All that glitters is gold......

In hindsight you really have to wonder about the thought process in re-scheduling our catch up game against the Mariners in the Wednesday between a trip back from Perth and our final home game against table topping Brisbane. This feat of ill planning is even more bizarre when you factor in a battle the previous Wednesday against Adelaide.

It was clear by the time we had returned from triumph in Perth and laced up for Central Coast the tank was beyond empty. Even pre game comments from fox sports told us the players were beyond fatigue. In the end the fallout from this exercise is we ended up exactly where we were when it all started in fourth spot, only now after our two worst performances of this current season we have the unlikely tag as underdogs going into Sundays final.

So with a view to the finals, I wish to look back at United 2010.

We started with a whimper and a string of draws and a solitary loss to Victory. In all that tedium on the field the real action was off it with the Smeltzy-Go-Round in full swing with a return from China for 3 games before jetting to Turkey to warm the bench and an eventual return to United (before jetting domestically to a rival for next term).

One Game! - One game only to test the market and the CAP came crashing down, but this time it had a glass ceiling it was revealed. The tag line had changed from 'If you build it they will come' to 'If you come we will open it'. All the tension and ill will the cap gave us from last year turned into bitterness and frustration as United's 'core' fan base halved from 5000ish to 2000ish. To take matters into entirely unpredictable areas the stadium was successfully opened for free on two occasions flying in the face of spend thrift caps, and showing the FFA and GCU management that there is a real potential market out there.

DEFENCE! This year's new offence it seemed as the freewheeling attack of season one made way for the pseudo attempt at Mourinho like tactics and playing on the counter. Interestingly both tactics ended in us being in relatively the same region of the table in both years, but I know which one the fans preferred.

Finally this season's legacy was rotation. Miron had 30 games and 29 different starting 11's. Let's say over half were due to injury and the other to just plain tinkering. The other aspect of rotation was the exit door rotating rapidly at the halls of GCU HQ. With key members of the defence jetting away to Asian shores and a fan favourite mid fielder turning down an even money offer to play for the city of churches it was an exodus worthy of a bible chapter. Only one other Exodus has eclipsed it - Roar in 2009.....

Finally I want to put our season into some self serving context.

Since the A-league began in 2005 there have been 4 new teams added along the way Phoenix, Fury, GCU and Heart. Fury and Heart both failed to make finals in their maiden year and fury collected the spoon in their second. The other notable new team Wellington reached finals in their 3rd and now 4th years in the competition. In contrast United have been a reasonably strong outfit easily making their way to finals in both years it has been in existence. As bad as some may want to paint our picture it could be worse.

So with season 6 consigned to history I eagerly await Sunday afternoon and a chance for us to make some new history. It wont be easy by any stretch with a wounded Victory boasting enough fire power to sink a small nation at our door steps. Victory's weak link has been its defense in the absents of regular hatchet man Muscat, but United weakness has been not putting away simple finishes after strong lead up play which Smeltz has only half remedied.

It all makes for an interesting match up as both teams take aim firmly at Hindmarsh for the next eliminator (yes I am writing of Wellington that early).

Good luck to your teams and I will see you at Skilled 4pm Sunday!