Blah, blah, blah, on the track.
Blah, blah, blah, during the game.
Better lines of communication, blah, blah, blah.
Much better movement and finishing, blah, blah, blah.
Rock bottom.
Talk is officially cheap at Adelaide United after yet another frustrating and impotent performance by the Reds left them bottom of the league with just 11 games to play.
Well at least the only way from here is up, but hell, how many different things can the club say they are trying in an attempt to end this slump, before we all conclude that they actually don’t have any new ideas in the locker?
A few weeks ago Aurelio Vidmar said he had one more thing he was going to try.
It would be a new approach to try and “change the culture, change mentality, change the whole thinking behind our club.”
Shortly after saying that, Vidmar chuckled it was all a wind-up, and there was actually nothing new, it was just some fun to have with the media.
Well how we all laughed, just as we did at his Saudi Arabia heads-off gibe.
Well who is laughing now, except all the teams and rival fans in the league laughing at Adelaide’s situation?
Bottom of the league after 16 games.
Hilarious.
After playing 16 games last season Adelaide was top with 27 points, 25 goals scored and 18 conceded.
Those eight wins, three draws and five losses would be good enough for second right now with an attack ranked second and a defence ranked third.
Instead, with four wins, five draws and seven losses, 14 goals scored and 20 conceded, United is bottom and has the worst attack, but somewhat bizarrely the equal fourth best defence.
This week we were told that “as a vote of confidence“ the starting 11 would be the same as the previous game for the first time since Round 9.
This week we were told that the lines of communication had been opened so that senor players could offer feedback on training sessions and other issues of importance, (except selection) in an attempt to improve on-field leadership and thus performance.
This week we were told that this football “perestroika” had already had an effect on the training track.
Well, after the 2-1 defeat in Townsville, where is the evidence that any of these ideas paid dividends?
Where were the leaders of this new democratic Adelaide United?
Where was the sign that this group of 11 players was motivated by the vote of confidence so publicly given to them by their coach?
Where was the sign that there was even motivation by fear?
United knew that defeat coupled with other results would see them drop to the bottom of the table, but that seemed to provide no extra motivation.
While the admirable Barbiero did charge into the net when Cristiano scored the Reds (deserved on the 2nd half performance) injury time consolation goal, where was the anger, or outward sign of passion when McBreen and Fowler scored?
What comments have you heard or read from an Adelaide player or official that can only be interpreted as an expression of real anger or deep pain at the club’s dismal position?
With Sarkies, Owusu and Cristiano all apparently leaving in January and rumours that Cassio and Aleamo will follow them, maybe no one cares about this season anymore.
One shudders to think what might happen in the ACL if things don’t improve.
Of the team that won in Perth in United’s 16th game of the 2008/9 campaign, eight finished on the field against the Fury; Galekovic, Cornthwaite, Cassio, Sarkies, Dodd, Barbiero, Cristiano and Jamieson.
Ogenenovski, Reid and Mullen were the other three.
So the personnel is largely unchanged, and really only Reid hasn’t been adequately replaced given Rudan and Fyfe are not dissimilar to the Og monster and Mullen.
Taking all this into account it’s hard to work out what, if anything Aurelio Vidmar can say at this week’s press conference(s) that will be any different to what we’ve heard over the past couple of months.
Is there even any point in fact in having a pre-match chat to the media except to say what players might be in or out?
No, there isn’t.
So maybe Adelaide should cancel all media commitments this week because from now on, only actions count.
Tags: a-league, adelaide united, Fabian Barbiero, football, john thompson-mills, soccer, townsville, vidmar