How is it that Guillermo Amor is still the Adelaide United coach after the team’s awful start to the season?
Eight rounds, no wins, three points, last place. If those are not the right ingredients for a sacking in football, of all sports, then the recipe is lost.
Last season, Mike Mulvey was sacked as Brisbane Roar coach six games after winning the A-League premiership and championship double.
It means nothing to me personally whether Amor survives or not. I just find his situation fascinating.
Coaching is obviously a risky profession in any sport, but football is the most unforgiving. Traditionally, football clubs wait the least amount of time to act. But, still, Adelaide haven’t pulled the trigger.
It can’t be that Amor has built up a bank of credit points from previous successful seasons as the team’s coach, buying him time.
He joined Adelaide as technical director ahead of last season at the invitation of his friend and the club’s then coach, Josep Gombau, and when Gombau left suddenly ahead of this season Amor was appointed coach.
The fact he was thrust into the job has probably resulted in Adelaide’s management showing more patience than football clubs normally would.
And Amor’s standing as a Barcelona great would presumably be helping his cause as well. Amor’s football knowledge is surely immense and the Adelaide bosses may feel they would look foolish themselves if they didn’t give him more time.
Adelaide have been criticised in the past for having too great a coaching turnover. When Gombau was appointed in 2013, he became the club’s fifth coach in three years. The club has no doubt been keen to establish a more solid reputation since then.
But great players don’t always make great coaches, so if the team doesn’t start winning soon those same bosses may feel they have no alternative but to write Amor’s appointment off as a bad choice and make a change.
Gombau was an extrovert. He would celebrate important goals and crucial wins by charging along the sideline, hugging players and knee-sliding. Amor is reserved.
But if the players were having trouble coping with the dramatic shift in personality from their former coach to their current one, then that would be an issue for them to overcome. If it is an issue, no-one is saying so publicly, so let’s presume it isn’t.
Amor doesn’t have a great grasp of English, either, but the players say that doesn’t get in the way and that he is able to get his point across.
So why aren’t Adelaide winning?
They lost a key defender in Nigel Boogaard to the Newcastle Jets at the end of last season and injuries to several key players have disrupted their team selections through the early part of this season.
Adelaide still don’t have a dominant goalscorer, either, and that is hurting them. Previously, several players would each chip in with enough goals to make a difference, but that is not happening so far this season.
Amor sets the team up a bit differently to how Gombau did, but he has every right to put his own stamp on. What can be questioned, though, is his decision to start playmaking midfielder Marcelo Carrusca, who was regarded as the team’s best player under Gombau, from the bench in recent weeks.
Carrusca wasn’t playing great football, but he wasn’t alone in that respect and if they were going to turn things around then surely he was going to be a catalyst. It will be interesting to see if Amor starts Carrusca in the game against Perth Glory at Coopers Stadium on Sunday.
Adelaide are not the dynamic side they used to be. Based purely on goals scored (7) and conceded (17), they are the worst attacking and worst defensive team in the competition.
They had the confidence to play their way out of difficult situations in the past and still win games, but now that confidence is dented and they desperately need something good to happen for them.
Maybe it will happen at home against ninth-placed Perth, a team that have their own issues. If it doesn’t, and Adelaide suffer another loss, then Amor has surely got to be getting close to the end of his reign.
TimO
Guest
we've made it out of the group stages 2 out of 3 times. The only time we didn't was our first attempt. So i'm feeling a bit naively optimistic haha
adelutd
Guest
adel utd has no guts i saw them in newcastle..played good but lacking strikers..blacky is ok but cant shoot for shite..mells is doing good but amor doesnt play and rathers jeggo who cant kick a ball to save his life..we need money..3 espanyolos aint guna cut it we need fresh meat..babaj came and got injuured hasnt gelled at all..from vibrant gomby to quiet amor..i respect him being a barce nut but we need imrovment and our stupid fans are to blame..yes its cold at night hindmarsh due to crappy stadiujm but both afl teams are shiteless and yet idiot fans attend those stupid fans to see them fail each yr..
Waz
Guest
"get out of the group stages of the ACL" ... seriously?
TimO
Guest
Mate, all those questions are pointless if our board are unwillingly to pay $1 million a season for a decent marquee. The issue comes down to us not being able to properly develop youth thanks to backwards NPL politics & the fact the board won't invest huge amounts of dollars into the squad. We were linked to several returning australian players, including vidosic but we opted for Duganzic... The squad will be good enough to make finals & get out of the group stage of the ACL but all us Adelaide fans aren't expecting to win anything more until the board invests a lot more money into the squad.
Towser
Guest
Adelaide seem to have been a "nearly" team for most of the 11 seasons. Problem I see with sacking the coach is that as Waz indicated above the "Kossie " solution is no longer an answer. Without bringing in a proven Overseas coach on big dollars whose around in Australia? Football in Australia is often distracted by its at times myopic sporting landscape from seeing whose buttering the bread and in reality its not the FFA ,but the AFC. The AFC is the driver, the external push behind the game. Both the Socceroos and A-League clubs are kept on their toes by having to adjust to different styles and conditions in Asia. Whereas before only The Kiwis offered any real opposition ,now there are dozens equal to them and one or two equal and arguably better. Certainly many are better technically. How does this relate to Adelaide and its coaching,the same as it does to every A-League coach,they have to compete in the ACL. Whilst its not the ECL ,it isn't standing still. The Chinese league is getting stronger, and their clubs along with every other Asian league and clubs have been given more reason to get stronger again as the prizemoney for the winner of the ACL has just doubled to $3 million, with associated stages and travel money set to increase. The big question Adelaide fans should be asking of their coach is can he lead us to an AFC title, not just can he lead us to be either be Premier or Champion of the A-League. In fact what should be the aim is to ask this question of the coach, can he lead us to an AFC title with style, which will indicate IMO that Australian clubs are becoming major clubs in the AsIan Football market ,rather than the Aussie battler does it again,which really means were not good enough in reality to take on the big boys in open play. Will be interesting this season to see how Victory go, will they play as in the A-League or will Kev be on the phone to Poppa to see how its done? Can any A-League club ever be a major player in Asia with a salary cap? More to Amor's story than whether he should be sacked or not.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
That's exactly how I saw the match. AUFC's first 8 matches Under Gombau: 6 points (only 1 win) Under Amor: 3 points (0 wins)
Kaks
Roar Guru
I dont like sacking a coach early in their reign, but I just dont feel like Amor is the right man for the job. Agree with your point that they need to decide by Christmas. I'm interested to hear what the Adelaide faithful think about him.
Davybhoy
Roar Rookie
I find this an oddtime to raise this question. I have only watched Adeliade 3 times ths season but by far the best performance of those 3 was v Victory on the weekend. They were clearly the better team until Victory scored, then Victory dominated until half time. At half time I thought the game was as good as over but in the second half Adelaide absolutely slaughtered Victory anddeserved at least one, if not all 3, points. It is Amors team not Gumbaus. Give him time to impose his mark. They will make finals come seasons end.
Waz
Guest
Agreed Kaks. There is something we don't know behind Gambaus departure to New York - it was very sudden and occurred at a less than ideal time with pre-season underway so I recon AU were short on options and thought Amor would be a safe pair of hands. Like you I don't think he has what it takes to be HC with this squad, but if they're serious about retaining this style and developing players to it then Amor as TD fits perfectly. I think they need to decide by Christmas and either stick with him or announce a search for a new coach to be in place for next season. Unpalatable if you're an AU fan of course ..
AVictory
Guest
8 games is not very long. Mike Mulvey's situation was a prime example of mismanagement. The season is already well under way, sacking Amor now would be throwing the season away. May as well give him a full season to give him a good chance to turn things around. Had Ernie Merrick been sacked by MV in season 1, or Ange sacked by Brisbane in season 5, the two most successful A-League clubs to date would have achieved their success. There is no relegation in the A-League, clubs can afford the luxury of patience to achieve long term success.
Waz
Guest
Unfortunately it's not as simple as that Fuss, gambau was a coach with tremendous gravitas with these players and that is a significant loss, then they lost key players particularly Boogard in defence who wasn't replaced (there's a reason they have the worst defence) and then the problems they had last year are still there (they lacked a genuine goal scorer then and still do). And the one thing the HAL teaches us every year is that being "as good as last year" is never good enough because the competition moves on and evolves and sides that stand still fall behind. There's no doubt AU can get back to their new style of last season but they will have to hold their nerve, Amor may not be the right coach and he may be - time is needed. This team (along with Jets and Roar) are the team that's confounded pundits the most as many -including yourself - had them down as genuine title contenders, clearly they are not and not only that after a third of the season passing they are way off the mark. Providing Amor hasn't lost the changing room yet he has a chance to stabilise the ship, and what better opportunity than Perth this weekend, but there's a lot of rebuilding work still required. A bit like you though, I think once they get a bit of confidence they'll go on a bit of a run, unfortunately the overhaul of the squad will still be needed which leaves the only significant question in all this - is Amor the right man for head coach?
Kaks
Roar Guru
I can see the positives in having Amor retained in a footballing director type of role at the club with his experience at some big clubs in the world. However I just cant see why they chose a guy with limited English skills to manage/lead/direct a bunch of players - some of them being very young.
vocans
Guest
Last season Adelaide struggled to score anywhere near the number of goals it should have. Problems up front have certainly not been fixed. Add to that a style of play that is very dependent on a rock solid confident defence. The loss of Bogaarde was and is very significant. Injuries don"t help. I'll leave questions about the coach to those who know more than I do.
Arnold Krewanty
Guest
Josep Gombau took time, and Amor is no mug. Amor needs his roster, not Gombau's. ADL have really had only one really BAD game this year. The A-League is a very even competition. Mike Mulvey was not sacked for the team's performances.
Waz
Guest
The "look in the rear view mirror and predict this seasons table" mob had Adelaide performing as good as, if not better than last season. Many in fact had them down as real challengers for the Plate this season. The reality was though the current predicament was more than predictable based on the loss of a very dominant coach, an announced "tweak" to the playing style under Amor, loss of key players and the arrival of players like Babalj who, while having a good reputation, hardly fit the Adelaide style. Add in early season injuries and it's probably the perfect recipe for disaster. Not surprisingly there's still quality in the squad and (again not dissimilar to Roar's poor start last season) you're left wondering what difference a confidence boosting win would have made? But I'd suggest retaining Amor at the club should be a priority, either as HC or TD with a new (Spanish?) HC if coaching isn't Amor's forte - the Plate for this season has gone but they can still make the finals and build for next season from there, tough though that thought may be for many Adelaide fans
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I've seen AUFC up close twice - once in the FFA Cup quarter finals & last Saturday in ALeague. When AUFC plays its proactive, attacking game, they're as good as any team in the competition. But, when they play a cagey, reactive game they're hopeless. Their players are like fish out of water. I don't know why Amor starts matches with the team shackled; then when they're a couple down, he removes the shackles but it's too late. Perhaps, that's not his intention & the message is not getting through properly. Once it clicks for AUFC they'll be as good as last season.
Waz
Guest
Borrello would be a good fit - but you don't need to buy him, he's off contract at the end of this season.
Franko
Guest
1. We've moved on from the Rini days of "sack the coach, bring in Kosmina". The boards patience ought to be applauded 2. We can't afford to pay him out 3. I said during pre-season, Carrusca looked over weight, the flab has gone but what of the attitude? 4. Djite is horribly out of form, chances are being created but not finished , not a lot the coach can do about that. 5. Elsey, Mells, Hall and Kamau are all U21 and are getting chances to play, they've all looked good and are ones for the future 6. We need to let Sanchez go and buy Borrello