Let's scout Aussie

The A-league is considered about championship level. Almost all the teams play a passing game, and they remind me of saints. Annoyingly, that corresponds to rarely shooting. However, there is some quality there and I don't know why we couldn't do a deal with say, Brisbane Roar, to exchange players to gain experience.

What do you think?

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The A-league is considered about championship level.

According to...?

Ok I'll take the job where do I sign up!?

Sorry but IMHO I think the OP is being a tad kind as from what I have seen I would say it's

only mid to high League 1.

I was just watching some MLS, which surely must be considered quite a step above A League, and it was rubbish. Had to turn it off. L1 standard at best.

Good idea, we can look for the the new Jay Lucas and Adrian Caceres.

Sorry but IMHO I think the OP is being a tad kind as from what I have seen I would say it's

only mid to high League 1.

That's about right.

so....because a kid is born in a country, that does not have a recognised "pro" league, they cant be good?.....just as an a example "george weah" grew up in Liberia! to many snobs here!

a good scouting network will look where everyone else isn't.... to find that diamond!

I spent most of 2012 in Brisbane. Their title winning team was very reminiscent of Saints in League 1. I would say that is a more likely level to compare with. That is not to say I did not enjoy it, I did, and it may be possible to find some some good players out there, but they would need to come to Europe early in their career, there are not many Rickie Lamberts out there.

The A-league is considered about championship level. Almost all the teams play a passing game, and they remind me of saints. Annoyingly, that corresponds to rarely shooting. However, there is some quality there and I don't know why we couldn't do a deal with say, Brisbane Roar, to exchange players to gain experience.

 

What do you think?

 

 

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Australia is currently ranked 65th in the world by FIFA. Under the new work permit rules, it will be difficult to get work permits for Australian players.

Hyundai A league is of a very poor quality . Would say league 1 or 2 level . The way they hype up the players over here is unbelievable when its plain to see they are average at best .

The media here would go into hysterics if an A league player was signed to a top half Prem team

Hyundai A league is of a very poor quality . Would say league 1 or 2 level . The way they hype up the players over here is unbelievable when its plain to see they are average at best .

The media here would go into hysterics if an A league player was signed to a top half Prem team

Good hyped up hysterics or laughing hysterics?

I haven't watched MLS but I have watched A league. Just because MLS is played in a country of close to 300 million doesn't make it good (for example - have you ever watched some of the Indian league - now that really IS dire!). From what I have seen of the A league it's upper L1/ lower Championship level. The bad games truly are dire, but the better games can also be fairly good. Western Sydney Wanderers won the Asian version of the Champions League, which is a pretty good achievement. Having said that, I haven't seen one player playing here who would step into a top half Premier League side.

Sorry but IMHO I think the OP is being a tad kind as from what I have seen I would say it's

only mid to high League 1.

This......watching my adopted team over here, Perth Glory, very poor quality, and if they win, they go second.

I think many here have strongly tinted glasses about the standard of league 1 and the championship. The A-League in its early years was a poorer quality, a characteristic that many still associate it with. However if you look at the Australia side that just drew to Germany (a very young side who are still very inconsistent but clearly talented) most of them came through the A-League. In fact there are many who came through the league playing the game at a decent level across Europe such as Jedinak, Kruse, Ryan (who we really should be bringing as our goalkeeper), Langerak, Oar and a handful of others. Now these players may not be quite at the level we require, however you must also remember the A-League is only a decade old and so it takes time to be producing both quality and quantity. Given that we managed to produce a number of good quality of footballers without a strong domestic league structure, surely now we have one it is worth watching and keeping an eye on. Football in Australia has rapidly grown, particularly since the success of our World Cup 2006 campaign, and we are no longer losing athletes to the other 'footballing' codes like we have done previously. With Australia's true golden generation beginning to emerge, it would be foolish not to be taking the A-league seriously.

We've had Liverpool and City come over recently, I'm probably just voicing my desire to get Saints over here! City have also franchised a team in Melbourne, as they have in New York (I think), so they must see something for the future of the game in Oz as well as US.

The games are sometimes tedious, but I put it down to what I think is quite inflexible coaching - namely eternally passing around without much direct play. Anyway, it can't be far off the Austrian league can it?

I haven't watched MLS but I have watched A league. Just because MLS is played in a country of close to 300 million doesn't make it good (for example - have you ever watched some of the Indian league - now that really IS dire!). From what I have seen of the A league it's upper L1/ lower Championship level. The bad games truly are dire, but the better games can also be fairly good. Western Sydney Wanderers won the Asian version of the Champions League, which is a pretty good achievement. Having said that, I haven't seen one player playing here who would step into a top half Premier League side.

To a certain extent, the actual level of the A League is not of primary importance. That is so long as they do actually know what they are doing. I suspect, but please correct me if I am wrong, the competition is more important. If the competition is close and exciting, then does it matter that it is L1 standard? Look at our own leagues.....ask most people which is the most exciting league, and invariably they will say the Championship. There, they have the perfect balance between level competition and skill on the pitch. Not the most skilful but the competition more than makes up for that and thus it is possibly THE most exciting league in the world. Just look at it this season....6 games to go, a the top 4 covered by 2 points and the top 8 by 7 points (PL top 8 has a 24 point gap plus 1 game in hand for Chelsea).

So while the league might be exciting, whether there are enough skilful players there for us to look at is another matter. Give it time and I am sure standards will improve if there is a commercial appetite for it to flourish and surely if there is exciting competition it will flourish.

I like the sound of the A league.

Youth players from Oz can get a year's permit, others need a full whack WP I think and with the FA clamping down that might not be so easy in future.

Youth players from Oz can get a year's permit, others need a full whack WP I think and with the FA clamping down that might not be so easy in future.

Of course, many Australian players have European heritage and are eligible for EU passports, probably hence so many playing around Europe much of the time.

An example, and one we might look at is Massimo Luongo at Swindon. He has an Indonesian father and an Italian mother, so presumably will be playing as an Italian. He was named player of the tournament at the recent Asian Cup which Australia won on home soil. He is an AM with an x-factor and really showcased his skills in that tournament. Not sure how he does for Swindon but would be expecting him to move on to bigger and better things this summer.

Of course, many Australian players have European heritage and are eligible for EU passports, probably hence so many playing around Europe much of the time.

 

An example, and one we might look at is Massimo Luongo at Swindon. He has an Indonesian father and an Italian mother, so presumably will be playing as an Italian. He was named player of the tournament at the recent Asian Cup which Australia won on home soil. He is an AM with an x-factor and really showcased his skills in that tournament. Not sure how he does for Swindon but would be expecting him to move on to bigger and better things this summer.

But that's not scouting in the A league now is it. Luongo had a spell at Spurs I think.

But that's not scouting in the A league now is it. Luongo had a spell at Spurs I think.

No, but Luongo is an example of how A league players can circumvent the WP rules in many cases. Therefore, we can scout in Oz with a decent chance of getting players in if we want to sign them.