To Stay or Go?
Paul Williams
Josip Skoko, one of the most unheralded players from Australia's golden generation, made an observation last week that many of his compatriots have made over the last few years - Australian youngsters these days just aren't as hungry and are too happy to take the "easy" option by playing in the A-League.
In his day, Skoko argues, players never had the 'safety net' of the NSL and so were forced to toil away overseas until they made it, which therefore made them mentally tougher and more driven to succeed.
While there may be some small element of truth in what he says, it oversimplifies the argument and relies too much on generalisations.
It assumes that players coming through today don't have the same passion for football or drive to succeed as players from past eras, which is not only incredibly patronising, but also assumes that sticking it out in Europe will eventually lead to success.
While the toil and hard work eventually paid for the likes of Kewell, Cahill, Skoko, Neill etc, there are no guarantees. How many toiled away but never made it, and without the 'safety net' of the NSL simply faded away into obscurity?
How long is the correct amount of time to 'dig in' before it's time to admit that maybe it will just never be? Should a player waste years of his career, with no guarantee of success at the end, when an opportunity is on offer to return home?
In reality, they are questions only the players themselves can answer.
Take Marco Rojas as an example. Yes, he is not an Aussie, but after three years in Europe his career was going nowhere fast and at 25, with a possible World Cup on the horizon, he had a decision to make. Persevere in Europe and hope that his break would come, or take the offer to return to the A-League and get regular first team football?
He chose to return to the A-League and hasn't the move worked wonders, with Rojas arguably the standout player in the A-League this season and a good chance to win his second Johnny Warren Medal.
There are numerous more examples of players who have returned and revitalised their careers - Josh Brillante at Sydney FC and James Troisi at Melbourne Victory are two perfect examples this year. I'd argue Troisi has never been as good as he has been this year and he wouldn't be in the Socceroos had he not returned to Melbourne Victory.
Speaking this week, Troisi acknowledged that returning overseas was a risk, and one he may not be prepared to take dare he risk his spot in the national team.
"For me, sometimes going back to Europe is a little bit of a gamble," he said.
"At this point in time in my career I wouldn't like to take a gamble. But if a good offer comes - the whole package, your football, your money... you never know what options you're going to have."
Of course we will never know whether sticking it out in Europe would have paid off, but with PFA research showing that the majority of players never play at a higher level than the club they first join, history suggests probably not.
Is it the 'easy' option? Should a player not want to play regular football at the highest level he can? And if that level is the A-League, is that a bad thing? In my opinion, it is not.
At the other end of the scale, the same argument can be made that some players leave too early, which negatively affects their development. Sebastian Pasquali was in the Melbourne Victory first team in the early part of this season, getting first team football and proving why he is so highly regarded.
A switch to Ajax in the Netherlands had everyone excited, but complications with his paperwork mean he hasn't been able to play since, restricted to training only. It may work out in the long run, but would he have been better to stay in Melbourne and get a year's worth of first team football under his belt?
Thomas Deng, another highly talented player, also chose to leave Melbourne Victory to join PSV Eindhoven's reserves team on loan. But the highly talented defender has played a total of just 14 minutes this season.
As with Pasquali, would he have been better off playing regular first team football in the A-League and really cementing his place in the Melbourne Victory XI, therefore opening up greater opportunities than joining a club's reserve side?
We will never know, just as we will never know whether returning players would ever have 'made it' in Europe.
But if the A-League is the 'easy' option, boy am I glad the likes of Rojas and Troisi chose to take it. Australian football is better for it.
Copyright © Paul Williams and Soccerphile.com
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