Tony Sage, the boss of Perth Glory, remains hopeful about convincing the ageing striker Robbie Fowler to prolong his contract for another season.
With seven goals from 15 appearances, the 35-year-old shares the lead with Brisbane’s Jean Carlos Solorzano and Wellington’s English forward Paul Ifiill, and Sage regards the former Liverpool star as one of the few positive aspects amid a challenging season for Ian Ferguson’s squad.
Sage confirmed that securing two-time Golden Boot winner Shane Smeltz might be on his agenda for the 2010-2011 season, but he emphasized that convincing Fowler to stay at nib Stadium for a second year is his primary focus.
“Robbie is keen to keep playing for another year, and family considerations will play a crucial role in his decision,” Sage informed reporters.
“He wishes to remain with us on a personal level, but family will always take precedence, and no decision has been finalized concerning that matter.
“Robbie enjoys being here, and discussions about him reuniting with his old friend Karl Robinson at MK Dons in England (in a coaching capacity) will only happen if he doesn’t secure a full-time playing position elsewhere.
“With seven goals and five assists, he has fulfilled his role for us. The fact that he ranks as joint top scorer merely highlights the A-League’s challenges rather than Robbie’s performance.
“We’re not outright saying we will re-sign him, yet we have not given up on the possibility. He’s scheduled to speak with his family in January, and a resolution will follow.”
Fowler’s future will likely be determined once he returns to England for a 10-day holiday after the home match against Adelaide United on December 22, just in time for the January 3 fixture against Gold Coast United.
Even if Fowler remains, Sage, who has 11 players out of contract, is monitoring New Zealand international Smeltz, who has found it difficult to gain playing time since moving from Gold Coast United to Turkish Super Lig side Genclerberligi in August.
“I admire Shane’s style; he truly knows how to find the net. However, we cannot approach any players until the January transfer window opens. So, we will wait and see,” Sage added.
In another note, Sage has called on Football Federation Australia to remove referee Kris Griffiths-Jones from officiating duties this weekend after he described the referee’s performance as “dreadful” during the 1-1 draw with North Queensland Fury at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
Naum Sekulovski and Brent Griffiths were shown red cards, and Griffiths-Jones turned down what many observers felt were two clear penalty kicks, both involving Fowler, prompting Sage to express: “I hope the referee is not assigned to a match this week; if he is, it will reflect poorly on the competition given his disastrous performance.
“It was unacceptable for him to deny us two clear penalties. FFA knows he made mistakes but won’t admit it publicly.
“The penalty decisions were absurd. Mark Hughes fouled Robbie twice: the first was a clear tackle, and the second involved a body check. Everyone recognized how obvious it was except for the referee.
“Hughes deserved to be sent off for the second foul, and to make matters worse, he went on to score Fury’s equalizer (nine minutes from the end).
“I could hardly believe it. The referee simply must be dropped. That’s what happens when a player has a poor performance.
“He didn’t just err once during the match; he made around ten mistakes and should face consequences. Normally, I don’t complain about referees, but this has really frustrated me.”
Glory has officially communicated its concerns to FFA, with Sage further stating: “I made it known that if the referee isn’t dropped for at least two weeks, he will likely repeat his mistakes. Regarding the red cards, one was warranted, while the other was not.”
Sage believes that although ninth-placed Glory is just three points away from the play-off positions and has played two more games than both Melbourne Heart and Melbourne Victory, there remains a chance for them to sneak into the playoffs, adding: “It’s not over for us yet, although we have made things more difficult for ourselves.”
Buford Balony says: The referee Kris Griffiths-Jones in the match against NQ was appalling. If he officiates again this year, it will be a disgrace. He undoubtedly cost the Glory three points in this game. A penalty is a penalty, Kris; you missed two that were downright obvious, yet you red-carded two Glory players. YOU ARE CRAP.
