I still don't understand why Miron Bleiberg wasn't punished for his post-match "sheriff" remarks last weekend, especially when he already had a $3,000 suspended fine hanging over his head.

Surely nothing brings the game into greater disrepute than suggesting, however metaphorically, that a match was fixed by the referee? And yet the FFA just laughed it off!

Even stranger, when Shane Smeltz made less inflamatory comments about Breeze's refereeing a day later, he copped a $4,000 fine!

"I just don't understand those sorts of decisions," said the Kiwi striker. "They make you wonder."

They do indeed. And judging by United's performance in Townsville (of which I only caught the last ten minutes), I can only assume that the whole team is still wondering what the hell happened back at Skilled Park.

Going into that Nix game, with United unbeaten in seven matches, it was all so different. As Smeltzy said at the time: "There's a really good vibe around the club at the moment and everyone is performing well."

So what happened? Once again the lads seem to have lost their mojo and crashed in a heap, and once again off-field issues seem to be the problem. And once again, Miron's post-match comments offer a clue to what's going on:

"I don't feel clear that I did everything within my power to win the game as a coach," said Miron, after warning that he had to watch what he said.

So is it Miron's fault we've missed a top two finish? Should he have shut his mouth after the Nix game, and told his players to just concentrate on their next game? Or is it Clive Palmer's fault, for once again branding the FFA corrupt? Or is it somehow MY fault, as a few around here would happily suggest?

One thing's clear: it's certainly not the players' fault. I still maintain that Gold Coast United have had the best squad this season, and have played the best football. The team haven't been consistent enough to win the Premiership, true, but personally I cannot fault the lads for that.

Look at Bas Van Den Brink, for example. He's been accused of losing us matches with reckless tackles that gave away penalties, but a couple of those tackles would have drawn gasps of appreciation from any World Cup Final observers.

Or look at captain Jason Culina, who has never once failed to show 120% professionalism, dedication and graciousness, despite an endless onslaught of abuse, controversy and hacking.

Sure, professional players should never cite off-field distractions as reasons for a loss. But the distractions hovering over the Gold Coast squad this season have been something else entirely. Expect some interesting changes over the off season, and no doubt those changes will tell a tale of their own. I just hope some lessons have been learned.

Meanwhile, especially given that I am perceived to be a part of the problem, even by fellow Gold Coast supporters, I am more than happy to stop blogging. Good luck to the lads in the six-team lottery of the finals. As a few scribes have said, it couldn't have been scripted better.

Finally, third place is supposed to be good, right? Especially in your first season. So who gets the credit for that?