First thing I would do if I were CEO would be to appoint a technical director for the club...

With the vast majority of the senior management and board not being "football people" someone needs to be at the club in a more senior and permanent position than head coach who can take responsibility for A) building the squad, B) appointing an appropriate manager and C) assessing whether that manager is achieving success.

Then we'd avoid the bizarre situations we had with Mitch and Fergie where we were really quite poor, but because the only people Sage had to ask about football matters seemed to be the coaches themselves then no blame was put on the said coaches.

Ironically, Ali Edwards with his combined footballing and business backgrounds might've been a good option for the role. Kenny Lowe also with a professional background would presumably be equally adept as overseeing football matters and working at management level with the board. Neither of them, however, seem to have a strong footballing philosophy to take the club forward.

Would love us to look for an overseas candidate to fill this role... taking responsibility for long-term planning within the football department without the short-term stresses of coaching the match-day team and, most importantly, creating a divide between football matters and boardroom matters.

I was trying to post this last night but the site wouldn't let me:

Maclaren may not be any good down the line but writing him off after seeing him in only a 10-game snapshot is far too soon for a youngster. If he's doing the same things at the end of his contract whilst getting the same amount of game time as he did, then you would be concerned about his progress.

Yeah not happy Smeltz potentially being around for another 2 years. Ageing, more injury-prone striker looking for one last payday? I wont insult him by comparing him to Sterj but there are similarities. Not that you can begrudge him when he has a family to look after and the owner is throwing the money at JBFC's mates... still at the start of the season he was all but gone, FFT themselves published an article about his family moving to the Gold Coast.

What needs to be done in the playing squad first and foremost is to stop the rot and the division, then ranked by positional needs:
1. CM/DM - Fix this up. McGarry and Burns shouldn't be played there they've been shit all season, let alone together. Rostyn is a step to fixing it, he was a defensive midfield general for CCM, so should be allowed to do the same here. Getting a creative/technical person to partner is need now. Preferably one of the young boys the club has, otherwise sign someone.
2. AM/#10 - find whoever is meant to be played here and play them. They've had Marinkovic, McGarry, DDS, R.Edwards,C.Edwards,Cernak,Zahra (2 of those wont be valid next season) all play there at some stage. Stick players to their preferred positions and don't play them elsewhere unless as cover. Cam is not a #10, just like Ryan or McGarry (this season at least) is not a #8, or Zahra is better suited as a winger.
3. If Smeltz leaves and they can start anew, then look for a new striker. Or just back Harold/Maclaren to tandem there until one stands out. Sernas is a striker/winger like Harold, if he's still around then don't need Smeltz still.
4. Madaschi at CB, if not then they will need someone next season to cover Gallas when he leaves. Clisby still needs more experience. Also what's really annoying is that Jamieson has been out since round 7 yet they haven't brought in any injury cover for that position, instead relying on a left-footed CB as backup. It's just not working and if there was proper cover for that position then they wouldn't have to rely on "Plan C"



As Peter mentioned, can't forget the Membership delays...which have regressed back to their usual standards.



I'm similar, although afaic, this season was written off mid-December. All this window-dressing is for the cheerleaders and setting the building-blocks for them to ruin another season next year.



"What's the hussle?"

Erm, that 3 points is actually 6 points off 4th. And Lmao, running up the pitch insulting someone = "raising your standards" ](*,)

Considering the lack of success clubs have had with a Technical Director (Rado @ Brisbane only exception?) I don't think they work. Could be because of the business model of clubs. The Franchise basically equal toys for wealthy owners who can fork out the cash, it's not really in their psyche to hand over control to someone, and we all know Sage's ego...

Sorry but McLaren and Taggart are both traditional strikers. One (Mclaren) has had the fantastic opportunity to play 13 odd games already many of which he has started for a return of two goals. Taggart on the other hand only got 10 odd appearances in some two and a half years, namely as a sub, for about the same return.

You can lob the "has potential" tag to a number of youngsters but of the two Taggart is far better.

Not sure how he would fare out wide in place of Harold who is currently struggling but worth a try because he is not doing the business in his preferred position.

Well the front line for the rest of the season if fit I think should definitely be Sernas, Smeltz, Sciola. But Maclarren should be the first striker to be subbed on.

Thoroughly agree

Any chance you can convince Lowe to play 3 up front ?

Sernas, Smeltz, Sciola with McLaren (quick, someone tell him to change his name to something beginning with 'S') as back up sounds like the only thing that will save me from necking myself from the video screens at some point before the end of the season.

Would have to be better that the droll dished up each week.

Only problem is who drops in behind??

Griffiths/McGarry/Burns

That is what will be played.

Just not enough creativity going forward, bit once forward that front three would lead a charmed life.

Times like this Glory sorely need that mythical beast, the creative #10.

Just how hard can it be to find one???? :-k

If your comparing Taggart now to Maclaren now yes I'd agree, but that's an unfair comparison as Taggart has played a full season extra in addition to his time at Perth. I don't think he was any better than Jamie is now before he left for Newy. In fact he only scored twice in about 19 games last season.

Maclaren certainly has the potential to be as good as Taggart is now, its just going to take time. His movement is fantastic, just needs to work on his finishing (whether that's down to confidence we don't know).

That's half the problem. Both Smeltz and MacLaren move well off the ball.

Glory's lumbering MF can not lay that killer pass.

Was watching Wellington V god knows and Hernandez was laying diagonal and through balls at the feet of strikers at full stride. I have given up counting the number of time balls have gone to Glory's strikers with their back to goal and a defender closing them down or when they are stationary and thus allowed to be shut down by a defender.

The best goal so far has been that diagonal looping ball Harold played to Smeltz for that goal a few weeks ago. Not surprisingly, it was diagonal and passed to a moving Smeltz at full stride.



Edited by hotrod: 11/2/2014 05:04:04 PM

------------------V
Risdon, Madaschi, Gallas, Woodcock
---------Thwaite, Griffiths
-----Sernas, Marinkovic, Sciola
-----------------Smeltz

If we can't replace Burns and McGarry in a 4-3-3 it would be pretty simple to do above, if only we signed Madaschi. Why have we not signed another defender yet? I'm so irritated with the lack of cover for CB and LB. I know I'm repeating myself and others a lot but...the need to do something about the Burns/McGarry midfield combination and lack of cover in defence just seems so obvious, I don't understand why nothing has been done about it.

You'd think that with anyone more adept than your average beaten mule calling the shots, that would be a very entertaining team to watch.

Edit: re: bolded; Jacob Burns FC.

Edited by Nate: 11/2/2014 05:11:08 PM

Hernandez is having some blinders with Wellington.
Then you look at Broich in Brisbane, Rogic and Finkler at Victory, and so on, and it aint hard to see what the good teams have and where the key player Glory need should be situated.
ps. How old is Tommy, Tommy, Tommy ... now, 'cause that's about how long I've been waiting for a midfielder to throw out some stunning passes.

Sorry mate but I don’t get all excited and giddy about a striker who has potential (debatable), gets into great position or his movement is ‘fantastic’ (really?) or his hair is nice. I get excited about a striker who, and this may shock you, puts the ball in the net. Yep, I like that a lot.

You emphasis Taggarts 2 goals in 19 games but just 12 months later he’s banged 8 in 16 and received plaudits from all and sundry and that’s leading the line in a side that’s just as gash as our own, make no mistake….

If you think Maclaren can stop skying those balls all over NIB and replicate some level of form that Taggart currently has NEXT season then good for you.

Me, I don’t think so………

You have to admit, he's exactly the sort of player we've been accustomed to seeing perform crap in Perth and then have a breakout season somewhere else.

Because there's midfielders in behind them that know how to feed the ball to a striker, even a young tear-away.

I have fond memories of Ruka peeling off the last defender onto a through ball and knocking in a few pearlers.

But, that's probably old age and reminiscence clouding my memory.

I have memories of watching Ruka's first 6 or 7 games for us, the end of one season, and scratching my head whether he'd make it or not, but he was given a decent go at the time.
The next season, he really looked the part from the start.

Marinkovic would play the 10 with two of The aforementioned CMs behind, it's not radically different to what we are playing now.

What you need for the 433 is wingers who can drop into midfield, like Broich, McKay, Franjic can do. Glory barely have actual midfielders that can play in that position.

If it's a 433 with Rostyn anchoring and two CMs above him then no idea whom that would be. marinkovic may be creative but can he drop that deep? McGarry and Ryan couldn't, haven't seen enough of him to know. It still leaves one questionable position above, there's no way Burns could fit there.

You're the one saying you were getting giddy over Taggart when he was at glory. You can't use hindsight bias and what he's done after the fact to say he had anything but potential whilst here in Perth and that Maclaren's situation, which is only half a season in time compared to Taggarts two seasons at Glory.

Unless of course you were one of those criticising Taggart for not sticking it into the net whilst here. Otherwise you're being hypocritical.

Time and experience. It's what every youngster playing any sport needs. And they're not mutually exclusive. DDS could have played twenty games this season but he would still be a 16yo boy. O'Neill may be on his way to his fourth season at Glory, but without consistent game-time how do we know he's going to turn into a decent player?

In Marinkovic's start against Victory, he looked like the sort of guy who could be very dangerous behind Smeltz or indeed give some good service so that we can see the best of Maclaren.

But he's NOT the genuine midfield always-wanting-the-ball type we need to transform into a decent team. He spent much of the game closer to the last line of defence than where the ball was. This led to the same dull play where Burns and McGarry as the midfielders do nothing and all the attack has to come from the full-backs pushing up predictably to easily defended wingers.

Goalscorers like Smeltz and (if we ever see it) Maclaren are important... creators like Sidnei and Marinkovic are important... but dominant genuine midfield players are the difference between a team that can dominate and a team that is only ever defending and looking for lucky breaks.

Replacing any 2 of out central midfielders with a McKay, Brattan, Milligan, Murdocca, Isaias, or Mooy would make us instantly more competitive. It's no coincidence that Glory played its best football last season with Miller and Cordoba both in the team. And the best football in our history (arguably) when Gumprecht and Edgar were combined in the centre of the park.

Well said! For me Taggart has only started showing his quality after a season and a half at Newy. Nothing to say Maclaren cant reach the same level after the same time.

One - I didnt say I got all giddy about Taggart as a youth player I simply stated my opinion that myself and others thought he was an excellect prospect.

Two - sorry, werent one of those criticising Taggarts goal tally whilst he was here

Three - I just don't see the same potential in McLaren as I did/do see in Taggart.

That is all.

Hope that brings you and Perth Redf up to speed.

Shall we touch on this subject in 12 months or so ?

more than happy to do so...

SB, why are you so convinced Maclaren can't succeed? He was excellent at junior level both at club level and internationally. He'll come good.

Because he's an eternally pessimistic shit-strirrer???? :-"

Funny isn’t EG, I can comfortably accept you and others thinking the lad’s a bit special and “will come good”. Yet some are having trouble accepting that myself and others think the complete opposite.

Like I said to Perth Red – Let’s raise this debate in a years time…hell, even two or three. If I’m wrong I’m more than happy to hold my hand up.

It’s very similar to the unbelievable debate regarding a certain Cam Edwards.

There are people in here that literally believe he’s far better than what his own fucking father or the current Manager rates him. A player who has struggled to even get on the bench of a two bob A League team languishing 3rd from bottom all season and will do very…VERY well if he’s even retained on the roster come season end.

Crazy stuff…. But I expect that from the Glory fans on this site.

Here you EG

Example #1 of said whiny, sulky little fag who just doesnt like anyone who's not like minded.

well done you Hotrod :oops: :oops:

:lol: can anyone please translate this for me?

You're either struggling to comprehend this statement below or choosing to ignore it:

"Funny isn’t EG, I can comfortably accept you and others thinking the lad’s a bit special and “will come good”. Yet some are having trouble accepting that myself and others think the complete opposite.

Or you are grooming Hotrod.

Which is it ?