Dissention amongst the ranks – winners, losers and MIA

The Cove voice their opinions

This season has seen a number of incidents of dissention amongst the ranks. Dissenting views from loyal fans will always be heard and there has been some crackers this year. The #AloisiOut campaign came up trumps and rewarded Heart some dignity back on the field, the #FarinaOut campaign seems to be running hot and cold from week to week but the rift between club and fans is still tender, and of course there has been the Red and Black Bloc flare response protest. These are just a few, but more visibly then in other seasons has been the dissent from players towards managers happening around our stadiums.

In June 2013, Socceroos coach Holger Osieck made the brave move of substituting Tim Cahill in the crucial World Cup Qualifier against Iraq. Cahill’s response was instantly directed at Osieck with a flurried exchange on the sidelines followed by Cahill’s burst of frustration in slapping at the air. Lucky it worked out so well, leaving both Cahill and Osieck to making positive statements after the game about the decision and coach’s discretion working for the team. Anyway, Osieck ended up being terminated due to poor performance in October.

Then came December 2013 when Perth Glory captain Jacob Burns led the revolt against manager Andrew Edwards.  Their feud over player selection and recruitment happened mostly outside of the public eye, but in the end Edwards was the one terminated. It seemed that systematic internal dissent may have set a dangerous precedent when player power wins out over managerial autonomy. Only time will tells us how that pans out, particularly for the Glory and how other clubs handle player disaffection.

Sydney FC has had more than its fair share of feuds between players and managers this season. In January 2014 Del Piero was surprisingly substituted in the Derby game at 0-0. While he refused to shake the hand of his replacement, Terry McFlynn, it was the look that could kill towards Farina that had everyone’s attention. Sydney FC lost and I’m confident that Del Piero gave Farina his opinion in private. Yet nothing came of it publicly despite it being broadcast to the masses and reported on heavily. There seemed to be a key message in Farina’s post match interview when he said “…He is always disappointed when he comes off but he did not say anything.” Or perhaps it’s because Del Piero is a major draw card (aka cash cow) at Sydney FC games and Farina didn’t want to pick a fight he would surely lose.

Fast forward to February 2014 at Sydney FC and the cracks break open. Nicky Carle and Matt Thompson are banished by manager Frank Farina. The post-match interview likely sealed Carle’s fate, when he subtly commented about the position and structure decisions implemented by Farina. There didn’t appear to be outright dissention in Carle’s comments. Perhaps the mood of the game given the civil war between fans and club just got the better of Farina and he reacted in a typical knee-jerk fashion. Then the censure of Sydney FC by the PFA for its actions in isolating Carle and Thompson at training compounded the issue, highlighting the pettiness of Farinas actions towards the players. For the past five weeks neither of these players has been seen – until finally Thompson got a run this weekend and even managed to bag a goal. Carle remains MIA due to what is most likely Farinas spitefulness and refusal to build a bridge and move on. Frustratingly for fans who want to see their quality players on the pitch, we are ultimately going to be the ones that suffer.

There has also been a lot of speculation about the Western Sydney Wanders unity given the imminent departure of Ono, the close attention being paid Tony Popovic’s rotation policy, and the string of defeats they have endured for the first time. The reins are tightly held on the club and players so I doubt if we will see anything unfold in the court of public opinion other than speculation.

Anyway, there seems to be a lot of factors involved as to when a player, a team, or even a fan can raise a contrary opinion and be heard. Personal value, publicity, coordination and personality all seem to play important roles in that process. Our clubs are teams and I hope that they all have active engagement and feedback with all stakeholders, particularly the views of players. We need to have happy players to have productive players. In the end and considering every point of view, we all simply want the best eleven on the field and that is what we should expect to be delivered by our teams.