What a weekend of football! One of the best Manchester derbies of all time treated neutrals like myself to an absolutely spectacular show; Perth Glory were involved in a six-goal game which they actually managed to win, away from home and all; and Canning City were relegated from the FootballWest Premier League as the premiership was taken out by the Western Knights two weeks out from the finals.

The Accursed Ones

In past weeks I've written about Perth's luck perhaps changing for the better. Last week, I mentioned the curse of Suncorp Glory have been suffering from since the start of the A-League. On Sunday, the two came crashing together in a collision that produced results so bizarre not even the scientists at CERN have been able to replicate or verify them.

Perth's ill luck seemed to be transferred straight from themselves to Brisbane, who produced a performance fitting of their own Suncorp curse. It's not like Perth played particularly well either - for mine, Glory's best player was Brisbane themselves - but lady luck seemed to take pity on the purple ones and ensure that they chalked up their first away win of 2009.

That said, Perth did do (just) enough to put Brisbane under pressure in the first place, thereby taking any real sting out of Frank Farina's post-match whingeing. Looking back at the tapes this week, I suspect 'Frankie' will regret blaming "questionable decisions" and will instead wonder:

  • How Josh McCloughan managed to send one of the great diving headers of the year into his own net?
  • Why his centre backs left holes big enough to allow the Titanic through, let alone Wayne Srhoj and Branko Jelic?
  • Why Liam Reddy managed to cover more miles over the course of the night than some of his midfielders?
  • How Reddy managed to drop the ball into his own net, regardless of whether Chris Coyne touched him or not (what is he, made of glass?)

History Never Repeats?

Still, it is an amusing reflection on the game to note that while many in Queensland are calling for Liam Reddy's head, there continues to be disquiet among some members of the Perth fanbase about the future of coach David Mitchell. His detractors point to questionable substitutions, a lack of clear tactics, and the treatment of certain players within the Glory squad. Others say Mitchell should stay on for the season, but be replaced at year's end regardless of whether Perth makes the finals or not.

Personally, I would be hesitant to sack Mitchell - especially now, if only because of what happened with one Steve McMahon. For those who do not recall, McMahon was a complete tosspot who found himself at loggerheads with players, fans, the media, and even his employer. But under his reign, Perth made the Pre-Season Cup final and were heading for a finals berth with a W-D-L record of 6-4-5.

After he was sacked 15 rounds into the season, Perth managed to drop into a lull whereby they recorded only a further two wins and subsequently missed the inaugural A-League finals series. I fear getting rid of Mitchell might a) be a little extreme when Glory sit fourth on the table, and b) be inviting history to repeat itself. The club has only just recovered from a massive period of instability; one would think it would want to 'go steady' for a while now.

Speaking of history repeating, there was something just a little worrying about Glory's defending last Sunday. While Perth's central defensive pairing looks rock solid (for a change), among the rest of the team there remains a suspect tendency to fall asleep, especially at set pieces. May I point out that simply watching the ball fall from the sky does not prevent an opponent controlling it and scoring a goal?

Earning Your Pay

In my other life, I work in a large company which likes people to use big and important words like 'empowering' and 'ownership'. Frankly, I think the whole Glory team needs to take ownership of defensive duties, right up to the strikers up the park. Like the people who refuse to clean up after themselves in the company kitchen, it takes only a couple of detractors to ensure that the coffee machine contains cockroaches... or rather, the opposition can score.

Even if you're not the world's best tackler, simply putting pressure on an opponent can lead to you obtaining possession and inviting a quick breakaway. Victor Sikora is a perfect example of this, ripper of a little Dutch ninja that he is.

Glory's defending can also be seen as representative of the team's fortunes as a whole this year. It looks reasonable at first glance (Perth are fourth on the table after all) but you couldn't describe it as overly convincing. The dodgy substitutions, late fade-outs, deep-lying midfield, lack of two strikers sharing the scoring load... you can't quite put your finger on why you think the top two is unattainable - but you nevertheless suspect that it is.

Perhaps it is a matter of consistency; something we've struggled to achieve in the A-League (apart from being consistently mediocre). Still, I did mention last week that it was possible that the team's issues are mental, and maybe finally breaking their Brisbane duck will help spur them on to new and better things.

Ideally, Glory need a string of impressive performances - or even better, an undefeated streak - in order to give them a red hot chance of achieving an impressive final position. Certainly, Mitchell will need to earn his keep in order to get Perth anywhere near the top two at present.

MIArquee

The front pairing of Branko Jelic and Mile Sterjovski is also a cause for considerable discussion back in Perth. Nearly everyone can see that Jelic is a poacher of the highest quality, with a wicked shot to boot. But questions remain about marquee signing Mile Sterjovski. Despite providing four assists this year - equal highest in the league with Wellington playmaker Leo Bertos - many feel Mile hasn't settled up front, and that his own shots at goal have left much to be desired.

Certainly one must wonder if at least a couple of his 'assists' haven't been mis-hit shots in the first place, and the one goal he has scored was a near-botched penalty against Central Coast. Not exactly inspiring stuff then! However, I don't think that means Mile is a poor player or a bad marquee signing; just that the role he is currently playing may not be suitable.

Personally, I believe the best spot for Mile is an attacking winger; driving up the sides and sending in crosses, or running into the channels and hitting long-range shots. Even if his shots only hit a player or the crossbar, you wouldn't bet against someone like Branko picking up the scraps.

If Mile was to move back to the wings though, who then takes his place up front assuming the same formation is maintained? The options look something like this:

  • Jamie Harnwell. Currently out for an extended period, so unlikely to be an immediate option, what Harnwell lacks in pace and technique he makes up for in aerial supremacy and pure heart. Harnwell also has the 'X Factor'; when he is on the pitch for the Glory, stuff just happens. Exhibit A: Josh McCloughan!
  • Anthony Skorich. Only now returning from injury, Skorich is a young man of just 19 who has both height and pace on his side. He managed a goal for the senior team last year despite only being played for 130 minutes that spread across four different games.
  • Andrija Jukic. Twenty-two years old, Jukic ran riot in the Glory youth team last year, leading their score sheet and creating opportunities for others. A creative presence in front of goal, Jukic has been a substitute in three games this year and would be itching to prove himself worthy of a starting berth.
  • Eugene Dadi. Shock, horror, Eugene still plays for Perth Glory! You wouldn't think so though, after being overlooked for a state league player and a bench containing no strikers last week. Despite being old and slow, Eugene has a poacher's instinct in the box and the 'X Factor' that I mentioned earlier. He draws penalties, is capable of delicate touches to teammates, and is deadly during a scramble in the box. Sure, he was unimpressive against Adelaide at the beginning of the season, but so was everyone else! He deserves to be on the bench, at the very least.

Home Truths

On to this week's home truths, and they are as follows:

1. Wayne Srhoj is the man for post-match interviews. Answers like "yep", "I just kicked it past him", and "what game have you been watching, mate?" will have reporters across Australia clamouring to interview him. Instant cult hero.

2. The last time we sacked a coach who had us heading for finals football resulted in the next four years being the worst in the club's history.

3. Chris Coyne should be headlining the Melbourne International Comedy Festival next year. With wit this quick, he'll be a natural: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDB9xwcgzc

Finally, may I extend my condolences to the supporters of North Queensland Fury. Sources tell me that the FFA have sent none other than Michelle Phillips, ex-CEO of Perth Glory, to sort out the club's financial situation.

If this is true, all I can say is I hope you have better luck than we did; during the FFA's days as owners, she showed nothing but contempt to the club's most passionate fans.