You have that thing all Aussies have Sydney. Complete bias and rose tinted view of all their sports stars. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I wish English people would show a bit more pride and enthusiasm towards our teams instead of always looking for the next scandal. However, it's almost always misplaced when it comes to football. Kruse is a prime example. he played really well. But it was against Jordan. He still doesn't have that good of a touch, and for every good cross there were two bad ones. In reality he wouldn't make our bench.
I have been here for almost 50 years and never watched an A League match or before that any other top tier match. Prefer NRL which is world standard.
Oi!!! Leave it out. I used to get payed 40 quid a game plus petrol money. I'm claiming that as semi pro!!! Haha. Pub team indeed!
I thought we were talking relatively, Kruse looks promising compared to other Australian players. I'm under no illusions about our place in world football. Asian champions sits fine with me and I look forward to the games against England and the World Cup to see how much we've progressed under Ange - he plays a brand of football that's certainly entertaining!
That I whole heartedly agree with. Never been into league, but it's just a whole other level compared to super league. Can't wait for origin
They're still not great examples, Boyd was only 21 when he signed for a league club from Stevenage (who are now a league club themselves) and he'd already been through the Charlton academy and Austin was only 19 when he signed for Swindon and he'd already been through the Reading academy. They're players that had to drop down a level to get noticed, but they'd had a league club schooling in the first place, it's not like they were just discovered on a park somewhere.
Most clubs when changing manager generally look to appoint someone who will cause the minimal disruption. With that in mind and considering all the options, Chazz gets my vote!
How about Smalling? Non-league to United in two years. I'm not sure where this notion of getting discovered on a park comes from. The bloke Francis is talking about is apparently currently playing in the NPL which is our second tier.
You've peaked my interest now Sydney. You say "we" when describing Australia. I always had you down as someone who moved to Aus as a teenager. And to be fair I only imagine you to be about 18-21. Do you consider yourself an Aussie or a POM (shudder)
I was born and raised in Sydney so do not and never have considered myself a pom!! I've just turned 24.
Smalling was only 18 when he signed for Fulham, he'd only played a handful on non-league games after being released by the Millwall academy, he already had a fair few clubs watching him.
I will say though, walking to the KC for the game against Liverpool three years ago was very humbling for me and even though it was my first time in the city, there was something very familiar about Hull. I do love it.
Even more amazing then that he went to United so young! I'm not even sure the point we're discussing anymore. Francis is talking about a bloke playing in our second tier being offered a contract by an A-League club, and I pointed out people jump up rungs on the footballing ladder all the time. That's all.
None at all actually, I had been watching football since the 06 World Cup gave me a love for the great game, and despite trying to get into one of the bigger clubs like all my mates I never really look a liking to following an Arsenal or a Chelsea, and when I saw Deano's hit at Wembley I fell in love. Funnily enough if I was going to claim a club based on family it'd be Blackburn!
I was really just commenting on the suggestion that these players were plucked for obscurity, when in fact they'll have had loads of scouts watching them at academy games and non-league games after they were released from league academies. I was ignoring the comparison with the A League, purely because I have no idea what it's like.
