MANY things came to my mind upon hearing John Kosmina's exit from Sydney FC - "Don't let the back door hit your arse on your way out" was one.
As well as relief that the new regime has at least started by making a correct decision, perhaps the soap opera of Sydney FC can turn into a story where the main characters can play football and the director know what he is doing.
So let's be nostalgic for a moment as we look back on Kossie Sydney FC' career:
The Good
Kossie did very well last season after Uncle Branko Culina made a mess of the first 9 rounds. Kossie came in and, with Michael Bridges and Juninho, the team started playing well and Sydney challenged for the Premiership all the way to the last game of the season.
The game against LA Galaxy was a great advertisement for football and the Sydney FC brand. Juninho tore LA Galaxy apart that night albeit the game was a glorified friendly.
Kossie's optimistic attitude and volatile temper and the odd philosophical musing had everyone entertained at press conferences and interviews.
The Bad
Should I really say anymore except Kossie blew the last game of the season against Melbourne last year where a win instead of a draw would have got Sydney the championship!
This year injuries didn't help Kossie's cause and the form of new recruits went against him having a successful year. However coaching is not about finding excuses it's about finding ways of getting positive results for your team. And I say that with the utmost degree of pretension.
The Ugly
Going off at Simon Hill the Fox Sports presenter when asked if the club was in crisis and calling all internet journalist "lunatics" famously are things Kossie perhaps regrets or not I suspect.
Twilight Zone
Getting shoulder charged by two different Melbourne players while coaching two different teams; on the same ground led to Kossie helping promote the game of football in this country better than any 30 yard goal ever could.
Television replays and photos of Kossie grabbing Kevin Muscat by the throat went all over the country adding infamy to Kossie's bow. It says something about us as a people and the weird charm and attraction of Kossie.
Kossie dresses like a tactician and coaches like a motivator and in these modern times the motivator no longer works. And I say that with the most utmost pretension.
Because truly I believe, like Shane Warne, that the coach is there to take the team to the ground and that's it. In the end the players are the ones that ultimately win the games and while Kossie has made mistakes and plenty of weird decisions, the players let him down this year.
Kossie will be back and I will be glad to see him coaching another opposition side because, if anything, Kossie loves to entertain and he is everyone's favourite coach to hate.
I think Kossie would do well to have a stint overseas, perhaps in a second division European league, to try to improve himself as a tactician and player manager. He's certainly a good enough coach for this league, but Adelaide and now Sydney have both discovered some of the deficiencies that he needs to work on. Sydney's diabolical season is by no means entirely (or perhaps even mostly) his fault, but SFC could surely do with the same sort of wholesale clearing out of coach & players that Adelaide went through at the end of Season 2.
ReplyDeleteI think Kossie would do well to have a stint overseas, perhaps in a second division European league, to try to improve himself as a tactician and player manager. He's certainly a good enough coach for this league, but Adelaide and now Sydney have both discovered some of the deficiencies that he needs to work on. Sydney's diabolical season is by no means entirely (or perhaps even mostly) his fault, but SFC could surely do with the same sort of wholesale clearing out of coach & players that Adelaide went through at the end of Season 2.
ReplyDeleteClint Bolton is one I'd like to see leave.
ReplyDeleteSydney has signed a few youth players for next season it will be interesting to see waht the new coach does with them.