Hyundai A-League 2007/08 Season Review
March 1, 2008
Welcome to fine Saturday afternoon blah blah will have Arsenal vs. Villa report up tomorrow and Sydney goin’ for Aloisi which means no Zdrilic which means happy everyone and blah blah SEASON REVIEW!
So here comes a season review from a blog that started basically at the end of the A-League season. Take from this what you will, laugh at it even. Well – that’s the point actually, just laugh. Laugh at the crappy jokes. Laugh at the witty reap-our-tea. Laugh at the season. Laugh at the teams. Laugh at the duds.
Did someone say Duds?
Now I can hear some of you going -
rugbeesokker: hay did you sei dat shit sesun rebyou by cantime? shite rebyou. kemp is dah mostest aweshum player.
Cannontime: Kemp is crap… but do agree about the review being shite.
Erm, yeah. Well let me justify some of my punishments (unlike the FA). Daggy-cho-vic and Jardel are a bit obvious, fat kinda tall guys who haven’t scored a goal in yeaaaaaaars or well – any goals in a decent league in years.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Interestingly enough old Draggy is now at Persepolis FC with 2 goals in 3 games! Apparently Jardel left the Jets to be with his sick mother in Brazil. Valid valid point, but he also left because he was shite.
Now Enfield I’ll admit is harsh. Really really harsh, incessantly harsh. Quoting/ripping of Wiki, in late September, a left knee injury suffered at training ended his season. Enfield underwent knee reconstruction surgery to repair tearing to both the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, and is expected to return to training at Sydney in mid-2008. He gets the place simply because he’s the first Jew in the A-League. That’s a dud because I thought Zelic was a Jew. Not that I hate Jews or anything but that’s just funny.
Kemp is self’planitory. Spencer is not harsh. Spencer is a wankface, pipping Robertson who is ALMOST as much of a wankface. Bobby Petta has now been released by Adelaide without being particularly brilliant this season and not leading by example – and not being that creative force this season. He pipped Diego Walsh into this spot as he was consistently crap instead of consistently exceedingly average.
Ahm/e/ad Elrich failed. His CV includes the likes of Fulham and the shit in West Sydney. Crap teams all of them! I think Ricki Sherbet expected some magical pacey winger with a wicked cross on him and he got shite basically. Tarek is better, way, way, way better. Tarek compared to Ahm/e/ad makes Tarek look like god which he is to the Squadron.
Renaud, what the fuck. What the f’ck are you doing playing football. Learn to run faster than Jardel you slow fat f’ck. Go back to coaching you f’ck f’ck. Better yet die you f’ck. Tahj made you look like a gravestone, useless and who cares about your dead wife – she’s dead. Stop trying to copy Talay’s and Ognenovski’s awesome 60 metre balls you useless shit. Learn to defend, learn to attack. When Kosmina played you in Left Midfield I hit your little image on my High Def TV. When you got in instead of Tsatallios I swore at you. Quit.
LOL CLEBERSON, HAYDEN FOX, KEENAN and BAJIC.
Basically. Let’s go onto some positive stuff.
HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE TEAM OF THE SEASON!
Well obviously in a season review you gotta have one of these. Usually a team of the season comes at the end but considering this is not a usual blog so let’s start this middle bit with the team of the season!
Reinaldo has really, really come on in the 3 seasons he’s been at Queensland. People forget that he’s extremely young at 23 and his ability makes him come off as good as an experienced 27 year old. Miron and Farina have kept faith in him and god has he repaid them both. I’ve seen more backflips in this season than in the Olympic… diving… bit. His hold up play is the best in the league, better than Djite’s – better than… well he and Djite are the only ones that can hold up the ball good. Rumoured to be going to the MLS with either Colorado or Real Salt Lake. Honestly Real Salt Lake is a kind of pathetic name – only works if the country you’re in is predominantly Spanish, which to be fair the US is.
Shane Smeltz is a machine for the Phoenix. A machiiiiiiiiiine. In one of the better attacking sides of the A-League (ableit [yes that's how I spell and say albeit] coming with a shit defense) he thrives. He has scored with his left foot, right foot, his head, his chest, his hand, his hair and his funnybone! Has pace, finishing and great touch with both feet. Only thing holding him back is the sometimes crap service he gets.
Joel Griffiths, obvious winner of the Johnny Warren Medal. The closest thing to a Cristiano or a Torres like figure in this league – in the fact that he makes defenders just shit themselves. You know how he scores so much? You know how he gets past defenders so easily? He makes defenders think that they’re playing for the New Zealand Knights. Hypnotizes them during the game he does with his crazy manic hair. Again, pace – a f’scak of alot of pace, finishing and a direct free kick specialist to boot. A constant threat to any team and he’ll wreak havok in Asia most probably.
Michael Zullo, the bloody superstar of the Roar at the age of 19. Pure speed, he takes speed that Zullo he runs on pure speed. Basically came in (with Kruse) as a sort of a Messiah of Brisvegas. He injected life into an otherwise average team with his pace and crossing ability. He popped up with some goals this season as well. He’ll be here for at least another 2 years and will just keep at proving.
Tommy Pondeljak, the driving force in midfield narrowly pipped it ahead of his compatriot Mile Jedinak. You see him during games – always driving up midfield and adding that little bit of pressure to make a defence collapse. One of the best all-around midfielders in Australia at the moment, his work-rate as well is immense.
Robbie Middleby, the utility man. The otherwise shining light in an average season for Sydney. The well, second best all-around midfielder in Australia, his work-rate as well is immense. He still has a bag of pace in him – can get around a player and whips in a cross or two. I would liken him to an A-League Ljungberg that can track back and make a tackle or a barge. He has just been a reliable option in any place he has played and as a Sydney fan you can take solice in the fact that’ll he won’t complain and will always give it his all.
Tony Lochhead, (spelt it wrong in that banner up there.) Above-average in a defensive sense – not brilliant, but you see him at the half way line and he has a demon of a cross. Gets forward at the right times and never leaves his flank open and he actually tries to recover a lost cause or two unlike the rest of the Wellington defense. Hasn’t been recognized alot this season so I (a blog with at least ONE person reading it) will give him that recognition.
Adam Griffiths, the invisible wall. Great in everything he does. Otherwise outshined by his twin Joel but he is the reason that Joel did so well. Tackles at the right times, jockeys at the right times and popped up with a goal or two from corners. Again, one of the best all-around defenders in Australia at the moment. Narrowly pipped out Ognenovski and Moore for this spot as he doesn’t get stupid cards for you know – punching someone or whatever or turning up late for a friendly where you were going to be the captain of your said international team while you were being drunk in a hotel and betting with your mate Kalac who is now the 1st choice keeper for AC Milan who became somehow brilliant at the same time he retired from international duty.
Nigel Boogard, another young bloke who came through. Great in everything he does. Tackles at the right times, jockeys at the right times and popped up with a goal or two from corners. Again, one of the better young all-around defenders in Australia at the moment. Narrowly pipped out Ognenovski and Moore for this spot as he doesn’t get stupid cards for you know – punching someone or whatever or turning up late for a friendly where you were going to be the captain of your said international team while you were being drunk in a hotel and betting with your mate Kalac who is now the 1st choice keeper for AC Milan who became somehow brilliant at the same time he retired from international duty.
Andy Packer, former Sydneyman. Above-average in a defensive sense – not brilliant, but you see him at the half way line and he has a demon of a cross. Gets forward at the right times and never leaves his flank open and he actually tries to recover a lost cause or two unlike the rest of the Wellington defense. Hasn’t been recognized alot this season so I (a blog with at least ONE person reading it) will give him that recognition.
Ante Covic, obvious choice. Pipped ahead of Vukovic because Vukovic went craaaaaaaaaaazy.
So that’s me team of the Season in a 4-3-3. Let’s recap!
Strikers: Reinaldo, Shane Smeltz, Joel Griffiths
Midfielders: Michael Zullo, Tommy Pondeljak, Robbie Middleby
Defenders: Tony Lochhead, Adam Griffiths, Nigel Boogaard, Andy Packer
Goalkeeper: Ante Covic
Now you may not agree with my choices. To those people who don’t agree or do not want me to voice my opinion when your opinion is obviously so right – your last name is obviously Foster.
You may be thinking, is that it? What kind of season review is this! I say it’s an awesome one. An awesome season review so far. 2 team XI’s eh. What about the actual review bit! Cannontime you lazy bastard, you’re going to do another Garfield comic or something to that effect! Well here it is.
THE SEASON REVIEW IN A PICTURE OR TWO.
Hey, that rhymes.
So that’s the season review for you. You want a better one? Go the the TWG website and wait for Foz to rate the season and the Grand Final as crap. Wait for Robbie and Simon to praise the growth and wait for Spence Prior to go in his posh accent, “Well wha’ is this A-League business all ’bout love?” and STUFF. Watch out sometime next week for “Sydney’s season in 10 pictures” that I’ll be doing.
Cheers until the Arsenal game.
