Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

Sign Up Now!

Adelaide United thread

its all semantics though really isnt it? haha.

2 things can be true - yes it is pre season still and yes the club has lost both 'competitive matches' so far this season, with 2 very strong lines ups in both matches
Sorry mate, with such a short season and fully pro setups that sounds like an excuse. Clubs in Europe have been playing Europa, UCL and Conference league qualifiers for a month now and most Euro leagues finished well after the Aleague ended.

OK, lets surmise that many Aleague teams see the Australia cup is insignificant and Asia as too expensive to compete in, what DO they actully prepare for? The 20 matches a season they play?
 
I get why given the state of the league but fans are fed up.

Yes we get we can’t outspend the eastern states but we need to have some ambition.

Fans need to be promised success or hope for future success and whilst we have had hope in the past, we now have neither. Selling kids and not attempting to win anything isn’t acceptable to most fans.
I fully understand your frustrations as well as other fans, whilst I work with the club and try to be open as possible when I post online - I think there's alot of people frustrated that this pre season hasn't gone to plan so far.

What I can tell you is that the playing group hasn't lost faith in AA and the coaching staff and vice versa. The club is still very united, pardon the pun.

Is the squad weaker than last season? Absolutely, the leagues golden boot winner is gone, an exciting winger + a marauding right back is still injured. Objectively its weaker.

AU have been quite clear for many seasons that they are a development club, realistically given there budget they should never be talked about for a title - the fact they constantly challenge for it each year is due to how 'together' the group is.

It hasnt been all doom and gloom in pre season, they started well against south's and were quite decent yesterday without offering a threat on goal - thats the big glaring issue this season.
 
OK, lets surmise that many Aleague teams see the Australia cup is insignificant and Asia as too expensive to compete in, what DO they actully prepare for? The 20 matches a season they play?

Correct, majority of a leagues see the aus cup as insignificant - there are the rare clubs like AU, who do care about the cup and always put out a strong line up.

Asia is a little trickier for me to talk on, once again though AU have always taken that competition seriously and fielded strong squads
 
Sorry mate, with such a short season and fully pro setups that sounds like an excuse. Clubs in Europe have been playing Europa, UCL and Conference league qualifiers for a month now and most Euro leagues finished well after the Aleague ended.

OK, lets surmise that many Aleague teams see the Australia cup is insignificant and Asia as too expensive to compete in, what DO they actully prepare for? The 20 matches a season they play?
This is bang on. Id argue some clubs don't even care about the season
 
Sorry to tack in on you but can't afford or the owners won't do it?
There are funds available for the 'right player' the problem is, such said player - will not be wanting to come to Australia on the wages being offered. That's not an Adelaide problem; that's a league wide problem at the moment.

This off season there's been several players in the positions I mentioned offered to Adelaide already (happens every season) it's a question of finding the right fit for the money Adelaide want to pay and thats the problem

People often assume just because said club cashed in on players to (let use adelaide this off season who got 1.5 million in sales as the example). That figure should be invested back into the squad, that rarely happens in australia because the majority of clubs lose money as soon as they turn on the lights of the stadium they play in.

Outside of sydney when you go bang for buck, adelaide are more than likely the best run club in the comp and thats because the club is fiscally responsible

in saying that, the club has made errors even recently - name the ex director who agreed to sign ben folami on those wages
 
Last edited:
There are funds available for the 'right player' the problem is, such said player - will not be wanting to come to Australia on the wages being offered. That's not an Adelaide problem; that's a league wide problem at the moment.

This off season there's been several players in the positions I mentioned offered to Adelaide already (happens every season) it's a question of finding the right fit for the money Adelaide want to pay and thats the problem

People often assume just because said club cashed in on players to (let use adelaide this off season who got 1.5 million in sales as the example). That figure should be invested back into the squad, that rarely happens in australia because the majority of clubs lose money as soon as they turn on the lights of the stadium they play in.

Outside of sydney when you go bang for buck, adelaide are more than likely the best run club in the comp and thats because the club is fiscally responsible

in saying that, the club has made errors even recently - name the ex director who agreed to sign ben folami on those wages
Fairplay 👏

Probably not fun having everyone come at you
 
For arguments sake mauk is on mid to high 6 figures a season, AU could not afford to pay that this season
It would actually be negligent if any Australian club paid Mauk that figure!

This is why I think COVID was a blessing and A-League clubs should be healthier for it. It will take time to turn around, but at least the clubs aren't throwing that kind of salary at spuds anymore! (there might be one or two remaining haha)
 
Fairplay 👏

Probably not fun having everyone come at you
its all good.

like i said i can provide behind the scenes things that alot of fans arent aware of.

If you were familiar with my work on the roar i broke down player wages, contracts, training and the site was contacted by players and even clubs wanting what i wrote taken down.
 
It would actually be negligent if any Australian club paid Mauk that figure!
take my 15 year plus friendship out of the equation with Stef, his stats speak for themselves in the a league, especially in Adelaide.

as a #8 there was not an australia professional player anywhere in the world with his stats in terms of goals and assists - his form alone over those 2-3 seasons would warrant a call up by any national team in the world.

people get caught up by stefs actions (shithousery) on the field and opinions off of it, but at the end of the day he is an elite level central midfielder and is well worth the money he is on in vietnam
 
take my 15 year plus friendship out of the equation with Stef, his stats speak for themselves in the a league, especially in Adelaide.

as a #8 there was not an australia professional player anywhere in the world with his stats in terms of goals and assists - his form alone over those 2-3 seasons would warrant a call up by any national team in the world.

people get caught up by stefs actions (shithousery) on the field and opinions off of it, but at the end of the day he is an elite level central midfielder and is well worth the money he is on in vietnam
Oh I'm happy for him to get that salary elsewhere, but high six figures are your excellent AFL players, and we ain't the moneybags AFL haha.
This is the debate, do we pay players based on global figures in soccer, or based on sporting affordability figures in Australia?
 
Oh I'm happy for him to get that salary elsewhere, but high six figures are your excellent AFL players, and we ain't the moneybags AFL haha.
This is the debate, do we pay players based on global figures in soccer, or based on sporting affordability figures in Australia?
I think we need guys like mauk in the league though it can't just be 18 year olds and 35 year old Brazilians
 
I think we need guys like mauk in the league though it can't just be 18 year olds and 35 year old Brazilians
We probably get that ina few years as some go to europe and are above a league level but not playing at a high enough level to feel worth it

We can probably pay unders on such players like they did in the early a league when there was 100 nsl players overseas
 
some interesting debuts for AU SANPL in the last match of the regular season

lluka Wootton - is a highly rated forward out of Tasmania that had interest from both the melbourne a league sides. The word 'prospect' is thrown around a lot, but the kid already has the application to make it professionally.

Amara Toure - you know that surname, hes there cousin - expect him to make the grade

Joel Ochieng - younger brother of ex AU player Mark
 
some interesting debuts for AU SANPL in the last match of the regular season

lluka Wootton - is a highly rated forward out of Tasmania that had interest from both the melbourne a league sides. The word 'prospect' is thrown around a lot, but the kid already has the application to make it professionally.

Amara Toure - you know that surname, hes there cousin - expect him to make the grade

Joel Ochieng - younger brother of ex AU player Mark
Mark Ochieng is definitely a blast from the past
 
Back
Top