I would also ask that what proportion of those U23 players are based overseas and signed already? What does Vidmar then bring to the table in the form of being able to attract Aussie talent?
I'm not sure how I feel about Aurelio if he threw his name in the hat.
You would imagine that some one like Vidmar who has extensive A-League and Oz youth coaching experiance MUST have a fairly good handle on what players might be available for him to bring to a club if he became manager. As an Oz age group coach he must be getting the gossip from a network of local coaches regarding potential talent....it would be part of his job. He certainly would have better knowledge of potential local recruits than say someone from Europe(not that I would have anything against a European coach)
It is interesting to note that the current trend in the A-League is to appoint local coaches. It is also intertesting to note the success of the "new breed" coming through. Guys who have had a background as assistants are now starting to make their mark. Edwards at Perth has turned around a train smash of a season. 4 wins out of six and they are playing much better football than under Ferguesson. I thought they were really unlucky in the playoffs against Melbourne V. Same with Mulvey at the Roar. He took a little while to adjust but he too turned their season around and they are a good shot at making the Grand final. Also Popovich at WSW came virtually out of nowhere.
Again I have no particular preference about where our new coach comes from but certainly if you get an Aussie you can guarantee that they will already be well adjusted to the unique aspects of the A-League....long international travel, salary cap, import restrictions, finals playoffs, summer season etc.
It all really comes down to getting the right person....if they are good enough then where they come from should be irrelevant. However I believe in the short term a non Oz coach would struggle a bit on the recruitment front. They will probably be able to get only one new import and then have to find possibly up to six players form Oz/NZ. Tough ask for someone new to the region . He would have to rely on Gould and Greenacre, if they are still at the club....and neither of them have much experiance at recruiting.
Ray Gatt
?@Gatty54