Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory Match Day Jamboree!!!©

[Stuckey]

I still think one game is too soon to judge Babalj, considering he didn't even have a bad game. Remember how everyone said Janko was a flop after his first few games? Look how that turned out.

Really? You were judging him as a superstar after his tap in against Darwin. Also Janko had a proven track record. Eli doesn't.
IMO he's got a lot of learning to do if he's going to warrant another start once Bruce is fit again.
There were a number of times where Jeggo made it in to the area on attacks before him. His work rate is miles off what's required.

[mcjules]

Our pressing was pretty much non-existent and I put that down having to nurse a lot of players through the entire match (Babalj definitely but also don't forget Chelo has had leg soreness too).

It's very concerning to me that where already like this and it's only round 1 after a 6 month off season. Hopefully it's not all as it seems and we're trying not to peak too early.

[blahblah]

Really? You were judging him as a superstar after his tap in against Darwin. Also Janko had a proven track record. Eli doesn't.
IMO he's got a lot of learning to do if he's going to warrant another start once Bruce is fit again.
There were a number of times where Jeggo made it in to the area on attacks before him. His work rate is miles off what's required.

I noticed that as well. At times we'd get the ball on the right, get behind the defence and there'd be no-one running into the box to intercept a quick cross into a muddle defence.

[Old Gregg]

Babalj was absent all game but I agree it is way too early to write him off. He could turn out to be an excellent pickup.

Then again it's probably also healthy to accept early on that he might not be the solution to all our woes in the front third.

[Jessesdad]

No-one is writing Bubble off. But it's not one match, there's been a pre-season and whilst I've only seen one other game from him it was exactly the same. Looks the goods but has yet to give any indication of having a heart.

Call me naive but when you come in trying to resurrect your career at a club I'd imagine you want to make good impression on the fans. This fan always wants to see passion from the players. Not stupidity - but passion.

I disagree that his game was just like Bruce's . It was a replica of a bad Bruce game (i.e. invisible for most part) but Bruce puts in all the time and he has football smarts. He can also hold the ball up and pass. Babalj lost it almost every time he had it - and mostly from poor touch.

I've watched this team from the very beginning and I have reasonable expectations of what we can ask of players. He has yet to show me anything that I can take comfort from. Seriously, I hope he works out for us and I hope it's a good experience for him that helps him regain touch and confidence. I don't want him to fail. I also don't want anyone in our Red shirt who gives the impression that they don't care.

We played Victory last night - at home. You want to bleed for the team? You want to show the fans that you care who you've signed for? That's the night to do it.

Or not.

[Outcast350]

Babalj has this cockiness/over confidence about him. Even watching his body language throughout warm up. I just wish he could get into some of the positions that jeggo was getting in, because on paper he should be able to finish the ball better.

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[Old Gregg]

No-one is writing Bubble off. But it's not one match, there's been a pre-season and whilst I've only seen one other game from him it was exactly the same. Looks the goods but has yet to give any indication of having a heart.

Call me naive but when you come in trying to resurrect your career at a club I'd imagine you want to make good impression on the fans. This fan always wants to see passion from the players. Not stupidity - but passion.

I disagree that his game was just like Bruce's . It was a replica of a bad Bruce game (i.e. invisible for most part) but Bruce puts in all the time and he has football smarts. He can also hold the ball up and pass. Babalj lost it almost every time he had it - and mostly from poor touch.

I've watched this team from the very beginning and I have reasonable expectations of what we can ask of players. He has yet to show me anything that I can take comfort from. Seriously, I hope he works out for us and I hope it's a good experience for him that helps him regain touch and confidence. I don't want him to fail. I also don't want anyone in our Red shirt who gives the impression that they don't care.

We played Victory last night - at home. You want to bleed for the team? You want to show the fans that you care who you've signed for? That's the night to do it.

Or not.

I agree with all of that. For a big guy Babalj is strangely reluctant to throw himself around and get stuck in.
Even if Bruce doesn't touch the ball he has a positive effect on our forward setup.

[Adam]

As a few people have already mentioned, disappointing crowd, atmosphere and game. A very anticlimactic way to start the season.

Looked ok in patches, but i'm content with a point given i wasn't very confident heading into the game. Good that we're back at Hindmarsh next week, get a couple of the boys back who missed last night and hopefully rebound with a better performance in a game i'm expecting to win.

[Stuckey]

No-one is writing Bubble off. But it's not one match, there's been a pre-season and whilst I've only seen one other game from him it was exactly the same. Looks the goods but has yet to give any indication of having a heart.

Call me naive but when you come in trying to resurrect your career at a club I'd imagine you want to make good impression on the fans. This fan always wants to see passion from the players. Not stupidity - but passion.

I disagree that his game was just like Bruce's . It was a replica of a bad Bruce game (i.e. invisible for most part) but Bruce puts in all the time and he has football smarts. He can also hold the ball up and pass. Babalj lost it almost every time he had it - and mostly from poor touch.

I've watched this team from the very beginning and I have reasonable expectations of what we can ask of players. He has yet to show me anything that I can take comfort from. Seriously, I hope he works out for us and I hope it's a good experience for him that helps him regain touch and confidence. I don't want him to fail. I also don't want anyone in our Red shirt who gives the impression that they don't care.

We played Victory last night - at home. You want to bleed for the team? You want to show the fans that you care who you've signed for? That's the night to do it.

Or not.

I agree with all of that. For a big guy Babalj is strangely reluctant to throw himself around and get stuck in.
Even if Bruce doesn't touch the ball he has a positive effect on our forward setup.

Yeah I agree. Obviously he's still new so to expect him to know all the positioning required for every AU attack is unfair. He also might be a little low on confidence. But IMO one thing he can do to fix that is work his butt off chasing every opportunity down and applying pressure on defense.
To not do those basics isn't worse than amateur league stuff.

[shinAUFC]

I still think one game is too soon to judge Babalj, considering he didn't even have a bad game. Remember how everyone said Janko was a flop after his first few games? Look how that turned out.

Really? You were judging him as a superstar after his tap in against Darwin. Also Janko had a proven track record. Eli doesn't.
IMO he's got a lot of learning to do if he's going to warrant another start once Bruce is fit again.
There were a number of times where Jeggo made it in to the area on attacks before him. His work rate is miles off what's required.

He is on a 1 year loan.

Its boom or bust for eli im afraid, apart from a strong ten games for heart back in his first stint babalj has not dne much .....ever. That was over 3 years ago.

A 1 year loan demands resukts right away imo. Sure its the first game of the season but this was his moment to earn his place in the first 11. Right now a non scoring just i integral target in bruce is a much better option then non scoring, lazy babalj.

Notice when bruce is able to provide a good target our midfield always gains the upper hand.

Eli needs to dig deep and prove himself if bruce is not back against wsw. Imo he is capable just needs to lose the chip on his shoulder and do him.

[UnitedPants]

They could at least spell his name correctly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd9InJ8BSVA

[Scott is back]

I saw something in that video that I had not seen in the other replays. Broxham's reaction to the whistle was to turn the referee and say "I didn't touch him". Liar. Perhaps that didn't help him in regards to the card coming out.

[shinAUFC]

They could at least spell his name correctly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd9InJ8BSVA

Of all the rough tackles from mv over the last 180 minutes including fbk elbows preventing football being played and suddenly its about cheating spaniards right?

i do remember del piero being called a supreme professional for drawing contact and going down like a tonne of bricks.....then there was muscat, broich, simon....could go on.

No one can deny an elbo hit the back of isaias head. It propbably hurt! The rest was up to the ref.

But hey, the identical thing happened in 09 in a grand final.....that was a straight red red. This was only a second yellow

[sevengoals]

They could at least spell his name correctly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd9InJ8BSVA

What a load of crap "Bozza".
The elbow was high and made contact.