ON THE weekend, as the Shed sang out Mile Sterjovski’s name to the tune of Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” after Glory scored their second goal, one wondered if many of those singing would still be as jovial if (or indeed, when) their idol leaves in the January transfer window.

At the beginning of the season, Perth fans were ecstatic to hear their club had signed three players in contention for the Socceroos squad for South Africa 2010. Amusingly, now it appears that some, if not all of the trio will move overseas on-loan during the transfer window, many of these same fans seem to have turned on these players and branded them selfish or disloyal.

To someone like your author, whose only chance of pulling on the green and gold comes with a trip to the pub, the idea of representing your country is the pinnacle of all sporting achievements. For Jacob Burns, Mile Sterjovski, and Chris Coyne, the feeling must be even stronger. They've worn that jersey before - in Sterjovski's case, at a World Cup - and you think they'd all be desperate to reach that summit once more.

Who's Leaving?

Not that one thinks they all will, mind you. Whilst it's obvious that Jacob Burns is a good 'ruiner' in the middle of the park, the fact that Pim Verbeek has Vinnie Grella, Carl Valeri, and (in his eyes at least) Mile Jedinak around to perform that role means Burns will be struggling to hop a plane to Johannesburg.

You'd like to think that Verbeek would be upfront with players and coaches prior to any loans taking place, but ultimately this doesn't take into account the possibility of injury, or even the fact that Pim may not have the squad 100% set in his own mind. Therefore you'd imagine that while Burns still has a glimmer of hope (even if it means a broken leg to another player) he'd be looking for a loan move come January.

In my eyes at least, Chris Coyne has a much more realistic chance of making the World Cup squad. Whilst Lucas Neill is a certainty, and youth or nostalgia might get Spiranovic or Moore into the squad, is there really a solid case as to why the likes of Patrick Kisnorbo would be a better option than Coyne? As long as Chris remains fit and in solid form, you'd think Verbeek would at least be keeping an eye on the centre half; especially if he was to join a league that isn't in his bad books.

The player with the most chance of going to South Africa however is Mile Sterjovski. While he hasn't been at his best in Perth (possibly due to being played out of position) 'the Sterj' is capable of going to another level whilst wearing the green and gold. He is creative, experienced, and most importantly can score goals- something clearly needed in the current Socceroo setup.

But in order to keep himself in contention, Sterjovski still needs to be playing in a good league on a regular basis. The A-League simply cannot offer this; even if he were to join Adelaide or Melbourne as part of their Asian Champions League campaign.

Small Minds, Big Pictures

The argument put forward by some fans - that Sterjovski and co. knew the length of the season when they signed up for the club - is, quite frankly, ludicrous. It was the players who chose to come and do lowly-ranked Perth a favour, not the other way around. The club knew they were signing three Socceroos; the plethora of marketing told us as much. Is it any surprise then that, in a World Cup year, these players would want as much match practice as possible?

The idea that these players are 'betraying' their club by trying to be loaned out is insane. Their club is actively trying to help them get selected; imagine the headlines back here in Perth; "Three Glory Players In World Cup". What kind of advert would that be for the A-League, let alone the club itself?

Owner Tony Sage sees the big picture here - it was he who broke the news originally that these players would be given every chance to make the cut. He knows in Burns, Sterjovski, and Coyne, he has three players on multi-year contracts that can be used as a foundation for the future success of the club. What are a few games in season one (even if they include the finals series) compared to another two years of uninterrupted service?

Until the A-League grows large enough (if it ever does) to be regarded as a viable entry point into the World Cup squad, who are we as fans to deny players the chance to represent their country at the highest level? It's compromises like this that will attract players back down under, in turn improving the quality of the football we watch. In turn, this will attract more people to the game, growing the sport even more.

The World Cup comes but once every four years. Why on earth would you let a month or two without three players get in the way of keeping them for the rest of that time? Forget this nonsense about them owing the club or fans some sort of debt - they owe us nothing; it is us who owes them. Or are you, as a Glory fan, quite happy going back to the days where not finishing second last was the benchmark for a good season? Like hell you are!

So here's a message to all those fans bitching and moaning about three possible loan deals come this January. Why don't you shut up, get out there on matchday, put your support behind these boys, and give them a reason to want to come back from their loans?

We can get replacements in if they go; and after all, a team is measured by a team performance, not that of three individuals. Come South Africa, you won't care if Glory won or lost while they were overseas; you'll be wanting them to do Australia proud.

Because that, at the end of the day, is what it's all about - the green, the gold, and the glory.