I've decided to turn a discarded idea for the podcast into a weekly blog....giving my perspective on the weekend’s play in the A-League....what was good, what was bad and what was ugly each weekend throughout the season.
So here goes for round 2...
The Good
One word to sum up what was good about last weekend was GOALS! Plenty of them and plenty of quality. From the Tiatto and Hernandez thunderbolts to the Smeltz finishing masterclass to the Henrique solo effort, to set piece crackers from Bertos and Hernandez to Bridge’s one-two and Allsopp’s swivelling volley. Round two had it all and for those who question the quality of the A-League there were at least 6 or 7 strong answers last weekend. The A-League’s not perfect...we know that....but there was plenty to cheer last weekend and overall I’d say after two rounds we’ve seen a marked improvement where it matters most – on the pitch.
The Bad
A second sub 20,000 crowd at Melbourne was a concern although the entertainment on display will hopefully pull a few more in as the season progresses. Likewise at the Gold Coast....less than 8,000 is pretty pitiful for a team with such hype around them and such a strong line up. Hopefully the suck-it-and-see brigade will have seen enough to convince them to get behind their team. Let’s not forget the Titans making their first NRL finals may also have an impact until the end of October given the cost of attending games especially for families. It would be a crying shame if some of the most enterprising football on display in the A-League wasn't witnessed by a bigger crowd.
The Ugly
Momentum my arse Mr Fowler. I’d argue that any other player would have been sent off for that. Momentum does not cause your feet to shoot out against gravity towards the player’s head who’s just upended you. Clearly frustrated by the beating his team was getting I believe Mr Fowler was very, very lucky to get away with that.
Agree? Disagree? Have any better suggestions....the floor is yours....
So here goes for round 2...
The Good
One word to sum up what was good about last weekend was GOALS! Plenty of them and plenty of quality. From the Tiatto and Hernandez thunderbolts to the Smeltz finishing masterclass to the Henrique solo effort, to set piece crackers from Bertos and Hernandez to Bridge’s one-two and Allsopp’s swivelling volley. Round two had it all and for those who question the quality of the A-League there were at least 6 or 7 strong answers last weekend. The A-League’s not perfect...we know that....but there was plenty to cheer last weekend and overall I’d say after two rounds we’ve seen a marked improvement where it matters most – on the pitch.
The Bad
A second sub 20,000 crowd at Melbourne was a concern although the entertainment on display will hopefully pull a few more in as the season progresses. Likewise at the Gold Coast....less than 8,000 is pretty pitiful for a team with such hype around them and such a strong line up. Hopefully the suck-it-and-see brigade will have seen enough to convince them to get behind their team. Let’s not forget the Titans making their first NRL finals may also have an impact until the end of October given the cost of attending games especially for families. It would be a crying shame if some of the most enterprising football on display in the A-League wasn't witnessed by a bigger crowd.
The Ugly
Momentum my arse Mr Fowler. I’d argue that any other player would have been sent off for that. Momentum does not cause your feet to shoot out against gravity towards the player’s head who’s just upended you. Clearly frustrated by the beating his team was getting I believe Mr Fowler was very, very lucky to get away with that.
Agree? Disagree? Have any better suggestions....the floor is yours....
