Posted in conjunction with Football Fans Today – Written by the fans for the fans
http://footballfanstoday.co.uk/
Question; how long does it take a player to be at a club for them to achieve cult status? 5 years? 10 years??? In modern football that wouldn’t qualify anyone. Do they have to have scored in a final, kept you up on the last day of a season or perhaps dominated your local rivals in a spectacular derby victory? Or do they have to be a skilful, extravagant player, capable of moments of genius?
Maybe one should look for a dictionary definition? Although better than that, perhaps I could be so bold as to throw our blog CollinsBeans (cheap plug!) explanation for a section that we have on our site called surprisingly enough ‘Cult Hero’s;
“...those who make the game what it is, those who have made great sacrifices, and those whose game revolves around much more than just trivial matters like goals, skill, technique and ability... talents that can’t simply be measured in trophies and awards”
The fact is then, a cult hero doesn’t need any accolades (although they often help) so long as they are able to make an emotional connection with the fans through simply being different and standing out from the norm. That is why after only 8 or so months Mile Jedinak is already a Crystal Palace cult hero.So much of modern football is based on pace and athleticism, the skill to slow down the game and make it more cerebral dismissed as ineffective, outdated and to many fans of the helter skelter modern game – boring. Mile Jedinak though is different, a man who plays the game at his own pace, always on the lookout for that special defence splitting ball, slowing down to take the time to look before blindly charging down a dead end or back alley.
The 27 year old Australian international (32 caps and counting) has made his way to Selhurst Park via stops in Croatia and Turkey since he left his native Oz and it’s clear to say that when he arrived on a free transfer this summer expectations were not sky high...mainly because no-one (even those sad enough to admit an encyclopaedic knowledge of world football) had really ever heard of him. But then no-one had heard of Arsene Wenger had they?
Arriving on the recommendation of assistant manager and fellow Aussie Tony Popovic it was easy to think that someone was just looking out for his mate and arriving late in the pre season meant that he clearly wasn’t at peak fitness when he touched down. That in itself is perhaps why a number of fans seemed hesitant and weren’t quick to jump on a Jedinak bandwagon, largely because that would have meant moving incredibly slowly.
Initially looking off the pace Jedinak was the target of some fans ire. In this country nothing endears more than a ‘try hard’. Too many players have made their names and reputations off the back of being able to run around a lot; their determination to do the best impression they can of a member of South Korea’s 2002 World Cup squad obscuring a complete lack of any sort of ability and or skill. Not Jedinak.
Once he was into the swing of things, his fitness improving game by game, Palace’s No. 15 has now firmly established himself as the lynchpin of the Eagle midfield, controlling the play and forming an excellent screen in front of the Palace back four. It’s no coincidence that the team’s miserly defensive record this season has come since the Australian took up residence as an orchestrator.
As well as making the play he is just as able at breaking it, his excellent aerial ability and long reach giving him an advantage in the hustle and bustle of a Championship midfield battle. Not afraid to put his head in where it hurts he is able to gain an advantage through controlling difficult balls and changing the angle in which the game is played. His first goal for the club last week, the match winner against Peterborough showed the full range of his unique skills set; challenging a goalkeeper fairly in the air he was able to win the ball and then knock in the rebound through a swivel and an extension of one of those telescopic legs.
There are times when his attempt at cross field balls come off looking wayward and when he forces it a bit too much when the team are struggling to make a break through it can be frustrating... but overall his ability to slow the game down, see the hidden angle and make the difficult pass have won over Palace fans and there is no reason why this languid playmaker, a throwback to the days when the game was less frenetic and frantic, won’t be a cult hero for many seasons to come.
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