He went to China and cashed in way too early in his career. He has only ever played 20 league games in a season on two occasions....Once when he was 20 for the CCM and the other was in China when he was 24. He just has no experience at playing and performing on a weekly basis. At this stage I don't care where he plays as long as he is playing week in week out. Unfortunately I think he is still in our best 11 for the NT.

Sainsbury had his chance when he was at PEC Zwolle. After his freakish injury his career went downhill due to a combination of poor career moves and further injuries. 

At this point, he has no future in a top tier competition or making a decent career in Europe. His best bet is to chase as much cash as possible in Asia before returning home to end his career. 

Time for the NT to unearth some CB prospects. 

Must say both Spiranovic & Sainsbury have had two of the most underwhelming club careers based on talent. 

it's a step up from playing in australia right?

it's just hard to trust because it seems like a graveyard for australian players

I understand the thought but I disagree. I watched him first hand in Russia and he was class. 

Like mentioned above, it might be more an attitude problem rather than ability. Maybe he doesn’t have the drive to go to the very top and is happy to just plod along

You are getting warmer.

Clubs like South Melb, Olympic, Knights, Marconi had them all on minimums. They had to play hard or they ended up in the fruit shop or digging ditches for a living.

If they were good enough for the NT they got the opportunity to play for their own tickets.

Then the corporates came along and convinced everyone that the wogs didn't know what they were doing and giving Fat Johnny more biscuits that he deserved was a good idea. No it wasn't.

But more seriously the growth of Asia was always going to happen and agents were always going to convince the families for these players to take the biscuits. Unless you are the calibre of a Viduka or a Kewell its best to take the quick dosh and save yourself from a life of working. Whatever happens after is a bonus.

10 points and Gold Star to you.

Perhaps we have all over estimated his ability. In other words he is right where he deserves to be. 

Who is advising this guy? His financial planner? Does football ever come first? He makes poor decision after poor decision. Arnie needs to give him a massive slap in the face. 

Playing in SA isn't that bad though. It's good enough for our rivals and is a better standard than the aleague. But he could be playing at a better level if he desired. That's what's so disappointing. 

Maybe he's just not up to it every week.  

If we were in OFC still we would feature a lot more in junior WCs. As we did before.

This bred our players to be on the big stage and gave them a chance to be “world beaters.” 

Even look at AFF and AFC now. We are losing to teams at all levels. Their players will go on to play for their NTs in the future and have the mentality - we beat these players/teams growing up, we can certainly beat them now...

It’s been one of the major disadvantages of moving into Asia is the influx of our players moved by their agents into the Asian market so the agents and the players can profit from in the short term.

I always wonder what it would have been like if we were still in Oceania, I bet the degree would not be the same.
Also the aleague has a lot to do with it too, many come back home as it’s the easy way out.

Im starting to be convinced it’s less on our problems on talent but more on desire and motivation to actually make it at the highest levels.
How do we change this?

The golden gen had a lot of talent but most importantly they have a great application and desire to make it as much as anything.

Its a byproduct of being in AFC. 

Also, AL being made to pay a set amount on squads..... and limiting AL to 5 visa players (inflating wages).

This Saudi move certainly isn't doing the rounds online. They can be good at keeping these things secret though.

Spiranovic with his Nürnberg days and Rhys Willams was on the cusp of a Swansea move once he got fit again. Who knows but it's fascinating how players somehow injure themselves at one club and then stay healthy elsewhere. If everything had gone as we'd hoped we'd have Lyden, Williams, Spiranovic, Sainsbury, Davidson and Smith all at the highest levels. The fact that none kicked on is extremely disappointing but the more common fate of a professional footballer. Very few make it to the top.

Middlesborough wanted him when he was at Zwolle. He could have won promotion with them and played in the Premier League in16/17. Sure they only lasted one season, but who knows what could’ve happened in his career. instead Arnie told him to take the money in China.

What’s it with our players not having the ambition to play at the highest level anymore?

How many club moves he’s had, a great example of someone not filing he’s potential.

And I bet he’s still get selected for the national team because he’s father in law is his coach...

Needs a new manager, whoever has been advising him clearly has no capacity to think long term. Could have/should have had 5 years top league experience by now. 

Say what? Nobody wanted him to leave red star for Saudi...not even him. 

Been overhyped by his ex manager in media?

“For Arnold, who knows the true potential of his son-in-law, the next task to help Sainsbury go to the next level is replicating his Caltex Socceroos form for club.

“I still believe that he’s not playing at the level he should be playing at. His next move needs to be a big move for his career,” foretold Arnold prior to Sainsbury’s PSV unveiling.....

“But he needs to do it every week and play to that level every week. If he plays at his Socceroos level every game for a club team, he’ll be at a very, very good club.

“He needs to be challenged every week and every game — the better the opposition the better Trent plays. When the challenges are there, you’ll see him go to an even higher level.”

https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/arnold-youll-see-trent-sainsbury-go-even-higher-level

More people have to start challenging what he says. It seems many are under his spell.


Also

"You look at Maty Ryan," he said when asked how a young Socceroos side will fare in Brazil next month.

"Maty Ryan left here last year. He's gone across to Belgium, he's the best goalkeeper in the league I do believe and I have heard he's getting interest from Real Madrid. He's been doing that well."

https://www.a-league.com.au/news/socceroo-mat-ryan-real-madrid-claims-arnie

I reckon the thing that ticks people off is Sains appeared to have more football talent then any defender since Lucas Neil, its not the move to Saudi its where he didn't go that annoys people.

I have always said his potential/peak would be playing regularly for a mid table club in a league ranked 8-10 in Europe.  That was at Zwolle, could have stayed there or at a level similar to that for years but chose to move about. 

Can't have your 1st team CB playing in such a backwater. Should not be playing for the NT. Shame

I wasn't going to say anything until after you addressed your "Pala propaganda" comment, but I see you're doubling down.

There's just no way any potential move to Saudi Arabia could be viewed as anything other than primarily a wallet stuffing exercise, and not about seeking badly needed quality game time. We all know he could easily find a smaller Dutch, Belgian or Swiss club and play every match.

The comparison to Degenek is a particularly poor argument given the context that he was sold by his club, and was playing (actually playing) European Champions League football immediately prior to that, and fortunately is now out of there.

Going to be very disappointing if it happens.

Did you just completely forget people losing their shit when Degenek did it as well, especially after he fucked up in the Asian Cup?

First thing i thought of too

The top 4 Saudi clubs are a decent standard, so wouldn’t be the worst move.

Interesting that Degenek is allowed to play in Saudi and for the Roos, but if Sains does it some people are making silly claims like he shouldn’t be in the national team. 

Such a disappointment. He was by far our best player at the Confed and one of our best at the WC.

It's a true observation. He does often come across as easy going and I wonder if there's the drive and professionalism needed. He often doesn't show much care when a goal is conceded. Shrugs shoulders and starts again. 

Despite that I recall reports that he's the one always talking on the pitch and directing play. 

Probably more to do with his ability that he can’t compete at a high level consistently.

This is only an assumption but I wonder if his personality goes against him in professional environments. He in the past has come across as not caring but this was only because of his very relaxed nature.