FIVE year olds around the country might describe letters 12 through to 16 of the alphabet as the hardest to learn.
Despite still sitting (equal) top of the table, Gold Coast's three game winless streak certainly makes this the hardest run of form for fans to cope with. So is there a link? Probably not. But it still makes for a convenient way to address the 5 main issues facing Gold Coast as we wave goodbye to September and welcome a month where the A-League can finally claim to be the dominant football code in the country.
L is for Losses.
Two in a row for United!? What's up with that? What happened to no losses for the entire season?
Some people have been shouting it out since before the squad even took shape. Some people (including myself) have quietly suspected it for months. Others blindly deny the fact and claim it's a massive refereeing conspiracy. But the truth is finally coming out... Gold Coast Utd are nothing more than a good A-League team.
There isn't any denying that they are good. Three games without a win and still on top of the table shows just how well they did in the first month of the season. There are, however, six other teams in the league capable of a similarly spectacular run (sorry Phoenix, Jets and Fury fans but I still don't think your squads are quite up to scratch).
United have done well, but it's time to accept the fact that they're not in a league of their own, they can't just waltz all over the competition on their way to continental glory, and they need to fire for every game or they do risk losing it. This brings us to our next letter...
M is for Motivation.
Two losses in a row should certainly get the team firing for the coming weeks, and they're going to need all that passion in the belly when one looks at the fixture-list. Friday night is Shane Smeltz's old club Wellington, who have had a score to settle since way back when we poached the Johnny Warren Medallist.
After that will be a Farina-led Roar desperate to avenge the round 1 derby loss. That's probably the two clubs that hate United more than anyone. Rounding out October is Perth (a team who might've felt robbed when last the two sides met), Wellington (again), and North Queensland (the other state rivals and another team likely to want to prove a point after the earlier clash between the sides). If ever there was a time when a bit of added motivation would come in handy, it's leading into these fixtures.
N is for Nigerians.
Well, one Nigerian really. Nwanku Kanu. The Portsmouth striker has been tenuously linked with a guest spell on the glitter strip. As unlikely as it is that we'll be seeing him in the A-League, my question is whether we need him at United at all! We've got the best striker in the league in Smeltz. We've got excellent support for him in Joel Porter.
Presumably Porter would move to the wing to make room for Kanu, but is breaking up the most successful striker partnership in the competition to make way for a striker who with age has lost his pace and relies mainly on height these days really a wise move? If we're going to target a guest stint player, I would think a defensive leader is just what the club is lacking now. Bring in Paolo Maldini or Ivan Campo!
O is for Obvious.
Obvious as in, "When will the club stop ignoring the obvious solution to low crowds and drop ticket prices already?!" The A-League in general - and Gold Coast in particular - simply costs too much to make it worthwhile to many people. I've been supporting domestic football for as long as I've had a professional team where I've lived and even I have to think twice about forking over so much of my hard-earned cash. If it's not viable to charge $20 to see the A-League on the Gold Coast, it's not viable having the A-League on the Gold Coast.
P is for Penalties.
One penalty actually. But two goes at it. I'm sure everyone is sick to death about the debate as to whether Peter Green ruined the game or ingeniously enforced the laws correctly. But the facts are that Bas van der Brink gave away the penalty with a cynical and reckless challenge.
Bas van der Brink massively encroached... it was obvious live and it was even more obvious on every replay I've seen since. Had Muscat scored, it would've been a non-issue. Because Muscat missed, he got another chance. That is the fault of Bas van der Brink!
If he was playing for the local pub team (presumably he'd be instantly renamed Bazza) he'd owe the squad a carton. Hopefully Miron has found some other way to ensure he has the chance to make amends with the squad. Otherwise too many Culina death-stares could be very bad for his health.
Next week, hopefully Q will be for quick, R will be for rampant and S will be for superstar. And they'll all be descriptions of Shane Smeltz after he's run amok against his old club. Otherwise it's going to be hard for Gold Coast fans to accept over a month without a win!
