The Mastermind Josep Gombau arrived at Adelaide as an unknown quantity, promising to entertain and implement a strong football philosophy in the City of Churches. Whilst there were some bumps along the road for Gombau, including a run in with a somewhat well-known Adelaide Journalist, the Spanish mentor has put his stamp on this league. United struggled early on, but once Gombau’s style clicked with the players, they put in some of the season’s finest performances. Adelaide and Gombau promised to entertain the fans, and provide a relevant, modern type of football. The Reds did not disappoint. In the words of Adelaide United General Manager of Football Operations, Michael Petrillo “It’s vital that the club has a longer term view of its football strategy and that it accepts the need to implement a club centred football philosophy which will allow it to have a definitive, recognisable playing style which can produce on field success in the first instance and then bring off field success in the future.” It’s fair to say that Gombau and Adelaide have gone a long way this season to achieving the goals they set themselves, despite finishing 6th on the ladder. Gombau’s flamboyant side, both on [...]