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The Jason Hoffman Appreciation thread


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Hoffman finds his niche as wingback

3 October 2013-SBS: Philip Micallef

 

Melbourne Heart's versatile player Jason Hoffman hopes that a switch to the role of right wingback will provide him with a golden opportunity to regenerate his stagnant career.

 

Jason Hoffman would be the first to admit that his career fell into a stagnant state after he helped Newcastle Jets win the A-League championship in 2008.

 

Hoffman, who now plays for Melbourne Heart, took part in 15 matches mainly as a striker for the Jets in their championship-winning season and he was seen by many as one of the great emerging talents of Australian football.

 

He was a Young Socceroos regular in 2008-2009 and formed part of the Olyroos squad that qualified for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 (but did not go to the Games) and the one that failed to make it to London 2012.

 

He acquired a reputation as a reliable performer who could play in different roles.

 

Yet the perception that Hoffman was versatile enough to take up several jobs on the field would work against him eventually because he never had enough time to specialise in one position.

 

Hoffman, who is now 24, hopes that his new role as right-sided wingback with Heart will help him settle down.

 

”It is one of those things when it took me and my coaches a while to feel comfortable in a given position at A-League level,” Hoffman said.

 

”When I started with the Jets straight out of school in 2007 I was a wide striker, with the Olyroos I was an offensive striker and last season I played a few games as wingback.

 

”Being able to play in a few positions can benefit a player but these things can work against you too, particularly when it comes to rep football.

 

”I was 19 and fortunate enough to play in a great Jets team that won the championship.

 

”Things were looking pretty good for me then and I was picked in the Olympic team.

 

”But for several reasons I soon began to find it harder to nail down a permanent spot in the team.

 

”I could never keep a position long enough to enable me to play consistently well.

 

”It's great to be versatile for the team because coaches need these sort of players.

 

”But by the same token it's good to be able to be ready and prepared when a particular position is up for grabs at rep level.

 

”I do not have any regrets however because at the end of the day my club football comes first.”

 

Hoffman said he was looking forward to the new A-League season in which he hopes to lock in the right back position in an expected 4-3-3 formation.

 

”I feel I now have found my niche at right fullback which is my strength for it gives me an opportunity to use my pace and mobility,” he said.

 

”I am very happy with where I'm playing at the moment and my gradual transition to wingback has gone really well.

 

”There's a bit to learn about the defensive side of the role because I've always been an attacking player but I've had a good pre-season and I'm looking forward to the league where I can show that wingback is now my proper position.

 

”A good fullback is also a great attacker and having played up front in the past I feel I can give Heart a lot by going forward this season.”

 

Hoffman is one of the foundation players of the Heart club that came into the A-League in 2010-2011.

 

He has seen his club go through the trials and tribulations one would expect from a new sporting organisation.

 

He has seen enough from the current pre-season to be adamant that the club has what it takes to register its best season so far.

 

”I've been here since day one and I felt that in the first season we got better and better but results did not go our way last season,” he explained.

 

”So far in this pre-season I think we are in a position where we're fitter than we've ever been and the understanding of how [coach] John Aloisi wants us to play is clearer than it was last year.

 

”We sincerely hope that this will be our most successful season also because the club has made some really good signings.

 

”This is one of the reasons I feel we are in a much stronger position this time around.

 

”We have brought in some quality players like Harry Kewell, Massimo Murdocca will give us energy, Iain Ramsey has tremendous pace and of course winger Mate Dugandzic is coming back.

 

”Striker Michael Mifsud is very experienced and certainly looks the part while Andrea Migliorini is very comfortable on the ball and has a laid-back Pirlo style.

 

”So it is looking very promising at the moment.”

 

Heart opens its league account with the Melbourne derby against Victory at Etihad Stadium on 12 October.

 

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1169135/Hoffman-finds-his-niche-as-wingback

Edited by Murfy1
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...makes perfect sense to freeze out Walker, a young kid with geniune potential and raw talent who was one of our shining lights last year (remeber him taking it to ADP and directing Garcia during a game) to turn the Hoff into our No 1 RB. Good job JA. Definitely a move that aligns with the founding ethos of the club and will certainly send the right type of message to all supporters

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I don't know enough about football to really have noticed Hoffman being bad or good. I just never notice him full stop which is probably a bad sign. If he is as bad as nearly all of you seem to think then why is he still around. What does JA see that no one else seems to? And why if he was so good with Newcastle as a striker back when they won the comp has he then been turned into a player with no position. He seems a bit lacking in self awareness if he himself seems to have no idea which position he's best at. And to go from striker to right back seems a bit absurd. 

 

What the hell is going on? Are you all mad or is JA? DOes anyone on here get why they persist with Hoffman. Is he that great to have around training? 

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Versatile?????Jack of all trades......master of NONE

His season with the jets though proved otherwise. His strength is up front. He is not a jack of all trades because to be so you have to be good at all positions. He was a shit midfielder, and so far hasn't proven anything at RB. Striker is the only position he has proven his worth.

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Versatile?????Jack of all trades......master of NONE

His season with the jets though proved otherwise. His strength is up front. He is not a jack of all trades because to be so you have to be good at all positions. He was a shit midfielder, and so far hasn't proven anything at RB. Striker is the only position he has proven his worth.

Didn't we try him up front after he had joined us from jets??

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Versatile?????Jack of all trades......master of NONE

His season with the jets though proved otherwise. His strength is up front. He is not a jack of all trades because to be so you have to be good at all positions. He was a shit midfielder, and so far hasn't proven anything at RB. Striker is the only position he has proven his worth.

Didn't we try him up front after he had joined us from jets??

Hoff had his chance at the start of S2 to show us he could be a A League CF and he failed.

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The same exact article could have been written about Kamal in S2 so it is hardly a strong indication that JA def prefers Hoff over Jezza at RB.

Possibly not. My suspicions are based on the fact that Hoffman played against Adelaide while Walker was relegated to the Frankston game.

 

The latter was hardly the best preparation for Round 1.

 

Unless JA has had a miraculous metamorphosis we know what he's like. Last season he persisted with Thompson right until the bitter end - a player whom now no other A-League club wants. I'm not sure about his commitment to developing youth players.

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Walker was performing well and was replaced by an exhausted Marone on his return from international duties where Marone was below par and still preferred to Walker by JA.

I don't know why, but JA does not appear to rate Walker. Hopefully Jeremy makes the right back spot his own this season. It shouldn't be that hard given the other option(s).

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Alarm bells ringing for me reading this. One of the few highlights last year was watching Walker develop and take the game and opposition players on. The rawness and youthful enthusiasm was a shining light contrasted to the shit served up by some of the experienced "professionals" he was playing with. At least someone was having a crack. If Hoff starts it will be a retrograde step to our image (and results!!). Let's not reward mediocrity again - I thought we were over that shit.

And the players having a clearer picture this year of what JA wants!?!?!? How long does it take to articulate and implement a system?? Either the players aren't listening, the coach can't articulate the system, or the coach isn't ruthless enough to demand the team play his way or there are consequences. - either option is not great. God knows we had enough examples last year of how not to play. Could you imagine any professional footballer saying this with a ruthless coach - they'd be strung up for it!! It implies the message hasn't sunk in.

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