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Football Analysis

How To Create Aussie Playmakers

How To Create Aussie Playmakers

Australia is not blessed with a glut of highly creative No.10s coming through and we have to change our training methods at a youth level to remedy this. Potential playmakers need to be encouraged to operate in that position with freedom, as in the past in Australia such players have simply ... 18 Oct 2010

Dealing With Red Cards

Dealing With Red Cards

It is frustrating as a coach when one of your players is sent off, especially for ill discipline, but you can't dwell on it. You need to be able to react and playing with 10 men is something you prepare for as a coach. And you need to be just as prepared to take advantage if your opposition ... 18 Oct 2010

Youngsters Need Injury Protection

Youngsters Need Injury Protection

I know some young players who would be willing to play a game with a broken leg, but it is the responsibility of his manager to ensure he is fit enough to play. We've had two different reports about Rhys Williams who was dropped from the Socceroos squad just before the World Cup after failing ... 18 Oct 2010

An Open Letter To Rini Coolen.

An Open Letter To Rini Coolen.

Dear Sir, First of all, let me offer you a belated welcome to the City of Churches. You seem to have settled in quite well and I hope you are enjoying all that our fair city has to offer. I must admit that when you were appointed as the Reds new manager, I did not know much about ... 14 Oct 2010

Who will score for the Jets this weekend?

Who will score for the Jets this weekend?

It's a vexed question because the Jets strikers have been inconsistent in putting the goals in lately. It won't be Michael Bridges obviously, and the injuries to the side leave Branko with some interesting decisions about who should play up front. Petrovski looked very lively coming off the ... 14 Oct 2010

A Fork In The Road

A Fork In The Road

Well, well, well... Perth Glory have surprised all of us with a mid-season dumping of David Mitchell, who moves into a scout-orientated role as former Rangers man Ian Ferguson takes the reins. It’s hard to imagine that a little over 10 years ago - less in Ferguson’s case - ... 14 Oct 2010

Our Grand Final

Our Grand Final

"It's THE match we HAVE to win", I nervously muttered to an equally apprehensive mate as we sat in our AAMI Park seats an hour and a half before kickoff. He simply nodded. Slowly but surely the crowd drifted in; the Victory fans decked in navy, carrying their signs of protest. The Heart fans in ... 12 Oct 2010

Breaks over - Back to work

Breaks over - Back to work

This is shaping up as a cracking round of football. Big Blue rolls back into town and despite the average form of both teams I am really looking forward to this one. Fowler may have missed his flight back to North Queensland to face the music but two teams that can really turn on some flowing ... 11 Oct 2010

Only one thing missing...

Only one thing missing...

Melbourne derby. Check. Big crowd. Check. Great atmosphere. Check. Goals. Check. Red card. Check. A win for Victory. Ummmm. Well that didn't exactly to plan did it now. All going to plan we were going to put the new boys in their place and in the process provide a much needed kick-start to a ... 10 Oct 2010

Bring It On

Bring It On

Sitting at home on Friday night, tuning into the broadcast of the first ever Melbourne A-League derby, I couldn't help but feel a bit envious. When the draw was released, I was seriously considering flying down for the game (which now has proved to be quite fortunate as I would have had flights ... 10 Oct 2010

Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger

Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger

So maybe we haven't been getting more than five thousand people through the gates at Skilled Park. Maybe we aren't promoting the club right. Maybe the owner of our club is a complete tool when it comes to running our club. But through all the negatives that have happened at United, I am ... 7 Oct 2010

In Vitje we trust

In Vitje we trust

'HOORAY FOR FOUR-FOUR-TWO' shouts one of the headlines in today's SMH. On so many levels, I couldn't agree more. No - it's not from Mike Cockerill, who has seen fit to crow in each dawn's edition of our city broadsheet about Sydney's recent demise (to which blame is to be laid on Vitje and his ... 7 Oct 2010

Back to Front

Back to Front

Give me a call if you know what's going on in the A-League because it's got me stumped. When a centre-back turned temporary centre-forward teams up with a championship 'reject' to take your team back to a six point lead at the top of the table - and this at the expense of last season's ... 6 Oct 2010

The Replacements

The Replacements

Following on from my good colleague Mike Bovell’s post about the Glory’s horrific run of recent performances, it’s time to have a look at some of the culprits and see what can be done about this agonising slump in form. Let’s not bother with the coach, because I think it ... 6 Oct 2010

New owner - new direction?

New owner - new direction?

What does the change of ownership mean for the Jets? Con Constantine was a soldier for football in Newcastle, and there are no doubts that he made big contributions up here and loved the game. But surprisingly, for someone so wealthy, his business and personal skills just didn't seem up to ... 6 Oct 2010

I HATE MONDAYS!

I HATE MONDAYS!

Oh crap I thought as Monday rolled in bringing with it continuous showers, this had better clear by Friday when the Kiwi bros head up to the Gold coast to play United. Crowds are hard to drum up at the moment let alone being played on a Friday and with 80% of the Coast talking nothing but ... 5 Oct 2010

Abandon All Hope

Abandon All Hope

I've tried to be positive about Glory's prospects over the last month. When the side lost to Gold Coast, I was willing to put it down to the Miron Bleiberg game-plan. When Newcastle took the points, it was due to their motivation resulting from off-field problems. Even ... 4 Oct 2010

A-League Awards - Round 9

A-League Awards - Round 9

Question: What did we learn from the A-League this week? Answer: The last minute of a football game is just as important as the first. A string of late late goals secured wins for Central Coast Mariners, Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United this round, making for pulsating and dramatic ... 4 Oct 2010

Some Of The Crowd Are On The Pitch

Some Of The Crowd Are On The Pitch

The announcer politely requested we wait for the siren before entering the playing field but he was already too late. Crowds of ecstatic Mariners' fans had leapt over the barriers at the very moment the ref's whistle sounded, hugging rain-soaked players, kicking balls into the back of the ... 3 Oct 2010

Scoring Goals - What A Concept!

Scoring Goals - What A Concept!

For the first four seasons of the A-League, the Reds averaged just over 30 goals for a 21 game season. It wasn't a great average but there were players around like Veart, Rech and Qu who could bang in goals when required. Even during the third and fourth seasons new blood in Bruce Djite ... 2 Oct 2010

4-2-3-1-Blastoff!

4-2-3-1-Blastoff!

There's a new gold standard in the A-League...and it's RED! Last Friday night Adelaide United took on Perth Glory, one of the big improvers of the 2010 A-League, and blew them away. The victory left us, deservedly, six points clear at the top of the table and showcased a side that is playing ... 30 Sep 2010

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