THE INAUGURAL Gold Coast United team will pressure opponents like Liverpool, with the passing flair of Arsenal, the strength of Chelsea, and the ruthless efficiency of Manchester United.
That, at any rate, is the vision of footballing style that Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg tells me he aspires to play. So is it just a fantasy?
Miron admits that his carte blanche opportunity to put together an elite squad from scratch has been "every coach's dream" - especially when compared with the dramas that new coaches usually confront at disrupted clubs.
"Ask Terry Butcher when he took over Sydney FC," says the charismatic Gold Coast gaffer, whose untested team are already rated a 9-1 chance to win the 2009-10 A-league.
Miron also compared his adventures from Rio to Hartlepool with the fun of playing video games like Football Manager. Except for one little thing: "I'm doing it for real!"
The fantasy is indeed becoming reality. Gold Coast players are now converging from far and wide ahead of pre-season training next month.
Shane Smeltz and Michael Thwaite are already settling into their new Gold Coast homes, joining established locals like Zenon Caravella. Tahj Minniecon has been enjoying a carefree Cairns holiday before he relocates from Brisbane. Daniel Piorkowski, Kristian Rees and Steve Pantelidis will be arriving next week.
By early June, our boys from Brazil will be joining Dutch stars Jason Culina and Bas Van Den Brink on the paddock. Joel Porter has only nine games left to break UK Division One scoring records before he boards a plane bound for Coolangatta airport.
So what can possibly go wrong?!?!
Well, I asked Miron, what about about your relationship with colourful club owner Clive Palmer? Or what about your coaching partnership with former Socceroo Paul Okon? Surely both relationships present huge potential conflicts?
Not according to Miron, who laughingly explains the club's organisation with this little classroom analogy: "Players are the pupils, Paul is the teacher, I'm the principal, and Clive owns the school. Is that clear enough?"
No? Well, let's talk about sex! Or more specifically, "love triangles"!
Miron once compared his relationship with Clive Palmer to a marriage. He insists he is fully committed to the "ups and downs" of a long-term relationship with a strong personality. He even admits he misses the big guy when he's away on business!
But Bleiberg jokes that there's room in the relationship for Paul Okon too. In fact, he says, the abundance of mutual affection all round is a guarantee of success.
"Clive likes Paul. He likes me too. And me and Paul like Clive, and also like each other."
Let's just leave it at that, shall we? And hope everyone stays happy until the three amigos and their charges are lifting the toilet seat as undefeated champions!
Meanwhile, eager fans who don't bump into players at the airport or Cavill Avenue will have the chance to see some open training sessions at the TSS training facilities from April 7 onwards. The club hopes to have one or two sessions open to the public every week - for times and dates, keep your eyes on the official website.
And before anyone starts writing off this blog as another nauseating dose of "typical Gold Coast arrogance", here's a little reality check from Mr Bleiberg, who has always tried to showcase a fluid, attacking style of football in Australia. I asked him whether this quest amounted to a personal crusade.
"As we live in Australia and we need to fight for our place in the market and educate new people to love our game, it turns out to be a crusade," says Miron. "Had I coached in the English Second Division, points would have been the only motivation."
Between the desire and the reality, as they say, falls the shadow of commercial imperatives. Sure, Gold Coast United 09/10 might not quite match the sheer class of the UK's top-flight teams. But we'll be having a jolly good crack at it - and enjoying every moment!
