There are only a handful of home games left. Currently sitting equal bottom means they are all must
win for Brisbane. Not just for this season but for the future of the club. I am sure it will
continue next year. But in what form is unclear. With much of the squad coming off contract and
Melbourne Heart targeting players like Luke Devere, anything is possible for next year.
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The financial crisis has highlighted a dilemna in capitalist society, especially so in the United
States. Simply put, some corporations and institutions have been deemed just too big to fail - the
damage of letting their poor decisions break them would be so great for society that it is deemed
in the public interest to bail them out.
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What's there to say?
The coach is sacked, a whole lot of laundry is aired, some no doubt utter bullshit, other true.
Frank is scapegoated for a long period of administrative incompetence in the Roar and the FFA.
At the same time - quick, someone mentioned a 50% hike on the already most expensive tickets in the
league might have 'contributed' to the disappearing crowds - the Roar announces a 15% price cut and
a special promotion letting kids in free.
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Dear Frank Farina,
You were the best coach the Roar has had and if we find a better one in the current circumstances
we'll be lucky.
The board were stupid to sack you, and you are clearly correct to point out that you are being
scapegoated - to the extent that you didn't need to say it.
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With Ange Postecoglou now installed as coach of the Brisbane Roar, all one can say is that the
off-field ethos of the club will probably endure a shake-up.
Even before Frank Farina's encounter with the booze-bus, things had not been going swimmingly for
the club in 2009/10, to put it mildly.
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Its been just over a month since I last put fingers to keyboard and tapped out a paragraph or two
for this blog and a lot has happened in that time. Crowds continue to be a major talking point and
I was very pleased to see Gold Coast and Brisbane take steps to reduce their ticket prices and make
them more affordable for the general fan.
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It is Ange Postecoglou a football insider, contrasting to Frank Farina sitting outside the football
paradise club.
I would be very surprised if many people in Brisbane know who he is. He has 4 Socceroo caps and won
2 NSL titles as a player and 2 as a coach.
Club Chairman Chris Bombolas more or less conceded in a heated interview with ABC Radio host Kelly
Higgins-Divine that it was the 4 owners who voted as a block of the 7 board members to determine
Frank Farina's fate.
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An interesting article in the Courier Mail on Monday. The story was that some Roar directors
regretted not accepting FFA help at the beginning of the season. The reason given for the regret
was that the FFA would have been able to control Frank Farina via a director of football - and
stopped poor player behaviour.
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SO we are a couple of days away from a pretty tough test against Brisbane Roar at Suncorp.
FP was having a flick through history (philosophically speaking, of course) and basically it says
that the Glory sucks at Suncorp – we've never won a game there.
But records were meant to be broken, weren't they?
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Well Foxtel didn't happen last night. According to their local office the service was out for
Brisbane. So much for Robby Fowler scoring a great goal from his own build up play. And a fabulous
3-3 draw between Adelaide and the Fury. So much for Perth's new players firing and winning 2-1 over
Melbourne.
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Round Three saw the top six in the A-League now decided.
Yes I know we've got a few weeks to go but it looks sorted to me.
Well is Branko really going to sort that talented mob out, will Frankie survive the season, and
Perth despite their win are too slow in the forward line to threaten aren't they, unless they can
nick an improved Wellington's place, which leaves the Fury.
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In this third and last part to my preview of the upcoming season. Below is an examination of the
teams that I believe will fill the top 3 places.
3rd – Brisbane RoarThere is a lot to like about Frank Farina's team, it is beautifully balanced with a strong defence,
a midfield full of talent and an attack that oozes class.
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Since leaving the Roar in November 2006, Miron Bleiberg has acted like a man with something
fundamental to prove. He is hit hard by the way he felt he was treated by the 'Owners' of the
Queensland Roar. Since he has sought vindication and to prove them wrong and him right.
So what were 'they', the Owners, so wrong about?
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Since leaving the Roar in November 2006, Miron Bleiberg has acted like a man with something
fundamental to prove. He is hit hard by the way he felt he was treated by the 'Owners' of the
Queensland Roar. Since he has sought vindication and to prove them wrong and him right.
So what were 'they', the Owners, so wrong about?
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Highlight one:
A slightly nervous flier, I whipped out 'The Damned United' as soon as the taxiing began:
'You are lifted onto a stretcher. You are carried off on the stretcher - ... You are lifted onto a
plinth and a white sheet. There is blood everywhere, through the sheet onto the plinth, down the
plinth onto the floor.
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SMH stirring the pot
According to Mike Cockerill, Frank Farina said this, but when did he say it?
"To me, the FFA needs to respect local coaches a lot more, and value them more. There
hasn't been enough recognition. It's all very well getting in a heap of Dutch coaches but are they
all going to hang around after the World Cup?
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Melbourne Heart is in for 2010-11.
Then the FFA could go with 11 teams. Or one more from:
- Canberra - active campaign for some years. Canberra Arrows is Frank Farina's former team.
- western Sydney - possibly one of the heartlands of football in Australia. Stretching from
Blacktown to the Blue Mountains, and stretching from 7 hills to Richmond - a massive potential fan
base.
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This year my son's team is getting back to the fundamentals. I have been lucky enough to be
introduced to one player's uncle who used to play for Ajax. His first move was to get the kids to
go round cones to the right taking the ball with the outside of their right boot, and then to the
left with the outside of their left boot.
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Queensland Roar keep losing at home. And Frank Farina can't solve the problem. Not last year, not
this year.
A team that can cruise past league leaders Melbourne Victory 2-0 at the Dome a few weeks ago lost
to Adelaide United 1-0 last night.....and what is Frankie ever going to do?
Time to tinker Frank.
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Wellington won, honest the beat the leaders Sydney FC. I kid you not. And Victory had another
sent-off, for what I don't know.
Central Coast thumped Perth, will Dave Mitchell be sacked after Pim Verbeek's vote of confidence,
and the youngsters shine for the Kruse less Roar.
Queensland Roar are better away.
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I admitt it. I didn't think Perth could win without Amaral. It was a very uncomfortable game to
watch, not too much happening. Coach Mitchell had rung changes, even Trinidad sat on the bench,
then came on and with pent up energy and skill changed the game. Like how Frank Farina used
Marcinho last year.
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Joel Griffiths who else, tucked a scrappy goal away to earn the Newcastle Jets their first win of
the season, and an away win in Fortress Suncorp:)
Uber Coach Gary Van Egmond is making the best of a bad bunch and quickly.
A side looking a shadow of their former Champion selves stuttered early in the season and got
flogged 5-0 in Melbourne.
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Mark Bosnich is over-weight and finds it difficult to more around the field. Fortunately for
Central Coast he was only provided two tests tonight. One a Charlie Miller free kick for which he
did not move. The second a professional foul in which he dragged down a Roar striker. Bizarrely,
the ref gave the penalty but no card.
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Central Coast Mariners smashed Queensland 4-2 and Sydney FC put four (4-1) past Perth.
The Mariners lost Ahmed Elrich for the season due to injury and Adrian Caceres before the
match.
But they needn't have worried.
Mile Jedinak was back and wiped out any threat from Charlie Miller or indeed any Roar player.
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For Australian football's sake...go! There comes a time in everyone's career when it is time to
move on...for Graham Arnold, for his own sake if no-one else's it's now.
Arnie has had two Campaigns, an Asia Cup and an Olympic campaign, where he was the Coach.
Who ever gets two Campaigns to fail in World Football?
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The thing to do here in introduction is to apologise for not writing for so long. Yup.
The bad news is that as this A-Leage thing kicks off again I have realised that work commitments
will prevent me from seeing many games at all. I'll be able to see the Saturday night ones and the
late Sunday night ones.
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The Courier Mail pointed to talks between Frank Farina and Robbie today. Robbie is a great player
with massive potential. I hope we see a lot of him, Tahj, Mitch, Zullo, Charlie brown, Isaka, Mass,
Van Dijk and Reinaldo (this list could go on and on and I probably will) running rings around the
opposition.
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It was a funny comment attributed to Frank Farina in the Courier Mail today. It was suggested that
the pre-season cup should be scrapped because it exposed players to suspensions for the real
A-League season. Craig Moore's send off yesterday was the case in point. However, John Kosmina
could be running this argument with 3 off on suspension (1 red and two - two yellows for the
pre-season cup).
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The Roar are playing Central Coast at Perry Park next Sunday at 3pm. It is a while since this small
ground, the home of the Brisbane Strikers, has seen a national competition game.
The first two rounds of the pre-season indicate that no team has, as yet, landed the killer blow
from the transfer arms race.
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I read Jesse Fink's piece about John Aloisi on the world game site and laughed, it's an in joke for
long term bloggers - 'Where is Mike'. Anyone get it. Without losing my subtlety it involves one of
the longest A-League blob exchanges ever and dates from the Terry Butcher days.
Anyway, Jesse thinks this is a do or die year for Sydney and, given his foot injury, our John
doesn't look like a good investment.
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Frank Farina has indicated that 16 year old Thomas Oar will debut in his first major game for the
Roar against Palmeiras at Land Park 12 July. That should be worth the admission.
Foxtel's Football Superstar is not great viewing - all drills and mini games - but it appears to be
pulling some interesting young players out of the woodwork - from 10 finalists in each state a
final 15 has been chosen by Sydney coach John Kosmina.
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And you can check the accuracy or otherwise on this weeks podcast see earlier post.
On Gary Van Egmond's match winning tactics in the Grand Final: "Rubbish," says Lawrie.
"If Tony Vidmar hadn't slipped and the ref had given a penalty when (James) Holland handled in
the last minute we may have won.
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Eamonn Flanagan that's me. Quick bit of after show editing means I'm interviewed for the show by
Ben Ellis-Butler this week. It's a filler. But you get to hear part of my journey. Half your luck:)
Frank Farina, Neil Zimmerman's AIS report, Asian Champions League and in the second half we have
Liverpool fan Karen Faichney, All the Fed Cup news with Tuggeranong United's Russ Gibbs report and
Woden Valley Kar Chaivannacoopt are among our interviews/guests this week.
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Frank Farina with Capital Football's Alex Butt
Over 100 people turned out at the AIS on Friday night to get some junior coaching tips from Former
Socceroo Coach Frank Farina.
Farina, who has just returned from 10 day scouting mission to Brazil for his Queensland Roar side
said, "I enjoy getting back to the grassroots.
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Queensland Roar Coach Frank Farina has just returned from a ten day trip to Brazil.
"We have a sister relationship with a Brazilian club over there,(Athletico Miniero)it was part
of a Government thing about trade and commerce with the Brazilian Government, and I was also
looking at a couple of players.
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