YOU KNOW you support Sydney FC when a handful of losses mean you find yourself waking up to coaching speculation.

It pains me to say it, but the stupidly high expectations of both our supporter base and the media mean that any time we drop points in multiple games we can expect to be hearing about John Kosmina’s future.

It draws a mixed reaction from supporters. There are those who love Kossie, those who hate him, those who think he’s hard done by, and those who think he should never have become Sydney FC’s coach in the first place.

It’s the same as there was for Culina, and Butcher before him, and even the Championship-winning Littbarski before them. With fickle supporters crying for blood, and the media filling up column inches with talk of uncertainty, it all seems a bit too familiar.

But after another poor showing against Queensland (saved only by a rousing final 20 minutes), and a total of 6 points taken from the last 24 available, the question is very real. Sydney FC is in what is probably their worst form slump in the club’s short history... But is a change in coach the answer?
If you ask me – no.

If you believe what you hear, John Kosmina was always meant to coach Sydney FC after the first season of the A-League.

Following from the total acquisition of the club by the Lowy family, and Kossie’s departure from Adelaide United (despite three seasons of success at Hindmarsh); it was only ever a matter of time before Kossie got his chance in the A-League’s biggest job.

Uncle Frank was even kind enough to give him a token job with the Olyroos to tide him over until Branko Culina got himself sacked.

It’s never been the prettiest marriage, and the general feeling of inevitability about Kossie coaching at SFC sits poorly with many supporters. But the simple fact of the matter is that a coach of Kossie’s strength and knowledge of coaching under pressure in the A-League is exactly what Sydney FC need right now.

The quick solution would be to throw Kossie to the sharks. The people on the board of SFC could cry out that such poor form is unacceptable, and make Kossie the scapegoat. They could find another coach, or even look to Tony Popovic to emulate Gary Van Egmond, and it would probably work for 4 or 5 games. It’s quite easy to see another round of “new coach syndrome” kicking in and Sydney pushing up the ladder with renewed enthusiasm (yet again).

But in the long term, it would just be feeding the cycle that has repeatedly damaged the club since the departure of Terry Butcher in the aftermath of 2006/07.

With renewed uncertainty about the ownership of the club, more changes in the playing ranks (which are predominantly positive, despite what you’ll read), and the faint smell of instability still in the air... The one thing that Sydney FC NEEDS is Kossie to be in the hot-seat when pre-season rolls around in mid-2009.

He’s not the most popular man with the press, and not even the most popular coach with all of the players, but Kossie’s record over the last few years proves he is more deserving of a chance to take this club further.

Next year Sydney FC will have its youngest playing squad in its short history. In fact, there’s every chance it will be the youngest squad in the A-League’s history.

Kossie has been on-hand to help Steve O’Connor pick which young talent is ready to start stepping up next year, so to let him put in that work without fulfilling it would be damaging not only to the club, but to those young players who have been nurtured by the coaching duo and prepared for roles in Kossie’s setup next year.

With his recent track record of developing talent (Burns, Djite, Spagnuolo, even Robbie Cornthwaite), to take Kossie away could turn out to be disastrous.

I’m not Kosmina’s biggest fan. I am sceptical about some of his man management skills, not always the biggest fan of his football philosophies, and in general view him as just another sub-standard Aussie coach in many ways. Deficient like many of his predecessors were.

But he’s now coached more competitive games than any other SFC coach, and has a plan for the future. Still surrounded by uncertainty, John Kosmina can bring stability to the club in a time where it needs it now more than ever. For that reason alone... Sydney FC needs John Kosmina.