Rarely during the A-League off-season have we seen screaming headlines speculating on the return to Australia of big name Socceroo stars reaching the end of their time in Europe.
Nor have we seen too many stories suggesting that former top level players are potential transfer targets.
No, the picture has been much more subdued.
Instead of players like Dwight Yorke – whose impact came as much in getting the A-League important first season publicity off the pitch as well as through what he did on it – and World Cup winner Juninho, men like former Scottish international Charlie Miller, Costa Rican Olympic team captain Jose Lopez and veteran former Brazilian international Amaral have arrived to ply their trade in this country.
But if the hype has died down a bit that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It may well just mean that there is a growing maturity in the Australian marketplace.
Certainly, administrators at the eight A-League clubs appear to have learnt some lessons in the competition’s first three years. Namely that a big name does not necessarily mean big performances, and unless the player delivers on the pitch the negatives from his under-achievement can outweigh the short-term boost in membership and media interest his signing generates.
Juninho may well have been the highest quality player ever to have performed in an Australian domestic league, but his frequent absences through injury counterbalanced the positive impacts he brought Sydney. And who can forget the farce that was Romario’s short-term contract with Adelaide as the Brazilian doggedly sought matches anywhere and everywhere in pursuit of his 1000th goal.
No, better to do due diligence on the right type of player with the right technical and tactical skills and sign him than some well known ‘star’ who is more likely to wane than wax.
Melbourne Victory has been the club that has typified that approach more than any other in the A-League’s first three seasons.
While there have been some recruits who did not work out (Brazilian Claudinho, Englishman Joe Keenan and former Soccero Ljubo Milicevic) coach Ernie Merrick has enjoyed some spectacular successes too.
His second season signings, Scotsman Grant Brebner and Brazilian Fred, bolstered a midfield that struggled in the first campaign and helped turn Victory into record-breaking champions.
Merrick looks to have made two more shrewd signings in the shape of sometime Socceroo defender Michael Thwaite and the Costa Rican holding midfielder Lopez.
Neither of them are names likely to get the front page headline writers excited but if they succeed in helping Victory make the finals after their disappointing failure to defend their title in 2007-08, then they will have been successful signings – as an increasingly mature local fan base would surely attest.
David Mitchell, the Perth Glory coach, will be hoping that his vastly experienced Brazilian holding midfielder Amaral can help transform the Glory from competition strugglers into a unit pushing for a top four spot even though his squad contains few big names.
Across the ditch in New Zealand, Ricki Herbert has taken a similar approach. While the two best-known All Whites Ryan Nelsen and Chris Killen are not yet ready to play back home, the Kiwi boss has resisted the temptation to try and bring in big name glamour by making former Socceroo defender Jon McKain and former Central Coast Mariners midfielder/striker Adam Kwasnik his two key signings of the off-season.
If they make the difference between being also rans and top four contenders that will also prove to have been a decent bit of business.
This column appeared in the September edition of Australian FourFourTwo
Nor have we seen too many stories suggesting that former top level players are potential transfer targets.
No, the picture has been much more subdued.
Instead of players like Dwight Yorke – whose impact came as much in getting the A-League important first season publicity off the pitch as well as through what he did on it – and World Cup winner Juninho, men like former Scottish international Charlie Miller, Costa Rican Olympic team captain Jose Lopez and veteran former Brazilian international Amaral have arrived to ply their trade in this country.
But if the hype has died down a bit that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It may well just mean that there is a growing maturity in the Australian marketplace.
Certainly, administrators at the eight A-League clubs appear to have learnt some lessons in the competition’s first three years. Namely that a big name does not necessarily mean big performances, and unless the player delivers on the pitch the negatives from his under-achievement can outweigh the short-term boost in membership and media interest his signing generates.
Juninho may well have been the highest quality player ever to have performed in an Australian domestic league, but his frequent absences through injury counterbalanced the positive impacts he brought Sydney. And who can forget the farce that was Romario’s short-term contract with Adelaide as the Brazilian doggedly sought matches anywhere and everywhere in pursuit of his 1000th goal.
No, better to do due diligence on the right type of player with the right technical and tactical skills and sign him than some well known ‘star’ who is more likely to wane than wax.
Melbourne Victory has been the club that has typified that approach more than any other in the A-League’s first three seasons.
While there have been some recruits who did not work out (Brazilian Claudinho, Englishman Joe Keenan and former Soccero Ljubo Milicevic) coach Ernie Merrick has enjoyed some spectacular successes too.
His second season signings, Scotsman Grant Brebner and Brazilian Fred, bolstered a midfield that struggled in the first campaign and helped turn Victory into record-breaking champions.
Merrick looks to have made two more shrewd signings in the shape of sometime Socceroo defender Michael Thwaite and the Costa Rican holding midfielder Lopez.
Neither of them are names likely to get the front page headline writers excited but if they succeed in helping Victory make the finals after their disappointing failure to defend their title in 2007-08, then they will have been successful signings – as an increasingly mature local fan base would surely attest.
David Mitchell, the Perth Glory coach, will be hoping that his vastly experienced Brazilian holding midfielder Amaral can help transform the Glory from competition strugglers into a unit pushing for a top four spot even though his squad contains few big names.
Across the ditch in New Zealand, Ricki Herbert has taken a similar approach. While the two best-known All Whites Ryan Nelsen and Chris Killen are not yet ready to play back home, the Kiwi boss has resisted the temptation to try and bring in big name glamour by making former Socceroo defender Jon McKain and former Central Coast Mariners midfielder/striker Adam Kwasnik his two key signings of the off-season.
If they make the difference between being also rans and top four contenders that will also prove to have been a decent bit of business.
This column appeared in the September edition of Australian FourFourTwo
