AFTER a hell of a year for Adelaide fans, in which we saw the highs and the lows, the end of season silence has been punctuated by sounds of slashing.

Is this the inevitable pain before the birth of something new - or has it all gone horribly wrong for the Reds?

It started with rumblings of player unrest, continued through Viddie's "piss-ant" rant and has rolled on through player and admin retirements, delistings, poaching by cashed-up Asian clubs - and even the dreaded, "vote-of-confidence" from the chairman.  The owner wants out, it has been reported that the advisory board has been sacked and there are no big name signings (or even rumours) on the horizon.

There are two ways to see this.

1. Adelaide are gone for all money.  Last season stretched the club and the players too far. The travel, the costs, the number of games, the politics (internal and external) all combined to bring the house of cards crashing down and reveal the weakness behind the polished front.  Viddie cracked under the pressure of managing too many campaigns with too few players who were more committed to themselves than the club. His outburst reopened the wounds that had dogged football in Adelaide for years. The rats are leaving a sinking ship and next season we'll be competing on two fronts - for the spoon and for survival as a club.

2. The amazing success of this season has thrown a light on the areas of the club that must be fixed if the success is to continue. Viddie, frustrated by various bottlenecks, decided that the time had come to shake things up in a big way. Anyone who was standing in the way of the club moving forward was fair game - however important - and he decided that the only way to change a settled culture was to rattle the cage in a big way. With the club structure revamped and the team united in a vision for the future, the Reds are rebuilding with the best of the old and a clear plan to improve both on and off-field operations. The next seasons of both A-League and ACL stand ready to be taken and Adelaide will be a front-runner again.

Now, which of these do you think I believe? Well, most of the latter and some of the former. I'm more confident than worried as yet. We have the core of a great team (look at players who are staying!), the coach of the year, a city more aware of football than ever before - and most importantly - time to rest and rebuild.

Last year's recruiting was done quietly and carefully. It produced great results in Og, Eugene, Jamo and Reid.  I'm betting that process is underway, seeking out gems overlooked by others. Remember that any two year contract offered includes a chance to play in the ACL next year.

I doubt Viddie will be a ten year coach but the statement suggests that he has real power to continue building his own vision of United. He was hamstrung this year by a lack of forwards. I doubt we'll start season 09-10 with that problem.

For the religious among you, this is the Christian season of Lent. A time of reflection and self-denial in preparation for celebration of Christ's resurrection on Easter day. I have a feeling that Adelaide United have chosen their time of rebuilding well and that the present darkness comes before a very bright new dawn.

What do you think?