Nice love for the Jets here but most pods and review shows give scant five seconds lip service to the Jets past couple of rounds.

A loss and listen/watch them wax lyrical around WSW, Marko and the resugent Wanderers, and Papas ‘Box Office Jets’ being more of the same as last year.

A Jets win and ‘they’re looking alright…but how about Team X, Y and Z’…

😂

MAC, Jets, WSW, City, Syd, CCM all wins.

The weather can get in the bin.

The only way is up from here 😛

BRI vs MCY = City win and ready from round 1; Roar far better this season imo.
NEW vs PER = Should be Jets win
MVC vs WSW = Vuk to win they’re looking good.
WEL vs CCM = CCM judging by Nix last round.
MAC vs ADL = Mac win (or could be draw, Reds creating enough chances)
WUN vs SYD = Draw: surprising how slow WU were but Sydney much improved from last season.

City win here but I went WU on FAL and only got 1 tip in total there – I’m on fire 😂

City were certainly the more prepared and fitter team for Round 1. No slow start from them.

Wondering if The Roar we’re going to use the Fantasy Tipping platform (or create a group) but understand also why not…

Changed to a City win by 2…could be either way (WU by 1) but not a draw.

MAC, Jets, MV, Nix win

WSW – PER the only draw.

I had WU for the win but changed to City yesterday.
Could go either way, depending on how slow City start the season.
And WU have the target on their back and squad not entirely settled? But Aloisi seems a steady hand so 👍

Is Paramount+ a transition platform until APL can get their own up and running?

To my mind KEEPUP. looks to be the intended end-platform, or at least the games media arm of one that has a streaming platform tightly integrated.

APL and FA could do worse than look at what Volleyball have done in recent time – Volleyball World (KEEPUP.) and the separate app Volleyball.tv (ALeagues or Football.tv) available on web and devices.

VBTV is a slick offering, works well, and the media on that platform also contribute to VB World.

If football in this country had that platform run by APL at least you could stop worrying about the likes of P+ and keep (and work for) all your own revenue.

Agree on development but they would have won over their (football) subscribers with early and honest communication.

I think Paramount/CBS took on football to quickly grow their subscriber base when entering the Aussie market at the same time.

Now they’re a year down and – perhaps not enough return on investment with certain metrics – they’re not going to fork over money to enhance capability, especially when it doesn’t affect/is needs to watch their other media offerings (movies/series).

Personally I have used rewind during live streams or ‘watch from the beginning’ on occasion but is it more other services have it so it is a baseline Paramount should offer?

Time will tell if they loose subs after this season because of features not available. Perhaps that might spur them into actioning – if their tech platform is even capable.

Personally all providers are hoarding their own content and I am not sure I would have normally added P+ to my sub list even though there are some shows and movies I would watch.

But with fewer TV games that cannot offer replay/catch-up unless provide by the channel’s separate online service, they have us over a barrel if wanting to watch your team or the leagues.

It’s not like the TV is accurately monitoring if I am watching a game on Ch10 or 10Bold so as to convince the execs to add more games to that physical platform as an accurately measured form of protest. And running 10Play while watching the TV hasn’t made a difference ( 😛 ) and may even convince them to coerce people to P+ anyway.

Always there seems to be a lot riding on how the season pans out, but for P+ not adding capability this season, or ready for the next one, may harm their sub base.

Which really will harm football and turn fans off even more imo.

Thanks Mike, a really good article – couldn’t believe it was over when the words ended. When is part three and four? 😁

The more I hear about Robbie the more fascinating his story becomes. It was great to have him on board last season with Simon.

Very early pre-season for some so can only see how this team transpires first few rounds in.

I do think the technical and passing vision has dropped with the loss of Bumal et al although Yuel was inconsistent at times but I would have kept him but hard to see him starting with Piscopo and Sotiro also in the squad. There is no consistent Penha replacement as yet – that will be key if we can find someone with a near similar assist rate.

Won’t get the best from Mikeltadze if he is isolated so hoping the players we do have will provide support and make their own contributions to goal. Again technically I think we will be a level down.

I think we had a bigger squad budget last season so probably not as many imports but who knows who Mikeltadze will convince for #10.

But we needed to improve defence and I don’t think we have, and looking less likely, so it call be undone with similar defensive lapses.

But who knows what can happen if it all clicks into place.

We are going to have to beat the likes of Spain to win the World Cup at home.

It is all well and good testing yourselves against world class opponents. And seeing how NPL-level players stack up.

But facing Spain a week or so out from the Euros, which they are strong favourites to win, with the fringe, fringe, fringe squad – well, what was going to be learnt by that?

There is a year to go until the Matildas kick-off their opening game at a home World Cup.

How many games left until then?

When will the majority of the squad in mind for 2023 start playing and getting use to the various systems Tony has in mind? Surely that gem playing out of sight of scouts have all been discovered?

With home support we are an outside chance at best. With regulars in form we are Quarters at best under Tony.

With one year to go and only so many games remaining to find form – and it must be said, confidence – the time is almost now for committing to Tony or looking elsewhere.

FA really want this to work. We all do (and we should be tempering expectations nation-wide, really). But they don’t want an unmitigated disaster to unfold in front of home fans in their own backyard.

Make the call. While you still can.

Rocket League is a lot of fun. The ball is ⚽ so 👍 from me.
Good for joining the kids on the PS4. Not so fun when they schooled you with outrageous ‘bumper’ header goals mid air…

Won the World Cup Final as Italy vs Brazil in Microprose Soccer as a teen on the C64.
Such an inspired run of form the likes of which I never achieved again.
Loved that game. And the ‘indoor’ version on the ‘B’-side, too.
Choosing from the pre-listed formations and knowing a certain strength pass in the right area of the box was just ripe for a pile-driver strike in the opposite corner of the goal.
There was another game later on the PC that I spent a bit of time with: it could be FIFA or one of the others. I would have to check which YouTube video brings back the most memories (FIFA so far).
A few years ago I won a free code for a FIFA version on PS4 and I really tried 😂
But having grown up on keyboard and not console there was just too much button-mashing to remember (or the old fingers are getting stiffer than I would like to admit).
There was just something about the simplicity of Microprose Soccer that just kept drawing me back in to play and have fun.

NEW 5 – 0 WSW
MVC 1 – 0 WUN
MAC 1 – 0 SYD
CCM 1 – 1 WEL

Before the game was postponed I think a 5-0 drubbing would help WSW to make the decision they wanted to make – calling time on Carl’s Aussie coaching stint.

Whether another game or two will occur before then and a Robinso-less WSW face the Jets, who knows. I stand by that score line regardless 😁

CCM and Nix draw but could be a win as Ufuk tried to fire the side under what would be trying times this part of the year away from home.

Not likely.

Will it be irony that a 5-0 flogging by the Jets at Hunter Stadium on Boxing Day will be the final nail in Robinson’s Aussie coaching stint?

No? Maybe poetic justice then 😁

Yeah if Robinson didn’t want to stay – regardless of the reason – then happy to see him go. Most Jets fans have been wishing him well ever since. 😁

We’ve been trying to get Papas back for years. I think all the stars have aligned: more injection of funds to recruit; actually being able to recruit majority of the squad and sign/release players at Papas’ call, not the club management; first in preseason with a plan and the training to realised it; clear capability of pouring over players stats and understanding them and who to recruit to match what Papas wants.

It was going to be a slow burn but there is a whole season ahead. At least a two season project but more questions of how to embed this when he eventually leaves.

Which won’t be to WSW. Apart from disrupting and starting all over again mid-season, Papas like Newcastle and has a bit more honour than Robinson, no matter how hard WSW owners want to agitate. I can see a few raids on the Jets in January for players and such – will be interesting to see if any do go to another A-League side. I don’t think we’ll see the antics of Ibini to leave, or Ugarkovic feeling the need to move on after long years of service. I think it will be more like cancelled loans or transfers on to foreign teams, maybe not necessarily better ones.

Just quietly after watching my team shred the Nix the way they did, the other games were just a bit boring to watch. But that could just be me 😂

Missed the tipping this week – probably my best week yet 😂

But I do tip the Jets for a big win 😁

—, WU, MVC, MAC, SYD

Nix, Brisbane, draw, Jets, draw, Victory, City

The scramble to find the next gen is obvious. So has the issues been in defence going back to even the Surmanni era.

A great article highlighting the short term pain that may not be so short term.

A lot of talk of ‘legacy’ but increasing the minutes and matches for our women players would be a key outcome but still not guaranteed. I think a lot rides on this team having punched above its weight for some time perhaps falling into the trap of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ but as mentioned the European onslaught is already here. Just wait until South America gets its act together. We will be hard pressed competing in AFC let alone North and South America, and Europe.

So, stick with the core squad that were prepared early as teenagers, or find as many hopefuls as you can and cross your fingers they grow into the team quickly, or a blend of both?

Playing a USA going under its own rebuild as a test is great, but also if that is the last friendly before the Asian Cup there is a lot riding this team growing into a tournament seen as a precursor to a home World Cup, with a string of disjointed trials behind them.

And not just from an expectant nation.

My plan this week is to try and get 0/6 again.

Just watch me get 5/6 instead! 😛