Saturday, August 21, 2010
Harry's Hypocrisy
A week is a long time in politics, and in football the same truism applies. While TFT has been off on a very enjoyable skiing holiday for the last week, several European leagues have kicked off, the A-League has thrown up some surprising results, and the increasingly tedious Harry Kewell saga has gotten very nasty.
What strikes me particularly about the whole affair is the stunning hypocrisy of Messrs. Kewell and Mandic re the issue of anonymity. Rewind the clock a year or so, and you may recall an incendiary anonymous email sent to the Murdoch press, partly regarding their allegations against Tim Cahill. It became well-known in the days following its publication that the email emanated from Bernie Mandic, and hence, ultimately, from Kewell. Its timing was dreadful, its intentions selfish and its overtones of spite quite obvious.
For Kewell to lay into Robbie Slater (no innocent party himself, of course) for not revealing his source for an embarrassing set-to in South Africa rings dreadfully hollow with the earlier incident in mind. My own sources indicate that it did indeed happen, although revealing such information does little good to anyone.
The petty jealousies and settling of old scores among the Socceroo class of 1997 is frankly getting beyond a joke, and this above all is why I feel that Holger Osieck should make some wholesale changes to the Australian line-up without delay. That should probably include the omission of Kewell, whatever his form for Galatasaray. And this does not require some grand declaration of future shunning; he can simply not be picked.
The Kewell situation is somewhat similar to the ongoing controversy regarding David Beckham's future with the England team. The difference is that Beckham, whatever his enormous public profile, has usually conducted himself with a certain dignity and humility. One could not say the same about Kewell.
What strikes me particularly about the whole affair is the stunning hypocrisy of Messrs. Kewell and Mandic re the issue of anonymity. Rewind the clock a year or so, and you may recall an incendiary anonymous email sent to the Murdoch press, partly regarding their allegations against Tim Cahill. It became well-known in the days following its publication that the email emanated from Bernie Mandic, and hence, ultimately, from Kewell. Its timing was dreadful, its intentions selfish and its overtones of spite quite obvious.
For Kewell to lay into Robbie Slater (no innocent party himself, of course) for not revealing his source for an embarrassing set-to in South Africa rings dreadfully hollow with the earlier incident in mind. My own sources indicate that it did indeed happen, although revealing such information does little good to anyone.
The petty jealousies and settling of old scores among the Socceroo class of 1997 is frankly getting beyond a joke, and this above all is why I feel that Holger Osieck should make some wholesale changes to the Australian line-up without delay. That should probably include the omission of Kewell, whatever his form for Galatasaray. And this does not require some grand declaration of future shunning; he can simply not be picked.
The Kewell situation is somewhat similar to the ongoing controversy regarding David Beckham's future with the England team. The difference is that Beckham, whatever his enormous public profile, has usually conducted himself with a certain dignity and humility. One could not say the same about Kewell.
Comments:
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Hopefully if anything this signals the end of Graham Arnold and his poison.
# posted by 
: August 22, 2010 at 2:23 PM
: August 22, 2010 at 2:23 PM
Now that Arnie is comfortably settled at the Mariners, I doubt that he will cut much of a figure with the NT any more. I've no doubt that Mandic's assessment of Arnie is more or less accurate (I've heard similar sentiments from those who've had to work with him at the FFA), but his motives are completely transparent.
A plague on both their bloody houses.
A plague on both their bloody houses.
Jan, new year, a refreshed team and a new positive outlook for the next four years.
Either that or a horrible Asian Cup which will see everyone panic and the same mistakes repeated.
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Either that or a horrible Asian Cup which will see everyone panic and the same mistakes repeated.
# posted by : August 22, 2010 at 8:03 PM
: August 22, 2010 at 8:03 PM << Home
