Posts Tagged ‘townsville’

IT’S A COOLEN COOLEN WORLD

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Four weeks, four solid and significant steps forward for Rini Coolen’s Adelaide United.

It’s worth reflecting on the ride with Rini so far.

Week 1 at home v the Jets: no goals and no real chances created, but a clean sheet meant a point.

Week 2 away to the Mariners: a good first half with a goal & chances created. Not so good in the second half, but still, a point gained albeit with a large slice of luck.

Week 3 at home to the Heart:  not as much possession, but three goals after being twice pegged back, and most importantly a win.

Week 4 away to the Fury. plenty of possession, once again three goals, once again a win, and enough character to not only come from behind but also withstand a nervous final five minutes.

When you think it’s taken Neil Craig years at the Crows to build a team in his image, and he still hasn’t got there, Coolen—although granted it is early days—has made remarkable progress given the Reds well publicised injury list.

In the humidity of Townsville, Adelaide not only won, but they did it against a team that has already taken five points from Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.

The match also put one other fairly long-standing statistic to bed, as it was the first time United has come from behind to win an A-League match since Oct 26, 2008.

On that particular Sunday afternoon at Hindmarsh, Perth Glory led through Socceroo Nikita Rukyavitsa’s 54th minute strike, only for late goals by Alemao and Dodd to seal a 2-1 victory.

United has now scored seven goals this season in just four games. It took eight matches to rack up the same tally last season.

And to complete the statistical navel-gazing, United is now unbeaten in its past six A-League games after winning its final two fixtures last season.

One of the many impressive features of this latest Reds performance was the amount of possession they enjoyed. Overall it was only 51% but during the second half Adelaide had large periods with the ball as once again Marcos Flores weaved some beautiful combinations with Leckie, Pantelis and van Dijk.

And speaking of Flores, his goal, if you haven’t seen it, it’s worth clicking on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGrLeV9btrc  and spooling through to 1:45 for an early contender for goal of the season. The celebration wasn’t bad either.

 

Quite simply Adelaide United has no one who can replace Flores , and he’s one of the few players in the A-League that you will pay money to see play.

 Initially it looked like Flores might struggle to adapt to the more physical tempo of the A-League compared to the ACL, with reports Rini Coolen was struggling to get his message through to the Argentinean number 10.

But not anymore.

Last week against the Heart, Flores was imperious. Against the Fury, his debut A-league goal was the least his graft deserved, as he continues to lead the bidding for early favourtism for the Johnny Warren Medal.

But yes it is very early days, as we may find out next week when Adelaide travels to Sydney to confront the winless Champions at a ground where the Reds have won once and lost seven times in nine visits.

Because the fact can’t be ignored, Adelaide is relative bare bones operation at the moment, simply trying to regain some credibility.  

They have taken significant steps towards doing that, and while this season is still in its infancy, coming off a wooden spoon, second spot and four games unbeaten is certainly worth feeling good about.

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Blah, blah, blah

Monday, November 30th, 2009

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.

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where there’s life

Friday, November 27th, 2009

 

While Aurelio Vidmar’s two match suspension could not be more poorly timed as Adelaide’s season lurches towards the edge of the cliff, just maybe something good could come of it.

Normally, in Travis Dodd’s words, the players just do “what the coaches tell them” so taking this season in isolation that ain’t working, why not try something new.

And this week they have with the players being encouraged to speak out more not only during review sessions but also during training.

 The hope of course is that it will lead instantly lead to crucial three points against North Queensland and then many more in remaining dozen or so games.

 The theory is that feedback sessions will lead to a more collective sense of leadership on the field.

 This in turn might help produce more 90 minute performances, and not just the 20, 30 or 40 minutes which have typically summed up United’s frustrating 2009-10 campaign.

Travis Dodd, still by his own admission growing into his captaincy role will appreciate the extra vocal support although he admitted the idea is something that will take time to get used to.

But if Aurelio Vidmar is to be believed then just maybe it has worked.

If it’s possible, training has again been better, with better movement, better quality finishing in front of goals and a higher intensity to the routines.

Of course it’s all about translating training ground routines into match play, and so far United have essentially failed to do that.

But as the Reds mount the latest attempt to resurrect their season, at least they are going to a place with happy memories.

Townsville is where the A-League’s latest starlet Matthew Leckie scored his first goal, United’s second in a two-nil win.

As United fly in to try and the repeat the result, Leckie will be boosted by that memory but also the vote of confidence given to him by Vidmar who this weekend looks set to name an unchanged 11 for the first time since Round 9.

Vidmar said he doesn’t see the point in chopping and changing each week especially after an encouraging performance against the Gold Coast which he said demonstrated United’s “fighting spirit.”

So we will get to see whether the partnership of Dodd and Leckie continues to develop, although Vidmar insists there is no pressure on Leckie.

“We’re not hanging our season on Leckie…He’s got attributes that not many others in the league have, but there’s no pressure on him, he’s an 18 year-old kid.”

 That may well be the case but it’s a different situation for the team which simply must return with three points.

Most United fans will be watching from afar, as will Vidmar, somewhere in the stands and unable to communicate with the bench for the next two games.

He’ll certainly get a different view, but with consecutive home defeats on the cards, Fury coach Ian Ferguson will be determined to ensure it’s not a happy one.

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A win is a win is a win

Monday, September 28th, 2009

 

No question, a massive three points for the Reds in a first away win of the season.

Questions have been asked of Adelaide’s squad this season with regards to the injuries they have picked up, but you couldn’t question the fitness of those that did play.

Adelaide finished the game strongly when many expected the heat to take its toll, BUT to be brutally honest, some players did not exactly feature throughout the game.

His goal was well taken, but Lucas Pantelis was rarely sighted before his 60th minute strike.

Kristian Sarkies was even less of a factor.

I can hardly remember a pass he made.

Cassio was visible in the second half but much less so in the first.

And skipper Travis Dodd again flitted in and out of the game, but as captain needs to do more.

He could never do as much as Eugene Galekovic though, who once again kept United in the game with several great saves, particularly from Daniel McBreen.

The other player of concern to me was Lloyd Owusu.

He can obviously score goals as his record in England indicates, and he has made it quite clear he best functions in a 442 formation.

So far Aurelio Vidmar has resisted the temptation to commit to that tactic, which begs the question why bring him over in the first place?

Initially an excuse for isolating him was injuries, but that isn’t the case now.

And while football history is full of examples of players learning to play different positions throughout their careers, at 32 Owusu is hardly going to make a success out of reinventing himself as someone who charges through the channels.

There was however someone who showed they can charge about and do some damage at the same time.

In a manner not too dissimilar to Travis Dodd, late substitute Matthew Leckie picked up a loose ball in midfield and took it to the edge of the box, before a deft change in a direction and curling right foot shot ended the game as a contest.

The Fury defence may have been tiring but Leckie showed as Vidmar had said when he signed the young Victorian, that he knows where the goals are.

And having only been on the field for five minutes, it qualifies as an inspired substitution by Vidmar

Make no mistake this is a fantastic result, especially when you consider how many players are still not playing at their peak.

But given it took United until the second half to really start playing, I am yet to be convinced that Vidmar’s well known tactical theories are going to help Adelaide challenge for the title.

That said, despite being in 7th place, Adelaide is bizarrely only two points from the A-League summit, so two or three wins would certainly rocket them up the league.

So as was the case with Melbourne where United’s chances looked good but came to nothing, or against the Fury where the outlook was not good, but resulted in three points, it’s hard to pick them with any confidence.

You can certainly say this blogger certainly has no idea.

So what do we make of the next month’s fixtures? The holiday Monday home game against the Jets looks winnable, but then it’s Perth (a), Sydney (h), the Victory (a) and the Mariners (a).

Barbiero, Reid and Alemao should all be back for the Perth game in what can only boost Vidmar’s hands, but once again, it would be nice to Adelaide do a little more than rely on the league’s best keeper for salvation before making a mark on the scoreboard.

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The heat is on

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

Adelaide United has already faced some searching examinations this season, and as any Reds watcher will agree they have failed to cope.

And worryingly, it’s hard to see that changing in Townsville.

The noises coming out of Hindmarsh at the moment are very concerning.

Senior players are speaking publicly about their frustrations with Vidmar’s tactics, which to some degree may have been dictated by injury and illness, but nonetheless have not garnered many points, and even fewer goals.

On top of that there seems to be an inability for United to collectively put in a ninety minute shift.

 And so now in Townsville, in near 30 degree heat and high humidity, against a team unbeaten in five matches, United has to pick up three points.

Vidmar says despite the public criticism by his players, he won’t change his style, and to be honest, away from home that approach is understandable…to a point.

Last week, despite the recent loss of one of his best players and a worrying form slump, Ernie Merrick managed to travel to one of the A-League’s most difficult venues, and comfortably bag the points while playing in an attacking positive manner.

You can bet that won’t happen in Townsville.

Adelaide will almost certainly be on the negative side of the possession tally, aim to play on the break and try not to use too much energy chasing their Fury opponents.

A win, like so many of the games Adelaide has played away from home, will be another gritty, arguably ugly, backs to the wall performance.

But the result will dilute the argument as it always does.

Having said that, Adelaide will probably confound the critics, play out of their skins and pull off a stunning victory.

But if you were to make a bet, where would your money go?

The fact is, if United stick to them same starting 11 as last week, where are the creative bullets going to come from for gun striker Lloyd Owusu?

Kristian Sarkies didn’t do too badly for his first game of the season, but he only lasted an hour and in oppressive conditions in Townsville he is unlikely to last much more than that.

 

Perhaps, if United can hold the Fury out for an hour, Shin, drafted in presumably because Alemao is injured, then maybe his pace and energy can change the game?

But that’s assuming the other ten players have been able to cope with the sudden change in atmospheric conditions.

With the Victory winning again, as did Perth 24 hours earlier, another defeat will leave Adelaide anchored at the wrong end of the table, possibly even bottom, and the rumblings becoming apparent in the stands and online will get appreciably louder.

I know I’ll be watching, but Adelaide games are beginning to feel like something one has to endure rather than enjoy.

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