Tired of waiting for answers FourFourTwo blogger Stephen Daughtry decided to do something completely outrageous - he asked someone. Fortunately that someone ended up being Adelaide vice-captain, Lucas Pantelis, who generously give him a heads-up on how he was thinking about last year, this year - and a whole lot else besides.

Last season

442 - Last year was an amazing year for the club and the fans. A great season, a brilliant ACL run and just pipped for the Premiership and the Grand Final. Looking back on it what are your best memories?

LP - Our Asian journey was a special one, I guess. Being underdogs nearly every game and then to come up and make the final at only our second try was a great effort, not only for the club but for the players. It's not an easy competition and we had to do it the hard way because last year you had to finish top of the group, there was none of this 'top two' as there is this year. To finish top of the group was a massive feat but to go on and make the quarters and the semis - and then to make the final - was the one thing that really stands out. We can talk about the Grand Final and the Premiership but, again, we missed out on both trophies which is something that not only the club, but us players, want to rectify in the upcoming season.

442 - Are you watching the ACL at the moment and wishing you were there?

LP - Of course. I've watched every game. But we're there again next year and there's a lot to look forward to. We do wish the other Aussie clubs well in the ACL whether we're participating in it or not. So all the best to Newcastle and Central Coast. For us it's another learning opportunity to see what teams are out there so that next year we can be even better prepared.

442 - Both clubs are currently bottom of their group. Is there any sense in which it's almost nice to see that, because you did so well and you want that achievement to be recognised?

LP - Just a little bit (laughs). It just goes to show how hard the competition is and how well we did because Central Coast and Newcastle are both great sides and, unfortunately, they are sitting bottom of their respective groups. I think Adelaide United can take a huge pat on the back and hope we can do even better in the ACL in 2010.

442 - Not having won any silverware, does last season seem like a failure or a success?

LP - People probably say it's a failed season but we can look back and show it was a pretty successful one. To make the ACL and the A-League finals in the same season - I've said it already - it just goes to show that the players we had last season, we all fought for one another. At times we didn't play the best football, we all know that, but that's when you find out whether you're a good side or not. If you can play not-so-well and still pick up the results. I think we proved to ourselves and the Australian public that we could compete on both fronts. I guess it was a successful season but....it would have been nice to get some silverware.

442 -  Which of the competitions would you most liked to have won - the ACL or the Grand Final?

LP - Can I take both? (laughs) They're two different honours I guess. Winning the A-League is bragging rights for the next season and winning the ACL is bragging rights all around Asia. To win one would have been fantastic. To win both would have been even better but at least we showed our fans that we got there, we worked hard. On the nights we just weren't good enough or luck didn't go our way - and that's the way football is.

442 - Does getting so close make the prize seem more important this coming year?

LP - It makes us more hungry. The players that have remained here, we know what our limits are and we know we can make that little step further still. This year we can concentrate purely on the season ahead. The ACL will only coincide if we make the finals - that'll be a bit tough then - but we're concentrating on the season and bringing that silverware to the club.

Continues on next page...