Last weekend may have brought about the latest in a depressingly long list of Gold Coast United losses. Unlike previous disappointing efforts, however, the hotly contested 3-2 loss to Newcastle did have one glistening highlight.
Smeltz's double to reaffirm his golden boot credentials was a definite positive, but as the list of Gold Coast goalscorers this season shows, the over-reliance on the Kiwi striker is starting to hurt the side. What really filled me with hope for United's run home in their debut season was the first appearance in the Gold Coast shirt of one Charlie (or should that be Charles) Miller.
Miller is just the player Gold Coast need in their line-up to reignite their quickly deteriorating game-plan. An attacking midfielder, Miller has the ability to unlock defences with his slide-rule passing and unteachable imagination. While marquee man Jason Culina has been a solid contributor in the midfield, he simply doesn't have the weapons that Miller has. As such, Miller very much adds a new dimension to Miron Bleiberg's team. A record of approximately a goal every three games for Roar also indicates that the goalscoring burden on Shane Smeltz can be relieved just a little.
The key difference between Miller and Bleiberg's other options in the attacking midfield role is that Miller has the experience and confidence in his own abilities to take the game to any A-League opponent. The alternatives, conversely, have key weaknesses to be exploited by the opposition. For example, Tahj Minniecon despite his massive potential is perhaps a little too reliant on his pace. Zenon Caravella seems to lack the experience to impose himself on his opponents. Joel Porter at times looks unsure whether he wants to play in behind Smeltz or lead the line.
Miller should be able to combine perfectly with Jason Culina. The captain is exceptional when it comes to accurate passing to drive the team forward and out of defence while maintaining possession. A statistic that suggests Culina has the highest passing accuracy of any Socceroo in the last 12 months would tend to confirm this. However what is missing is the ability or desire to make the difficult passes that lead to goals. Miller's ability in the final third should allow Jason to focus on the stronger points of his game and leave the assists to a reliable and experienced teammate. Also, Culina might have finally found a teammate who has also played at the higher levels in Europe and therefore doesn't need to cop a spray every five minutes.
It should be made clear that my intention is not to grossly overstate Miller's abilities and quality now that he has joined my team. Just like any other players he has his weaknesses. Otherwise, no level of conflict with Ange Postecoglou would've led to his release from Brisbane. But this latest in a long line of sagas for Queensland football this season has, more than any other, resulted in a significant plus for United. If Miller can continue to play well as he did against Newcastle there is a very good chance that the boys in yellow can relaunch a genuine title challenge.
