Worst ever player/s to put on an Adelaide United top?

[Adrian]

So many young fans who can't remember Goulding and Van Dommele.

Either that or old fans who've started to forget.

[David Votoupal]

It was Kosmina that should have (and did, to an extent) cop the criticism for Aloisi and Veart getting as much game time as they did near the end. Both very good players in their prime, and good leaders, whose performances were starting to deteriorate - yet Kossie preferred to stick with them rather than give the team a necessary shakeup.

They sure didn't show any leadership in the Grand Final!

Cornthwaite and Hughes were scapegoats for the frustrated ire of many fans at times (including me). Yes they deserved some criticism but nowhere near the venom that they copped from some fans. Hughes has definitely redeemed himself, Corny still splits opinion but I think his heart & effort, and the fact that he has put in some absolutely rock solid performances at times, means that fans are a little less quick to give him a flogging these days.

Whatever they've copped is very mild compared to what I've seen elsewhere.

Vidmar may not be the greatest manager ever but he did take us nearly all the way against Melbourne and in the ACL. The big slide in his third season was his downfall but it happens all the time in the football - the reasons were not all his own doing, yes, in hindsight we needed that shakeup but I think he still deserves respect for what he achieved.

Here is where it falls down. To say "it happens all the time in football" is subtly dismissive of the realities here. I have repeatedly stated that even a tolerance of mediocrity and failures is a potential poison for our game. And we've seen a good deal of improvement across the board this season, Thank God for that. I sincerely hope the FFA is mindful the league needs to maintain and improve standards to survive.

What exactly makes the A-League so different to other leagues, that it is easier for people to forgive failure?

[Old Gregg]

It was Kosmina that should have (and did, to an extent) cop the criticism for Aloisi and Veart getting as much game time as they did near the end. Both very good players in their prime, and good leaders, whose performances were starting to deteriorate - yet Kossie preferred to stick with them rather than give the team a necessary shakeup.

They sure didn't show any leadership in the Grand Final!

Everything about that game represents a dark stain on the club. Ross's conduct on the pitch was disgusting, as was all the whinging afterwards. But you can't judge their careers on one match.

Cornthwaite and Hughes were scapegoats for the frustrated ire of many fans at times (including me). Yes they deserved some criticism but nowhere near the venom that they copped from some fans. Hughes has definitely redeemed himself, Corny still splits opinion but I think his heart & effort, and the fact that he has put in some absolutely rock solid performances at times, means that fans are a little less quick to give him a flogging these days.

Whatever they've copped is very mild compared to what I've seen elsewhere.

That doesn't make it right to abuse blokes that are trying their hardest in your team's colours. Fan groupthink is not always constructive or positive. Put it this way: if it were up to 'the fans', or at least a vocal element of them, we would have gotten rid of Hughes last season (DV I recall long-winded essays from you, intolerant of his apparent mediocrity and saying that AUFC should get rid of him, etc), and would be playing 442 with Owusu and Cristiano up front.

Vidmar may not be the greatest manager ever but he did take us nearly all the way against Melbourne and in the ACL. The big slide in his third season was his downfall but it happens all the time in the football - the reasons were not all his own doing, yes, in hindsight we needed that shakeup but I think he still deserves respect for what he achieved.

Here is where it falls down. To say "it happens all the time in football" is subtly dismissive of the realities here. I have repeatedly stated that even a tolerance of mediocrity and failures is a potential poison for our game. And we've seen a good deal of improvement across the board this season, Thank God for that. I sincerely hope the FFA is mindful the league needs to maintain and improve standards to survive.

What exactly makes the A-League so different to other leagues, that it is easier for people to forgive failure?

Nothing. In fact I would say the A-League is exactly like other leagues, in that when a player or manager is underperforming and there are better options, they get shown the door and politely told to fuck off. This is what has happened to Kosmina, Vidmar, Mitchell and about 15 Sydney FC coaches. The ongoing push for success, especially in a salary-capped league, means that teams must continually find ways to play better football and gain an edge over their rivals. Foreign recruitment, young player identification, and coaching has steadily improved in the A-League and will continue to do so as long as there is room for improvement. In this context being totally intolerant of mediocrity and failure is a certain path to endless frustration and pain as a football fan. There will ALWAYS be better leagues than the A-League, better clubs than Adelaide United, better managers than Coolen, and better players than Cassio/Flores/Dodd/VanDijk/whoever. Accept it for what it is; our expectations should be that the standard continues to grow the way it should. That's realistic.

If you can't forgive or tolerate failure and mediocrity to a certain extent, you're in for 95% disappointment and disillusionment as a football fan - unless you support Chelsea, ManU, Real, Inter or some other such global behemoth. For clubs that aren't at the absolute top of the tree, underperformance relative to others is part and parcel of being a football fan.

[Spiro]

Giraldi > Daylight > Younis > Van Dommele

This with the inclusion of Sean Widera in the NSL, though, in theory, Widera never actually put the shirt on.

[Ray]

Dez Giraldi for mine.

[terry tibbs]

Oh, Dez. I remember going to one of those pre-Champions League trials against Victory and Dez won a penalty, grabbed the ball in no uncertain terms, stepped up....and farken skied it, a la Baggio.

The look on his face. It was the moment he realised he wouldn't be here much longer.

[Max Power]

Oh, Dez. I remember going to one of those pre-Champions League trials against Victory and Dez won a penalty, grabbed the ball in no uncertain terms, stepped up....and farken skied it, a la Baggio.

The look on his face. It was the moment he realised he wouldn't be here much longer.

At least Baggio got it close, pretty sure Dez lobbed it up over the protective netting and into the top of the northern stand.

[Adrian]

Special mentions to Barbiero for worst debut and Sarkies for being a "free kick specialist".

[ipod]

It's got to be giraldi> van dommelle> owusu> louis brain > ceccoli(didn't have to play to be a donkey) > cristiano > Rees

Most hated things? Kemp saying Melbourne was a better club than AU and kossies arrogance, ross's back passes and free kicks

[Spiro]

It's got to be giraldi> van dommelle> owusu> louis brain > ceccoli(didn't have to play to be a donkey) > cristiano > Rees

Most hated things? Kemp saying Melbourne was a better club than AU and kossies arrogance, ross's back passes and free kicks

You're having a laugh right? Behind SVD, second best goalscorer the club has ever had.

I would put Saric, Mattriciani, Younis, Giraldi, Monterosso before Cristiano

[RedsFan31]

Yeh cristiano had some great moments in a united shirt and was never helped by our style (can't help but think he'd thrive in the current environment) Its younis or dez for mine

[robshan]

My special mention is for David Scarsella, his keeping turned my hair grey.

[bensy]

IMO, Owusu. I didn't mind Younis, thought he tried his guts out and deserved more opportunity.

[Adrian]

My special mention is for David Scarsella, his keeping turned my hair grey.

He's probably taken about 20 years off my life.

[ThatDickw/theGlasses]

Dez Giraldi for mine.

Hey man, he was linked to Stoke.