Is Kosmina saving Adelaide or United saving Kossie?
Roar Rookie By LachieAHV, 3 Jan 2012 LachieAHV is a Roar Rookie
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- A-League, Adelaide United, football, John Kosmina
John Kosmina will return to Adelaide United (AAP Image/Bryan Charlton)
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With four points from his first two games in charge, John Kosmina has already been labelled the saviour of Adelaide United. But it may just be that Adelaide United will be the saviour of John Kosmina.
For all Kossie’s success in his first stint at Hindmarsh it will be remembered for underachievement and embarrassment. The final year of the NSL was Adelaide United’s first. The Reds finished third on the table, but were hammered 5-0 in the preliminary final by Perth Glory.
The first season of the A-League saw the Reds finish on top, seven points clear, but finals failure resulted in United finishing a disappointing third. Then there was the 6-0 abomination in the grand final a year later that lead to the end of Kosmina Version 1.0.
Similar frustration and failure has followed Kosmina across his managerial career.
He never coached the defunct Newcastle Breakers to a finals appearance and between 1999-2003 he lead the Brisbane Strikers to just one finals series. In the 2001/02 season the Strikers finished fourth on the table before being smashed 4-1 on aggregate by a 5th placed South Melbourne.
Post-Adelaide, Kosmina went to Sydney FC mid-season to replace the sacked Branko Culina. Kosmina managed to drag Sydney FC up into third that season, but once again his team was defeated comprehensively by a lower-ranked opponent and put out of the title race in the first round of the finals. The following season Sydney FC failed to make the playoffs and Kossie was sacked.
Kosmina’s coaching history is largely one of missing the finals, and when he gets his team into the playoffs they are usually humiliated by lower-ranked teams.
Two games don’t make a season, but the transformation that has come with a change of coach has been astounding at United. Whether this change is the new coach’s honeymoon period or the start of a successful era under Kosmina may well be defined in the next month.
The Reds play Brisbane at Hindmarsh and have three tough road trips against the Heart, Victory, and Central Coast. A top-six finish and a strong ACL performance would surely see Kosmina’s caretaker status upgraded to a full time return to United.
Kosmina still has a lot to prove, he has unfinished business, and this will be his last chance. He will always be uncompromising and blunt, but surely with time outside of the game and in the media his days of strangling opposition players are over.
The A-League world seems to be obsessed with Kosmina resurrecting Adelaide United, but Adelaide United could be Kossie’s redeemer. He has one last chance to put behind him over 15 years of failed campaigns, playoff slaughters, and a series of on- and off-field brain snaps, and become the manager he should be remembered as. His time is now.
The Crowd Says (4) | Page 1 of Comments
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- A-League, Adelaide United, football, John Kosmina
January 3rd 2012 @ 10:01am
j binnie said | January 3rd 2012 @ 10:01am | Report comment
Lachie The re-vamping of a coach’s past career does nothing but to question his talents based on results achieved at a club which could have been plagued with all sorts of problems at the point in time being mentioned.
Actually JK is on a dream come true situation with this appointment.Taking over a team in a “low ebb”,a man of his undoubted experience should be able to make a difference almost immediately, simply by his presence.If this “difference” continues John is “on his way”and the fans will love him. If however the team starts to “flounder” (which I doubt,too many good players) John simply tells the board,those boys were HIS players now I have to given the chance with MY players.
So you see Lachie,a win-win situation for a wily “old” campaigner. Good luck to him and his team. jb
January 3rd 2012 @ 9:11pm
Trust Me said | January 3rd 2012 @ 9:11pm | Report comment
Kosmina and Adelaide are a good fit and he is in the right place at the right time.
Big test against the high flying Melbourne Heart at AAMI tomorrow and to see how far they have come under Kossie.
January 7th 2012 @ 12:38pm
Dave Childs said | January 7th 2012 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
Oh! Come on Lachie. What does a guy have to do to get your eye?
Give the fellow an even break
Yes! Kossie had some un welecome press coverage in the past BUT not all was warrented
I worked with him at Sydney City for many years and signed him from Adelaide at that time
He is passionate, dedicated, knowledgable and gives of his utmost
Ask others in the game who played with him and or were coached by him and I think you will have a different view
I was laughing at you comments in light of Man United Boss Fergie’s recent losing results against lower teams. I wonderr do you think the same of HIM?
Get with the spirit!
January 8th 2012 @ 10:34pm
LachieAHV said | January 8th 2012 @ 10:34pm | Report comment
I don’t know Kosmina but understand he is a well respected coach within the game. However given his ability and ambition his record at many NSL/A-League clubs is far from outstanding. His record doesn’t reflect his reputation or potential, assuming that you are interested in titles and are not willing to settle for close enough is good enough. As a Reds fan I would like nothing more than Grand Final success for Kosmina and the team. I agree he tends to get screwed by the media at time. Oh and Ferguson has a few more pieces of silverware.