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THE LITTLE FELLA 8-8-07
Peter Holmes
After the all singing, all dancing fireworks and pie-filled relaunch of the new red tinged ComeOnBoro, I never thought that two of the main articles during the first week would be about The Little Fella. Last week that clever bugger Calum Law (AKA the Equaliser) wrote a brilliant little tale about Juninho on a Yorkshire coach trip with a bus full of geriatrics in his lament about bringing TLF 'home'.
This week, my planned article went out the window because, as you are all well aware, Juninho popped up exactly on the other side of the globe to Yorkshire, in Sydney, Australia and this time he ended up staying put.
Specifically, as the new star man for Australia's glamour club Sydney FC of the fledgling 'Hyundai A-League' which has a policy of allowing it's clubs to import what is known over here as a marquee player, a foreign super-star (in truth usually a waning star) to inject a bit of ooh and aah and to put bums on seats with the obvious effect of some media interest.
With the abject failure of the Socceroos to do anything remotely decent in the recent Asian Cup after an over-hyped expectant build-up, the game here needs an injection of newsworthy quality and some solid charisma.
Who better to fit the bill than our man Juninho, the World Cup winner and former Middlesbrough stalwart to add a bit of hot spice to the mince and tatties?
The Skippy fourth estate are referring to this card carrying Smoggy as; "Juninho Paulista, World Cup winner and former player at some massive clubs including Premier League giants Middlesbrough, where he really made his name and is still fondly remembered as TLF, The Little Fella".
Now, can you imagine the grizzling hackneyed keybashers of Fleet Street giving that kind of accolade to Boro or that kind of reverence to Juninho without mentioning terms like pollution, industry or dark satanic?
Sydney FC, in truth, are a bit of a high-maintenance drama queen, lurching from one well publicised crisis to another with a bit of a self destructive nature. They have been openly chasing an overseas star to inject some elan and chutzpah into their squad; to help headline their club.
Rumours of star sightings have been rife with particular mention going to aging Dutch nomad Philip Cocu who flirted briefly with the harbour team, followed by Scouse deity Robbie Fowler who jetted in to make it official then rapidly back out on a 747, eventually turning down the beauty of Sydney for the sheepshit and wellies of Cardiff.
Sydney were the inaugural winners of the A-league crown during the marquee tenure of Blunderland's calypso geriatric Dwight Yorke, who has renowned world class night-clubbing ability. The affable media savvy Yorke was well liked by fans but he left with contractual rumblings and a barny ensued with his agent with Sydney wanting money back from their contract which they reckon was unfulfilled.
Last season Sydney were graced with a stint by another former Boro flash, Benito Carbone, who left after a few brief games after showing some excellent skills though embroiled in yet another monetary dispute and a dummy spit.
Coached last year by a grumpy Terry Butcher who made enemies from day one, the season which promised so much, evaporated in an ugly circus of discontent and verbal finger pointing. Hindsight tells me that Sydney and Butcher gelled about as well as Chubby Brown with Mother Superior while headlining a Christmas concert at the nunnery.
To compound the pain that season also saw Sydney's biggest rivals, Melbourne, dominate the whole season and going on to win the A-league crown by thumping a self-destructing Adelaide in the grand final 5-1.
So Juninho comes along to a club which has been let down in the past by soldiers of fortune and quite rightly there are a few sceptics out there asking him the question, "Are you here like the rest for a holiday?"
The great man's answer; "No, I have too much self-respect for that!"
Juninho is reputedly getting one million Aussie shekels to ply his compulsive samba skills in the harbour city for the season and Sydney FC memberships are already rising. Foxsports splashed the story as a leader video on it's all day Foxsports news channel and TLF came across as he usually does, full of cheeky charisma and likable charm.
Even a question asking if he will be getting up to night-life no good like Yorke was deflected expertly with a twinkle of the eye and a 'maybe in the past but now I'm a married family man and settled down'.
That stubborn streak is still there as it got him into trouble last season during his time with Flamengo in Brazil. He'll need it too but I can see that his flamboyant style of play will sit well with the fans of the A-league and he certainly appears to be a big hit with the media.
His coach, Branco Cullina, made some inferences that Juninho can play where he wants and in truth that's where TLF plays best, in a free role being allowed to do whatever he sees fit to unsettle defenders instantly causing panic in the most organised back four.
Sadly for Boro fans Steve McClaren never understood the genius that is Juninho and didn't have the right type of tactical nouse to realise that although he will work his socks off all day long, he's at his best when he can improvise, use his genius and go on runs to put central midfield and defence under so much pressure that they lose their shape and confidence.
One of Australia's most knowledgeable, intelligent and respected commentators on the game, Craig Foster (ex. Wolves and Socceroos), wrote a cracking article about Juninho in his column in the influential Sydney Morning Herald, evocatively titled; "Samba Rhythm is sure to quicken every heartbeat!" The content of which informed that Juninho is a player from a different plane, speaking about the man with reverence with hope he will help send the Aussie league into a Brazilian direction.
Now obviously older, wiser and a dedicated family man, he is already house-hunting so he can ship his crew, wife Juliana and three wee tackers, out to Sydney. As always his "best friend" Papa Oswaldo has been hovering at his shoulder during every media appointment.
Australia will be good for TLF and he certainly will be good for Australia. Sydney is a beautiful vibrant city full of World-Class sporting gems. They've just added another to their expansive sporting landscape and one who could just ignite Sydney FC to achieve their aspirations at home and in Asia.
I am looking forward to catching his games on TV and when he comes to Perth to play I will go along to see him in the sky blue of Sydney against the local team Perth Glory. So, I'll keep you in touch fellow Boro fans and I dare say, like me, you lot will follow the fortunes of Sydney for the season.
I will let you know what effect he has on the unfolding third season of the Oz A-league and the fortunes of Sydney.
Good luck Juninho Paulista and enjoy the twilight of your career in one of the best cities on the planet.
You deserve it Mate!
Enough Said,
ErimusRed
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