Aidan Ormond spoke with him on the eve of the new A-League season.

Phil, most pundits have Sydney and the two Melbourne teams as favourites for the top two spots. Agree?

It is a strong possibility. However, I feel it is not necessarily guaranteed. There are many other very capable sides in the competition and to finish in the top two you are going to have to be a very sound, consistent performing outfit. I would agree about Sydney's quality and likelihood of coming in the top two. However, after that, I can see it being a very close affair.

Who else do you feel could challenge for a finals place and why?

I feel that all the teams will be fired up to do well initially and results may sway and fro at the commencement of the campaign, with some upsets. After that, I'm not either brave or stupid enough to predict what will pan out. I'd rather sit on the fence on this one. Good luck to everyone!

How are the Reds tracking ahead of round one and who's looked good in pre-season?

Were doing OK, to be honest. The pre-season has been a good one so far and I must say we've looked quite bright in our efforts to this point. We still have a few players missing due to injuries sustained from last year and once they become available, we'll be an even stronger outfit. The coaching staff is confident in this group, that's for sure. We [the coaching staff) feel that we've handed them over to [new coach] Rini Coolen in pretty good nick.

I would have to single out young [Matt] Leckie and [Mark] Birighitti prior to them going away with the national team, as well as Cassio as the ones who have stood out to date. And say Adam Hughes'  performances have been refreshingly improved. Really, everyone's putting in though.

Talk us through Rini Coolen's philosophies in terms of style and formation?

Rini has a good footballing brain and brings plenty of experience to the table. I believe he has excellent management skills and is someone I hope to learn a lot from. I'm certainly hoping to benefit from working with him. He has a terrific character and has been very transparent and open with all of the staff from the beginning. In the football world, he will be very well liked and people will gravitate towards his warm personality.

On the football front he has arrived a little late into our pre-season where, quite sensibly, he has chosen to initially observe things from a distance and gradually integrate his philosophies over to the group. He'd been in charge for a week prior to the Perth friendly before officially taking over. I think already in the short space of time, we are bringing things together in a positive way.

His philosophy and vision will no doubt impact on us all through time. There may be a couple of slight variations in our concepts and patterns of play but that's the beauty of football. I think that as a group, we will all certainly grow in time, that's for sure. 

How have you adapted to working with a new gaffer?

Thus far it's been very good. Rini has said he will give me a lot of autonomy and for that I'm grateful. I've enjoyed taking some of the training sessions and I've also enjoyed his interaction and input since he's arrived, as well as being able to observe his coaching methods and practices when he takes the reins on the technical front in how he wants the team to play.

Obviously, it will be his style of play we adapt to when the team takes the field but he's definitely the type to ask questions on how we can improve our efforts on the pitch so, I'll be looking forward to having some input when called upon in the same fashion as I did when Aurelio asked for some guidance or support.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Carl Veart, Peter Blazincic, Ryan Peremiczko our football operations manager and the staff for their support whilst Rini wasn't there and to also say well done to our high performance staff, Andrew Young and Sean Tagg. Andrew and Sean both have the experience of working in the English Premier League with Fulham and the pre season training program they designed was world class from a football conditioning perspective. 

 Has your role changed from what it was with Aurelio and, if so, in what way?

I really enjoyed working together with Aurelio and was genuinely pleased to see him progress his career in his new role with the national team program. My role whilst with Aurelio was to give my input whenever called upon and to also give 100% in whatever I did for both Viddie and the club. If, and when I'm called upon from Rini I'll be there to offer my input again.

I'll be there to obviously help him assimilate himself with the landscape of coming over to a new country firstly and to help make that transition as smooth as possible. Additionally, my role will involve assisting him to gain a better understanding of the A-League itself as quickly as possible. However, the language of football the world over is the same and you'd have to say Rini already has a good grasp on that.

 How did you enjoy taking the side in-between Aurelio leaving and Rini joining?

Honestly, I loved it. I have to thank the players and the staff again for their support during the short period I was at the helm and I must say it felt tremendously uplifting to be working amongst them whilst leading the group. There was a freshness about the place and a great approach from everyone.

I felt that our pre-season program was strategically mapped out very well indeed with the additional input and experienced guidance of Andrew Young and Sean Tagg and I can honestly say all the players throughout that six-seven week period enjoyed the football specific conditioning aspect of the program. We managed to win the two friendlies in a positive fashion that we took part in during our time without Rini, which was pleasing. We also feel the playing group appears to look quite good at the moment following our pre season preparation period.                                                 

Away from domestic matters, how do you view the Socceroos' campaign at South Africa 2010?

We're certainly a better side than the one that showed up for the game against Germany. That said; credit must go to the coach, staff and the players for the way they managed to turn things around in the final two games. It's a hard gig that's for sure. I thought we could have done a bit better though. I feel we're a better team than the one we viewed in the qualifiers and certainly a side capable of playing better football. I don't feel the team really expressed itself enough during the qualifying stages.

Yes, we qualified but, not in the most positive of ways. At the World Cup, it wasn't until we realised we may get knocked out that the team began to show some real initiative and express itself in a more positive fashion against Ghana and Serbia by playing a more positive brand of football.

 Pim Verbeek's change of formation against Germany? Was it a gamble? Was it justified?

I'll keep this one simple. I think it's fair to say that the change of formation was a shock to most of us in that game, including myself. That said; you just don't know what was going on in camp or, if there were any injury clouds concerning some of the boys. It was definitely a gamble though and with hindsight no, it didn't come off. However, I must say they came up against a very strong opponent in Germany and their task was always going to be a difficult one.  

What type of manager would you like to see take over the Socceroos?

Someone who allows his team to express themselves. So, it is my opinion that our next manager needs to be a very confident and successful one. Someone in the mould of an Arsene Wenger, Guus Hiddink again perhaps, a man who is capable of winning games still, yet, allows his teams to play a more expressive brand of football at the same time. We need a manager who will attract massive media attention also.

The A-League is most definitely on the way up and it needs all the exposure it can get. Gaining the right to host the 2022 World Cup would be fantastic for the game here and I feel a vibrant well known household name would be a massive plus for the game on a number of fronts between now and hopefully, gaining the right to host tournament.

Perhaps after that it's our own Aurelio Vidmar who's given a chance?

England's campaign was generally agreed to be poor. Is it a case of too many stars not playing as a team and too many expectations? Or is there more to it than that?

Without doubt, their campaign was poor. I feel that England got both their preparation wrong and also their clientele wrong. The logistics surrounding their campaign were suspect with questions surrounding how well planned and thought out their preparation was. Their players had all come off a long and arduous EPL season without a winter break and perhaps they could have had a more strategic thought out training plan, as opposed to exposing the players to double sessions and games at both altitude and sea level so close together prior, to the rigors of the World Cup.

How can a player like Wayne Rooney perform so listlessly for his country when for the majority of the EPL season he was often winning games all by himself with a hunger and tenacity we never saw once in all the games he played for England at the World Cup. Why?    

What's your fundamental football philosophy?

I believe my first instinct as a coach, is to help teach players on how to actually win games of football. To say my philosophy doesn't hold this trait would be foolish and dishonest of me.  I've been fortunate enough to absorb, learn and nurture my own coaching visions over time due to the exposure I've had from all of the ethnic and cultural influences that Australian football has to offer.

There is no right way or wrong way. I suppose you could say my coaching philosophy and style is very international. That's why, I believe my philosophy is a mixture of all these styles, as well as holding my own vision on how the game should be played.

My strongest influences as a coach come from the likes of Arsene Wenger, whose team always exhibit a free flowing creative style of football. I like my team to implement a quick and dynamic brand of football integrating a passing game with plenty of movement off the ball allowing for good options to the ball carrier.

 I like to win playing football, as they say. I also like to ask for plenty of initiative from my players to engage in the game in a productive fashion, either, with or without the ball. I also admire and draw from the football philosophy of Jose Mourinho.

As a Chelsea fan, Jose is my favourite. He encourages a balance of good modern football and pragmatism but, first and foremost, he's a winner. Like Mourinho, I too like strong communicative players also. All strong winning teams have mentally strong and culturally evolved ethics and principals in place, both individually and as a group. I believe strength in character and sound mentality are the prerequisites to just about all of the most successful teams.

For any coach, I feel it is important and ideal that you are able to bring together a squad of players that is technically capable of implementing your own tactical philosophy along with players of a strong mentality.

 Finally, what's the future hold for Phil Stubbins?

At this moment I'm really happy to be involved in Australian football at the highest level.  In regards to the future, I'm very confident in my own abilities as a coach and I'm secure in the fact that, as long as I continue to constantly challenge my own progression in the game then the future holds only what I deserve from it. Hopefully, down the track my time will come to one day lead a club on merit.