Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Man
With his arrival upgraded from speculative to imminent there are still many questioning the decision of the FFA to pony up the dollars for the Socceroos superstar to partake in his home domestic league.
Tim Cahill is no ordinary footballer; he is the legitimate product and football’s genuine superstar. Cahill is the FFA poster boy and has held that responsibility for more than a decade. Since his heroics in Kaiserslautern the name Cahill became a household name across Australia and not just in football homes.
The signing of Cahill will once again give the A-League the much needed star power it craves and will even attract the attention of some ‘anti sokkah’ media types. Cahill will put football on the front pages for all the right reasons, unlike we have seen over the last few seasons.
Whilst we all know how deep the pockets are of City Football Group, the FFA needed to come to the party and support the application of Cahill playing in the A-League. This was not only a financial requirement but a memorandum of understanding that what Tim does next is supported by the governing bodies that run football in Australia.
Tim Cahill won’t be the saviour of Melbourne City but he will create opportunities the club has been desperately trying to create over the last six seasons. Doors that were bricked up for Melbourne’s second club will be now held open with the arrival of Cahill and former non City fans will be bending over backwards to roll out the red carpet for the marquee.
Off field the potential for City is immense and that’s where this signing becomes so vital for the club. Whilst linking up with City Football Group the opportunities have slowly flowed for the club but the arrival of Cahill is a game changer. Whilst City were leading the league in scoring and playing an unrelenting attacking style of play the turnstiles (much like City’s defence) remained stagnant.
Only during the gimmicky David Villa month have we had a crowd that represents Melbournians love for sport at non derby games, this season will change that, providing City make the most of opportunities.
City must welcome the newfound fans of the club but also remember those who have previously attended. This is an opportunity Melbourne City must grasp with both hands, and hold onto. We have seen Harry Kewell and for a brief moment Vince Grella at the club with little affect on creating a substantial increase on the small but loyal fan base. City cannot rest on their laurels and think just signing Cahill will bring the people in.
On the park Cahill must meet certain standards to justify his massive pay packet but will most likely be given some leeway early days. The media don’t seem to prey on him as they did Viduka and Kewell. Form slumps for Cahill have sometimes gone unnoticed during his career and mixed with injury have allowed him to escape critical attention. Early on I can see Cahill given a leave pass, but when the calendar ticks over to December and Cahill isn’t firing he will do well to avoid certain media outlets.
Cahill will become the highest paid sportsman based in Australia and with that comes much responsibility. Over the last decade we have seen Cahill welcome the spotlight with open arms and in turn have created his ‘Legacy’ empire.
Some quarters will remain disappointed with the Cahill signing but the vast majority of football fans in Australia should embrace the signing. For too long we have been far too negative about exciting developments in Australian football but I think with the arrival of Cahill, City can become the club we all know it can; but only if we all work together.
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