THERE'S no easy way for a Gold Coast fan to look at last weekend’s result.

Four-nil would be a convincing loss. 5-0 is a thrashing. But 6-0 starts to get to the point where you're not even competing at the same level of competition. It's a score for cup ties between minnows and giants, or friendly matches where one side is experimenting while the other is at their peak. It's not a score that should ever be suffered in a league competition, let alone one as inherently tight between all teams as the A-League.

Despite my amazingly incorrect predictions about the Wellington game last week, the warning signs were there for United. Inconsistent form, an unreliable defence and unbearable off-field tensions all seem to have met in a ‘perfect storm' of poor football. The players, once icons of a proud team looking to redefine the standard of football in Australia, now look like distracted victims of their bosses antics and incomprehensible decision-making.

I don't see any benefit offering yet another detailed piece on the future of GC United in the wake of Clive Palmer's "business" decision earlier this week. Frankly, the recent events have left fans in a situation where it's impossible to know if there even will be a future in supporting the yellow-and-blue. My fellow blogger Gary Lord has put perfectly how we the fans feel and all that's left to do is hope things don't go beyond the point of no return and try to keep thinking about the team, the players and the chances of bringing on-field success to the Gold Coast region.

So ... back to the 6-0 match. Surely this was a result that dissipated any sense that GC Utd might be a legitimate championship side. But maybe not! October 2005 saw Sydney lose 5-0 to Melbourne in their championship season. Melbourne were beaten 4-0 by Newcastle on the eve of the finals series that saw them claim the 2007 title. Eventual champions Newcastle were humbled at home by Perth with a 4-1 loss in 2007/2008. Further abroad, who could forget Liverpool's 4-1 demolition of Manchester Utd at Old Trafford last season? Good sides can lose heavily and still go on to greater glories.

It is, of course, impossible to ignore the so very poor performance by United in Wellington. But it wasn't the worst performance by a team this season. Indeed, had Vanstratten managed to stay on the park I dare say the score might've been more like 2-0 and no one would've given more than a passing smile at the upset. I hate to make a scapegoat of poor Scott Higgins but he really showed himself up as entirely unprepared for his cameo appearance.

Of the five goals conceded by Giggles, the substitute goalkeeper would have to acknowledge he was more than slightly responsible for four. First a decision to rush outside the penalty area failed to pay off as Tim Brown easily went past the flailing shot-stopper. Next a soft cross inside the six yard box wasn't dealt with. Minutes later the one goal Higgins could do little about went in before Paul Ifill slotted the ball embarrassingly through Scotty's legs. A 30 minute respite followed before another cross into the six yard box was merely watched as the striker calmly controlled and scored from an impossibly close distance.

It's hard reading for Giggles and it's not meant to put blame on him for the result. Any goalkeeper will have had a day where things don't go their way and in that oddest of positions it ends up being all too evident by way of the scoreboard. All Gold Coast fans can remain confident in a keeper who played such a big part in the early season form of the side.

The point, though, is that the 6-0 scoreline actually wasn't a fair reflection of the game. Yes, Wellington deserved to win. Yes, Gold Coast played very poorly. But 6-0? That wasn't fair. That hurt. And with Palmer now tearing out the hearts of the small group of fans loyal enough to have been hurt by the result, it's just being made all the worse.

This weekend's match takes on a huge significance now for the Gold Coast club as a whole. The way the team responds to last week will tell us whether they're willing to fight until the end like the early-season championship contenders they were, or if their confidence has been irreparably damaged.

The size and passion of the crowd will tell us whether there's any future in a Clive Palmer-run football club on the Gold Coast at all. One can only wonder whether a club so young has found itself at a crossroad so significant in the history of football. Now excuse me while I spend all weekend holding my breath waiting to see the outcome.