Excuses can always be found for losses or a failure to deliver what is expected.

They can be accurate or they can be way off the mark but most of the time when it comes to snatching a loss from the jaws of victory and doing so repeatedly it indicates there is something very wrong at whatever club it is happening at.

Right now in the A-League it’s happening to Perth Glory. The one club who should have been successful above all others when the League came into play from the wreckage of the old NSL are failing.

They’re failing on the pitch by losing games and they’re failing off the pitch with dwindling attendances (At their lowest since 2007), a CEO who seems about as stable as the ground in poor old Christchurch and a coach who has one of the worst records in A-League history in Ian Ferguson, but CEO Tony Sage stands by him.

The question remains why?

On the field the Glory have far from the worst squad in the A-League and should be amongst the contenders, but instead they find themselves in ninth place on the ladder at the halfway mark of the season with only Gold Coast sitting behind them.

Sometimes they play some great attacking football and have as capable a strike-force as any team in the A-league.

The triumvirate of the burly Billy Mehmet, All-Whites star Shane Smeltz and Mile Sterjovski should be able to provide them with enough goals to be competitive but as a team in the 2011/12 season they have only found the back of the net 15 times to be equal worst in the A-League with John Kosmina’s resurgent Reds outfit.

While Smeltz has been missing of late the injury is hardly one to have the impact on the side that the losses of Thomas Broich and Henrique have had on the Brisbane Roar, no matter what Tony Sage may have to say about the injuries of his players not getting just column space.

And if that’s what Sage is most concerned about…. Column space then the West Australian club probably has bigger problems than they think.

Let’s get this story straight - a CEO who has in the past threatened to remove his backing and walk out on the club, has now decided that his biggest concern, which he vented in a game-day magazine is that journalists haven’t focused on his club’s injury woes, but on their increasingly frustrated and angry fans, and the fact they have endured a start to the season which has seen them lose seven games, while winning just four.

The fans should be angry. The Glory, once the pride of football in this country are now an afterthought and despite recent luck being against them… questionable straight red cards to Josh Mitchell and Billy Mehmet in back-to-back games they are floundering.

What Sage should be concerned about is the culture of losing at the club and specifically the culture of losing under manager Ian Ferguson, clearly something isn’t working.

Here’s an idea: sack the coach.

Adelaide United have already given Rini Coolen the bullet and it’s paid dividends with the club looking better under John Kosmina. The Victory have just sacked Mehmet Durakovic and maybe, just maybe, the Glory should follow suit.

After all Durakovic got a result for the Victory 63 per cent of the time whereas Ferguson has got the Glory a result just 42 per cent of the time and his teams have only achieved glory on the pitch 17 per cent of the time since he has been in charge.

They don’t get wins, the fans are unhappy and despite having a midfield which includes quality players they can’t seem to service a star trio of strikers well enough for them to score goals.

The CEO needs to give fans a reason to get behind him and it will start when he sacks Ferguson and delivers them a new coach to guide them to their own glory.

Until then their fans will never be satisfied.

This is a fan-written article by Paul Masters for Have Your Say. If you want to vent your spleen or sing the praises, email your 600-word article to haveyoursay@goalmouth.com.au

 
Poll
Which will be the Qantas Socceroos' toughest game?


Comments (17)
 
Is anyone editing these before they are put online? If so, please use punctuation! It's lack of commas in almost every paragraph makes it hard to read. They're used for a reason.
MC  |  
10 Jan 2012 07:30 PM
 
 
Time for Fergie to go. He adds no value to the a-league - both at Perth and the Fury he has seemed intent on drafting in has been (and some never was) Brits rather than giving young local talent a go. At the Fury he did not use one local player at all and hence served to quickly alienate fans (the poor crowds were evidence of this). Furthermore, he always seems to have excuses for his teams poor performances (eg. Injuries, referees etc...). Pack your bag champ - give a local coach a shot.
Shane  |  
8 Jan 2012 11:08 PM
 
 
Sage said that Ferguson will be judged at the end of the season, with the expectation that Glory finish in the top six. Sacking Ferguson would, in fact, be a knee-jerk reaction. The expectation has been made clear. The Glory have been unfortunate with referee decisions (remember the Victory game?) and red cards, and dodgy penalties. They've mostly played well but have a bad habit of switching off at the back. The best Glory players are the ones Ferguson recruited: Miller, Smeltz, Mehmet, Van den Brink, Dodd. The Glory lacks pace and a solid back four. They are hampered by older players on a good contract: Sterjovski and McGarry. They are also hampered by Jacob Burns, who was excellent last season. Burns is now a luxury player, as he contributes nothing in an attacking situation other than slowing up the play, which is a bad thing. He rarely makes a forward pass and when he does he is prone to giving the ball to the opposition. He concedes too many free kicks, does not win the ball enough, and finds Van den Brink further forward than himself! Ferguson has done a decent job of clearing out deadwood and bringing in some quality. He should be judged at the end of the season, and he should be judged against Sage's expectation that Glory finishes as a top six team. If Ferguson does get sacked, he leaves behind the guts of a good team. Perth are far better than they were last season, to Ferguson's credit. Perth aren't going to take the next step forward by bringing in their 3rd manager in 2 seasons!
Fisher  |  
8 Jan 2012 04:23 PM
 
 
I have found with most aussies that they do very well when someone good is directing them, but very poorly when someone isnt, basically they cant think for themselves when no one is in charge, and this applys to their sporting teams as well.
James  |  
8 Jan 2012 04:13 AM
 
 
Actually Steve there is a name if you care to read the whole article, It's Paul Masters. @King Kevvy, Knee jerk reaction? A coach that has won 6 of 34 games for Glory, arrived from a club that went under while his coach and his only other coaching job before that being Dundenong Thunder. Knee jerk reaction??? I think not!
John  |  
8 Jan 2012 12:43 AM
 
 
Victory should not have sacked Merrick, they are now suffering for that decision Glory have had 3 of there 1st choice defenders out injured, added to that Aundrezinio (sp) ha been out for weeks and Smelts also missing. Atleast 3 times very poor refereeing decisions have gone against them, 3 sending of's that were not and a penalty given when the ball was clearly won. These have robbed Perth of valuable points.
Davy  |  
7 Jan 2012 10:05 PM
 
 
wellington phoenix are the pros
nicholas  |  
7 Jan 2012 05:02 PM
 
 
The biggest mistake a club can make is focusing all their recruitment efforts on players and not enough on the coach. The most important people to recruit at any club are the Coach, Football Director and on the commercial side the CEO. Player recruitment should be focused on once the club has the structures and key off-field personnel sorted out.
Luke  |  
7 Jan 2012 04:11 PM
 
 
When I arrived in Oz in 2005 I became a ROAR fan from the start, and I have seen just how 'fair weather" fans in Queensland are. We were fortunate to get our new manager when we did, but the roots of our club were strong and Gus had a lot to work with. Our club was built on the support of 5 to 6000 loyal fans, and that number increases all the time. It's just a shame that some of the 52000 orange jerseys that turned up for the 'cup final' didn't carry on when the new season started. Some did, but alas since the 'losing streak' many more have gone back to their barbacues. There will always be teams at the top and the bottom with some in the middle. The ones that survive are those with the most loyal followers. Support your team regardless of form! Tim, I havent seen a 'british philosophy' of football since the 80s. Australian football is built on physicality, long may it continue since that 'philosophy' has taken us to the last two world cups.
Dave  |  
7 Jan 2012 12:54 PM
 
 
@ Matt, If you've watched any of MVFC this season you will notice that every player on the park looks clueless, there is very little shape to the play and we struggle to transition with the ball from defence to attack. We haven't produced anything via a team performance and have been left to score goals with individuals such as Thompson, Hernandez and Kewell. These problems aren't the players, it is the coaches fault when an entire team struggles to find any kind of rhythm. When a new coach (Experienced) comes in then you allow them to judge the players. Explain to me which 'highly paid underachieving players' are on the books anyway? Our marquee players are the ones scoring the goals and getting any points. If you're implying we pay too much for our squad players then do you not understand how a salary cap works because some of the most overpaid players right now are all playing for Perth Glory.
Scott  |  
7 Jan 2012 08:45 AM
 
 
When Perth gets behind the Glory in numbers, and the players come to a packed stadium, when they feel well supported week in, week out, then they will do much better. Luck comes and goes, Glory have been unlucky. These things balance out, and their time will come. Ferguson is a motivated coach with a lot of passion, give him time. As for denigrating him because of where he is from, consider that a third of the coaches in the EPL are Scottish.
Steve  |  
7 Jan 2012 06:44 AM
 
 
Agree with Kevvy and just say having dumped Durakovic that Victory continue to underperform, what then? Heaven forbid the management may look at some of their highly paid underachieving playing staff! All too easy to blame the coach.
Matt  |  
6 Jan 2012 07:16 PM
 
 
so sick of the way glory play, they would have lost to brisbane if they didnt get a lucky penalty, glory fans are so sick of this boring football we play especially the boring british philosophy which has seen the british countrys of late get nowhere on the world stage! SACK THE COACH, Bernt Stange FTW
tim  |  
6 Jan 2012 05:17 PM
 
 
Funny how there is no name on this article and for good reason... It's absolutely rubbish. Perth Glory have hardly had their best 11 on the park due to Injury and when they do they will be a force.
Steve  |  
6 Jan 2012 05:03 PM
 
 
Perth have been unlucky there past 3 games they should have won at least 2, they know how to play but when decision go againts you it makes it though.
Greg  |  
6 Jan 2012 04:46 PM
 
 
Give Bozza the job and make his assistants Mark and Andy
nick  |  
6 Jan 2012 04:05 PM
 
 
Utter rubbish. Too many football fans have this kind of knee-jerk reaction these days. The coaches that succees are the ones given the time to develop a team and instil their own philosophy. I'm no big fan of Ferguson but if Glory sack him now they'll be in the same boat as Victory - and then what? Hire another one of the old boys or take a punt on some European no-name? Where are the next generation of coaches? It's about time a young Aussie got a break.
King Kevvy  |  
6 Jan 2012 02:20 PM