Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Fixing the Spike - update
The Mark Milligan saga of the last few days has certainly cast a pall of bad temper over the Olyroos' preparations for Beijing. Although Milligan is no stranger to no-show controversies (as any Sydney FC fan could confirm), securing his club future should indeed be his first priority at the moment, and if the FFA were in fact told about his intended whereabouts this week, they don't come out of things particularly well.
Once again, the Olympic football tournament is not of paramount importance, and a training camp in Townsville four months out from the tournament should not take precedence over fixing a place of employment for the forthcoming season.
The argument advanced by his new agent in the piece linked above:
It's believed that Brookes yesterday made the case that his player's priority had to be finding a club in recent weeks as he was without a deal and hence had no income...
...seems fair enough to me.
Milligan remains an enigma. His form can be infuriatingly unpredictable: he can put together an immaculate series of displays at the back, combining calm elegance on the ball with excellent reading of the game and intelligent, crisp passing, and then produce an absolutely shocking performance, such as that we witnessed against Perth Glory in December.
After Milligan's fine run of form in the first season of the A-League, I jokingly suggested to my Well-Informed Covite friend that at least we'd have him for a few more months before he went to Europe. Two months and several Milligan howlers later, a text message from W.I.C. assured me that we'd have him for a few more months before he went to Blacktown.
Even his brief spell with the Socceroos at the Asian Cup was marked by such Jekyll-and-Hyde form: after a magnificent display against Thailand, he gifted the Japanese their only goal of that miserable quarter-final with a trivial error.
It probably is time for Milligan to take the European plunge. Like a few other young A-Leaguers, he appears in danger of stagnating if he stays any longer. Arsenal is surely a pipedream, but a good, patient Euro manager, a tougher league, and a longer season could all help him to realise the potential that he so clearly possesses.
Once again, the Olympic football tournament is not of paramount importance, and a training camp in Townsville four months out from the tournament should not take precedence over fixing a place of employment for the forthcoming season.
The argument advanced by his new agent in the piece linked above:
It's believed that Brookes yesterday made the case that his player's priority had to be finding a club in recent weeks as he was without a deal and hence had no income...
...seems fair enough to me.
Milligan remains an enigma. His form can be infuriatingly unpredictable: he can put together an immaculate series of displays at the back, combining calm elegance on the ball with excellent reading of the game and intelligent, crisp passing, and then produce an absolutely shocking performance, such as that we witnessed against Perth Glory in December.
After Milligan's fine run of form in the first season of the A-League, I jokingly suggested to my Well-Informed Covite friend that at least we'd have him for a few more months before he went to Europe. Two months and several Milligan howlers later, a text message from W.I.C. assured me that we'd have him for a few more months before he went to Blacktown.
Even his brief spell with the Socceroos at the Asian Cup was marked by such Jekyll-and-Hyde form: after a magnificent display against Thailand, he gifted the Japanese their only goal of that miserable quarter-final with a trivial error.
It probably is time for Milligan to take the European plunge. Like a few other young A-Leaguers, he appears in danger of stagnating if he stays any longer. Arsenal is surely a pipedream, but a good, patient Euro manager, a tougher league, and a longer season could all help him to realise the potential that he so clearly possesses.
Comments:
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I agree 100% Milligan finding a club is more important than a camp in Townsville. I smell Arnold in this one.
I hope the olyroos get their shit together with Musialik going awol. If only Broxham and Celeski could go awol, it would improve our chances of getting a medal.
I hope the olyroos get their shit together with Musialik going awol. If only Broxham and Celeski could go awol, it would improve our chances of getting a medal.
# posted by 
: May 7, 2008 at 11:51 PM
: May 7, 2008 at 11:51 PM
I partly agree.... The reaction to his no-show has been hysterical from many quarters (Jesse Fink is a prime example) And yes, finding a club is high priority. But if he said he'd be there and didn't call, well, he needs to be disciplined in some way, like Musialik's one game ban. Nothing extreme, just a slap to make a point that they need to communicate these things properly and not take it for granted. The trouble is, we don't really know - he did tell them, he didn't tell them, he did but only the day before when he knew for weeks....
I noticed Troisi has been dropped by NU so Milligan isn't the only Olyroo in this position. Hope they both find decent clubs ... where they get to PLAY.
I noticed Troisi has been dropped by NU so Milligan isn't the only Olyroo in this position. Hope they both find decent clubs ... where they get to PLAY.
# posted by : May 8, 2008 at 2:07 PM
: May 8, 2008 at 2:07 PM
...I noticed Troisi has been dropped by NU so Milligan isn't the only Olyroo in this position. Hope they both find decent clubs ... where they get to PLAY....
I've heard on the grapevine that Troisi may be moving to Holland...which would probably mean much more game time.
I've heard on the grapevine that Troisi may be moving to Holland...which would probably mean much more game time.
I think Milligan would benefit from a team that likes to play possession football
but whether or not he is gonna sign for Arsenal...wow i mean he is a good player and all.. but that is a huge step up
but whether or not he is gonna sign for Arsenal...wow i mean he is a good player and all.. but that is a huge step up
# posted by : May 8, 2008 at 6:29 PM
: May 8, 2008 at 6:29 PM
Mikey, my memory is fading.
Guess we got him for 24 months after that anyways! lol
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Guess we got him for 24 months after that anyways! lol
# posted by : May 18, 2008 at 9:08 PM
: May 18, 2008 at 9:08 PM << Home
