Well, line up guys; it's time for a new game. The party that is the 2009/10 A-League season has been chugging along for a while now and Adelaide United have been pretty much pinned to the tail of the donkey. In all likelihood they'll be bringing up the rear when the party ends. As a Reds fan it's a pain in the ass.
A distraction is needed and in true A-League tradition, at this point in proceedings another game takes centre stage. Crank up the duke box - it's time for musical chairs. When the music (ie. the season) stops a number of players will be seated in different chairs (ie. clubs). The problem is that some of them have already changed seats whilst the music is still playing. It gives me the irrits.
The Reds have been caught up in this premature evacuation more than most. In the departures column are Kristian Sarkies, who has signed for the second Melbourne team and Michael Marrone, who has been furiously snapped up by a club up north. Both of them, in their kindness (sarcastic tone), have agreed to stay with on with the Reds for the ACL campaign.
I say stuff 'em! Given the Reds current plight I wouldn't play either of them again for the rest of the A-League season nor the ACL matches. They have both decided to desert a sinking ship early so they can stay below deck as far as I'm concerned. It's better to give opportunities to others.
Nigel Boogaard from the Mariners has been signed as an imminent arrival but it looks like he won't qualify for the ACL matches. Nice one. To me he's a strange choice of player anyway but I'm happy to be proven wrong.
An interesting little side-game is also brewing amongst the foreign players as the ACL approaches. Given that there is a '3 plus 1' rule in relation to non-Australian players, suddenly there is a fight over chairs. Shin gets a seat through the 'plus 1' Asian-player rule and new Argentinean import Marcos Flores seems to have had a place specially reserved for him.
That leaves Owusu, Alemao, Cristiano and Cassio circling the two remaining chairs. If I was in control of the music I'd make sure than Cassio nabbed one of the seats. The other one is a toss-up for me between the two strikers but largely because of previous ACL experience, I'd choose Cristiano. Not with much confidence though. Owusu continues to disappoint and even at youth league level he can't seem to score goals.
One suspects that the Reds may just as well be playing musical deck chairs on the Titanic. Sadly the ship is sinking and until some structural repairs are made, it may not really matter which players are keeping the chairs warm.
