ADELAIDE are back to their winning ways and Reds fans are sleeping well again, but, it seems to me there are a few problems that keep recurring for us.

The one I notice again and again is a lack of pace in the team. This is noticeable most clearly at the front - and the back.

Viddie has done an amazing job rebuilding our defence this year and no-one’s going to complain too much about Sasa and Ange in the middle. Sasa’s been brilliant and puts the fear of God into opponents (a big “hi” to John Aloisi at this point) and Ange has got to be one of the smartest defenders going around in the A-League, he’s slow but he’s almost always in the right spot.

But…he’s slow. And Sasa’s no racehorse. Now, with Jamieson playing on the left and Cornthwaite on the right and Reid in the middle, we were coping for a while. That was until Cornflakes (and I’m actually a fan of his) started to believe his own publicity and decided he really was a wing-back.

Admittedly he made some great runs, scored a couple of goals and put in some good crosses – but he ended up in the wrong place too many times and we got rolled. Hence, he got dropped on Saturday night. That might give him a rest and help remind him that he’s a centre-back being used as a utility. Jamieson kept his place on the back of good performances (rightly so) but he had started to get the “I’m Ashley Cole” disease too.

Adelaide need to play in position because we don’t cope with pace. Who does? The Reds were cut to pieces by a Gamba team that played at pace, ran at pace and had the skills. They were just so fast. The other night Australia were made to look second rate (albeit winning along the way) by a Bahrain team who cut them up at the back with sheer pace. Lucky they couldn’t shoot.

At the front Adelaide are also struggling. Yes, Dodd’s the fastest thing since Phar Lap on steroids but he’s out on the wing most weeks. Even so his speed pays dividends. Who else would have managed the goal he got on Saturday, running down the defence on an off chance – and pocketing a goal simply because he was too fast and Busch was too slow? Pace kills. Kills oppositions. Cristiano wouldn’t have got that goal. He just couldn’t have made the ground.

There’s nothing more exciting than watching an attacking player who can hit the afterburners. Every time the ball goes near them, the crowd sits another six inches forward on their seats. Nathan Burns used to do this for us. No-one’s taken his place.

Now I know it’s all about passing and technique (yes, I watch SBS too – and yes, Fozzie and Les, I’m getting bored with you both) but, having been brought up on the Premier League I have a real soft spot for hard, fast play and killer breaks. I’d like to see Adelaide sign some speed into the team.

David Williams is a good young player with real pace who’s warming the bench in Europe. Bring him home. Give Cristiano someone to flick it on to. And while we’re at it lets sign a right back who can burn grass.

I don’t want much. I just need some speed.

Welcome back
Forgotten man, Alamao, is proving once more what a good signing he was. Not a bad option to have hanging around in the broom cupboard after the ACL finished. Big, skilful and hungry to play. And welcome back to Daniel Mullen and Fabian Barbiero also.

There’s some depth to Adelaide this year. Now, if only Jonas Salley could force his way back in. But where? It’s not a bad sign for the team that the hard man with the 110 percent attitude can’t get on the park. Bring on the Jets.