The wonderful world of Miron Bleiberg

Johnno - I have answered you elsewhere but I disagree with your observations about managers attracting fans. All the men you mention are or were at the top of the coaching tree and no doubt contributed to the overall "mystique" surrounding their clubs, but if you think week in, week out, 70,000 fans pay to see A.Ferguson sit chewing gum well nothing I say will change your mind. So be it. I do agree with your observation re, cameras spending time during a game showing endless shots of coaches. From the football purists point of view I can think of nothing more annoying, just slightly better than ads on TV. JB

Johnno - Your last two contributions are rather frightening. If it is Miron who is "the good salesman" and is "putting bums on seats" at Skilled park then I would suggest to you that with an average home crowd of around 2800 for the last 17 home games (18months) the club has a problem with their "sales" staff. Might I repeat myself,people don't pay money to watch coaches parade themselves on the touchline they pay to see FOOTBALL PLAYERS play football games,get it?. jb

But J binnie some managers I think do draw in crowds, on the managerial prescence alone, Jose Morenio, Guss Hiddink, Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jack Charlton, Sir Matt Busby, Puskas at Sth Melbourne, Bruno Matso, Roy Keane did for a while, Harry Rednap, Capello, Glen Hoddle, Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Dieago Maradonna. Many fans and you notice in some matches there seems more camera work going to the sideline focusing on the manager than the match, and fans respond at the theatrics of some of the managers J biennie.

Miron puts bums on seats at skilled park whatever else he has many fans clearly.

Either way, I agree, being a character doesn't put in the same league as Mourinho or Maradona. That's absolutely hysterical hyperbole of the journalistic variety. In addition to that, there are plenty out there, even those who have been coached by him who decribe him as a complete clown with no idea.

Interesting read between you two, thank goodness you are loyal to your club QSAF :)

I think it comes down to respect with H.A.L. coaches , we always compare ourselves externally with this sport which in a sense is unfair because we put Mrion or Ian Ferguson up against Guardiolha or Wenger where they can never win . Is Miron good for the A League in relation to coaching, there are worse . It's his longevity at the Gold Coast that looks bad, their really not that bad this year apart from last start ,they had opportunites to finish the Central Coast and Sydney F.C. away, but i think inexperince cost them against more senior opposition .

Fair enough JB I had not factored in the Roar game last year, but our two last home games played at Robina were very encouraging (for us) with the last over 4k and still yet to play the Roar at Skilled Park---so yeah I'm hoping this year's average will definitely surpass last years and on track I feel. We will I'm sure do that even where we are on the table at present. The game at Hindmarsh was 6k+ but I don't like to get too excited over that fig. as it was not at Skilled Park, as for why it was taken to AU I don't know other than to reduce our operation costs, but I would expect that the exercise was futile, as it did not get the 12k they were hoping for---expressed by the AU CEO in one of the Football Forums held in Sydney by SBS "If you want 12k gates come to Adelaide" Nah didn't happen.

Whatever else about Miron Footballing managerial skills , he is good salesman who attracts a lot of interest and fans and attendances to Gold Coast United matches.

QsAF -While I have no real interest in entering your debate with Futbanous concerning the pluses or minuses of Miron I do have an interest in the continuing problem of the crowds that GCU pull, no matter whether they are in the top two or the bottom two.You said in one of your replies that the average was on the increase this year,that is not correct.When comparing averages one has to try to use similar data and it is here you have miscalculated. In games 1,2,& 4 last year, GCU pulled 12,109 people for a 3 home game average of 4036. (It should be noted game 1 was in fact a "derby" match with Roar, getting the club's season best crowd of 6394) In games 1,2, & 4 this season they have pulled 11,118 for a 3 home game average of 3706. (Why game 3 was "sold" to Adelaide I don't know,maybe you can help there.) Now it may be that after the next "derby" an increase WILL show up but until then the "problem" does not appear to have gone away.) That is my only "complaint" about Miron's performance as a manager.With his obvious good relationships in the media it is a pity he can't get them to start "selling" his players to the public,especially the young. It is a fact that 30,000 people did not turn up to the "friendly" in Melbourne the other night to see Bruce Arena (a very successful American coach) they went to see BECKHAM. There is a lesson to be learned there,not only by our football coaches,but by the football media. jb

Agree,the bottom line is this bloke is putting his hands in his pockets with not much return so far,but he is still there. Better IMO( to quote boxing terms) to suffer a few broken & bleeding noses,cut eyes than throw in the towel. All I can say is this next TV deal better deliver, even Bozza needs it to keep his new hair in place.

Futbanous---CP and MB have an unusual relationship as owner and manager both work on a handshake. More than likely the club is looking forward to the next TV deal to see if it is worth continuing on with the commitment. However, I have faith that it will---once the club can prove it has a future with more FFA funds promised by them to help with running costs and does not need to be heavily supported by both men---mainly by Clive's money. The plan was in season one for Miron to step sideways to allow Paul Okon taking over the reins and that didn't happen because he was dispensable as a wage saving exercise. It does not mean it will always be the case. It would be a sad day it the club ceased operations on the Gold Coast---a lost opportunity to have first class football played in this region with so many youngsters playing our game here.

The irrational hyperbole was of your making with your attacks on the GCU FC in all of your past comments. OK let's not go there anymore thank you! Ange, is a standout no question about that and has performed better than any foreign manager that has come to Australia. But that's not the point is it? Miron is not the best manager in Australia we all have acknowledge that even Miron, but by no means the worst in the last three seasons everyone has to work under the salary cap. We are trying to work and live within our means and not spend over what the club itself can generate in crowd support (btw has a better avg now then last season) The policy is now focusing on the youth and community support. As I have said the Roar have generations of football culture behind them you can not compare GCU with that rich culture of the Brisbane/Lions/Strikers/City have enjoyed for many decades.

Being realistic the Gold Coast can do better than Miron. he was Ok at the Roar,but only ok,never going to raise the bar like Ange has done. Whats more on what QsAF said the other day(stand to be corrected if wrong) Miron & Clive are as thick as thieves & have been from the outset. Which makes it very hard for an owner to be objective towards the performance of his hired coach. That for me is a major flaw in any professional sporting club if true. IMO if GCU are to become a long term player in the A-League they need to drop Miron sooner or later & bring in a new broom. A proven football coach with experience in Asia(to meet Clives dream of ACL action & interaction with Chinese business etc)& the same upstairs as mentioned by Rf. Too many decisions seem to come from the non football mouth of the other Clive. Plus a real marquee to capture this fickle markets attention. Then this club may have a chance of being something. However it means Clive will have to dig deep into his pockets. From what I've seen so far it seems the opposite is true.

"Every post you make...GCU as being absolute crap..." QSAF, you just have to drop this simplistic, irrational hyperbole. Bleiberg had a bright start, but he also had an open chequebook in terms of marquees and other ways of getting around the cap. Look at what Postecoglou has done with a fraction of the financial resources. How well did Bleiberg do? Not nearly well enough is the answer. You may have come to like the man, but do you know him? Do you mean you have come to like his media persona, perhaps? Too late - as the crowd figures show, the damage has been done. Any recovery will hinge on Bleiberg's departure. Remember how he promised he would only coach for season 1, then step upstairs to director of football? He got it right first time - its a real shame his notorious ego got in the way of what was a good plan.

Let's see RF, I did say in our first discussion that Paul Okon was the one behind the playing style of GCU, which you refuted as my memory correctly serves me. We know Miron is not the greatest manager in he world---we all know that, (he would be the first to admit it) but he is committed to GCU and the cause. It was he who had the vision to bring football and Clive Palmer to the GC when all other interested parties failed to come up with the start up finance. I have become to like the man and support him---he does understand football more than I first thought. It's wrong to say he is the blame for all of GCU woes. You have to understand the GC region (as you do), because you live here and you know only too well there was very little, or no real, football culture here before. I do object to you with the constant sniping with every post you make in reference to GCU as being absolute crap. Just give them some space and credit for what they have achieved---making two final playoffs with Miron at the helm. Let's remember the Roar in their first five years never made the playoffs.

What is your view QASF? How do you rate him as a coach - you're obviously both passionate and knowledgeable about the game. Why you don't you leave off the sniping and actually give us your view. I am very sure I never called Bleiberg a genius - I don't do hallucinogenics. I sat in the stands for every game bar the infamous crowd cap game in GCU's first season, and whilst I had high hopes that - given a real budget - Bleiberg would finally walk the talk, he didn't. He failed miserably in terms of his man management and his tactical approach - and his recruitment (3 dud Brasilians). You're a committed GCU supporter, QSAF, and good on you. Your view would be interesting.

For the first half of the season you thought he was a genius---remember the debate we had back then, but then again, you're are not sure of your address either.. lol ?

Being a "character" does not make someone a football coach. I'm not sure how many Gold Coast fans you spoke to Melanie, but as a long time Roar supporter and GCU member in their first season, I saw a lot of Bleiberg in action, and my take on him is that he is a poor man manager and a poor tactician. More importantly, he has been a public relations disaster for GCU. Much of the blame for GCU's failure to connect with the local football community can be laid at his door. His media posturing has gone down very, very badly on the Gold Coast. In fact, if you had spoken to those GC football people who DON'T attend GCU games any more you might have got a similar answer to the one you would have received had you asked me: that there is no hope for GCU with local fans until Bleiberg is gone. I believe that many Roar and GCU fans who have been on the receiving end of Bleiberg's unique combination of coaching cluelessness and theatre of the absurd would suggest to you that it is only fans who support other teams who think of Bleiberg as an asset to the A-League. Midflielder once asked me what it would take to get me back to Skilled Park, and I answered then that it would need the long overdue departure of Bleiberg. I have one caveat to that - I will be back on Dec 26 to support the Roar.