Arf!
First of all, the forum hasn't gone quite weird, it's always been quite weird.
Second, not everybody on here feels they have to play the same devil's advocate role that you do, where every single thing the club says or does gets questioned, or has the most negative spin possible put on it. You're actually very good at that so I feel like I don't need to bother.
I listened to David Dome on the podcast and it sounded to me like the club is doing its best to balance the competing demands of a) letting the new coach choose their squad and b) the timing issues, and not leaving the new coach with too many spots to fill, too late in the off season, and only dregs to choose from.
It's not ideal, but then nothing ever is.
Not ideal !! Flippin unreal !! What football club in the world picks the players for its coach.
But then the club management has no-one else (outside Greenacre and RH can't have a hand in - surely ?) who knows anything about football, how an A League football club operates, how to find a coach etc etc. Adelaide have their new coach in the wings now, if they need one.
Flashback
" The owners of the Wellington Phoenix have rewarded loyalty by promoting David
Dome to the position of general manager today.
Welnix chairman Rob Morrison said the owners had interviewed a quality field
of applicants, from as far afield as Europe, the United States and Australia,
and that it was Dome's passion that set him apart from the rest. "
Sorry, passion is not enough to run a football club. Scary to think what we'll end up with.