It must be hard to support Adelaide United

Expectations and patience are two of the hardest concepts to balance, in football and in life. Adelaide United supporters know full well just how difficult that line is as they watch new manager Josep Gombau implement his ballyhooed system at the Coopers Stadium.

Since winning the premiership in the A-League’s debut season of 2005/06, Adelaide have finished 2nd, 6th, 2nd, 10th, 3rd, 9th and 4th. That unsteady track record has led to five different managers in the past nine seasons, not including a second stint for John Koosmina. The Reds haven’t had a manager coach 50 games (essentially two seasons) since Aurelio Vidmar left in 2010.

So the hiring of Gombau is a clean slate. Starting over in nearly every way, despite a very reasonable fourth place finish last season. Old players out, new players in. Old system(s) out, new system in. Of every club in the A-League, Adelaide probably appreciated the unending offseason more than anyone as it provided plenty of time to learn and adjust. And certainly the early returns, at least in appearance, are noteworthy. The Reds control the possession and frequently the pace of their games, despite not yet figuring out exactly how to finish off an opponent.

That is where patience comes in. Clearly Gombau’s charges understand the concepts and to a large degree they execute them. 87% passing completion, even if most of them are between center backs, is not easy. Playing defense with offense, as it were, is working to a certain degree. At least over the first hour of Adelaide games. Then the games open up a bit and so far, at least, the Reds have been susceptible to late goals and thus lost points. It’s simply going to take a while before the full game plan can match the early game plan of simply passing until someone finds an opening.

But what must make this early period of transition more difficult for supporters to swallow are comments from Gombau about how his team is playing. To be fair, English is not his first language, so it is possible he is making simpler statements because they are easier to communicate, but for fans of the Reds, it would be hard to see the team give up two goals in the final half-hour to a former Adelaide player and then read the following comments, as quoted in Fox Soccer Australia’s match recap:

”I am satisfied with the work that we did. I think we played good football. I thought we could have gotten something from this game but I am happy with how we are playing. We are improving.

“Win or lose for me is not important, what’s important is what we are building. We are playing one style and after some time, we will play very well.”

Surely all Adelaide fans can understand what Gombau is saying, yet in a league with just twenty-seven games in each season, not winning is not much of an option. What makes such statements even more difficult to accept, from a fan perspective, is the fact that the results have gotten worse each week, not better. An opening weekend win came fairly easily against Perth Glory with Jeronimo scoring twice and Adelaide winning 3-1. They led 2-0 against Melbourne Victory in Round 2 but collapsed in the second half to draw 2-2. Last weekend the Reds did not score in a 1-0 loss at Central Coast Mariners and this week they led at the hour but lost 2-1 at Western Sydney.

Within the system, Adelaide are improving. The returns of Jeronimo and Marcelo Carrusca are vital, not just because they combined for the goal last night in the Sydney suburbs, but because they add a bite to a set up that otherwise tends to gum around the edges. And to be fair, playing the Victory, Mariners and Wanderers in succession, the latter two on the road, is as tough a stretch as there is in the A-League. But it cannot be easy for Adelaide fans to be patient in a footballing world that expects finals or fired.

Should Reds supporters be patient? Yes, they must. But does that mean it will be as easy to accept as it is for Gombau, who sees the minute improvements in training or a more comprehensive understanding among his players? No, of course not. While the style may be pleasing to watch, the potential for its toothlessness is also evident. But with such a huge shift in approach and system, time is necessary.

Adelaide took a big risk in hiring a young coach with a lofty vision. Both the fans and the club need to give him the space and opportunity to be successful. Perhaps he will ultimately do no better than the fourth place finish the Reds secured a year ago, but patience is in the best interest of everyone involved if the expectations set are to be reached.