SOME stains can be hard to remove.

Right now the results of Adelaide United in the A-League seasons thus far have a dirty blotch splattered all over them.  It's a stain that is dark blue in colour and like ink that has leaked from a dodgy pen it is proving to be rather unsightly.

Adelaide are not the only A-League club with this insidious blue stain, but that thought provides little comfort.

In the first season and a half of the league the Reds had Melbourne Victory at their mercy. A 0-0 pre-season draw in their first ever encounter was followed by four 1-0 wins in a row. No matter where the games were played, the Reds seemed to find a way to knock one into the back of the net whilst at the same time staying solid in defence.

They were heady days. Melbourne were kept in their box and didn't seem capable of escape.

Fast forward through a period of mixed results between the two teams to the beginning of the 2008/09 season. After a pre-season win, the Reds then lost, or rather the Victory won (credit where it's due), the next six matches between the team. It's been like a recurring nightmare that just doesn't go away.

The most recent pre-season game down in Tassie, which resulted in a 2-1 victory to Melbourne, makes it seven losses in a row for the Reds.

One might state the Victory lads are just too good at the moment, an argument which certainly has some merit. They are after all the reigning champions. I tend to think the cause is somewhat deeper however.

Until Adelaide can climb over the 'psychological' factor that now exists between the two teams they'll never be able to conquer. Kevin Muscat plays a big role in maintaining the rage, so to speak. I for one don't want to have to wait until he retires to see the Reds triumph again.

If this factor can be overcome (and it's a big IF at the moment, given that I don't believe there is a huge gap in the comparative abilities of the two teams), the law of averages states that sooner or later the wheel should turn.

It's time to remove the stain.