Macarthur FC’s instability is a worry, says Robbie Slater

The A-League is desperate for new blood and the instability at Macarthur FC is a growing concern. There is a lot of work to do in little more than seven months, writes ROBBIE SLATER.

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Little more than seven months until they kick a ball for the first time in anger, I’m getting worried about the progress of the A-League’s newest team.

There is a lot riding on the shoulders of Macarthur FC, and we can’t afford for them not to hit the ground running when they enter the competition in October.

The A-League is desperate for new blood, for new rivalries, and the last thing we need is for a repeat of how Western United’s first season has unfolded.

I know that area of Sydney quite well, and there is huge football potential there — but not potential that can be taken for granted. The most important thing for a new team is that they are competitive on the field to bring in the fans. That’s what happened with the Wanderers, and it was so integral to the A-League reaching the heights it did.

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Gino Marra is the new chairman of Macarthur FC.

So when you hear that a new club has not only changed its board and senior staff but more importantly “changed direction” on a number of things, alarm bells ring.

It seems surprising that millionaire Lang Walker would sell up before a game has been played, but then to change the football director as well? Months after the first CEO quit?

The licence was given to Macarthur more than 15 months ago, and you’d hope they’d be well advanced by now, not “changing direction”.

They’ve even had the luxury of seeing what Western United have done wrong, in terms of moving games around, churning through players and generally lacking an identity.

So far at Macarthur, we’ve had worthy pronouncements about academies and so forth – and, to be fair, Walker’s parting gift was a fat sponsorship cheque.

Tommy Oar, left, will leave the Central Coast Mariners to join Macarthur FC next season. Picture: Getty Images

But so far one player has been announced in Tommy Oar. Yes, it’s true that the Wanderers had not even been created by this stage in 2012, let alone signed any players.

But their trump card turned out to be Tony Popovic, who turned out to be an alchemist with the power to make average players reach their maximum.

Ante Milicic knows that better than anyone. He was Popa’s assistant at the Wanderers. Now it’s his turn to be in that hot seat, trying to build a squad from scratch that can achieve things.

Let’s not forget that “Tezza” Milicic has never coached a club side before, and has had the massive role of coaching the Matildas towards the Olympics to manage at the same time.

I really hope the other club owners are watching this closely. They fought bitterly for years to be independent, but now they have to run their own competition and keep each other on their toes.

Equally I really hope Macarthur end up surprising us. It would be great for the competition if they do well. But the signs for me so far are more alarming than exciting.

Originally published as Macarthur FC’s instability is a worry, says Robbie Slater