Ange Postecoglou

Why do you watch it then?

 

I like football.

 

I think you’re full of * mate
Plenty of football to watch without having to suffer “brutal football” at daft o’clock

 

Anyone watching the J League and seeing Kyogo I can’t understand why they think it’s *. The lad is a revelation.

There is no way he is the only star in that league. No way.

 

Two good results in a row Ange, hope it continues.

 

This is a wee bit long winded but I'll give it a go...

It's hard to get a grasp on which league is better than another when they rarely match up and I don't claim to have a great knowledge of the J-league.

A possible barometer for gauging its quality is by seeing how it's best teams compare when they are pitted against the best teams of other nations.

I think I'm right in saying that the winners of the J league are put forward for the AFC Champions League . Basically the Asian Champions League.

In the last 20 years there has only been 4 Japanese winners of this competition.

The winners of this Asian Champions League then go forward to the Club World Cup where the play the winners from each world club competition.

In the last 20 years only twice has an Asian team competed in the final of this competition.

It is predominately a European team up against a South American team in the final.

Although it doesn't give an absolute gauge it does appear that the Japanese League might not even be the best Asian League and furthermore the Asian Leagues seem to fare poorly when pitted against other world leagues.

I would say it's a huge stretch, in fact delusional to put a case for it being in the top 10 leagues in the world.

Although that doesn't mean to say it is * or that it doesn't have quality players bcos it clearly does.

 

The j league doesn't seem to take the acl seriously for whatever reason, probably because its a big step up from the k-league and csl so the domestic league is a much bigger prize. If an aussie plays in the j league, unless they are a tactical signing chosen for their aerial ability, its a much bigger achievement than the other leagues in the area (although things have gotten more ambiguous since the csl moved to a 3 foreigner rule. Their foreigners are often world class players alongside 3rd division quality local players). I suspect, though can't confirm, that Japan's super insular culture contributes to them not caring about the acl as well

 

OK j league b league how cares if we win this league that's all that matters let us finish getting people in then complain.

 

I don't really get that argument. Unless you are telling me they are putting out weakened sides in that tournament then I can't see that being a viable reason for their poor showings, especially if by winning it they can showcase at the Club World Cup.

Your last part kind of just adds to the reason for it not being a high end league. If their culture prevents them from competing to their usual standard on a wider stage then you have to start questioning mentality which is another mark against it.

 

Japanese insularity is a real problem, though I think its subjective about whether that counts as points against the quality of the league

ACL is a strange competition, the prize money is so low you run at a loss playing in it, and for a league which is well above the next best league in the area, it probably doesn't seem worth it (probably also a factor that they are playing the unwashed gaijin). There is also an enormous amount of travel across time zones compared to other confederations. Australia is weaker than 3 other leagues in the eastern zone and we also have trouble convincing clubs and fans to bother, so we also underperform. They often put out weakened teams and their pressing and ball movement is lethargic compared to a domestic game.

 

I've watched a bit of J League and it definitely is a good standard - but not top ten. Comfortably top 20 though with many excellent players that would make it in Europe.

There is something about the Japanese though re travel. Their NT is just about unbeatable at home but far weaker away (they're still mostly the top FIFA rated NT in Asia). Asian CL also is very tough with some hellish travel involved. An Australian team has only won it once and made the final twice - and we're the third best rated NT in Asia.

Oh, and Japanese goalkeepers are absolutely dreadful for some bizarre reason.

 

I'm guessing 4 wins against them will at least show the support something good.

 

It's feasible that Japan's insularity means that it's both a poor league with an unusual amount of quality players. As it's not fully incorporated into footballing culture and likewise the transfer market, the usual conveyor belt of a minor league's best talent towards Europe's top teams likely hasn't occured to the same extent as elsewhere. Good for us when we've a manager with insider knowledge into the market.

 

I think you are spot on here. If Ange can use his inside knowledge we could snap up some real gems. As you say I think it's a market that doesn't seem to have been greatly explored possibly for those cultural reasons a couple of you have now mentioned. With Ange and Kyogo here it might make us a more attractive option.

 

I'll bow to your superior knowledge of the game over there. Still have my doubts about it being a top 10 league tho. Definitely produces technically gifted players with brilliant work ethic.

If you look at Kyogo's goal output over there, his age, coming into his prime and the fact he was regarded as one of the best players in that league then you see how good he is up close and then the best part, what we paid for him!

You will struggle to get that kind of value anywhere in today's market. We should be all over it, use AP's contacts and inside knowledge and get some more of these guys over here.

 

Fair enough
Hope you guys get some nice j league signings. Looks like you might already have one

i suspect he might go through rough patches, so i hope the fans show patience. Ive lived in japan for nearly a year and it opened my eyes to how much they can get homesick overseas. So expect some ups and downs, but he looked quality in his first game

 

Yes homesick is a real thing for the Japanese. It’s a factor brought about by their want to maintain their culture and the resistance to western culture, in turn making adjustment to western culture difficult. Beautiful country, with friendly people, one of the last bastions of culture.

 

Frankly, I don’t give a * what you think. I’ve seen enough of it and I’m comfortable with my opinion, it’s largely *.

 

Regarding the standard of the J League, I think what some people need to remember is how * playing in Asian competitions can be.

It's not all Japan, South Korea and Australia. They play in some seriously third world countries with horrible travel conditions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Football_Confederation#Member_associations

So it's not unusual for a really strong team to have a * of a time against some seemingly weak nations and drop points that they absolutely would not at home.

 

oh geezus if you are ozzie you giving the rest of us grief.