It’s not hard to figure out the two most successful A-League clubs of the past three years have been Central Coast and Brisbane. If you want to shorten the timeframe to a year, sure, those two become three with the addition of Wanderers.
Sustained success is difficult to manage in this league, with the salary cap, short contracts and just 10 teams competing.
The Mariners and Roar have been incredible, especially given their budget limitations, though what happens when the architect departs?
Central Coast are about to find out, after Graham Arnold took up a role with Japanese club Vegalta Sendai.
Phil Moss is the new man, a good bloke who has done his time as assistant to Arnold and before that in the NSW State Leagues.
As for Brisbane, they’ve been through it, and it looks as though they have come out the other side with a continuation of the basis of Postecoglou’s plan in place.
Wasn’t smooth though. The transition to Ange’s assistant, Rado Vidosic was rocky, and Roar spent two thirds of last season hovering near the bottom, before Mike Mulvey came in and with the help of senior players knuckling down, turned it around to miss out on the Grand Final by one game.
This season, they’ve come out flying, with those said senior players surrounded by a new crop of youngsters encouraged by Mulvey, who knows how to bring a player on, given he won two Youth League titles with the now defunct Gold Coast United.
How they play isn’t the same as when under Ange, but it’s equally appealing on the eye. So in short, they have dealt with Ange’s departure without having a costly couple of seasons in the wilderness.
The Mariners? We shall see.
As for the Wanderers, let’s face it, Tony Popovic won’t be boss forever.
Not saying it will be soon, or in a year, or five years, but one day Popovic will move on perhaps overseas or as Socceroos boss.
One thing is certain though – if you believe in what is right now, there’s every chance it is laying the foundation for long term success.
