Graduating 2013

As we reach the halfway point and close the year on yet another successful A league season, insidetheboxFC has had a few things confirmed and we have also learned a few things. As you nurse a sore head from Tuesday nights New Years celebration, take a look at what insidetheboxFC has learned and confirmed from the 2013/14Hyundai A - League season.

Confirmed

Melbourne Heart is a shambles

From the start the Melbourne heart franchise made a few strange decisions. Hiring a good coach for your inaugural season is a great idea but it all comes at price, John Van't Schip was the highest paid manager in his time in Australai reportedly earning a whopping 850 k a season. The best they could do was reaching the finals before behind knocked out in the first week. Yes this is a good result and success takes time but 850 k really? This money would've been put to better use on a big name marquee especially for a start up franchise, who is challenging heavyweights Melbourne Victory for members.

Good players don't make good coaches

We all know the story with John Aloisi and Melbourne heart so we don't have to dig too far into it, but seriously who appoints a coach for his reputation as a player? JA had no previous experience as a topflight manager, what did the Heart board expect?

Running a football club as a business never or very rarely works

You only have to ask Roman Abrovamich, when you buy a football club you will almost lose money from the day you take over. It's happened a few times in the A league and surely it will happens again. Whilst we are grateful for rich ownership the FFA should be aiming to grant licenses to football people. Gold Coast united and now Melbourne Heart have both been run by businessmen looking to make a buck and its ended up by both clubs being the laughing stock of the league. Your football roster should always take no.1 priority if they can't play attractive football or win you games, the fans will lose patience and you have lost a customer.

Australian coach’s can coach

Kevin Muscat Mike Mulvey & Tony Popovic have all done a stellar job in their first and second seasons in charge respectively. No more Rini Coolen and Frank Straka’s please, we have the talent here so let's use them. Foreign coaches should only be looked at if all local options have been fully explored.

Melbourne Victory & Western Sydney Wanderers have by far set the benchmark off the field. Yes both clubs have the geographical advantage in terms of attracting supporter numbers but this is the closest we have come to reaching a European style football fan base

Learned

Officiating needs to improve

The A league has improved leaps and bounds over the years but sorry the quality of referring has not. Too many times this season we have seen some average decisions change the game when really they shouldn't have at all. If this means our refs need to go full time then so be it. Every other football code the refs are full time so why aren't the A league refs. Yes it will come at a cost but the investment will be worth it.

Mike Mulvey Can actually Coach

When Mike Mulvey was first appointed coach of Brisbane Roar there was a huge dissatisfaction amongst Roar fans much to our bemusement.  Although the Ange postecoglu era was well and truly over, taking over was always going to be a tough gig. After taking over the disastrous Vidosic era, Mike helped the Roar reach the finals despite making a early exit. This year the Roar are top of the table and still playing attractive football.

He has also made some smart business in the transfer market. Poaching Liam Miller from rivals Perth Glory was a masterstroke, but the transformation of Dimi Petratos has been the most satisfying.  Altought Mike Mulvey hasn’t won anything yet, first signs are that the Brisbane Roar Football Club could return to the glory days under the Englishmen.

Player Power indeed always wins

We always thought that as Manager of a Football club you are in charge of all football decisions and what you say goes. But what transpired last year with Perth Glory proves that it’s the players that ultimately rule the dressing room. Alistair Edwards was sacked after a disagreement with a string of his players but captain Jacob Burns more so than most. Whilst Edwards shot himself in the foot by choosing his sons over other players, Jacob Burns couldn’t handle the fact that he didn’t automatically return to the starting line up after his suspension. It seems that Perth Glory is a boys club and if they are ever to win the 

A- League championship again they need a strict manager who's going to come in and completely change the culture of the boys in purple.

Happy New Year to all our fans & followers.