Tag: socceroos

Sporting Costs disqualify Struggle Street.

At a kid in the 60’s in a war service /housing camp area kids had to make their own entertainment but when the word got around the local Football Club ( Wog Ball as it was known then ) were looking for players a few of us fronted up with absolutely nothing and the rest is history.

After reading the costs involved in the QT report I wonder who will look after those kids from real struggle street who’s parents are the living poor. The odds are those kids will be the problems of the future and never given a chance.

We all know sport is better than any lecture to teach the real lessons of life. Respect, humility, integrity and it goes on and it’s not always parents that can be trusted to impart those standards, so are we as a society prepared to accept those who are priced out in childhood will become tomorrow’s problem generations?

Sport and it’s infrastructure particularly in the lower demographic should be critical, and maybe across the board should be regarded as essential service or we can to play the risk management game and hope the pluses outweigh the minuses?

I appreciate all the government grants to existing and emerging organisations but looking at the data in the qt report sport should never be for the have and the have nots, it is the best classroom in the world regardless of how rich or poor your country is and that applies to parents as well.

Referees Blamed for Government Incompetence.

Dannielle Fords “Cutting Umpires Slack” article (See Below) should be read and digested by not only the arm chair warriors but the men behind the microphones and front the cameras and the scribes who present themselves as keepers of all knowledge on sport.

Anyone who has refereed sport experiences critical analysis for decisions that occur within tenths of a second and now we see the media gaggle question the Video Assist because it exposes infringements too well or or takes too long.

The VAR systems is accepted as the normal in European sport and unfortunately we Australians are yet to embrace it as this nations downgraded NBN speeds delays swift decision.

For instance in Bundesliga the centre in Cologne can monitor up to 5 matches at one once and have a decision expectation via 19-21 cameras on each ground within 26 seconds unless a on field intervention is required., Australia one per ground at snail mail speed., so when the squarkers in suits whinge they should be asking the question why do we in Australia are incapable of delivering the technology accepted as the norm overseas.

This is a classic example of when near enough is not good enough and our politicians felt our 55th place in the world in internet speed was acceptable for them I assure them running 55th when our sporting standards is effected just doesn’t cut it with the masses.

Culture Change a Must for Aussie Football Future.

Blame is Important and strategic.

As another 4 year football campaign concludes the media will disembowel, regurgitate, agonise, then allocate blame accordingly to suit the football structure they see what Football should be in Australia.

Nothing new, the same process, and the same outcome will result if we qualify in 2022.

Yep the Australian Football guru’s have all the answers and anyone dares to change their vision will be dispatched, replaced or ostracised as Un Australian, ignorant of Australian culture.

My opinion from here on in might just get me 🛑red carded 🛑 but I’ve been around long enough to see this charades played out all resulting in Australian Football being the looser and I’m tied of it.

Why is it we see our football culture requiring we do things our way?

The simple fact is the biggest problem with Australian Football is their are too many Australians having too much say in how how the football culture develops.

We are a infantile nation in real football terms and even though we made to top table in the world we are merely nuisance value in the picture we want to become a player.

Our record with coaches says we cannot adjust or do not have the talent yet to elevate us past battler class and looking at the level of our professionals only Moyes is playing in what can be called world class premier leagues, while the rest making a living in clubs under the world super powers.

World Cup winners have players in the top echelon playing weekly at club level day in day out. Beyond the average Australians comprehension. It’s not NRL or AFL as Optus found out it’s massive game in Australia that has been underestimated for decades with supporters that might support Aussie eastern seaboard codes but their heart and culture will always be with world game.

The appointment of Arnold highlights the crucial fact we look continually look inward because we don’t have the football intellect to accept that countries no where near as wealthy as Australia have cultures that we cannot comprehend or compete.

We wonder why international coaches think twice about putting their reputation on the line when they are often surrounded by well meaning parochialism not prepared to look at a 5 or 10 year year plan beyond the World Cup timelines.

Postacogolas had that vision but that vision did not suit the boys clubs self appointed specialist journalists that feel they have all answers. They’ll blame coaches, they’ll blame referees, the Video but the simple fact is we are just not good enough …. Yet..

Until we accept that fact Nationally then Internationally we will not make any major steps to securing a top 8 performance. And doing the Australian thing is total bullshit.

We need spend on Youth Development at a level far above out A League level. We need to have Full Transitional Management Teams employed from selected countries at our Sporting Academy that will develop a style and professional culture that is competitive yet identifiable with Australia as Germany is identifiable with clinical, fastidious application to precise performance.

Our benchmarks are below that and until we choose to raise them we are just in the world pool of wanna bee’s

Tough decisions, not cheap, not easy but as I look around I see Women’s Football making the right noises, international players On local rosters, and the young will feed off that and it will become the normal while our men’s ALeague is becoming a exit lounge for the past icons.

No reflections intended on our 2018 squad, we did our best, I could not ask more as a Australian Football fan from coach or squad, that’s football.

But I don’t and will not accept is Blame lays on the pitch. Blame is fully on the FFA management team and for the sake of the game heads should roll at that level first and foremost.

Time for The Soccerroos to hand in their Flop Dolls.

The World Cup in Russia is high on my agenda for 2018, however I am not liking what I am seeing in Australian football at present.The power struggle in the board rooms I believe impacted on Ange Postacoglious decision to leave the national job, which in turn will effect our preparations regardless who is appointed for the campaign in Russia. 

Secondarily I believe it’s now time our Soccerroos to create a Australian style of football that will make the other nations think twice when we run on the park.

Looking at the Aleague we are playing exactly like the European flop dolls and the commentary endorsing yellow cards for petty little knocks is not creating good roll models for our new talent. 

We screamed when Italy flopped and sent us home yet we are now doing exactly the same thing week in week out in the Aleague. We would do well to take a leaf from the Matilda’s book on “Manning Up” when we challenge in attack and defence. 

This idea of being so precious can remain with other codes as with true professionals 3 matches on 11 days is common place and fitness levels are expected to cope.

The positive perspective is all data on the Australian squad will be questionable with the new coach appointment and a change in style is a advantage but the spy’s will be at work once the appointment is confirmed. 

And thirdly to be totally realistic we will struggle if we play the same cards so our new coach must have a shock factor as did Hiddink and create the culture that brings a fear factor to the Soccerroos with skill, determination and passive aggression, not the bozo type but the type that lets the opposition know they are in for a match for 90 minutes. Mental strength and physical strength that will force the opposition to question their own abilities. 

I see some of that in some players in our Aleague today, a trait that was common in past years before we got soft but in really it boils down to the referees booking players for simulation and realising football is a contact sport. 

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