Someone Up There Hates Me

Seriously? This guy?

Only 20 minutes before I began writing this very piece, Sydney FC confirmed the news that was being reported that Frank Farina would officially become the new coach of the club. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I wrote the following:

“Obviously several locally based managers will apply for the job. I would imagine former Socceroos coach Frank Farina will be interested but to say I would be upset if they hired him would be an understatement. After his Socceroos stint, I want nothing to do with supporting a team he coaches ever again.”

When I saw the news tick across the bottom of the screen watching Question Time on Sky News this afternoon, I instantly texted a friend telling him about it and the reply I got was “Oh f*ck” but without the *.

Whilst I didn’t agree with hiring Ian Crook in the first place as I thought the club needed someone better and could certainly get better, I didn’t for the life of me think that they would replace him with truly one of the worst football coaches I can remember. Frank Farina was truly awful as Socceroos coach and replacing him with Guus Hiddink was like upgrading from a Datsun to a Rolls Royce. I have never had a conversation about him where someone has defended him, which says a lot.

Then he coached the Queensland Roar before they changed their name to Brisbane. They weren’t terrible but certainly not very good and certainly not particularly entertaining. Once again as soon as he was sacked, he was replaced by someone competent and the team turned into the juggernaut that went on to win back to back titles. Not to mention he was fired for getting done for drink driving ON THE WAY TO TRAINING.

I don’t know Frank Farina as a person and he might be a terrific bloke, but to be honest I really don’t care about that. What I care about is that Sydney FC are in a situation where they need to capitalise on the godsend they received by having Alessandro Del Piero agree to play for them and when Ian Crook resigned they had the opportunity to take a step in the right direction. Del Piero is no spring chicken and as I wrote about previously, this is a win now situation.

Then again maybe Sydney FC are geniuses. Whoever replaces Farina seems to have great success, so if he coaches for simply one game and then is sacked, perhaps the next coach will turn the club around. Or you know, perhaps this will be a wasted season where the A-League took steps forward and Sydney FC, despite having the best player in the league, took major steps backwards.

I can’t imagine Del Piero staying on past his two year contract, so if this season is a bust – and right now all my money is on it staying that way – I hope they find a suitable coach and recruit players to make the club successful in 2013/14.

I might be proven wrong and Sydney FC might turn it around under Farina and yet I will still disagree with hiring him in the first place. All you can go on is history and there is nothing suggesting this is a good decision.

It’s hard being a fan sometimes.