IT’S hard to believe that a third of the A-League campaign is already done and dusted but that’s the reality as teams start to jostle for those precious top four places.
There’s still a long way to go but how does the report card read for each side at this stage. Who is top of the class, who could do better and who deserves detention and playground litter collection duty?
Just to be completely original, we’ll give each team a mark out of 10 for their efforts so far and the usual teacher-style comments - without the illegible handwriting!
MELBOURNE VICTORY
Ernie Merrick believes his table-topping side is playing better stuff than when they claimed the toilet seat itself a couple of years ago. A few hiccups on the red card front seem to have been cured and Victory can be well pleased with their efforts so far. Danny Allsopp is banging in the goals again, Archie Thompson is buzzing, Evan Berger looks a fine prospect and the lads at the back are keeping things tight - only six goals conceded. The club has just convinced a host of big hitters to sign new deals, suggesting a pretty happy ship. Hard to see any major weaknesses and Merrick doesn’t seem the type to let complacency seep in.
8/10
ADELAIDE UNITED
Aurelio Vidmar gets top marks for doing his recruiting homework because the new boys have been huge hits at Hindmarsh. None of the ‘it takes time for players to adjust to the A-League-style excuses’ here. Scott Jamieson, Paul Reid and Cristiano have settled in superbly and Eugene Galekovic is already an early contender for goalkeeper of the season. The Champions League adventure has been built on a rock solid backline with Robbie Cornthwaite blossoming and Cassio bombing forward to provide plenty of ammunition for the strikers. Letting slip a three-goal lead against the Mariners recently was a worry but then it’s hardly a weekly occurrence. Perhaps the only danger here is the risk of post-Champions League blues? Again, seems unlikely with the Reds well placed to push on for a top four finish, regardless of how the ACL campaign ends.
8/10
SYDNEY FC
Colossal hype surrounded the club ahead of the big kick off with a host of big names having been secured. Yet the encouraging start to the season has been largely due to the efforts of club stalwarts and a guy from the state league. Shannon Cole has been a breath of fresh air in a competition that is crying out for set piece artistry and he is the real X-factor to help unlock stubborn defences. Steve Corica has been tremendously influential, Alex Brosque looks hungry for goals and a last-gasp leveller in the recent SFS draw with Queensland Roar points to a never-say-die attitude rather than a bunch of flash harry’s that some would like to paint them as. If they can keep cool heads and avoid injuries, a top four finish looks odds on.
7/10
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
Never a dull moment if you follow the Mariners and plenty of positives in the first third of the campaign – on and off the pitch. Mark Bosnich’s spell with the club has been a triumph for all concerned and reflects well on a club that simply oozes positivity. Matt Simon looks to have grown an extra few metres and has got the scoring bug, Mile Jedinak is challenging Shannon Cole for free-kick top dog and it is the spread of goals that will please McKinna. No reliance here on one man to bang ‘em in. Started slowly but unbeaten in five and few signs to suggest they are liable to run out of steam. Certainly no grand final hangover visible either. Would be another big boost if they can persuade David Carney to join the party.
7/10
QUEENSLAND ROAR
The report card is flavoured with more than a hint of frustration with Roar paying the price for failing to kill off opponents and failing to build a sense of momentum in the competition. Three of their first seven matches ended 1-1 and it was a case of two points dropped rather than one gained in each case. Charlie Miller has been the club’s best find but after a wonderful opening third of the season, will a hernia problem limit his impact from this point? Craig Moore and Luke De Vere have the winning blend of youth and experience and teams will continue to be exhausted by the midfield duo labelled ‘whippets’ by Sydney FC’s Stuart Musialik. Reinaldo needs to start finding the net and somehow the curse of Suncorp has to be buried once and for all if a top four finish is to be achieved.
6/10
NEWCASTLE JETS
The defending champions have blown hot and cold and only one win from their first seven matches is not the stuff needed to hang on to your crown. There remains the nagging sense that too much rests on the shoulders of Joel Griffiths. Edmundo Zura has yet to fire in front of goal and a failure to win in front of their own fans so far is hardly helping matters. The 5-0 thrashing in Melbourne looks to have been a one-off but each time you think the Jets are about to take off they seem to stall again. Song needs to keep shining and Kaz Patafta will be hoping his goal in the 2-2 draw with Wellington signals his arrival at EnergyAustralia Stadium. Hard to predict how the next two thirds will unfold to be honest. Still, they’re used to people writing them off and seem to thrive on it.
5/10
WELLINGTON PHOENIX
So much pre-season promise and then suddenly it all began to unravel pretty horribly. Still, it’s amazing what a chat with the club owner can do and four points from the last six suggests a corner has been turned. Shane Smeltz’s goals have been priceless once again and it’s not hard to understand why the New Zealanders are so desperate to keep him. Too much reliance on one player to score your goals is a worry though. The defence, so maligned last year, has not been anywhere near as solid as you would expect with the players available to man it. Westpac needs to be a fortress and a place for visiting teams to fear. That isn’t yet the case.
5/10
PERTH GLORY
They avoided the wooden spoon by the skin of their teeth last season and there has been precious little to smile about in this campaign. Two goalkeepers have been tried and the goals have kept whistling in, not helped by a leaky defence in front of them. Eugene Dadi has impressed at the other end but too many players have fallen short on too many occasions. Losing the likes of Billy Celeski and Simon Colosimo has hardly helped matters. There have been rumours of unrest, rows and tensions although the owners have been pledged 100 per cent commitment to the cause by the players. Glory’s supporters deserve much better but it is hard to see an instant fix. Could yet be a very long summer on the west coast.
3/10
Just to be completely original, we’ll give each team a mark out of 10 for their efforts so far and the usual teacher-style comments - without the illegible handwriting!
MELBOURNE VICTORY
Ernie Merrick believes his table-topping side is playing better stuff than when they claimed the toilet seat itself a couple of years ago. A few hiccups on the red card front seem to have been cured and Victory can be well pleased with their efforts so far. Danny Allsopp is banging in the goals again, Archie Thompson is buzzing, Evan Berger looks a fine prospect and the lads at the back are keeping things tight - only six goals conceded. The club has just convinced a host of big hitters to sign new deals, suggesting a pretty happy ship. Hard to see any major weaknesses and Merrick doesn’t seem the type to let complacency seep in.
8/10
ADELAIDE UNITED
Aurelio Vidmar gets top marks for doing his recruiting homework because the new boys have been huge hits at Hindmarsh. None of the ‘it takes time for players to adjust to the A-League-style excuses’ here. Scott Jamieson, Paul Reid and Cristiano have settled in superbly and Eugene Galekovic is already an early contender for goalkeeper of the season. The Champions League adventure has been built on a rock solid backline with Robbie Cornthwaite blossoming and Cassio bombing forward to provide plenty of ammunition for the strikers. Letting slip a three-goal lead against the Mariners recently was a worry but then it’s hardly a weekly occurrence. Perhaps the only danger here is the risk of post-Champions League blues? Again, seems unlikely with the Reds well placed to push on for a top four finish, regardless of how the ACL campaign ends.
8/10
SYDNEY FC
Colossal hype surrounded the club ahead of the big kick off with a host of big names having been secured. Yet the encouraging start to the season has been largely due to the efforts of club stalwarts and a guy from the state league. Shannon Cole has been a breath of fresh air in a competition that is crying out for set piece artistry and he is the real X-factor to help unlock stubborn defences. Steve Corica has been tremendously influential, Alex Brosque looks hungry for goals and a last-gasp leveller in the recent SFS draw with Queensland Roar points to a never-say-die attitude rather than a bunch of flash harry’s that some would like to paint them as. If they can keep cool heads and avoid injuries, a top four finish looks odds on.
7/10
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
Never a dull moment if you follow the Mariners and plenty of positives in the first third of the campaign – on and off the pitch. Mark Bosnich’s spell with the club has been a triumph for all concerned and reflects well on a club that simply oozes positivity. Matt Simon looks to have grown an extra few metres and has got the scoring bug, Mile Jedinak is challenging Shannon Cole for free-kick top dog and it is the spread of goals that will please McKinna. No reliance here on one man to bang ‘em in. Started slowly but unbeaten in five and few signs to suggest they are liable to run out of steam. Certainly no grand final hangover visible either. Would be another big boost if they can persuade David Carney to join the party.
7/10
QUEENSLAND ROAR
The report card is flavoured with more than a hint of frustration with Roar paying the price for failing to kill off opponents and failing to build a sense of momentum in the competition. Three of their first seven matches ended 1-1 and it was a case of two points dropped rather than one gained in each case. Charlie Miller has been the club’s best find but after a wonderful opening third of the season, will a hernia problem limit his impact from this point? Craig Moore and Luke De Vere have the winning blend of youth and experience and teams will continue to be exhausted by the midfield duo labelled ‘whippets’ by Sydney FC’s Stuart Musialik. Reinaldo needs to start finding the net and somehow the curse of Suncorp has to be buried once and for all if a top four finish is to be achieved.
6/10
NEWCASTLE JETS
The defending champions have blown hot and cold and only one win from their first seven matches is not the stuff needed to hang on to your crown. There remains the nagging sense that too much rests on the shoulders of Joel Griffiths. Edmundo Zura has yet to fire in front of goal and a failure to win in front of their own fans so far is hardly helping matters. The 5-0 thrashing in Melbourne looks to have been a one-off but each time you think the Jets are about to take off they seem to stall again. Song needs to keep shining and Kaz Patafta will be hoping his goal in the 2-2 draw with Wellington signals his arrival at EnergyAustralia Stadium. Hard to predict how the next two thirds will unfold to be honest. Still, they’re used to people writing them off and seem to thrive on it.
5/10
WELLINGTON PHOENIX
So much pre-season promise and then suddenly it all began to unravel pretty horribly. Still, it’s amazing what a chat with the club owner can do and four points from the last six suggests a corner has been turned. Shane Smeltz’s goals have been priceless once again and it’s not hard to understand why the New Zealanders are so desperate to keep him. Too much reliance on one player to score your goals is a worry though. The defence, so maligned last year, has not been anywhere near as solid as you would expect with the players available to man it. Westpac needs to be a fortress and a place for visiting teams to fear. That isn’t yet the case.
5/10
PERTH GLORY
They avoided the wooden spoon by the skin of their teeth last season and there has been precious little to smile about in this campaign. Two goalkeepers have been tried and the goals have kept whistling in, not helped by a leaky defence in front of them. Eugene Dadi has impressed at the other end but too many players have fallen short on too many occasions. Losing the likes of Billy Celeski and Simon Colosimo has hardly helped matters. There have been rumours of unrest, rows and tensions although the owners have been pledged 100 per cent commitment to the cause by the players. Glory’s supporters deserve much better but it is hard to see an instant fix. Could yet be a very long summer on the west coast.
3/10
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