Which A-League coach is under the most pressure?

How ironic that Graham Arnold is one of the safest coaches in the A-League. The former Socceroos tactician is well ensconced on the Central Coast, but the same can’t be said for some of his managerial rivals, who are under pressure before a ball has even been kicked.

Arnold came within seconds of completing a remarkable personal turnaround when his Central Coast Mariners lost last season’s nailbiting A-League Grand Final.

Instead the praise was heaped on Ange Postecoglou and his stylish Brisbane Roar, however both men are clearly held in high regard at their respective clubs and are in no danger of being shown the door.

The same can be said for the ubiquitous Ricki Herbert, who seems to take on every coaching position available in New Zealand and who invariably has the backing of the new consortium in charge of the Kiwi club.

Miron Bleiberg also appears to enjoy a close working relationship with Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer and at any rate the former Brisbane Roar coach seems more likely to jump than be pushed, should results fail to go his way.

Branko Culina has been promised the full support of Newcastle Jets owner Nathan Tinkler and the club’s chronic injury plague means Culina is unlikely to cop too much flak should they struggle in the league this season.

Instead it’s a trio of foreign coaches likely to be under immediate pressure, led by Melbourne Heart’s Dutch tactician John van’t Schip.

It’s safe to say the Heart didn’t quite click on the pitch last season and the former Ajax star showed he meant business by freezing out the likes of Michael Beauchamp and Dean Heffernan during his first year in charge.

Van’t Schip has already raised eyebrows by stripping Simon Colosimo of the captaincy and handing it to former Melbourne Victory star Fred, and the move could prove a risky one should Heart lack an on-field leader over the opening rounds of the campaign.

Over at Adelaide United, fellow Dutchman Rini Coolen is another tough task-master making it clear he doesn’t play favourites.

Coolen was quick to see off the mercurial Travis Dodd, who at times seemed as influential a player on the pitch as he did a divisive one off it.

Dodd’s influence waned under Coolen’s stewardship, however the Reds leaned heavily on Marcos Flores for inspiration last season, so even allowing for Adelaide’s impressive recruiting drive, they may rue their inability to hang on to the Argentine playmaker.

But although Van’t Schip and Coolen are both under pressure to claim results, the man with most at stake is arguably Sydney FC tactician Vitezslav Lavicka.

Lavicka was hailed a tactical genius for steering the Sky Blues to their second A-League title at the end of his first season in charge, yet plenty of critics were calling for his head barely twelve months later.

Sydney FC played some insipid football under the Czech coach last season and the former Sparta Prague man desperately needs Brett Emerton to provide some pace and width to an otherwise sluggish looking side.

Lavicka is surely the front-runner to become the first coaching casualty of the season, although there’s no joy in predicting the downfall of a popular and hard-working coach.

Indeed, it’s one of the more refreshing elements of the A-League that the incessant hiring and firing of coaches is yet to catch on, although there’s no doubt several coaches are under obvious pressure going into the new campaign.

Perhaps like Graham Arnold and Ange Postecoglou before them, it will be the turn of van’t Schip and the likeable Lavicka to silence the critics this season.

The shot at managerial glory is an alluring one, but there’s no denying it comes with plenty of pressure, and that’s something several A-League coaches are likely to experience this season.