The Official Isuzu UTE A-League Podcast unpacks an enthralling weekend of Round 7 action.
The Official Isuzu UTE A-League Podcast is back, and available every Monday to review the action from the weekend. Here’s a snapshot of some of the talking points from Round 5, discussed by KEEPUP’s David Weiner, David Davutovic and Nick D’Urbano.
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Are the classy Bulls the real deal?
That is the question after seven unbeaten rounds in the Isuzu UTE A-League, with Macarthur FC leading the standings.
Macarthur are the team to beat heading into week eight as they sit atop the standings by one point.
The Bulls are yet to taste defeat, having conquered Sydney FC away from home last week while juggling their AFC Cup commitments – Mile Sterjovski’s side are on the cusp of the knockout phase.
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It comes after a challenging 2022-23, which saw Macarthur finish bottom in the A-Leagues following the departure of Dwight Yorke on the back of a maiden Australia Cup success.
The Bulls also entered this season having been upstaged by NPLM SA outfit Campbelltown City in an incredible Australia Cup boilover, but, Macarthur – led by inspirational Mexican Ulises Davilla and former Monaco star Valere Germain are flying high.
“Macarthur, top of the league, seven games unbeaten,” said KEEPUP’s Nick D’Urbano.
“No one probably really saw it coming. Bottom of the table last season, a bit of doubt. They went out in the Round of 32 in the Australia Cup to an NPL SA team in Campbelltown City.
“A little bit of worry there but they’ve done really well to be able to get these results early in the season. They’re flying high at the moment and they’re looking like a team that really could cause some damage as this season progresses.
“The other thing on top of that is they’ve been battling this really difficult fixture run of games in Asia. They’ve had to play to play four out of six games, technically, away in this group stage rather than playing the three (home) and three (away) as the usual balance.
“So they’ve had to weather travel, a changed squad, some really tough games as well.”
David Weiner said: “They look professional. There’s a little bit of class to them as well. Germain and Hollman the goalscorers but you throw Davilla as well, there’s quality, there’s a lot of quality Mile Sterjovski has to play with.
“Anyone that thinks that this is a seven-game aberration, I think they’re in for it. I think Macarthur are going to be very hard to beat throughout the course of this season.”
Their start to the season has also drawn comparisons with Western United’s triumphant 2021-22 campaign.
John Aloisi’s Western defied the odds as they conquered defending champions Melbourne City in the Grand Final.
D’Urbano added: “I think it’s quite incredible. There’s this underlying thought that it’s going to have to end eventually but with every passing week, they still keep going.
“It actually kind of reminds me a bit of what Western United did a couple of years ago.
“How they started the season with all those 1-0 wins and you were just waiting for the inevitable dip, ‘it’s coming, it’s coming and they can’t do this forever’. We all know what happened next.
“I’m not saying that, after round seven, that Macarthur are going to win the Championship but we have to give them credit for the way they keep eking out results.”
Ross Aloisi’s ‘feel good’ Roar
When Ross Aloisi returned to Brisbane Roar at the start of the season, this time as head coach, he had a vision for the three-time champions.
He wanted to restore the club’s glory days following his learnings in Japan, with Brisbane in the midst of two straight seasons without finals football.
The last time the Roar were in the Isuzu UTE A-League Semi Finals, they were 90 minutes away from a Grand Final in 2016-17 with John Aloisi at the helm and his brother Ross by his side.
Ross Aloisi is helping the Roar rediscover themselves – Brisbane are second in the standings and playing exciting football with young and local products at the fore.
“Brisbane Roar continue to make you feel good when you watch their games,” Weiner said in the wake of their 2-0 win away to Adelaide United.
The Roar are currently four matches unbeaten (W2 D2) as Ross Aloisi prepares for a matchup against brother John’s struggling Western United on Friday night.
Davutovic said: “They’re absolutely flying at the moment.
“I tell you what, you’d be a brave person betting against them playing in the finals this season.”
Is Stanton building something special?
Not since 2017-18 when they reached the Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final have Newcastle Jets featured in the Finals Series.
But could this be the season for rookie senior A-Leagues coach Rob Stanton and the Jets?
The Jets and their supporters are craving a return to the finals and there have been positive signs from Stanton’s youth squad this term. Just look at last week’s shock 3-0 win over previously unbeaten Wellington Phoenix.
“It’s it’s been a challenge down on the Hunter and I think the locals just want to see a team that’s fighting, that’s competitive,” said Davutovic.
“Jeepers, if this team plays finals this year, that is a massive, massive feather in their cap, in Robbie Stanton’s cap. He’d have to up there as a Coach of the Year contender you would think.
“It’s an OK squad on paper. It’s not amazing. I’d imagine they’d have one of the smaller budgets in the competition. He’s thrown a lot of youngsters in there. So I’d be surprised if they did play finals, but I do still think that they will continue to knock off some bigger scalps and be competitive.”
Davutovic added: “Newcastle Jets have just been really solid this season, like quite inconsistent but regardless the score line or who they’ve come up against they’ve, they’ve been fighters.
“I think Robbie Stanton has really, really instilled that. He just really impresses me. He is a mature age rookie coach. He’s been in the system for a long, long time, he’s worked with some fantastic coaches along the journey.
“We got to watch him at really close quarters in the A-League All Stars game a year and a half ago where he was assistant to Dwight Yorke. But essentially, he was the head coach, he was really running the show and calling the shots.
“I’ve just been really impressed with the way he’s gone about it. He’s thrown some of the youngsters in the deep end and got a fantastic balance in this team.”
