Jason Culina; Standard already slipping?

Now we all know Pim Verbeek is worried about his Aussie boys returning home to the A-League, and probably no-one concerns him more than ever-present Socceroo Jason Culina.

Great player, who Robbie Slater praises before he even plays a pass, but are Culina's standards already slipping?

A few showpony touches with the score at 1-0 in the Fury game on the weekend suggests this whole A-League thing has finally attracted a professional player who finds the games too easy.

From PSV to A-League is perhaps the biggest drop in standard any returning Socceroos or imported player has made.

So although fans, like me, will love Culina's showboating, he never does it for the Socceroos, or PSV, and one wonders if this is the beginning of what Verbeek is talking about.

Will Culina's standards slip. I think they are already.

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Jason Culina: Why?

Whatever level of sport you play at stepping down at the peak of your career to play at a lower level is practically unheard of. These guys are born winners and focus on winning and everything that goes with it.

Craig Johnston stopped completely at 28, but can you imagine Ronaldo stepping down to division 2 anytime soon, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, or Roger Federer at their peak stepping down to local tournaments only.

It doesn't happen.

Even at the amateur level I've never heard of a local Premier League going to play div 4 when they are at their peak

So why has Jason Culina, 29, having had just a few short years at PSV in the Dutch Ere Division and Champions League stepped down to the A-League?

He went over to Ajax relatively late, struggled, before re-emerging with Twente and then had just 4 seasons at the top. All that work to throw it all away. What is going on?

And what makes Jason Culina so different, so interesting?

Tony Popovich came back to "help the A-League" after grabbing a year in Qatar...yeah right Tony, John Aloisi came back only when no-one else wanted him and grabbed an overflated salary to boot. Mark Viduka won't comeback, seemingly hasn't earned enough. Mark Scharzwer, Tim Cahill, Lucas Neill, Harry Kewell they ain't coming are they...ever!

The point is footballers are mercenaries, fair enough, and play it seems and move only for money.

We know Mile Sterjovski is on $700,000, John Aloisi on $1.2 mill a goal or a season, and Archie Thompson $400,000 so why has Culina come back?

And is he indeed the most highly paid footballer in the country, surely he came back for more than the over-paid, under-worked ageing John Aloisi.....or has he really come back at the peak of his career for Australia, game and country.

Don't get me wrong I'm absolutely delighted he's back, but I don't get it, not at 29.
And the Aussie journo's being what they are haven't seemed to get the real answer on this one for me!

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It's a ball-buster!

The Aussie World Cup schedule is a "ball-buster," according to Socceroo Jason Culina interviewed by SBS this week.

If Australia get through the next four June World Cup Qualifiers we have six games against the likes of Japan, Iran and Uzbekistan all before December.

Six! That is a ball-buster, Culina is right.

Take a moment

Take a moment to think about Carl Valeri, a player on the rise, hoping I'm sure for a move to a higher league, higher pay, in the next year or so.


He plays his football in Serie B, he's represented Australia at every level, and he's 24 and on the rise.

Captain of his Italian Club that says a lot about the guy.

Last (northern)summer he went to the Asia Cup didn't play, then straight back to Grosseto for pre-season. No break.

This year he's hardly missed a game for his club, then it's more football in June and then back to pre-season. Minimal break, if any.

And then a full season waits plus SIX flights to Australia and Japan etc all before Christmas.

Now I hear people say they must come, it's for Australia. But if Valeri and his mates suffer an injury in that period his whole football career could be put on hold.

If he moves to another club he needs to be fresh to establish himself in a higher league. The chances are minimal given the pressures of the modern Aussie International footballer.

Mark Viduka has had three end of season EPL breaks full of football. And he's struggled like Brett Emerton this year to complete his normal number of games.

These guys have big big contracts. But the guys like Brett Holman, Carl Valeri, Jason Culina all perhaps hopeful of that next move will perhaps be the ones to struggle as a result of Australia's punishing schedule.

In a business where careers are short the likes of Holman and Valeri, both 24, need to move on, to a higher club if they are to make really good money from their playing careers. As yet I suspect the wages might be good, but not of the Harry Kewelll and co's proportions.

The schedule is demanding. The prize the World Cup is worth it. But those that make the journey next Aussie spring may not get to the World Cup.

Due to injuries or team selections.

Who would care about their plight as Australia march on Jo'burg.

Some players must be doubting our Asia move. Not the fans of course.

June has seen and will see a lot of withdrawals, wait until August, September and November. Qantas profits may go down!

It's a ball-buster, Jason Culina has called it!

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