A-League Confidential: How it could have been worse for the Wanderers and Jedinak eyed for Asia move
A-LEAGUE Confidential: Wanderers fans can thank one man for the club not being docked points, and the top Socceroo in line for big Chinese deal.
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THE Wanderers have their CEO John Tsatsimas to thank for not being docked three points immediately by Football Federation Australia.
Had Tsatsimas not come out at the beginning of the week strongly condemning those idiotic ‘supporters’ for setting off several flares and detonators during the match against Melbourne Victory, the Wanderers would almost certainly have begun this round three points poorer.
And while it’s the club that has suffered the consequences of selfish behaviour, those so called ‘fans’ certainly won’t be resting easy.
With all the cameras that were focused on the troublemakers during the unsavoury incidents at Etihad Stadium, it hasn’t been difficult for police to identify them.
In fact, it’s believed that some are already on the banned list for Wanderers home games at Pirtek Stadium, but they somehow managed to sneak into Etihad.
SYDNEY FC coach Graham Arnold has already decided which two of his foreign contingent of five he has to omit from their Asian Champions League campaign, so that may not be the reason he has opted to delay submitting his final squad selection until deadline day. The whisper is that he is actually on the hunt for an Asian striker as a last-minute inclusion. Under the competition rules, only three non-Asian foreigners are permitted per team.
THE devil is in the detail for the Kiwis. Fresh from the administrative blunder that saw the All Whites U-23 team expelled from the Olympic qualifiers, New Zealand football has apparently booted another own goal.
Alex Jones agreed to join the Wellington Phoenix from Birmingham City in England until the end of the season on loan, but we’re hearing that NZF made a boo-boo with the paperwork required to be lodged with FIFA. Jones has travelled to Wellington, but it might be a while until he’s seen in Phoenix colours.
CHINESE clubs are continuing to target some of Australia’s most talented players, with Brisbane Roar’s Jamie Maclaren the latest to be attracting the attention of an unnamed club in the region.
But it’s not just the youngsters who are being lured to the Chinese Super League. Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak is believed to be the next Australian on his way to China, with several clubs interested in signing him.
Jedinak has made just five appearances for Crystal Palace this season, so a lucrative move abroad would come as little surprise.
ON the back of the Mitchell Pearce video saga, a prominent A-League coach was enraged when, while enjoying dinner out with his wife, he spotted a fellow patron with his phone not so subtly focused on his every move. Together with the restaurant’s manager, the coach approached this individual (rumoured to be an opposition fan) and made him delete the video there and then.
SOCCEROOS legend Mark Bresciano was spotted at a Nike function in Melbourne last week looking happily retired. There is no comeback on the cards — Bresciano hasn’t played since last May — nor is he interested in pursuing coaching, but the 36-year-old did complete a sporting directors course in Italy, which is the only one of its kind.
With Australia looking like home for a while, Bresciano’s professional football knowledge would certainly be a major asset in the A-League at management level.
Originally published as A-League Confidential: How it could have been worse for the Wanderers and Jedinak eyed for Asia move
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