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The Roar

Mike Tuckerman

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Joined December 2008

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Andy Harper’s a great commentator who cares deeply about the game. He’s simply someone who calls things as he sees them, whether fans of certain clubs like it or not.

Football will never get anywhere in Australia until it presents a united front

Rodger, I never mentioned attendance. That was all you guys.

The A-League Men needs a lot more games like the Sydney Derby

No one has picked on anything.

I simply pointed out the pitch at Suncorp Stadium yesterday was virtually unplayable. Something Ross Aloisi mentioned in his post-game comments.

The A-League Men needs a lot more games like the Sydney Derby

Haha… I would say the camera angle didn’t help, Waz, but that would presuppose that my stream wasn’t buffering every time I tried to watch the replay!

There is only ever one 'must-see' fixture in the A-League Men each week

They both attracted the same punishment – a yellow card. It’s just that Nestor’s was his second.

And again, I’m not condoning what Connor Chapman did. But I also don’t see why he would care about what happens to an Adelaide United player.

Sorry Adelaide fans, but Nestory Irankunda deserved to be sent off

It’s not up to Connor Chapman to roll out the red carpet for Nestor though, is it? He is, after all, his opponent.

Sorry Adelaide fans, but Nestory Irankunda deserved to be sent off

I think, like Ange Postecoglou did during the week, we just need to accept the referee’s decision.

Sorry Adelaide fans, but Nestory Irankunda deserved to be sent off

Take a closer look. Almost the entirety of this column is a description of what happened in Sunday’s games.

If the Matildas can draw sell-out crowds, why can't the A-League Men?

The 2pm fixtures suit no one. Not the fans in attendance, nor the minuscule audiences tuning in on TV.

If the Matildas can draw sell-out crowds, why can't the A-League Men?

I appreciate the detailed response, Cameron, but my job isn’t to sit down and frame what’s going on in a positive light – or even to answer the question posed by the headline.

My job is to get people talking about football on the The Roar. And considering the hundreds of comments my columns have generated over the past couple of weeks, I’d say I’m making a pretty good go of it.

If the Matildas can draw sell-out crowds, why can't the A-League Men?

What is difficult to understand? Fans have voted with their feet.

The APL made a decision that infuriated the majority of fans, failed to rectify it until the last minute, and were rewarded with below-average Round 1 attendances.

If you don’t like me pointing that out… take it up with the APL.

The A-League's 'family-friendly' kick-off times are keeping fans away

I appreciate the sentiment, jamesb, but you’re barking up the wrong tree if you think me writing about an APL decision five days after they’ve announced it has any bearing on how things are going.

The blame for a decidedly mediocre start to the new A-League Men’s campaign lies squarely with the game’s administrators, who – as Waz pointed out – appear to be asleep at the wheel.

The A-League's 'family-friendly' kick-off times are keeping fans away

Considering more than 7,000 additional spectators turned out in driving rain and freezing conditions to watch last year’s corresponding Big Blue at Allianz Stadium compared to Saturday night, I’d say many A-League fans have taken your suggestion and ironically ‘moved on’.

The A-League's 'family-friendly' kick-off times are keeping fans away

It’s not for lack of desire that Brisbane Roar haven’t signed a striker. That they haven’t is a bit worrying.

Cracking Australia Cup Final was a reminder of just how good Australian football can be

Plenty of fans said they had issues securing tickets. It would have been interesting to see what sort of crowd they would have got at Suncorp Stadium.

Cracking Australia Cup Final was a reminder of just how good Australian football can be

Josh, have a think about it, mate.

The Wanderers were mentioned because Sydney FC are hosting them at Allianz Stadium in Round 1 of the A-League Women next weekend. They’re hoping to draw a record attendance.

We all want football to grow in this country. I don’t want to spend another season pulling you up on these silly conspiracy theories and ridiculous attitudes towards rival clubs.

Cracking Australia Cup Final was a reminder of just how good Australian football can be

Garry, much as I appreciate your presence for the past six months or so on a column I’ve been writing for almost 15 years, this one wouldn’t even crack the Top 20 for views or reader comments.

Sometimes when a column strikes a chord with readers, my preference is to let them lead their own discussions on it.

'Nothing short of a disgrace': Lack of football-specific venues is holding the A-Leagues back

Again, not sure of the need for such an aggressive line of questioning, but…

a) he simply talked about where he’d like to play next once the final year of his current deal runs out

b) he’s been called up to the senior Philippines national team a few times, and subsequently ruled out through injury.

Josh Grommen is proof Australian footballers can succeed outside the A-League

I mean… I always love it when you guys drop by to leave super-aggressive comments based on things that no one said.

But for what it’s worth, Grommen has so far turned down every Filipino national team call-up, for a variety of personal and professional reasons.

He also didn’t say a single thing to me about being unhappy about where his football career has taken him to date.

But sure… go off.

Josh Grommen is proof Australian footballers can succeed outside the A-League

Venue TBC by Football Australia tomorrow.

Josh Grommen is proof Australian footballers can succeed outside the A-League

G’day Spiro. Just thought I’d add to the chorus of comments and say it’s nice to see your byline back on The Roar. Hope you enjoy the RWC.

SPIRO ZAVOS: The best team in the tournament, not necessarily the best team, will win the 2023 RWC

Firstly, the Asian places you’re alluding to where the Premier League is particularly popular – like Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong – also speak English.

Having lived in Japan, I can state unequivocally that way more people watch the J. League than the EPL in that particular part of Asia.

Secondly, the popularity of a league has little to do with its competitiveness. Marseille don’t average crowds of 60,000+ because someone bought a jersey in Doha, they draw huge attendances because they have a passionate local fan base… just like every other major football city around the world.

Lastly, I’ll end this by pointing out that I couldn’t care less whether the Premier League is popular here, there, or wherever.

I simply asked the question why more Aussies don’t tune into Ligue 1. I’m not terribly interested in turning it into a contest about which faraway European league is supposedly better.

Sacré bleu! Is Ligue 1 the most underrated league in world football?

That’s probably because those three big leagues send virtually the same clubs into the Champions League every season, whereas the more competitive Ligue 1 often sends relative newcomers (as it has done once again this season with Racing Club de Lens).

Sacré bleu! Is Ligue 1 the most underrated league in world football?

Not that I feel particularly passionate about it one way or another, but this entire take reflects a typically Aussie ignorance of the French game.

France lacks “working class” clubs? Then what are Lens, Lille, Rennes, Nantes, Strasbourg etc?

Big clubs challenging the local hegemony? Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais are two of the biggest clubs in world football. (And produce the day-to-day drama that comes with it).

Ligue 1 broke attendance records last season… and that was without well-supported teams like Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne in the division.

A big part of the reason we watch the Premier League in Australia is because they speak English.

Sacré bleu! Is Ligue 1 the most underrated league in world football?

What was your last column about, Middy?

Sacré bleu! Is Ligue 1 the most underrated league in world football?

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