I KNEW I should have written this last week. Now it just seems like bandwagon jumping - but then, no change there though, eh?
But as I was going to say last week, it is amazing that the one area outside the salary cap that can have a huge impact on a team is the one area that's been consistently ignored by the A-League clubs since the start of season two.
Head coach. Manager. The gaffer. Alf. Call 'em what you like, but the bloke on the plastic seat shouting himself hoarse every weekend SHOULD be a vital part of any A-League club.
And yet... Clubs don't seem to be too keen to dip into their back pocket to spend big on them.
The one and only time any club did invest in a high-profile international coach, it was Sydney, it was Pierre Littbarski and they won the Championship. He left the following season and Sydney haven't come close to a Championship again.
A look up and down the A-League shows a mix of old and new managers, a suprising number of Scottish accents - and very little coaching pedigree or experience outside of the NSL.
Now that in itself is not a bad thing. The A-League is still a developmental league - and that should apply to managers as well as players. It is a place where new coaches can cut their teeth.
And that's just dandy for the assistants out to make a name for themselves. Jets got hugely lucky with Gary van Egmond. Ian Ferguson will be looking to step out of Lawrie McKinna's shadow at Fury and Aurelio Vidmar has had a brilliant season with Adelaide. Dave Mitchell's done a great job at Glory too.
The veteran coaches like Ernie Merrick and Lawrie McKinna have frustrated their fans with some of their decisions - but both have made the finals, yet again, and both have kept their jobs since Day One. Frank Farina may have disappointed with the Socceroos but at Roar he's impressed. Meanwhile over the ditch, Ricki Herbert's been marvellous for Wellington Phoenix.
Then there's Sydney. They started well with Littbarski, traded him for the cut-price international option of Terry Butcher and lived to regret it, then returned to the heady days of the NSL with Branko Culina then John Kosmina. Results have just been getting worse and worse ever since.
But this isn't actually a bandwagon-jumping attack on Sydney or Kosmina. The club is at least now addressing the issue head-on and looking overseas again with a Czech lined up to replace Kossie.
It looks like it might be the more cut-price option of Vítezslav Lavicka and not the more exciting proposition of ex-Zenit coach Vlastimil Petrzela.
But at least it's a coach with experience outside Australia, with pedigree and proven capability of winning at an international level.
These guys are proper coaches. They know how to get the best out of players beyond shouting at them or slagging them off in the press. They know training techniques beyond five v five and piggy in the middle.
They know tactics. Not just 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, but how to change tack mid-game, wrongfoot the opposition, make substitutions that transform matches AT THE RIGHT TIME.
They know how to use the media, not just try to intimidate them, alienate them and discriminate against them.
And they will also hopefully know to keep their hands off rival players or managers...
But this blog still isn't about John Kosmina. It's actually about Gold Coast United.
For all Clive Palmer's optimistic ambitions about going undefeated, about signing the cream of Australian football, about bringing an end to the salary cap, about his billions of billions of riches and his fleet of private jets...
...For all of that, he's still got Miron Bleiberg as his head coach. And the untried Paul Okon as his assistant.
Now, I appreciate Miron has an excellent knowledge of the local game. I'm sure he is an ideal man to pinpoint the available talent and bring together a balanced squad that will challenge for the double next season.
But money really is no object. The job is outside the salary cap and Clive's spare change is probably still more than even Sir Alex Ferguson's annual salary.
I have no doubts about Miron's ability. I'm also sure he could well win the Championship and Premiership next season.
But if Clive really does believe he is the best manager in the world, I want to hire Miron's agent.
For a club with so much ambition and so high a profile, it's disappointing that they still looked so close to home for their manager.
Palmer's put together a home theatre media centre of a squad - and then plugged it into a black and white portable TV. It'll work - but it could be so much better.
I don't want to see anyone out of job here - Miron would be an excellent and useful assistant to a high-profile coach and Okon can cut his teeth in the actual training side of the job as a genuine outfield coach.
But I do want to see some new external blood brought into the A-League. The same old faces in charge, revolving from club to club, will only keep the league stale, stifle competition and bring us back to the bad old days.
It's not just about Gold Coast United either - inspired management at one club will spark greater competition throughout the A-League. Some clubs will be happy to stay True Blue Aussie, some will want to give less experienced coaches a go, others will strive to sign their own management superstar.
But all will have to raise their game, our game, to a whole new level to compete...and that has to be a good thing for the clubs, the players and us, the fans.
But as I was going to say last week, it is amazing that the one area outside the salary cap that can have a huge impact on a team is the one area that's been consistently ignored by the A-League clubs since the start of season two.
Head coach. Manager. The gaffer. Alf. Call 'em what you like, but the bloke on the plastic seat shouting himself hoarse every weekend SHOULD be a vital part of any A-League club.
And yet... Clubs don't seem to be too keen to dip into their back pocket to spend big on them.
The one and only time any club did invest in a high-profile international coach, it was Sydney, it was Pierre Littbarski and they won the Championship. He left the following season and Sydney haven't come close to a Championship again.
A look up and down the A-League shows a mix of old and new managers, a suprising number of Scottish accents - and very little coaching pedigree or experience outside of the NSL.
Now that in itself is not a bad thing. The A-League is still a developmental league - and that should apply to managers as well as players. It is a place where new coaches can cut their teeth.
And that's just dandy for the assistants out to make a name for themselves. Jets got hugely lucky with Gary van Egmond. Ian Ferguson will be looking to step out of Lawrie McKinna's shadow at Fury and Aurelio Vidmar has had a brilliant season with Adelaide. Dave Mitchell's done a great job at Glory too.
The veteran coaches like Ernie Merrick and Lawrie McKinna have frustrated their fans with some of their decisions - but both have made the finals, yet again, and both have kept their jobs since Day One. Frank Farina may have disappointed with the Socceroos but at Roar he's impressed. Meanwhile over the ditch, Ricki Herbert's been marvellous for Wellington Phoenix.
Then there's Sydney. They started well with Littbarski, traded him for the cut-price international option of Terry Butcher and lived to regret it, then returned to the heady days of the NSL with Branko Culina then John Kosmina. Results have just been getting worse and worse ever since.
But this isn't actually a bandwagon-jumping attack on Sydney or Kosmina. The club is at least now addressing the issue head-on and looking overseas again with a Czech lined up to replace Kossie.
It looks like it might be the more cut-price option of Vítezslav Lavicka and not the more exciting proposition of ex-Zenit coach Vlastimil Petrzela.
But at least it's a coach with experience outside Australia, with pedigree and proven capability of winning at an international level.
These guys are proper coaches. They know how to get the best out of players beyond shouting at them or slagging them off in the press. They know training techniques beyond five v five and piggy in the middle.
They know tactics. Not just 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, but how to change tack mid-game, wrongfoot the opposition, make substitutions that transform matches AT THE RIGHT TIME.
They know how to use the media, not just try to intimidate them, alienate them and discriminate against them.
And they will also hopefully know to keep their hands off rival players or managers...
But this blog still isn't about John Kosmina. It's actually about Gold Coast United.
For all Clive Palmer's optimistic ambitions about going undefeated, about signing the cream of Australian football, about bringing an end to the salary cap, about his billions of billions of riches and his fleet of private jets...
...For all of that, he's still got Miron Bleiberg as his head coach. And the untried Paul Okon as his assistant.
Now, I appreciate Miron has an excellent knowledge of the local game. I'm sure he is an ideal man to pinpoint the available talent and bring together a balanced squad that will challenge for the double next season.
But money really is no object. The job is outside the salary cap and Clive's spare change is probably still more than even Sir Alex Ferguson's annual salary.
I have no doubts about Miron's ability. I'm also sure he could well win the Championship and Premiership next season.
But if Clive really does believe he is the best manager in the world, I want to hire Miron's agent.
For a club with so much ambition and so high a profile, it's disappointing that they still looked so close to home for their manager.
Palmer's put together a home theatre media centre of a squad - and then plugged it into a black and white portable TV. It'll work - but it could be so much better.
I don't want to see anyone out of job here - Miron would be an excellent and useful assistant to a high-profile coach and Okon can cut his teeth in the actual training side of the job as a genuine outfield coach.
But I do want to see some new external blood brought into the A-League. The same old faces in charge, revolving from club to club, will only keep the league stale, stifle competition and bring us back to the bad old days.
It's not just about Gold Coast United either - inspired management at one club will spark greater competition throughout the A-League. Some clubs will be happy to stay True Blue Aussie, some will want to give less experienced coaches a go, others will strive to sign their own management superstar.
But all will have to raise their game, our game, to a whole new level to compete...and that has to be a good thing for the clubs, the players and us, the fans.
