Perfectly said Stuart. I made my detailed thoughts known on Mikes site yesterday. The APL has made a mess of it and the sooner they ask the FA and Johnson for help the better.

I think I have been a fairly optimistic A League supporter in recent times. I can see the joy and excellence of it!
However, the cancellation of the season best player awards has ended my optimism.
The APL and Townsend have led to the continuous demise of a wonderful competition ( male AND female). How you destroy so much money so quickly is unbelievable, how you insult your players by cancelling their awards night, how they avoid providing ANY communication to the fans whether it’s about League games, state of the League, promoting the League or progress of funding.

I have thanked these business leaders in the past for their contribution (especially the money) but at this rate we are surely seeing the start of the end of the A League as a full time professional league.

One last dig, why the hell is Victoria, my state , refusing to bid for key women’s soccer internationals. We didn’t want the WC finals and now we find out we don’t want the Women’s Asian Cup. Disgraceful! Shows how AFL/Cricket fixated the Government really is. Pity!

Worth a shot Stuart, my main concern is that, as has been the case for over ten years now, nobody will even know there are games being played! I’ll arrive at the AAMI gates wondering why they’re locked until I read a sign on the gates “ Due to scheduling changes the derby has been moved to England. We apologise for any inconvenience “

Great and positive piece Stuart.I think We got a little carried away when the A League averaged 12000 after only a few years. That was never realistic. Then We were whacked more than others by the pandemic and it’s only now that we are progressing towards our long term interest levels. The women’s game will keep growing, the A League men’s and women’s will keep growing from here as more football fans go from watching their kids play to attending professional games and the tv coverage will get better as we restart advertising the game. All in all I love the A League and think we’re enjoying the restart of the games growth and as the Aussies involvement in the beautiful game increases more of us will get to appreciate this wonderful game.

I was at the fantastic derby and loved my team Victory’s great, come from behind win. I watchEd on tv the ongoing Irakunda show and classy Adelaide. I also watched WU play at their home ground and their amazing comeback. 15 goals and so much fun and excitement. Yet, the main focus for so many has been that pathetic acting effort by Cancar and his deliberate exaggeration of any contact. Clear simulation and brings our wonderful League into disrepute. The A League must suspend Cancar for the remainder of the season to show this stupid action is unacceptable.

I disagree, however, even if it was let the referee decide. This VAR overlord stuff is getting to be way over the top.

Nice article Mike. Like everyone who comments on this site, I’m hugely frustrated by the lack of commercial advertising of this great League. We seem to be able to blow $100 million on a computer upgrade and streaming site but can’t tell anyone which A League games are coming up!

However, in regards to our star players I will correct you regarding Viduka and Kewell. No casual supporters knew those two until Harry scored against Iran and Mark was scoring heaps for Celtic. If Nestory goes ok at Bayern he will be well known. That doesn’t downgrade your main point that we struggle to develop our skilled individuals and never advertise their talents to the general sports lover. We have some fantastic young talent and some burgeoning (how amazing is Josh Nesbit this year) that should be up there with Daicos, Fowler and Cleary in the regular sports page headlines.

Great effort by the Matilda’s. Heyman and Torpey should have cemented their places in the Olympic team. But, Tony is Tony. You just can’t trust him. Instead of bringing Logarzo, Wheeler and Grant on at half time, to see if they can add anything to a successful first half he brings on his favourites, Raso, Van Egmond and Yallop.why? I suspect so that he avoided being embarrassed by those two putting in a big performance and having more selection headaches. As it is Sayer doesn’t justify selection, Heyman definitely does. Van Egmond doesn’t justify while Raso or Yallop do. As it is, 15 player’s are obvious inclusions (if fit) Fowler, carpenter (back to her best), Raso, Gorry, Catley, Cooney -cross, Foord, Torpey, Arnold, Heyman, Vine, Grant, Kennedy, Hunt (best defender by a mile) , Micah. That leaves 3 spots. My guess is that Tony then goes …. Yallop/Van Egmond/Luik/ because he doesn’t know or trust any others. I hope I’m wrong and that Logarzo/ Simon and McNamara (if fit) get a run in the next friendly to offer serious alternatives to the main team.

Being a 5pm game and community round I was going to ask two of the grandchildren (second game for both) to the Victory game. Thank God I didn’t. They both were booked already. Between an insipid Victory attack, own goal, no goals (again) and those shocking/ delayed VAR interventions it may have put my Matilda’s loving grandchildren off coming to a male soccer game forever! That was an atrocious waste of my time Sunday.

For those who watched the game I’m sure, like me, you thought we we’re going through right up to THAT tackle. First half was excellent. Unfortunately, it was the Miller horror show, from the moment he came on. The one criticism of Arnie is that most of his substitutes were terrible when they came on, especially Millar. However, prior to the tackle we were going to win and Arnie was about To be hailed a brilliant coach.

I was at the Victory game. As you said Mike, great crowd, great atmosphere and, initially, fast and furious action. Then that VAR decision. Even though the decision helped my team there was a noticeable and definite deflation in the supporters. The game lost momentum and NOBODY around my area agreed with the decision. I’ve been consistently saying “get rid of VAR”. The way the fourth referee is interfering in games is ridiculous and ruining many games.

I regret the poor staff who have been made redundant. It would be great to have our professional league so successful that it employed 180 staff or more but that is not where we are. When the owners fought the FA to take control of the ALeague, Steven Lowy (Chair of the FA) said “ be careful what you wish for “. I thought the same at the time. Never truer words have been said. I’m thankful that the owners have been willing to spend small fortunes in keeping our professional leagues afloat but Steven knew that it takes many skills, political contacts and foresight to run a national competition. I’m hoping the FA (full of cash since the Womens WC) can put out an olive branch to help the A League over this current hurdle. We need to help the APL.

Re attendance at A League games, we’re obsessed with numbers aren’t we? Every Aussie sport fan is. I was reading about Ronaldo’s beautiful body on some site and thought, here is one of the greatest footballers ever to play and is one of the highest earners currently and he’s playing (with many other great players) in front of nobody in the Saudi League. Does he worry about the crowd numbers? Does FIFA worry? Should we worry? Not a zot, because if the products good and enjoyable you go with it, celebrate it. We have a wonderful, high goal scoring, passionate league and it’s a great watch. The crowds are getting better but I watch regardless because it’s ours and it’s fun.

Nice summary David. We have bemoaned the lack of supporters at games but in the last few weeks there has definitely been some resurgence. I’m a Victory supporter and the fans have been tremendous lately. The Sydney and CCM crowds fantastic.The only smudge continues to be the two newbie’s MacArthur and WU (especially WU). Long may the A League rebuild continue.

Great piece Mike. Merry Christmas and happy new year. The Roar football site is the only football site worth reading and acknowledging our great game. I can add a wish of publicity, broader coverage and simple recognition for our worthy A League. Lets hope many more people know the A League is such good fun!

So we go from game one with eleven players who have never played together, two first timers and six substitutions ( this was for player development,to trial a new system and to blood new players) and lose 5-0! Then to game two with a starting eleven with ten replacement starters and ONE substitution! We lose 1-0. WTF!
Any Half baked coach could have managed these set ups and outcomes.

Sack Gustavsson. Give us time to find a suitable replacement for the Olympics.

Tony, I don’t know what the point was in precipitating that overwhelming loss?
My theory is that you are deliberately trying to get sacked so you can take the Swedish gig.
Allowing some very talented newcomers to get smashed like that was disgraceful. It also showed disrespect to Canada, like they were a suitable side to give the kids a go!
I’m not sure I want to watch the return match as it will reinforce what a mess this game was.

I was one of those calling for Arnies head 18 months ago.
Huge respect to Arnie, he’s made me eat my words and is clearly a great leader of this team and given the new boys huge confidence.
Well done Graham Arnold.

Excellent piece Texi. Totally agree that the A League is a great spectacle and the quality is excellent. I don’t know why more people attend games. A close friend said if the crowd was there he’d go because he loves the atmosphere. Unfortunately, he’s a Melbourne City supporter, no crowd! I’ve got no answer to getting more people other than the sugar hit of some big name players coming on board. Even TEN broadcasting did a massive job advertising the A League ad nauseam over the last cup week, but did any non believers even notice? Oh well, I’ll be supporting Victory tonight v Wellington.

Good analysis Guru.
I think what the short history of the A League has shown is that new frontiers (Gold coast, Townsville, Western United) are dangerous exercises. Owners of new clubs must have deep pockets, passion for the sport and nerves of steel. That, to me counts out Tasmania and Dandenong. So, presuming such wealthy owners are still around, Wollongong being an NSL premier which has a fan base, great pitch and is a logical contender. Queensland needs a derby so Sunshine Coast, with a stadium and with a population that is less “retired and tired” than those Gold Coast retirees, has real potential.

Well, my gripe with Gustavsson and his inability to maximise our player capabilities is this: he made sure we played the best teams pre-tournament to learn, develop and improve.
In the last 8 months the Matilda’s defeated:
England 2-0
Spain 3-2
Sweden 4-0
So, what did Tony learn, improve and develop from those games because those countries sure as hell learnt a lot about us and jumped us heaps.
Let’s accept that the Matilda’s did an amazing job regardless of the coach not because of him.

Well Life, Kellie Underwood has been a long standing soccer supporter. When nobody was telecasting the A League years ago, the ABC regularly broadcast Womens A League soccer with Kellie as one of the commentators. Also, offsiders has basically focused on the World Cup for 3 weeks now. Good on them. But , on a more positive note, I want most of the $200m from the Feds for female soccer . Show us the money! In regards netball, I think it’s inevitable decline is not due to soccer but AFLW and womens rugby League growth. There have been long standing alliances between footy teams and netball and it’s this transition to womens footy that will reduce interest in netball.
Finally, if Tony Gustavsson were to leave now I would not worry. I think the Matilda’s may be better off going to the Olympics with a new, better fitting coach.

I agree with Chris, Tony lost his number one player for most of the tournament, and we still got to the SF. My criticism is that lack of substitutes and he picked unfit squad players which left him with poor choices when needed. Gus changed players at a whim, remember Aloisi, Cahill were early subs as soon as we went down. Gus knew he had a full squad to use as needed while Tony panicked and just tried to keep the same group. Against England many of our key players lost puff, Foord, Gorry, Carpenter, Raso, Catley all faded out of the game by the 70th minute. Pity! However, if we get third I’ll forgive even this criticism.

Nice summary Texi.
I wanted to comment about Stephs request for the crowds to keep coming to the games.
Can I please say a huge congratulations to the Australian people. I’m an avid soccer follower and I knew this Cup would be big but NEVER invisaged sold out stadiums at nearly every Australian ground. This has been the best run, most enthusiastic, most entertaining and successful Womens World Cup ever. Well done to the organisers and staff for giving me such an wonderful month. The Matilda’s have provided the extra excitement but of course I hope it’s leading to unbound joy and the Cup itself.

Good research Stuart. My view, from a test sample of 30 odd friends and family is that the A Leage/Socceroos/Matilda’s regular supporters haven’t even attended many games. I was at the Colombian/Jamaica game last night. .I’d guarantee 95% of those boisterous fans have never attended an A League game. Our group of ten had 3 regular attendees. This legacy is a long term issue, as Johnston has said, we need to keep pushing the profile, keeP the juniors playing and increase the advertising of the game.