It's a good place to be, isn't it ? Second week of the new year and we find ourselves in the football equivalent of a comfy chair with a cold beer : third on the table with three games in hand against the top two and a decent goal difference.
If Bluetongue were a holiday house (and it's got views to die for) we might well gaze around and ask, "how's the serenity?"
It's not simply that we've been one of the A-League's highest achievers this season but the fact that this success has been built around a group of new players and a new coach who had to face rampant scepticism. That makes it truly remarkable.
Throw into the mix the fact that Arnie had to take over from the highly popular and successful McKinna plus the number of very young players in the squad and you potentially have a recipe for chaos. Or so the usual suspects predicted. Hey, who's laughing now ?
Don't get me wrong. Although I love what we've achieved this season I can see this house isn't perfect. There are some cracks here and there if you care to look for them and at times we have seen a bit of rising damp. The opening 10 minutes against Phoenix for example we looked rather wobbly and it was nearly time for Renovation Rescue.
But to see the team, and Ryan in particular, bounce back from the New Year's Eve disaster was totally satisfying. And here's the thing : Breeze with the whistle but we got no yellows ! Hallelujah !
Speaking of which, with his freshly shaved head McGlinchey burnt up the pitch like one of the crazy monks from Shaolin Soccer, impressing with his pace, superb dribbling and even a bit of Kaka spin. We would be completely mad to let him go next season.
But then, which member of our current squad would we be willing to lose ?
It's not about success but the beautiful football being played each and every week, football that is a pleasure to watch from a team where there are no weak links. Yet it must be said that the ultimate strength of this house is its unshakeable foundations, for to quote that great Aussie defender R. Slater, "defence, like attack, begins at the back."
Um...yeah, we know what you mean: Pedj and Rose with the excitement factor while Wilko and Zwaanswijk are the bouncers keeping out the riff-raff.
And if it would be madness to lose McGlinchey then losing Zwaanswijk could only be described as "welcome to my nightmare". Forget Flores, right now Zwaanswijk is the best import in the A-League. It's horrifying to contemplate that he may be gone in a matter of weeks. I'm not just asking the club to extend his contract, I'm pleading with them not to let him go. I will personally do whatever it takes, including running a "Save Patrich" raffle or lending him my poffertjes maker.
When I see this man on the pitch a zen-like sense of happiness and security descends upon me. He makes me feel so safe I would probably follow him into a burning building and surely Matt Ryan feels the same. With an amazing 10 clean sheets to his name, Ryan's confidence has been bolstered immeasurably by the unshakeable partnership of Wilko and Patrich.
His stunning save from Macallister's free kick in the 75th minute (which he couldn't possibly have seen coming) was a measure of how far he's grown. Still, every time he leaves the pitch I am always tempted to ask him if he's finished his homework.
But that's the most exciting thing about this team: Arnie loves our younger players and he's not afraid to use them. He has done a fantastic job with Amini, never letting him over-extend himself yet allowing this genuine crowd-pleaser to really develop his talents, not to mention his public profile.
Arnie is willing to back his younger players and with the gruelling schedule of matches ahead looks like we'll be seeing a bit more of those like Warren and Gallagher who are still waiting in the wings. Yeah, it's a solid house but Arnie's certainly not afraid to add what The Lifestyle Channel calls "contemporary stylings".
But wait ! I'm not forgetting we're about to face our toughest test against Roar this week but my overwhelming feeling is excitement, not fear. We've seen Roar look a bit vulnerable of late and it would be fitting to see BrisVegas Baird score and finally knock them off their perch.
Arnie is sure to be wiser after his experimental formation last time and I'm hoping he pulls out an attacking game plan. In the immortal words of Dale Kerrigan, "if there's one thing Dad loves more than serenity it's a big 2-stroke engine on full throttle." Bring it on.
