Vidmar’s frustration could see further unrest for Reds

Roar Rookie

By Ryan Steele, 15 Feb 2009 Ryan Steele is a Roar Rookie

Tagged:: A-League, Adelaide United, Aurelio Vidmar, football, Frank Farina, Melbourne Victory, Roar

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Shortly after seeing his side to a woeful 4-0 defeat by Melbourne Victory, a frustrated Aurelio Vidmar was quick to lashed out at both club and city. He was just as quick to retract his comments, however, apologising to the club and the people of Adelaide, but all of this is unlikely to help Adelaide escape their downward spiral.

Vidmar attacked his home town, and berated the club, claiming Adelaide United is a club full of politics that ”will never win anything until you get rid of that crap.”

On return to Adelaide, Vidmar, who was recently awarded with the Coach of the Year title for the current season, is likely to receive some stern words. He can expect to explain Adelaide’s 6-0 aggregate semi-final loss, as well as his post-game talks, which have whipped up a media storm and might attract a fine.

Although he formally apologised to everyone mentioned in his fierce verbal attack soon after the incident, declaring his love for his hometown and the club, it is likely to have further consequence on the team, and will probably show during their next training session.

Problems like these can cause conflict between players, and an already mentally beaten Adelaide United squad will not easily keep that off their minds over the next few days. The mind doesn’t accept retractions as easily as it does a harsh statement.

This is not helped by the Brazilian Cassio’s two flustered yellow cards that were followed by a rude gesture towards the Melbourne Victory crowd as he left the field.

Melbourne Victory has had a stranglehold over Adelaide United throughout the A-League regular season, beating the Reds in all of their six meetings. This has been credited to their ability to break down Adelaide’s mental barriers, stemming from the 2006-07 Grand Final where Adelaide lost to Melbourne 6-0.

It can also be attributed to Melbourne’s squad strength throughout the year, holding their own at both ends of the season, with what has been called by some an “A-League Dream Team.”

In reality, Adelaide had a healthy lead in the head-to-head statistics, until this season. They now trail by two games.

Adelaide United fans are now unable to blame the team’s lack of rhythm solely on Vidmar’s tactics, after seeing two consecutive matches where the Reds appear beaten from kick-off. It should not matter who they were facing in each game.

With the stigma of “choker” hanging over their heads, due to their inability to perform when it comes to a final, Adelaide United should be hoping to quickly pick themselves up and dust off the cobwebs, and look to their recent successes for inspiration.

After last year’s runs in the AFC Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup that had the whole nation behind them, Adelaide only need to look at the facts to see just how close they are to another chance at international success.

Next Saturday, they play an in-form and confident Queensland Roar in a home preliminary final to decide which team faces Melbourne Victory in the Grand Final. A win gives them automatic passage to the AFC Champions League for the 2010 season, and a rematch against Melbourne Victory.

It’s obvious that Aurelio will want to talk to his team as soon as the next training session, but will need to choose his words carefully. It will also require a rethink of tactics, to throw off those who consider them predictable.

Bringing in changes could lift a weary Adelaide squad and ease the pressure in their minds. It could also help the city of Adelaide sleep easier at night. Queensland Roar coach Frank Farina is sure to be sleeping easier, at least.

If Adelaide were to ever need a professional speech writer, now is the time.

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The Crowd Says (26) | Page 1 of Comments

dasilva said | February 15th 2009 @ 8:41am | Report comment

It seems to me coaches losing it in press conference is becoming in vogue this year. Kossie, Van Egmond and now the normally unflappable Vidmar. The way he sounds in the press conference it sound like a mad man sprouting out conspiracy theories. The ghost of kossie is still at the club.

Strange year for adelaide – we reach the peaks with the ACL and CWC performance and now we are rock bottom after the MV 6-0 aggregate defeat (damn what’s the deal with us and 6-0) and that our club is in political turmoil and Viddie is feeling underminded as a manager. For him to say he didn’t care the consequence of his comments and risking himself dismissal (after all a rant like that from Kossie for reaching the final got him sack as well) means there is serious issues at the club.

Any insiders who knows what’s exactly the problem?

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dasilva said | February 15th 2009 @ 8:47am | Report comment

It also looks like Viddie will probably get sack as well. He was once touted as futrue Socceroos manager material and in couple of weeks later he is now at the precipice of getting dismissed in dishonour.

Honestly I’m a fna of Vidmar and still support him keeping his job and it’ll be a sad day when he gets dismissed/resign from this club.

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cosmos forever said | February 15th 2009 @ 9:37am | Report comment

but was he right dasilva – have their been people undermining his efforts? Seems like either it’s true or the whole club is just exhausted after their efforts this year.

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Sam said | February 15th 2009 @ 10:04am | Report comment

There is politics at every club. It is just when you are travelling well it tends to be hidden.

I see Vidmar’s situation similar to Van Egmond’s. Van Egmond had just one the grand final and was considered Australia’s next big coach. Same as Vidmar with Adelaide making the ACL final. Problem is they exceeded expectations and didn’t prepare themselves for the ineviteable fall that would come. Van Egmond’s behavoiur has been bizarre this year with his side on the bottom of the table. Same with Vidmar’s latest outburst.

My belief is that they are young coaches who had nothing but positive reviews in their short time as head coaches. The bad times have hit and they haven’t been able to control their emotions. So they have let everything out. Problem is they have ruined their chances of staying at their clubs. A lot of times you learn more in the tough times than you do in the good times, and perhaps they should learn from this. They are good prospects as coaches but are not immune to failure.

Perhaps they should learn form Merrick and McKinna who also went through some bad times but showed more class.

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Tifosi FC said | February 15th 2009 @ 10:11am | Report comment

Whatever has happened to Adelaide Utd, has happened in the last 3 weeks or so. Will be fascinated to see what evolves from this.

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Midfielder said | February 15th 2009 @ 10:15am | Report comment

I blame MV they must put something in the water …. hope Viddy comes to the coast as a coach and we leave LM as the manager …

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Joe FC said | February 15th 2009 @ 10:51am | Report comment

This does raise the issue of coaches attending post match press conferences and answering questions when emotions might be running high. We expect our coaches to be technically proficient in their particular sport and hopefully to also possess good player management skills. Dealing with the media is a world all of its own and most of us, not just football managers, would struggle with this job. The coach of the future may very well need to be the proverbial rocket scientist.

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Rusty0256 said | February 15th 2009 @ 4:04pm | Report comment

The only thing that makes sense to me is the late-season player purge by the club (no mention of Vidmar’s views in the announcement) where a number of key senior players will be let go or transferred at the end of this season.

I remember thinking at the time that this could not be good for team cohesion / solidarity with the team still with crucial league matches to play, not to mention the finals series. From Viddie’s point of view, the players to be let go were still well and truly required to get the team the Premiership plate (failed) and get the Grand Final to Adelaide (miserably failed).

If this is the case, and I am guessing Vidmar had little or nothing to do with those announcements, no wonder he was pissed!

Could you imagine in your wildest dreams MV doing such a thing?

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Michael C said | February 15th 2009 @ 7:18pm | Report comment

da Silva-

I know that Vidmar has apologised, but, his ‘pissant’ comment was really, really ordinary (and apologising after the event doesn’t change that he said it and obviously thinks it – - but normally is too restrained to say it).

Thing that get’s me, him having a crack at Adelaide the city – - and that they’ll never win anything……..and straight away I’m thinking Crows, Power, 36r’s……..it’s a little too easy sometimes to blame others.

How has the comment gone down in Adelaide??? Is Vidmar going to be run out of town? or is forgiveness on the horizon?

(btw – it reminds too much of the public explosions from Kossie et al after V2 GF).

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jimbo said | February 15th 2009 @ 7:56pm | Report comment

After conspicuously ignoring the A-League finals series, the press up here in the pissant town of Sydney have gone apeshit over Aurelio’s outburst.
Even Aunty ABC had a headline story about it and showed the juicy bits of the interview and even some shots of Kossie having a spray at the officials (that footage was over two years old).

The pissant Sydney media seem to be slipping back into the sporting dark ages frame of mind that the only good news about “Soccer” is bad news about “Soccer”.

After the FFA have done an excellent job to tone down the “Ethnic Soccer Hooligan Violence” hysteria and improve the image of the game, the A-League managers and officials are the ones shooting themselves in the foot and giving the pro-football, anti-soccer sharks a feeding frenzy.
There is no excusing Vidmar’s, Van Egmond’s, Kosmina’s or Constantine’s behaviour.

The players have been terrific and it’d be hard to dig up much dirt about them. It’s funny that the managers of the players, the ones who should be leading by example, are the ones giving out the negative media attention.
Such a shame at this important stage of the season and Aurelio himself being nominated for a world-wide FIFA award as football manager of the year for his efforts in the ACL.

He’s not going to be remembered for that now is he, in pissant towns right across our nation.

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