Daily Australian News Thread 2013

[Pico]

In The Mixer: Reds let James Troisi slip, new face Tara Rushton and Ernie Merrick still bitter

Marco Monteverde and Val Migliaccio
News Limited
October 10, 2013 4:04PM

IN The Mixer: James Troisi - on loan to Melbourne Victory from Juventus and Atalanta, co-owners of the Socceroo - should have been on Adelaide United books not once but twice.

The Adelaide-born attacker's management team made contact with the Reds and its former coach John Kosmina last year before signing for Juventus and Atalanta.

Troisi was caught in the middle of a pay dispute in Turkey and when the call came in saying the Socceroo was available in 2012, Kosmina was reportedly after a defender and no further contact was made.

Former Socceroos Vincenzo Grella who works in tangent with player/agent Frank Trimboli put in another call to Adelaide this year when Troisi was looking to move away from Atalanta after he was forced to train alone.

Again nothing ever eventuated.

And former Adelaide United attacker Nathan Burns was reportedly also in the same predicament he was contemplating a return to SA before he was snapped up by Newcastle Jets.

STEVE OR DAVID, IT'S ALL THE SAME THING

"STEVE what are we doing after the one-on-one interviews?" was the ice breaking words coming from Eugene Galekovic's mouth at the A-League's season launch at AAMI Park on Tuesday.

But for some reason 'Steve' wasn't responding to the Adelaide United gloveman's question.

Why? Because 'Steve' wasn't 'Steve.'

It was in fact David Mason Football Federation Australia's general manager communications and media.

But Maso didn't mind being called Steve despite being Eugene's Olyroos team manager at the 2004 Olympic Games.

So 'Steve' it is.

NEW FACE EQUALS BIG REACTION

TARA Rushton Fox Sports football's new face of the game drew some amazing reactions from the A-League's club men at AAMI Park on Wednesday.

Rushton hosted the launch alongside Simon Hill and didn't skip a beat.

She was refreshingly upbeat when hosting Fox Sports football's shootout with Hill before Adelaide United claimed the prize.

Mabil was mentored by Bruce Djite and smashed the opposition to bits as Adelaide walked away with its first trophy of the new season.

Contestants from Melbourne Victory, Adelaide United, Melbourne Heart and Perth Glory had 45 seconds to score as many goals as they could in an 18 yard shootout.

With Djite calmly laying off balls, Mabil belted nine goals home from 13 shots.

He easily beat Glory's Jamie Maclaren, Hearts former Red Iain Ramsay and Victory's Connor Pain.

THE WORD VICTORY STILL TASTES BITTER

ERNIE Merrick's axing as Melbourne Victory coach still cuts deep with the new Wellington Phoenix mentor.

On stage at Tuesday's A-League launch at Allianz Stadium, Merrick refused to refer to the Victory by their name as he discussed his return to the A-League.
You can bet that Merrick has had Monday, November 4 circled on his calendar for some time.

That's the day he returns to Etihad Stadium for the Phoenix's clash against the Victory.

SHOWDOWN: FOOTBALL VS BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL meets basketball tonight in the first episode of new SBS sports entertainment program Thursday FC.

Western Sydney Wanderers star Youssouf Hersi who will take on the world famous Harlem Globetrotters.

The show will also feature Sydney FC defender Pascal Bosschaart, again injured, and another player currently sidelined, Newcastle Jets star Emile Heskey.
HESKEY questioned the use of the term friendly at the Sydney leg of the A-League launch as he lamented the knee injury that will keep him out for the first few weeks of the season.

The former England international suffered the injury in a pre-season clash against Melbourne Victory, presumably from an ill-timed challenge.

However, Heskey was adamant he would not seek retribution when the two teams met in the season proper.

AIN'T THAT A SHAME

THE season hasn't even started and it seems the Jets are already getting some of the media offside.

Upset with a newspaper report, Jets officials attempted to stop a journalist speaking to Heskey at the launch.

We're not sure if they succeeded, but just trying to block someone doing their job is a joke.


PHIL A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR

FORMER Adelaide United boss Phil Stubbins has been working wonders with Thailand's Ayutthaya.

Since answering an SOS the club was heading for relegation, but Stubbins has pulled the side out of the mire.

Ayutthaya is a point clear of relegation with three rounds remaining after Stubbins secured three wins and three draws since he arrived.

It's understood Stubbins has now been tabled a very good offer to stay on next season.

A REAL LIVERPOOL MAN IN AUS

MATTHEW Selby is in the running to win a position on Liverpool's supporters committee representing Asia, Oceania, Middle East and Africa.

Highbury-based (SA) Selby, however, is up against a candidate from Dubai and one from Qatar.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to represent about 70 per cent of the world's population," said the e-football director.
"The region is huge.

"If I win I'll be the conduit for the fans and Liverpool and I'll be summoned to four meetings a year to meet club officials and the owners."

A-LEAGUE TAKING OVER THE WORLD

THE A-LEAGUE is spreading its tentacles rapidly across the planet.
The US, China, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Canada, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, Singapore and Myanmar can watch entire matches while 127 matches will be streamed online globally.

Overseas fans can subscribe to www.aleague.livesport.tv to watch all the action online while 53 nations in Asia and the Middle East will broadcast highlights packages of the competition on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's "Australian Network".

"The growth of the Hyundai A-League has been extraordinary in the last two years and that is starting to bear fruit overseas as more and more football fans around the world develop an appetite for our national competition," said FFA chief executive David Gallop.

"The arrival of marquee players like Alessandro Del Piero, Emile Heskey and Shinji Ono has opened the eyes of the world to the Hyundai A-League and now they can watch all of our stars in action on a weekly basis."

Wonder who we are pissing off now, must have been someone from the Herald or possibly SMH didn't they recently comment about uncertainty regarding Tinks and his need to show his commitment to the jets.

[russjaybee]

Ridiculous.

Marquee A-League games in Sydney will lack the visual crowd displays of last year after NSW Police banned supporters unveiling large-scale banners at specific fixtures as part of a clampdown on the behaviour of football fans.

Supporter groups were told large ''pull-over'' banners that cover entire bays would not be permitted at games the police deem ''high-risk'', and any banner greater than two metres by two metres would need prior police approval. These fixtures include three games between Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC and Sydney FC's games against Melbourne Victory.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/socce...010-2vbiq.html

FFS. Khuntz.

[q-money]

nothing new, we've had so many knocked back it's not funny

i believe a certain fozza identity is the responsible culprit

[Blackmac79]

Bag check.

[MFKS]

NEWCASTLE football legend Ray Baartz believes the Jets have no weaknesses and no reason to fear anyone as they prepare to launch a season of redemption against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium tonight.

Having missed the play-offs for the past three years, Newcastle will kick off this campaign as $26 long shots for the A-League title.

But Baartz, the Jets chairman and former Socceroo, is confident Gary van Egmond’s troops will improve on last season, when they finished eighth, one point away from the top six.

He believes a finals berth is the minimum they should aim to achieve.

‘‘I think if everybody plays to the maximum of their ability, and if we have a good run without injuries, I don’t think we need to fear anybody,’’ he said yesterday.

‘‘We did beat most of the top teams last year, but then consistency let us down a little bit.

‘‘But with the experience we’ve got now, I think we’ve got a squad that’s the equal of any in the league ... we’re a realistic chance of challenging for any honours.’’

Baartz said the recruitment of former Netherlands World Cup defender Kew Jaliens, Socceroos hopeful Nathan Burns [on loan] and young striker Joey Gibbs had reinforced van Egmond’s roster in crucial areas.

‘‘I look at the squad and I don’t think we’ve got a weakness anywhere.

‘‘We’re putting a lot of expectation on making the top four, or at least the top six. Anything less than that would be a big disappointment.’’

The Jets beat the top three teams, Central Coast, Western Sydney and Melbourne Victory, in the first six rounds last season but stumbled on the tightrope walk into the finals when they lost three of their last four games.

Baartz said some of Newcastle’s players were ‘‘probably a bit immature at times last year’’, especially in defence, but would benefit from lessons learned the hard way.

‘‘We faltered towards the end because a lot of our players lacked experience. They’ll be better for that. We feel we’ve got a lot of depth and quality there and competition for places.

‘‘I’m very confident the young players will kick on after the experience they gained last year, so there’s a lot of excitement and a lot of anticipation. My hopes are pretty high, to be honest with you.’’

He said the confidence of tyros like Connor Chapman, Josh Brillante and Craig Goodwin should be ‘‘sky high’’ with a full A-League season behind them and the experience they had gained in national teams.
See your ad here

English veterans Emile Heskey (knee) and Michael Bridges (groin) are unavailable, but Baartz was confident the Jets were ready to make a statement against Sydney tonight.

‘‘We had a team dinner last night and the mood and the spirit is only positive. I just think everything’s pointing towards a really exciting season

Wasn't he on the Advisory Board and now he goes on the public record and says we have no weaknesses??

Getting rid of him from the Advisory Board may be the best thing we ever done judging by that statement

[Grimario]

Bloke has clearly been misquoted. Surely he said "playing squad has no weaknesses" with an off the record remark about gve?

[q-money]

jimmy gardiner is live bloggin' on the herald now - is pretty good get in there

[Premy]

FFS Caravella

[militiamon]

So the Jets just announced on Facey that the Premier is the new "away" match venue?

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/...er-Hotel/76886

Missed this. Good to see the club took the comments about working with the Tenz on board.

hamma has just informed me that the Official Hamma-Approved Away Venue is still the Tennis Club

[Grimario]

Jerks on FB...

Newcastle Jets
MEMBERSHIP | Sign-up or renew as a Newcastle Jets Member before midnight on Wednesday to ensure you receive your Member card and inclusion prior to the #F3Derby against the Central Coast Mariners at Hunter Stadium on Sunday, November 3! Click here to join or renew today: http://bit.ly/w2rZB8 #StandWithUs #NTUA

Can't even get the date right. Game is Saturday, November 2.

[militiamon]

^ Disband the club. Only way we can save ourselves from this embarrassment.

[plague]

its been that long since the Foz has worked that last time i logged on we had no wins, were coming last and hadnt scored a goal.

[Grimario]

Last time this foz was working, no one had heard of disc golf and I was just some guy that talked about it every now and then.

Look how far we've come.

(It's in a newspaper, shut up)

http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/st...n-golf/?cs=172

[hawk]

news: gypos got beat

[Grimario]

The beard has won U20 PFA Player of the Year.

[The Dunster]

Graham Arnold set to leave Mariners and sign with J-League club
November 13, 2013 - 8:55PM Heading overseas: Graham Arnold could have played his last game for the Central Coast Mariners. Photo: Getty Images
Graham Arnold's tenure as coach of the Central Coast Mariners is to come to an abrupt end after the club granted him permission to pursue a move to a top-tier Japanese club.
The Mariners on Wednesday confirmed they had received an approach from a high-profile Asian club. Fairfax Media understands that J-League club Vegalta Sendai are the front-runners to land the signature of Arnold.

Vegalta are looking for a replacement for outbound coach Makoto Teguramori, who steered Vegalta to promotion to the J-League 1 in 2009 and guided them to a shock runners-up finish last year, after the 45-year-old was recently appointed as the new head coach of Japan's under-21 and Olympic team as of next year.

The J-League side is understood to have offered the vacant position to Arnold, who will travel to Japan this week to finalise the deal.
The Mariners have confirmed they expect the 50-year-old tactician to agree to terms with the Asian club and believe he has already coached his last game with the A-League champions.
Arnold has publicly stated his desire to further his coaching career overseas and although he signed a long-term contract extension with the Mariners before the start of the A-League season, he did so only on the proviso that he had a release clause allowing him to move to a larger club in Asia or in Europe.

Arnold's impending Japanese trip to negotiate the move will not cause any immediate disruption to the Mariners, who do not play this weekend as their round-seven fixture against Wellington Phoenix is scheduled for December 19 due to New Zealand's World Cup qualifiers against Mexico.
Should Arnold sign for the club in the J-League, Mariners assistant coach Phil Moss will be promoted to the role of head coach. He has spent more than three years as assistant coach.
Mariners group general manager Peter Turnbull said the club had been working on a succession plan for Arnold's departure.
"The success of our club over the past three seasons under Graham Arnold and his staff always meant Graham would receive interest from rival Hyundai A-League and foreign clubs," Turnbull said.
"As such, we have been planning for the past 18 months for Phil [Moss] to take on the role of head coach of the club upon Graham's departure. Of course, Graham has been helping prepare Phil for the position."
Moss joined the Mariners in 2010 after previously being the head coach of NSW Premier League club Manly United for six years.
Moss was also a former teammate of Arnold at Northern Spirit in the now defunct National Soccer League and will take charge of the Mariners' training session in the absence of Arnold later this week.

Arnold's expected departure continues the rising stock of Australian coaches as it represents the second high-profile managerial exit in the A-League in just weeks. Ange Postecoglou coached his last game at Melbourne Victory two weeks ago before signing a five-year deal to lead the Socceroos at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the 2015 Asian Cup on home soil and through the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup to be held in Russia.
While Arnold narrowly missed out on the appointment for the Socceroos job, he is set to become the first local coach to progress from the A-League to a top club in Asia.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/g...113-2xgh3.html

Like him or not Arnold has been successful when it comes to spotting and developing talent in the a-league. I'm not surprised he's been picked up by a J-League club.

[seldom]

Arny could of gone to the J-league 2 years ago...why now ?...could feel the pressure if VS dont perform...like to know the coin he's on

[militiamon]

Calling it now: I expect nothing more than complete failure with this move.

[joel31]

Good riddance if it happens

[Jetmaster]

Timing does seem odd as the chance has been there before...probably hoped staying here would mean the Socceroos job.