Fred De Jong: Win great but Kingz still well off pace

COMMENT

I'm delighted the Football Kingz have finally got their first win of the NSL season under their belt.

The 3-1 win over Marconi Stallions last weekend was a reward for hard work and a determination not to let their heads drop after a disastrous start to their campaign. It was easily their best display of the season.

They picked up their first point the previous week, after kicking off with six straight losses.

But, I'm afraid, if anyone thinks the last two results are a sign they've turned the corner and the season is about to take off, they're dreaming.

Too many factors are conspiring to make life difficult for the Kingz, some on the field, some off; some of their own making, some simply a fact of life.

On the field there are two main problems - the defending, which has been shipping a couple of goals a game, and a lack of genuine pace.

If you concede a goal to a fine piece of play by the opposition fair enough. But some of their defending would have age-group coaches tearing their hair out. Having said that, I believe two of their better players this season operate in the defensive third: goalkeeper Michael Utting, who is as good as any in the league in terms of shot stopping, and defender John Tambouras, who looks a good buy.

Two others who have caught my eye are the experienced Harry Ngata, who does the business week in, week out, and young striker Tallin Martin, who has made the most of limited opportunities off the substitutes bench. Otherwise, by and large, you have players capable of some good things, but lacking consistency.

The really good teams in any league these days invariably have size, technical ability and speed. Of those three, speed is critical. The game is now played at a faster pace than ever before.

The Kingz lack real pace and that's arguably what's hurting them more than anything on the field.

They're also handicapped by not having a settled squad, and by that I mean the turnover of players from season to season does nothing in terms of getting players familiar with each other and what is required to succeed in the NSL.

This squad spent the first few games of the competition getting up to speed with the standard of the opposition and getting familiar with their team-mates' strengths and weaknesses.

That should have been done in the pre-season, but games against New Zealand sides are no preparation for this league. They should have been playing other NSL teams to at least get a gauge on how they were progressing before the season began.

I've heard the odd gripe that, at least before last weekend, Ken Dugdale's position as coach should have been shaky. Personally I think Dugdale has done a pretty good job.

Okay those early results were disappointing but it's clear there is a good spirit within the squad.

There's no sign of squabbling in the camp so considering the odds he's facing and those early-competition hiccups, Dugdale deserves a pat on the back for at least keeping the players working diligently and all pulling in the right direction.

The Kingz's biggest off-field problem is obviously money, or the lack of it. This actually relates to what happens on the field.

When I first signed for the Dutch first division club Fortuna Sittard, I remember the manager sitting down with me with the names of our opponents in front of him. He said he could tell who would be the successful clubs that season based purely on their budgets. He was right and it's the same the world over.

The same applies in the NSL. So you can be sure that come the business end of the NSL Perth Glory, Parramatta and Adelaide will be there or thereabouts. Why? They have the biggest budgets, which means their depth is better than most.

For the Kingz, the playoffs are out of reach. In the last two seasons the last-placed qualifier has finished with 36 points. So the Kingz need 32 in 16 games. That means putting a winning run together of five or six games and, for a club that has never won three games in a row, I don't believe that's going to happen.

So what should Dugdale do, box on with what he's got or look to foster some of the younger talent with an eye on next season? His top priority is to get off the bottom of the table. I'd suggest in a few rounds, unless the Kingz find a remarkable streak of form, he should be looking to check out the talent for the next campaign, assuming there is one.

With the NSL due to be revamped for the 2004-05 season, perhaps trimmed to about eight teams, do the Kingz have a good chance of being there, irrespective of where they finish this season? Actually their chances are better than you might think, providing they can meet the eligibility criteria of the new governing body of Australian soccer.

Dugdale must take the view that both he and the team will survive, plan a comprehensive pre-season programme and trust that the club can find the money to enable him to bolster his squad.

If the league is reduced there will be a cluster of decent footballers looking for new clubs. There's no reason why the Kingz can't benefit from that.