“One-nil, to the Arsenal. One-nil, to the Arsenal.” It is perhaps unthinkable to those reared on Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles but, during the early ’90s, this was the defining ethos of the Gunners; belted out by supporters as George Graham’s side attempted to bore opponents to death before, up the other end, Ian Wright could pop up to provide a winner.
These days, nobody is going to be confusing Jamie Young for David Seaman or or Léo Lacroix for Tony Adams, and we can only hope John Aloisi’s tenure in Melbourne’s west does not end in a similar fashion to Graham’s in north London. However, almost 30 years on from that chant ringing out over Highbury, A-League Men leaders Western United are performing their own little tribute to that side: riding a wave of one-goal victories to the top of the table and, potentially, league glory.
A bit fitting, really, given that some recounts about Arsenal’s adoption of the chant claim it was inspired by a rendition of the Pet Shop Boys’ version of Go West at half-time during a European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain – the same song which has been a regular part of United’s rotation since they entered the competition in 2019-20.
Active supporters in the ‘Western Service Crew’ have not adopted the Gunners’ mocking chant as their own just yet but, across their opening 14 games of the 2021-22 ALM season, Aloisi’s side have already equalled the record number of regular-season 1-0 wins recorded by a team in national league history. Their new bedfellows – Perth Glory’s 1999-2000 National Soccer League side – did that in a 34-game campaign. They have already better their wins total from the 2020-21 campaign and, following Sunday night’s 2-0 win over Perth, have also bettered their 2020-21 points total.
To steal another Pet Shop Boys’ work, though, what has made United’s exercise in efficiency such an interesting watch (in a macro sense – their individual games, as the 1-0 scorelines suggest, can tend to drag) is that they have hardly been Very Relentless. No side has had less of the ball than United so far this season and they sit decidedly mid-table in goals scored and metrics such as shots on target per 90 minutes and expected goals per 90 minutes.
But – with apologies for stating the obvious – what United can do is defend. They have conceded the equal fewest goals per game this season. And once they have a lead? Forget about it.
The sustainability of this approach will be tested as the season goes on, but what is obvious watching this side going about it is that they genuinely seem to be playing for Aloisi. The former Socceroos’ striker has had his ups and downs in previous jobs but few would argue about his genuineness, ability to connect with people and the spirit he has fostered at his current club.
Often in Australian football, being a ‘good bloke’ can paper over all manners of sins. But looking at United’s ability to close out games, a healthy dressing room and sense of togetherness can serve to mitigate tactical and technical limitations elsewhere – especially in the face of opposition with their own limitations.
“The togetherness of the club, of the team, is massive,” Aloisi said last week. “We spent a lot of time working on that in pre-season and making sure that the players understand what we’re about as a football club, as a team, and how to instil that work ethic and working for each other.
“People don’t realise in pre-season we were training on some terrible pitches, but the boys didn’t complain once. It’s not only working them hard – that’s the easy thing to do. You can run someone easily; you have to give them a reason.”
Being intangible, however, vibes can be fleeting, and United’s run to the final has the potential to break any team.
Aloisi and his players forced to cash cheques written by others, their lack of a proper home of their own – a subject of ongoing controversy and ill-will given that the delivery of such a stadium was the centrepiece of their acceptance into the A-Leagues – means that their coming ‘home’ fixtures will be split across Tasmania, Ballarat and Melbourne. Combine this with an average age of 30.7 thus far this season – the only ALM side to crack the 30 mark – and their run to the finals suddenly looks very taxing.
The destabilising effects of this nomadic lifestyle at the tail end of the season ultimately played a key role in breaking the back of the club’s 2020-21 season and, with it Mark Rudan’s time as a coach. Time will tell if Aloisi can avoid a similar fate.
