I Fink he's talking Turkey. Did you gobble it up?
Jesse not finking this week
The thing about blogging is you can write some good stuff, some true stuff, some stuff you make up, and some stuff no-one will believe or think is any good because it probably isn't.
But when you write for a Professional Football site in Australia like our Jesse, "I want Nicky Carle, and Arnie must go", Fink.....every week you are clearly under pressure to write something, anything, that is different from the other columnists and hopefully it stirs the pot. Jesse Fink, of SBS, TheRoar and FoxSports, this week has done just that and it's ordinary innit!
Jesse says:
Hakan Sukur, the Turkish international and Galatasaray gun who nearly single-handedly got his nation to the final of the 2002 World Cup, had been knocked back by both Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory.
Others, like me, argue it was his amazing misses that ensured Turkey never got to the World Cup Final. Has a man ever missed so many sitters in such a crucial game?
That said Sukur was an excellent striker who had clearly passed his best in 2002 just six years ago. He was 30 then, now he's 36, and yes Jesse wants Sukur a striker here at 36!
Like Patrick Kluivert, Romario, and Jardel, and maybe Eugene Dadi, another striker wanting an easy final payday in Australia. Thank God no-one wants Kluivert either.
Sukur is 36! And Jesse I wonder where did he play last year? Serie A, EPL or even Bundesliga?
And no I don't want to see another non-running striker in Australia. Kluivert was finished 8 years ago or so and he's only 32. Suker, Romario, Jardel, Brian Deane, we've had them all and they are all too slow. Even Paul Agostino is giving me concern, but because he's Aussie I'm giving him more time.
Dwight Yorke, only Dwight, who came straight from the Premiership bench, and went back to the midfield via the World Cup and yes he too had lost his pace but he could adapt, he had skill, a football brain and he worked hard to make the thing happen.
No Jesse, Fink again and again. Not one of your finer blogs.
36 might seem young to you Jesse but unless they are some ball mastering midfielder who can control the tempo, has sublime skill, you can stick your overaged has-beens up your typepad. And give dear old Sydney a chance to get some credibility.
For God Sake Sydney already got one injured ageing star in John Aloisi make that two with Tony Popovich how many more do they need?
And for Sukur nearly single-handedly taking Turkey to the World Cup Final, Jesse mate you're talking Turkey.
Now how about writing a blog on the Canberra A-League team and why it would be good for Australia.
Come on that should fire a few more critics:)
7 comments:
Jesse Fink is a football alarmist that needs to be switched of.
Stama
Maybe Sukur could play for the 'team4canberra'? The only way the A-League will be able to expand beyond the eight dreadful clubs it has now is by importing more and more superannuated Europeans, unknown South Americans (who, let's face it, would be playing elsewhere if they were really any good) and/or players from the English third division looking for a bit of sunshine but no improvement in the standard of football they're playing.
But what's the point of expansion just for the sake of it? The NASL in the seventies thought that bringing in old lags from abroad was the way forward - it wasn't, and football died on the vine. MLS now has decided that importing cheap Mexicans, Colombians and Argentines to appeal to immigrant audiences might be a goer, but they still struggle, with a population of nearly 300 million, to produce a national team that is any good (qv: a scrappy 1-0 win in Guatemala City this week, because the local talent isn't up to the task); Australia, with a population of just over 20 million and a national football league similarly full of local wannabes and failures or wouldbe retirees from elsewhere, is going nowhere as a football nation whilst youngsters (a) cannot watch local football on free-to-air, and (b)see football as something of a stop-gap sport to play before they go to high school and play a 'proper' sport.
Nor is it going anywhere when an unproven 2-I-C like Pim Verbeek is in charge of the national squad. A man who thinks Brett Holman or Josh Kennedy are international-class footballers is clearly not up to the task of managing a national side.
The Socceroos woeful Olympic performances don't bode well for the future either, so maybe Jesse's yearning for a few 'stars' like Sukur to be brought over was purely for entertainment purposes?
hi eamonn,
what did you think of jesse`s latest piece at the roar?
the bits that suck in my mind were -
the recent NT policy of looking for a certain type of player (tall, fast, comfy in offence and defence, ie. emmo, wilkshire and carney) has led to a team that has difficulty scoring ... and that farina`s 2005 NT side, while unable to defend, played some damn good football.
what did you think about that 2005 side? and were there any players in that unit who wouldn`t get a look in under our new dutch/athlete vision?
just thought i would ask, because its before my time as a footy fan.
clayton
Farina's side won few matches worth winning. Notably the World Cup qualifiers and Confed Cup. We entertained but were woeful in defence. And remember that was supposed to be a good defence!!!
And of course we never got to a World Cup.
Which would you prefer?
That said Farina had the golden generation of Okon, Kewell and Viduka and nearly pinched it in Montevideo...Guus had the luck to qualify
Who can forget the Uruguay onslaught late on or the missed Recoba and a host of other chances in Sydney.
Hiddink made his team work and fast. Hence no place for Skoko. Lazaridis etc.
But Verbeek has to do the same only keep them fit over a year. Hiddink had month, a World Cup and he created the fittest team we've ever had. Hence coming back to beat Japan in 38 degrees with 15 minutes to go.
Verbeek has similar players although crucially Viduka is missing. Viduka was key to the whole World Cup strategy. He allowed the super fit guys to run off him.
We had no Nicky Carle no flashy guys in midfield.
Mainly because Nicky and his type are too slow and don't play yet at a high enough level. Nicky needs to be dominating games in the Premier League or lik eRiquelme and he isn't at that level hence the Aussie team cannot afford to play him in international football.
Blind Freddy can see International football is a fast man, a strong man's game. See Riguelme.
Emerton enabled Australia to have 12 on the park. He's no silky skilled Nicky Carle but we can't afford not to play him.
And Vinny on his own is too slow and would be cruelly exposed by playing Nicky.
It's all about balance and if Nicky Carle was Glen Hoddle he might get a game....he ain't not yet anyway. Not playing for Crystal Palace week in week out.
Really the onus is on Nicky not Verbeek.
Why risk Nicky when he hardly sets the Championship on fire, how will he break down international teams, and let's face it Aussie teams play two mids for a reason coz our defence is poor, our players lack real flair in real numbers anyway.
We are playing to our strengths and our strengths are experienced players in Italy and England. Added to some youthful Dutch and maybe Turkish pace.
Nicky has to lift his game to earn a place.
What has he done at International level, club level to suggest he can play at this level every week or indeed in World Cup qualifiers
He's a special player but he's not good enough yet, or maybe the rest of the Ausse team cannot afford yet to carry a player like Nicky
At the end of the day if we lose everyone is going to be upset.
The game is about winning and we ain't world beaters. It's going to depend on a certain style
Dutch number 10's tend to be more mobile and effective than Nicky seems to be just yet.
Leave him on the bench, give me Holman anyday.
Pace, a goal scorer, chance maker. And a modern footballer. He's mobile.
And Australia is full of players lacking real pace. He's already proven at international level, he's younger and can only get better.
From 2005, Aloisi, Laza as he aged, Skoko, Popovich wouldn't have got a look in under Hiddink long-term although he played Poppa....Verbeek has to take what he can get but he hasn't bothered with Skoko free scoring in 2005 and was still playing at Wigan last year.
Broadly the team is the same. Chippers and Emerton provide the wing play and pace. For Chippers read Carney.
We're only missing Viduka in terms of being a similar unit.
The defence has done okay, Grella Culina Emerton Chippers Kewell Bresciano haven't changed
Hiddink had a better unit. But he had Viduka and I can't emphasise this enough..plus he never coached the team for a year or two so had non of the fitness problems etc to cope with.
Everyone was motivated and fit for the World Cup.
Verbeek has a huge challenge to get this team through Asia. And we clearly aren't good enough in the final third to be pretty so we won't be no matter who he plays.
Look at the teams we play for. No-one plays for a top-side in any country bar Culina and the under-performing Socceroo Scott Mcdonald
The team need support. Hey we got thru the first group. We're going okay..now another test...Verbeek will earn his dosh or get the boot:)
If we get to the World Cup we may have over-acheived. Perhaps we should settle for qualification at the expense of excitement just yet!
phew how long was that!!
I don't understand this obsession with Brett Holman. One goal in seventeen matches at international level, less than 50 in eight years in the Netherlands... Verbeek shouldn't even be contemplating playing him. Kennedy is only in the squad because in the end plan B (lump it forward to the big bloke) is what Australia usually end up relying upon to get by. Archie Thompson aside, there aren't too many relible marksmen in the A-League, even against some of the most ponderous defences you can imagine, which leaves Scott McDonald, popping them in in the SPL against sides almost as bad as Perth Glory... Maybe Pim's big hope is Garcia making the grade with Hull. It's a big ask...
Scott we lack depth upfront you're right and not sure Scott Mc is the answer at this level particularly away from home. And I'm a Celtic fan!
Holman has to be in the squad if not in the team all the time. He's fast and creates stuff.
Okay he ain't Pele but he's a good replacement for Kewell when he's injured, and he's mobile and always gets a chance.
In international football, in a goal-shy Aussie team that is worth considering.
Who else in the team drives into the box from behind the main forward.
Culina..six years ago. Valeri, Grella, Carney Wilkshire rarely. not many goals from them...if any.
Agreed his goal tally is woeful, but I'd persevere he's 24 can only improve..and he's mobile.
And there's nothing worse than watching an ageing slowing midfield in international football
I love mobility in my forwards. Who else is there? Tim Cahill of course but no-one else springs to mind.
Richard Garcia? Hmmmn he's got a long way to go, but maybe.
Personally prefer Holman he's playing Holland and will understand the move and flow of International football better, I reckon than Garcia or Carle or the like.
All opinions, and if Nicky or Garcia take us to the World Cup..brilliant...Can't see it can you!
Holman on the other hand will definitely get a chance to win the game...but will he score:)
hehe, i love how holman polarises people.
sometimes he couldn`t hit the side of a barn if his life depended on it ...
but i don`t see anyone else in the NT putting themselves in attacking positions the way holman does.
one of the great things about footy is how all these different people from around the world bring their own spin to the same game. for me, the game isn`t only about winning. i want me some glory. that greek side that won the euro was celebrated at home, and grudgingly respected elsewhere ... and forgotten as soon as it was possible.
what if we get to the world cup, and then we play like the olyroos did at the olympic finals? cos, you know, the other teams are so much better, and we aren`t good enough to beat them. maybe we can hit them on the counter, fluke a win and grind a draw or two, then see how many penalty shootouts we can get to, who knows, we could even luck our way to the final 8!
yeah, we had no strikers available ... but that game in china ...
with australia`s sporting tradition, we have a real chance to grow as a footballing nation. its not gonna happen overnight, but i think there is a real opportunity here.
when i look at some of the squads that have missed the world cup recently ... holland and turkey come to mind, i can`t think of missing the WC finals as the end of the world. better teams than us have missed out.
i thought argentina had recently found ways to use a slower, thoughtful riquelme, without sacrificing too much elsewhere. ruben zadkovich. whenever i hear about the need for speed, i think about ruben. and how little he does with all that running around.
clayton
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