The Weekender: Where to for Nathan Burns?

The Weekender is a football article written every week by anyone. Today it's me. It covers Canberra football or football in it's broadest sense. It's aim is to ensure Canberrans can wake up on a Saturday to an article re:football written by one of their own.

With 17,000 players that's the least we deserve!

The Daily Telegraph's David Davutovic was on Total Football this week discussing Socceroo Nathan Burns rumoured July 1, $500,000 transfer to Norwegian side SK Brann Bergen.

"I think it would be a step-up." said Dave, and he wasn't joking!

Dave, didn’t you see Shane Stefanutto's one and only Socceroos performance last year after years in the Norwegian league!

And even Dave, if as you point out, Brann Bergen are in the Champions League, whoopee do.

They are in the Qualifying rounds and when they draw Liverpool or Arsenal is Nathan really going to improve after just two games chasing Lampard and Gerrard around the park. Then what back to the Norwegian league?

Burns has the potential to create a goal. More than former Sydney FC’s Ruben Zadkovich, more than ex-Newcastle Jets tricky Nicky Carle and more than flying winger and Socceroos full-back David Carney. All three, it should be noted, have gone to England to the Championship.

And goal creation is worth big dollars in any league in modern football.

So why is Burns off to Norway?

Has Graham Arnold and co suggested it? Can’t imagine they would think a couple of years in some Norwegian backwater is going to lift his game and profile higher than playing Olympic football, A-League and potentially the latter stages of the Asian Champions League.

Maybe Burns himself is under confident. He’s not that quick, a crucial ingredient for any player no matter how skilful in the modern game.

But neither is tricky Nicky and he’s making his fortune in England, or so it seems.

Burns certainly lacks consistency. But the injuries and travelling involved for Olyroo qualifiers hardly helped his cause last season.

But Burns can score, and Burns can influence a game much more than many A-League Australians.

Burns can win a game single-handedly. How many Australians in the three years of A-League football can do that?

So Burns should stay one more year.

Then forget Norway.

Head to Holland, the English Premiership, Germany or even Italy.

85% of players going overseas never move beyond the level of club they first move to. That must be a concern for Australian fans, if not for Burns.

Imagine staying in Norway for the rest of your football days. Why bother going?

Burns is one of our shining stars. He already has a Socceroos cap, Asian Champions League, and Olyroos experience.

He’s played Grand Finals, he’s won games.

He can get you out of your seat with a flick of the hips, a slide of a pass, a dribble. How many Aussies can do that in the A-League? With his style?

Australia needs the boy from Bathurst to improve, potentially be part of our World Cup campaign, and maybe burst onto the World Stage in 2010.

It’s only 2 years away. Will he burst on to the World Cup stage from Norway?

Maybe we've overrated Burns, but many of us who saw Mark Viduka, Brett Emerton, Vinnie Grella and Jason Culina running around the old NSL have a good measure.

With Viduka the goals told us everything. Emerton ran so hard no-one could ever stop him, or Culina. Grella, was not fast, but he played the ball years above his age. Burns is not fast, but he can create.

He’s not Harry Kewell, not at 17 or even 21.

But Burns may be another Tim Cahill. A late developer. Who, in Australian football, knew Timmy at 21? Kicking around for Millwall in the Eastend of London.

Five years later, he’s as well known in Australia as any other sportsman.

It seems Burns will head to Norway. If he does it would be a disastrous move for him, and for Australia.

Is Norway the best league one of our star Olyroos can get to? Carney, Carle, Michael Beauchamp, Dario Vidosic and Zadkovich suggests not.

And Adelaide United, and the FFA, should ask who is advising him.

Dave, from the Telegraph, it’s not you is it?

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Burns' Night: Adelaide cruise home.

How far can Nathan go?

Nathan Burns set the Asian Champions League alight last night. It was the most stunning individual display by an Australian since the Aussies have entered the tournament.

But how far can he go?

He created three goals in ten minutes changing the game, and more importantly, winning the game single handedly for his team.

It was beautiful to watch and came at a point in the game when Vietnamese side Binh Duong were looking stronger and had just hit the post.

Adelaide won 4-1 and top the group with two intriguing games to go.

Burns well he may or may not be around for them if we believe the rumours. But where and when should he go?

Nathan Burns is an undeniable talent. Sometimes!

He has produced perhaps some of the A-Leagues best moments last season, but for large parts he struggled to reach his high standards.

He looks back to his best but can he do it next time, against more difficult opposition? Probably.

He will head off overseas, no doubt. But he should stay at least one more season.

Nicky Carle and David Carney are in the English Championship, Carle potentially ready to move to the Premier League if Bristol City go up.

Nathan Burns will be better than Carle at his age, by a long way.

Burns creates goals, and plenty of them. He also scores something Carle for all his beautiful play does neither in abundance, certainly Carle is not a regular goalscorer.

Burns should stay one more season. For the Beijing Under 23 World Cup and another A-League season where he should be really able to boss the league, and reach a far higher level of consistency.

Then he could surely head to a Premier League side, a la Adrian Leijer, or to a team higher up the Dutch or even German Leagues.

He is rumoured to be off to Norway. A waste of time.

With his talent, and a another year, surely if Ruben Zakovich can go to Derby, Carle to Bristol City and Carney to Sheffield United, Burns can claim more in terms of wages and quality.

Norway ain't it.

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Monday News: Matildas, Harry Kewell, and more

Matildas, Harry Kewell, Nathan Burns, Fed Cup Scores, Futsalroos and more. Wake up to football in Canberra on a Monday morning!

Matildas squad for America and Young Matildas squads will be announced on Monday. Details here tomorrow.

Fed Cup scores.
Belwest win the Women's Fed Cup 4-2 on penalties over Belconnen United. See earlier blog story for details.

O'Connor Knights beat Canberra FC 3-2 in a shock win in the men's Federation Cup.

AIS
AIS got back to winning ways this weekend when they beat Preston 3-0 in the Foxtel Cup

Nathan Burns is expected to singn for Norwegian club SK Brann. Adelaide United Coach Aurelio Vidmar says,"We're just waiting for an offer really, but we expect him to go."

Harry Kewell linked with Man United. Interesting rumour I guess. He's cheap, no transfer fee, and Ryan the lefty Giggs is nearly done.

Futsalroo Coach is off to Oceania to run their Futsal program. Will he stay with the Futsalroos?

"That's up to the FFA, and if people think there is a conflict of interest."

With all the travel this year, a World Cup year, it's perhaps surprising that Mr Futsal has taken up this post.

Anyone who has talked to Scott will know his frustrations at the development of Futsal since the FFA have taken charge.

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English laughing at Australians...and I don't like it.

Nicky Carle (Genclerbirligi, Turkey) to Bristol City for $1.3 million, David Carney (Sheff United, England) to Anderlecht or Bayern Munich for maybe $3million or $4 million.

Only six months ago these guys were A-League players.

Someone is making a lot of money out of cheap A-League and Australian Internationals and it's not former clubs Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC.


Socceroo and former Sydney FC star David Carney scored the only goal in Sheffield United's 1-0 win over Premier League Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup overnight.

Carney has already turned down a $3 million dollar transfer to Belgium side Anderlecht and is waiting to see if reported $4 million interest from German giants Bayern Munich comes to anything.

It was only six months ago Carney was running around for Sydney FC.

Last seasons A-League Player of the Year and Newcastle Jets Tricky Nicky Carle has just moved from Turkish side Genclerbirligi to Bristol City (who?) after just six months. Transfer fee is $1.3 million.

So have these players improved in six months?

Not on your life.

Imagine what that money could do for the Newcastle Jets or Sydney FC.

If our players are going to leave, and clearly they are, then Australian clubs need to be able to increase the transfer fee.

Clubs should be able to use Nicky Carle and David Carney, both Socceroos, as an example of the standard of player in our league.

Nathan Burns, Bruce Djite, Danny Vukovic, Nikolai Topor-Stanley and co need to be signed to long-term deals then sold, if they must go, for a transfer fee somewhere significantly higher than the $50,000 Sydney were reported to get for Carney.

Come on Australia the English are taking us for a ride, and it hurts!

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Nathan Burns: Where will he end up?

Adelaide United's Nathan Burns has started the season on fire. Where will he end up? My theory is any player, any young player in the old NSL who shone could clearly go on to play in a top league in Europe. Where will Nathan Burns go, and when?

Now of course I don't want him to go.

Not now, not ever!

But clearly he will and when he does he needs to choose the right club and league.

Hasn't he improved? The A-League season last year plus the Asian Champions League add in a few Olyroo games and then look at me now.

His strength, vision and pace have all improved. But for me it's his confidence. His confidence on the ball, his confidence to dictate play, to make something happen.

In the first game against The Roar he lashed in a goal which few A-League players could score.

Not Marcinho, Milicic, Allsopp or even Zdrillic, maybe not even Corica!

And then he waltzed around Sydney. McFlynn as tough as The Harbour Bridge, Zadkovich like an APEC officer guarding us from The Chaser, and Rudan like Kevin Rudd daring to go past the incumbent. And he produced a goal.

That's important.

Because now he is influencing games like a master. Well certainly way beyond his years.

He may not keep it up. He's still young. And last night his header against the bar should have grabbed Adelaide perhaps unfairly all three points against the Victory, but he missed.

Some have criticised the A-League, but for me the pace of the league far outshines the old NSL.

The NSL had plenty of skill. But like the Emertons, Culina's and Viduka's of old when you shine in the domestic league tou can shine abroad. No question.

Never over-rate the foreign leagues.

When should Burns go? After the Olympics I think. Assuming, and a big assumption we qualify of course.

Where should he go?

Well he'll go to England I assume. Money talks. Ask Adrian Leijer, Ahmed Elrich and David Carney, even if they never play.

Burns needs to play. Holland may be a better place to start before stumbling into the riches of England.

Wherever he goes, whenever he goes you can guarantee that 60,000 or so will be drooling over him when he comes back to play for Australia if he keeps this development up.

For me, the beauty is we now get to see these young stars today. We've already seen him last year, and in the Champions League and now in Season 3.

Why aren't the followers of English football or Italian football watching him now, in our domestic league.

Sure they'll be talking about him for years to come. Maybe like they do Viduka.

Then again few of us enjoyed Viduka when he played for Melbourne Knights. 6,000 week was a good crowd.

Whereas now that many would turn up to watch him train when he comes home!

Get out and see Nathan Burns and Bruce Djite when youget the chance.

Are we seeing our next golden star?

What do you think? Will Nathan Burns match Harry Kewell or Nark Viduka's achievements and take us to another World Cup?

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Nathan Burns: What about that?

Burns makes one, score the other.

Sydney FC 2 Adelaide United 2

Goals came early.

Rising star Nathan Burns stunned Sydney FC's Northern Irish hardman Terry McFlynn when he stole the ball but what he did next must have lit a smile of every football fan in the country, bar the seemingly declining Sydney FC fan base.

Burns brushed aside McFlynn and then strode majestically past Zadkovich and Mark Rudan. He pulled the ball back and Richie Alagich thumped it home in front of the Cove.

Eight minutes gone. Sydney looked in trouble…again.

And then Alagich gave Branko Culina a break his team didn't deserve. Alagich pulled back Robbie Middleby and Ufuk Talay smacked home the rebound from his missed penalty.

1-1

While Sydney again lacked up front Adelaide pressed hard and stole the ball on a number of occasions. Bobby Petta, Travis Dodd and Nathan Burns all won possession when Sydney players were seemingly comfortably in control.

Socceroo Brosque. It doesn't fit does it? Not yet. A player full of promise, but still not doing enough. Certainly not to be called a Socceroo.

Socceroo Burns fits. Enjoy him while he's here because he's sure to leave. Why every football fan in Sydney weren't there to watch him I'll never know.

Juninho produced some quality balls. Petta and Burns down the other end. The football was flowing.

Bruce Djite broke free and went round Clint Bolton but the thirty-three year old Steve Corica got back to clear off the line. Amazing stuff.

Ruben Zadkovich moved to sweeper as Tony Popovic went off injured and new signing Patrick De Silva came on up front for Sydney.

His impact and energy was instant and lifted the whole team and crowd.

Juninho then produced the pass of the season so far and Brosque finished. 2-1. Sydney had control of the game.

And when the ball broke towards the Sydney defence there was no danger. Zadkovich took a swipe and Djite was first to the high ball. He nodded it to his mate, and Burns nodded it home.

2-2

Great game. Sydney has played two of the best teams at home and got one point. Adelaide has faded in both games but have plenty to look forward to.

Sydney if they can sort out the defence will get better, but they still have a lot of work to do.

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