To see Rini Coolen arrive in Adelaide...

   

Stubbins, who has taken the reins since the Reds' returned from the break in the absence of Aurelio Vidmar, has been United's assistant coach for three years and was favourite get the head coach role, before the Dutchman was appointed.

Coolen rejected claims there could be a bitter relationship between the two after Stubbins' snub, labelling his assistant as a real professional, predicting a flourishing partnership between the two.

Coolen said he prefers to have someone under him who wants the top job.

"I don't see it that way, I'm not a coach who is afraid of that situation," he said. "He will get a lot of responsibility so I don't see it as a problem.

"I see it as he's good coach and I prefer to have someone like him who wants to be the head coach; he isn't but we are together and will decide a lot of things together.

"I think he will love the way we are going to work together."

He added: "I prefer to have someone (like Stubbins) and I was in the same situation.

"I understand he was a little disappointed about not getting the job. I met him yesterday and he's real professional.

"We had a talk for three and a half hours and he was happy when he left. I saw him today so I don't see any problem."

The former FC Twente manager admitted he had a good feeling about the club right from the outset and was delighted in his appointment after an initial online interview.

"We had a Skype interview, that was the first contact," he said. "Afterwards we decided to come over to get an impression on everything.

"And, after that, from the first day I was here the feeling was this is what I wanted. I'm glad to get this opportunity to be the coach of this club.

"I get a good impression from Adelaide and the club internally."

Coolen will return to the Netherlands today to tidy up his affairs before arriving back in Adelaide on July 16 ahead of United's friendly with Wellington Phoenix.

He admitted it will be a tough task to prepare and mould Adelaide United into his style of play with the start of the season less than a month away, but is confident the Reds will be in good hands under Stubbins until he returns.

The former AZ Alkmaar player conceded he will also need to learn more about the team and will have plenty of footage from United's horror 2009-10 season to sort through.

"I think it is difficult but I don't think it is too difficult," he said. "I have to know more about the team that's for sure so I will take these DVDs about the games from last season and I can see them play and then there are (still) three weeks left.

"They are in good hands now. I'm very happy, they are a good squad but there are a few players injured now."

He added: "I see him (Stubbins) as a first team coach, I don't call him an assistant coach, that's the way I want to work.

"So he's working with the team and I leave tomorrow, but it's no problem, they continue working and when I come back there is still three weeks to prepare the team for the first game."

Adelaide United CEO, Sam Ciccarello, confirmed Stubbins was disappointed in being overlooked but is still an integral part of the Reds' coaching staff.

"You miss out on the top job and you're going to be disappointed," he said. "There's no question he's feeling a little bit raw at the moment.

"For us, Phil has done an exceptional job with Adelaide United and the role he's played over the last three years and over the last five or six weeks in taking over the reins from Aurelio.

"We see Phil as a continuing and very important part of Adelaide United. We've spoken to him about that and we've reinforced that to him.

"Phil is a very professional person and he's already starting to build his relationship with Rini."

To see Rini Coolen arrive in Adelaide...