a-league round 3

[Forum Phoenix]

new song from the sheep shaggers:

Oh Smeltzy, I gave you my heart
but the very next day you gave it away
this year to save me from tears
I'll give it to Chris Greenacre

that's f**king excellent.

Brilliant.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Found this on Wiki

Average crowds for the regular season are listed below. These figures do not include finals, international friendlies or AFC Champions League matches.

Team Crowd average
                        2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10
Melbourne Victory 14,158    27,728    26,064    24,516    18,744
Brisbane Roar      14,785    16,465    16,951    12,995    13,493
Sydney FC          16,669    14,999    16,373    12,375    14,924
Adelaide United    10,947    12,162    12,697    11,712  13,294
Central C Mariners  7,899    9,828      12,741    10,465    9,801
Newcastle Jets      8,912    11,442      13,209      9,729  6,654
Perth Glory            9,734    7,671      7,596      7,942  9,398
Wellington Phoenix - -                        11,683    7,193  10,024
Gold Coast United - - - -                                              7,526
North Queensland Fury - - - -                                      8,897
Whole season        10,955  12,927      14,610    12,180  11,640

Not a surprise to see our average crowd was highest the season we won the league after being top for most the season and when we signed Judas. After having our 2 biggest home games of the season already I can only see the average attendance going 1 way - and it won't please the bank manager... 

I disagree.

Our crowds always increase over the year, with the summer/chrissy hols being our boom period... All those averages have the generally larger end of season crowds to help bump their averages.

Last year the league with no new teams was starting to feel a bit stale, we'd just come off a bumper year, but had lost Aloi$i, no new marquee and then we had a terrible final run home which cost us big time in numbers at the end of last season.

This year, considering the times we've had our games (I know debate is split on this, but I know a lot of people who would have liked to be at the Sydney game) I think nearly 10k so far this season is a very solid beginning, and if we can stay in form, and throw in the two new teams adding excitement to the comp + better A league publicity/promotions... I can actually see us having our best year on record so far...

A few weeks without games now, lets the local comps mostly wrap up and lets the egg ballers get closer to finishing up, and then we have a HUUUUGE game against the new glamour club GCU. Despite no traveling fans I'd be surprised if we don't draw a bigger crowd than we have so far for a 7:30 saturday night fixture against GCU.

Mind you if they thump us Fury style our subsequent gates may take a blow like the roars!  Fire up Mariners 

So by my reckoning, unless we have a shit year on the park, I think at the very least we will claw above last years averages!

Chin up Sacko
 

 

[curious]

Our crowds always increase over the year, with the summer/chrissy hols being our boom period... All those averages have the generally larger end of season crowds to help bump their averages.

Last year the league with no new teams was starting to feel a bit stale, we'd just come off a bumper year, but had lost Aloi$i, no new marquee and then we had a terrible final run home which cost us big time in numbers at the end of last season.

Not trying to be anal FP  ...... the stats show that second part in bold is the case with the bottom half of the league (with exceptions) every year and the top part in bold generally only applies to the better performing teams. Improved late season crowds by the top half are annulled by lowering bottom half crowds, so it tends towards static overall attendance.
It's the case in the other codes as well, for the same reasons. 

The worry to me is Victory, the attendance powerhouse of the league. They seem to be trending down in spit of success. The first couple of games this season are well down on the same last season, and last season were well down on the previous. Though it's too early in the season to worry too much about any overall effect.

 

[Jazzie]

Imo, the average punter wants to to see attractive, exciting football, win loose or draw. The MV v CCM was great. Last game was tepid. Ugly, grind 'em out games may get you over the line to win, but they won't win more bums on seats.

 

[dibo]

Jazzie - I think we played much better football against Sydney and Newcastle and weren't rewarded than what we played against Melbourne. Our first half wasn't great at the tard dome (never mind the score) but the second half was dire. We looked abominable. Melbourne were simply bad enough not to punish us.

The last two weeks we've had much better rhythm and shape. Against Sydney in particular the new formation started to show a bit more solidity and a kind of deliberate-ness. We knew what we were doing and played to a plan a little better and looked more like a team than a group of people accidentally stumbling into good positions.

Had we nabbed the win at the end people would be lauding the tactical superiority on the day as opposed to lamenting the dropping of two points (or worse, celebrating saving one).

 

[Jazzie]

Jazzie - I think we played much better football against Sydney and Newcastle and weren't rewarded than what we played against Melbourne. Our first half wasn't great at the tard dome (never mind the score) but the second half was dire. We looked abominable. Melbourne were simply bad enough not to punish us.

The last two weeks we've had much better rhythm and shape. Against Sydney in particular the new formation started to show a bit more solidity and a kind of deliberate-ness. We knew what we were doing and played to a plan a little better and looked more like a team than a group of people accidentally stumbling into good positions.

Had we nabbed the win at the end people would be lauding the tactical superiority on the day as opposed to lamenting the dropping of two points (or worse, celebrating saving one).

dibo, I'm not an expert, just love being there and watching the game,  You are right about the Jests game, however I was disappointed in the Syd game. I agree our defence is far superior to previous years. I'm just making an observation from the way i saw it.

 

[Jesus]

I think most people left the sydney game thinking it was better than it was due to a great ending. Despite a poor 60mins or so.

 

[scottmac]

I think most people left the sydney game thinking it was better than it was due to a great ending. Despite a poor 60mins or so.

+1

The Sydney game was diabolical, even more so when i watched the replay. We wanted to play the short quick passing game but lacked the finesse and skill to do so. The plan was good, we just can not execute it.

 

[dibo]

I disagree with both Jesus and Scottmac.

To SM - Some players made bad choices too often - Kwas and especially Elrich were the two biggest culprits. Other times we looked fine playing the quick stuff. When we worked combinations down the flanks we often looked very tidy.

Our attack is largely starting from a wide position and then playing a neat ball in or crossing from nearer the by-line than has been our habit in past seasons. Most importantly, where last year crosses were too often played from 30m up the park, now we're using a little time and getting someone higher up to lash the ball in rather than chipping to a contested area. We're also getting to deeper areas on the far post to mop up the ball that goes too far, Kwasnik could have scored a couple in the last couple of weeks from getting to that spot.

To Jesus and SM - were we really that bad? Our defence looks better week by week (Sydney are a good team, they're always going to create a chance or two) and the midfield is coming into its own. Better finishing and the game takes a different complexion, but I don't think it was bad.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I'm with Dibo.

Our crowds always increase over the year, with the summer/chrissy hols being our boom period... All those averages have the generally larger end of season crowds to help bump their averages.

Last year the league with no new teams was starting to feel a bit stale, we'd just come off a bumper year, but had lost Aloi$i, no new marquee and then we had a terrible final run home which cost us big time in numbers at the end of last season.

Not trying to be anal FP  ...... the stats show that second part in bold is the case with the bottom half of the league (with exceptions) every year and the top part in bold generally only applies to the better performing teams. Improved late season crowds by the top half are annulled by lowering bottom half crowds, so it tends towards static overall attendance.
It's the case in the other codes as well, for the same reasons. 

The worry to me is Victory, the attendance powerhouse of the league. They seem to be trending down in spit of success. The first couple of games this season are well down on the same last season, and last season were well down on the previous. Though it's too early in the season to worry too much about any overall effect.

Sorry I was only referring to our averages - so was not concerned with the balancing by the low table teams attendances for the league as a whole.

Attendance could be better across teh league... but i believe it wil pick up. Perth was a good sign. Brisbane need some good wins. Just need them to lose another one more first!!

 

[Jesus]

I disagree with both Jesus and Scottmac.

To SM - Some players made bad choices too often - Kwas and especially Elrich were the two biggest culprits. Other times we looked fine playing the quick stuff. When we worked combinations down the flanks we often looked very tidy.

Our attack is largely starting from a wide position and then playing a neat ball in or crossing from nearer the by-line than has been our habit in past seasons. Most importantly, where last year crosses were too often played from 30m up the park, now we're using a little time and getting someone higher up to lash the ball in rather than chipping to a contested area. We're also getting to deeper areas on the far post to mop up the ball that goes too far, Kwasnik could have scored a couple in the last couple of weeks from getting to that spot.

To Jesus and SM - were we really that bad? Our defence looks better week by week (Sydney are a good team, they're always going to create a chance or two) and the midfield is coming into its own. Better finishing and the game takes a different complexion, but I don't think it was bad.

I dont remember saying we played bad? I was talking about the game in general for the first half being sydney boot it to aloisi who held it up, passed it off, and nothing came from it. Then we put 3 passes together at most on average, and gave up the ball, often running over it, or slipping over.

The slipping was a major issue, kwas and pedj hit the turf the most for us, maybe that is a choice of studs issue on top of the ground condition.

Elrich was poor for me, could not cross, never took on a man, and when porter or pedj overran him he would push the pull way too far ahead of them hampering their cross or making it a goal kick.

With doig hopefully back this week and porter in that position it wont be an issue.

Porter was often exposed at the back, but heff had a very solid game. Pedj was great in tackling and the rest, excluding his overrunning of the ball and slips, and some of his passeing.

Are you saying you disagree that the ending made the game be remembered for better than it was? Or that you think the first half was qulaity football, or from either side?

 

[dibo]

Are you saying you disagree that the ending made the game be remembered for better than it was? Or that you think the first half was qulaity football, or from either side?

generally i agree with your analysis, but i think we had a solidity while crafting chances that i appreciated watching given the contrast to performances earlier in the year. i'm not saying it was an exhibition match between barca and arsenal, but it was a reasonable match.

it wasn't just the last ten minutes that we played well as we'd fashioned a lot of chances already before then, but in that last ten we opened up and got right on top. the solidity earlier contributed to this rather than contrasted against it. they spent a lot of energy trying to get over us and couldn't.

compare it to the rolling fight with occasional outbreaks of football that was the first half of the perth vs jets game and you can see it was a higher standard.

 

[Jesus]

Are you saying you disagree that the ending made the game be remembered for better than it was? Or that you think the first half was qulaity football, or from either side?

generally i agree with your analysis, but i think we had a solidity while crafting chances that i appreciated watching given the contrast to performances earlier in the year. i'm not saying it was an exhibition match between barca and arsenal, but it was a reasonable match.

it wasn't just the last ten minutes that we played well as we'd fashioned a lot of chances already before then, but in that last ten we opened up and got right on top. the solidity earlier contributed to this rather than contrasted against it. they spent a lot of energy trying to get over us and couldn't.

compare it to the rolling fight with occasional outbreaks of football that was the first half of the perth vs jets game and you can see it was a higher standard.

I am not generally talking about how we played but the game as a whole.

The last 10mins were an open affair between both teams which was great to watch. The first half especially, though there were chances for both teams, was not open or flowing IMO

 

[dibo]

I guess I enjoy an armwrestle as well as a shootout.

 

[Arabmariner]

I'm just happy we aren't gifting goals anymore.....even with Doig out!

We've become hard to beat again and we've added a little bit of flair with the wee man.

Once our strikers find their shooting boots again...........

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Yeah, I'm excited to...

I see your 
and raise you a