They were unstoppable last season.
They shot out of the gates and quickly turned heads to lead the premiership race.
No it's not the Roar I refer to, rather Perth Glory. For five weeks last season the Roars eventually dominant season was over shadowed by the all conquering star studded Glory.
During those weeks the Roar had scraped together a couple of 1-0 wins and 0-0 draws and suffered what was to be there only defeat 3-0 at the hands of Melbourne. Hardly a sign of the free scoring Roar team we remember from the tail end of the season, meanwhile Perth with a similar record had slotted home 10 goals in their 5 game undefeated run.
Then it all went Perth shaped...... For those that don't know that is A-League slang for your team failing miserably despite its obvious potential, for example
"yeah, Sydney won the double in 2010 but then it all went Perth shaped...."
Ex-Socceroos and Liverpool legends were added to a roster of players that had just made their first foray into finals football, and the signs were grim for the rest of the league. Perth had taken a solid core and added serious muscle. This was a team so potent and talented they probably didn't even need a coach and seemingly the Glory board thought so too and left David Mitchell in charge. This is the equivalent of buying your self a Ferrari and leaving your 16-year-old "P" plater in charge of it. It was always going to end in a flaming heap.
"OK. OK. Quit your Glory bashing!" I hear you say, "What are you getting at?"
HISTORY, more importantly that it is repeating it self.
Glory publicly went through a binge and purge as Mitchell was cut loose as well as what we lovingly refer to as the 'dead wood' of the team. Fowler was rumoured to be contemplating one more year in Perth and the club made a raft of BIG signings with the season still months away. Despite the news that Fowler would not return to Perth, Glory still has nine new names on its books as we speak.
They include Liam Miller, Danny Vukovic, Neil Young, Evan Berger, Dean Heffernan, Adam Hughes, Travis Dodd, Shane Smeltz and Jesse Makarounas and strong indications that Bas Van den Brink is moments away from signing on the purple line. All this talent and all that money and still the Shed will have Ian Ferguson pulling the strings.
I have no credentials to qualify Ferguson as a coach, and to be honest his tenure as care-taker for half a season was no worse then Ange Postecoglou's infamous run after he took over Farina's Whimper to transform them into Ange's Roar as he shed the 'dead wood'. But I do question the club's free spending policy to create a super team of super humans yet seemingly not apply the same dollar values to the coaching ranks?
The difference between Ange and Ian, is Ange was brought in to an organization that was shedding all its big costs in an effort to make the club appear like a bargain buy as the owners were evacuating. Their young talent stripped and sold overseas and all the bigger money players and Marquee's driven out. It was probably a huge surprise to the former owners that Ange kept with in the meagre budget and stole the show. Meanwhile Ian is possibly another 16-year-old "P" plater.
Clearly on paper this year's Glory team should conquer many foes, although its probably too early for the result against Celtic to give us any real idea of the new team's potential. Of all the questions to be answered next season, will Roar suffer the champion's curse, will Gold Coast United's cost cutting leave them dead last, will Sydney still under-utilise Nicky Carle, I am looking foward to seeing if Perth will choke despite the promise.
Will history repeat or will Super Perth mk2 break the mould? Is everything pre-destined or do they have free will? If LOST has taught us anything about the illusion of freewill versus destiny it is that the answer lies in a bright light hidden in a magical cave and will leave you a little unfulfilled with the explanation.
Time will tell us all, and for the Sheds sake I hope it doesn't all go Perth Shaped.
R.I.P Deadwood.
