THERE may not be much of him but it appears that there’s a lot to him. Pound for pound, Aurelio Vidmar is currently the finest A-League coach going round.

In fact this month he strides the local football stage like a veritable giant. As of tonight, his team sit on top of the A-League and are preparing to be the first Australian team to participate in the Asian Champions League final.

It’s heady days for man with the mullet and I, for one, hope he’s drinking it in big time because we all know how long success lasts in this game – until the whistle blows on the next one.

As for the fantastically fickle fans forums (woohoo, alliteration in the first blog!), it’s amusing to remember the “Sack Viddie” campaign run by AU fans in his early days. Not too many signatures in the last months, I think.

Now the Reds forum is more likely to be selling "Veni, Viddie, Vici" t-shirts (a play on the Latin phrase Veni, Vidi, Vici, which means "I came, I saw, I conquered" – thanks Old Gregg) than bagging the man who took over from Kossie the Throttler.

I hold my own hand up to wondering what the club was doing appointing Viddie when they did. Some, like my son, as he likes to remind me, saw the potential and claims to have been a supporter from the very first. What can I say? The boy’s a genius.

Of course all this glory brings with it real risks for United. Already the rumours are rising of Japanese clubs seeking out Viddie and his assistant Phil Stubbins and offering big money.

Viddie’s being touted for Asian coach of the year. Adelaide players are said to be being targeted by moneyed clubs. Next year could be a scary time at the Reds.

All I can say is, “B*gger off you mercenary mongrels and leave our Viddie alone”. And our team. And Viddie, just in case you get tempted, take a look at the news about Juande Ramos. Stick with us, mate. You’re building something great and the fans are with you all the way.

Remember the Alemao
Speaking of brilliant coaching, United’s victory over Perth Glory is a case in point. I’d bet there was a combined total of one who turned up at the match expecting forgotten man, Brazilian right-back, Alemao to start as a striker.

That would have been Viddie. By about 70 minutes there was probably a fair percentage of those watching who thought Viddie was mad. Alemao was moving about as swiftly and incisively as my Grandad (who, bless his soul has passed away) and looked about as likely to score as Big Sash (not very, in other words).

Then, with a few swift substitutions, Viddie turned the game on its head, Alemao knocks in the first, starts to terrorise the defence - and we come home with a wet sail. Hats off, Viddie, not bad. Not bad at all.

Stephen Daughtry is a Reds fan and father of a Reds fanatic. He's been supporting West Ham since he was too young to know better but it’s fair to say they now take second place. Just. He plays indoor with the lad and outdoor with the Masters (read “old blokes”) and will keep doing so until he can’t. They call it the beautiful game – and he reckons they’re right.