We Are The Reds

Gombau's leaving was a shock and the following season under Amor we were bottom till round eighth when that run of 13 wins from 18 into the finals saved us all.
Amor's last season before Kurz was a mess.

What I'm saying is that stability is always a good thing at a football club and changing trainers, styles and systems every couple of seasons is not my idea of stability.

But what can we do?
If he goes, he goes and then we see where the Grand Plan ®™ takes us.

Well it was frustrating that we were building a bit of an identity, one that I felt was working well and made me excited to attend Hindmarsh every week only for it to be trashed to bring in Kurz. This was the previous owners fault for sure.

I don't hate Kurz at all and am completely fine with him staying on, I think he has some strong points and is a good coach. I'm not however not that excited about what we're building at the moment. If that direction isn't the way the club wants to go, then I'm willing to give it a shot.

I may be reading something that might not be there but it does sound like both sides are leaking out info that they're not 100% happy with each other.

Gombau's leaving was a shock and the following season under Amor we were bottom till round eighth when that run of 13 wins from 18 into the finals saved us all.
Amor's last season before Kurz was a mess.

What I'm saying is that stability is always a good thing at a football club and changing trainers, styles and systems every couple of seasons is not my idea of stability.

But what can we do?
If he goes, he goes and then we see where the Grand Plan ®™ takes us.

Well it was frustrating that we were building a bit of an identity, one that I felt was working well and made me excited to attend Hindmarsh every week only for it to be trashed to bring in Kurz. This was the previous owners fault for sure.

I don't hate Kurz at all and am completely fine with him staying on, I think he has some strong points and is a good coach. I'm not however not that excited about what we're building at the moment. If that direction isn't the way the club wants to go, then I'm willing to give it a shot.

I may be reading something that might not be there but it does sound like both sides are leaking out info that they're not 100% happy with each other.

Yes it was very frustrating at the time.
I also greatly admired what Gombau was slowly putting together at the club.
The ball, the ball and nothing but the ball!

But can't you remember we also had a number of supporters who found that style unattractive and boring?
Off course I'm only referring to those who posted here but surely that was a representation of sorts.

Another thing with Kurz would be his job description and also the "vision" he was given by the old group. I can understand there could/would be differences now.

I'm sure we are all for stability at the club and if we do bring in a new person who fits the
Grand Plan®™ i truly wish they are given the time and resources to move the club forward.

The rumblings are getting louder....

https://www.goal.com/en-au/news/the-cov ... 7wt015jcn4

It's understood a difference in football philosophy between Kurz and director of football Aurelio Vidmar is one of the key issues at the club currently.

I wonder what that difference could be.


https://www.goal.com/en-au/news/the-cov ... 7wt015jcn4

Kurz- “ I demand a striker”

Vidmar- “Au don’t believe in having a top notch striker, they aren’t important “


I’d say that might be a difference in philosophy right there. Mostly though, just think it might be new owners wanting there own appointment

It's a funny one.
I'm not 100% convinced with Kurz' tactics but he also hasn't been able to operate with a full squad. I agree with 7G, stability is usually far preferable to change UNLESS it's getting too stale with no light at the end of the tunnel. If I was the AU hierarchy I'd back Kurz and give him what he needs to see out the season (read: player reinforcements) - and then make a call on his future.
It could equally be that Kurz wants to move on though, and if that's the case there's not much that can be done.

It's a funny one.
I'm not 100% convinced with Kurz' tactics but he also hasn't been able to operate with a full squad. I agree with 7G, stability is usually far preferable to change UNLESS it's getting too stale with no light at the end of the tunnel. If I was the AU hierarchy I'd back Kurz and give him what he needs to see out the season (read: player reinforcements) - and then make a call on his future.
It could equally be that Kurz wants to move on though, and if that's the case there's not much that can be done.

Yep agree with all that (and 7G's points). On the stability side of things, I think it's a special circumstance with a new ownership group replacing an old one that many had issues with.

Kurz is a safe pair of hands IMO but I don't feel we're going to scale the heights we all dream of with him. If the owners have higher ambitions then I'd support them on this.

The thing we have to remember is kurz ( just like baba ) is an appointment from previous owners. He came at a time when the owners had their gf win and were less interested now investing in the squad.

Kurz came as a relegation battle specialist which probably matched our squads ability.

When you hear van der pol speak you realise his football expectations is much closer to the spanish era of the club.

The spanish era turned out to be a false dawn, not because lack of success or buy in from players or fans but because it just wasnt taken seriously from the top. The revolution / identity was more like a marketing ploy in the ownera view and was dismantled totally in an off season.

I feel that what ever revolution and identity Piet chooses for the club it will stick unlike the spanish era because it has started from the absolute top of the club and not from the coaching level down.

What ever the path, i just hope we can hold onto a playing identity that transcends our current manager rather than being reliant on our manager.

Its a shame because the spanish era seems a perfect fit for Van der Pol.

The Spanish era ended with a coach who didn't want to be here, and if you talk to some players he coached like it too.

The owners we have now have a footballing vision, which is great to hear. Bringing Aurelio back in his current position was a brilliant idea too. I just don't see Kurz playing a part in that, rightly or wrongly.

The Spanish era ended with a coach who didn't want to be here, and if you talk to some players he coached like it too.

The owners we have now have a footballing vision, which is great to hear. Bringing Aurelio back in his current position was a brilliant idea too. I just don't see Kurz playing a part in that, rightly or wrongly.

You talking about Amor? Maybe, but he had guys around him like Pau Marti who wanted to stay, but just had no options left as we threw the baby out with the bathwater.

Anyway this is all history, the question is now what is the best way to rebuild an identity for the club that transcends individual managers. You're right I think that a football director like Aurelio is a very big piece of this puzzle.
(do you think we'll ever see him as head coach again, or is this his niche?)

The Spanish era ended with a coach who didn't want to be here, and if you talk to some players he coached like it too.

The owners we have now have a footballing vision, which is great to hear. Bringing Aurelio back in his current position was a brilliant idea too. I just don't see Kurz playing a part in that, rightly or wrongly.

Of course he didnt want to be here, the owners completely threw him under the bus after we won the double.

We lost half our premiership team and replaced them with very green youth players.

Amor was too much of a gentleman to make noise in the media but he left with the same feeling as gombau did in that there were so many broken promises.

Anyway, thats slightly off topic.

The Spanish era ended with a coach who didn't want to be here, and if you talk to some players he coached like it too.

The owners we have now have a footballing vision, which is great to hear. Bringing Aurelio back in his current position was a brilliant idea too. I just don't see Kurz playing a part in that, rightly or wrongly.

You talking about Amor? Maybe, but he had guys around him like Pau Marti who wanted to stay, but just had no options left as we threw the baby out with the bathwater.

Anyway this is all history, the question is now what is the best way to rebuild an identity for the club that transcends individual managers. You're right I think that a football director like Aurelio is a very big piece of this puzzle.
(do you think we'll ever see him as head coach again, or is this his niche?)

I reckon this is right in Viddies wheelhouse actually. Seems a far more relaxed bloke than the guy we saw on the bench.

I would back his knowledge and football nous to find us the right coach if it comes to that, which I think it will.

the question is now what is the best way to rebuild an identity for the club that transcends individual managers.

I think thats the right question to ask moving forward.

If its not coming from the absolute top of the club then our percieved club identity and direction is more like just a personality cult reflecting what ever manager we have.

I think without the true buy in from previous owners the gombau era was purely a personality cult.

If we have to have an aussie coach I can only think of 2 that I would he enthusiastic about.

1 Paul Okon
He did some great things at ccm but walked out after he sensed they were undermining him.

He plays an attacking brand of football, has top league playing experience and his first manager role in the aleague would have given him a good base of experience.

2. Michael Valkanis
A club legend who has been assistant under gombau , amor and Van’t schipp.
He is currently assisant at PEC zwolle under van’t schip in the eridivisie.

Personally i just want to see us employ managers who want to be the better footballing team rather than sneak a smash grab win.

Something like a gombau with a touch more pragmatism, with that said im also a fan of Kurz.

On the local coach front, wasn’t there rumours floating around a little while back that it would be Tony Vidmar?

He’s perhaps on the inexperienced side as a head coach, but I kind of like the idea of giving someone fresh a shot.