Dear Adelaide United family,
The world of football is never dull, it’s full of twists and turns and we as a Club experienced one last week. As you are all aware, we mutually parted ways with our Head Coach, Gertjan Verbeek.
I firstly want to express my thanks and gratitude for the work he did whilst in his role as Head Coach of our Club. He left his mark by helping us claim our third FFA Cup trophy, as well as debuting a number of promising South Australian talents.
Personally, I have very high hopes for Adelaide United and we must remain optimistic about the future. Essentially, my optimism stems from the opportunity that now presents itself. We can and we will clearly define, where we are, where we are going and how we are going to get there.
In short, we’ve been honest in calling out ‘where we are’ – in needing to improve and establishing what our vision for football looks like.
We once again need to be a team for all South Australians, on and off the field. We have made strides towards this but there is still a long way to go.
The first piece of this puzzle is the Head Coach, which is arguably one of the most important decisions the Club will make in defining who we we are.
Since the Club’s foundation in 2003, there have been eight Head Coaches appointed across the 16 seasons. Of those, only three Australian coaches have ever guided our A-League team.
Too often, the Club’s football philosophy has been predicated on the background, character, management style and tactical preferences of each coach.
Further, an ever-changing football philosophy has been counterproductive when trying to consistently engage our members and fans, as well as creating additional challenges for our player development pathway.
Based on the above, we are developing, what we believe, is the right criteria and values to sustain the long term success of our Club.
We are also working on how we can bring our members on this journey with us, to ensure their voices are heard.
I know it’s been a trying time for everyone, but I firmly believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Please take care of yourself and each other, and stay safe.
Regards,
Bruce Djite
Director of Football
