Adelaide United had a genuine chance of defending the A-League title despite losing three of its attackers, but after Stefan Mauk sealed a dream move to Europe, the Reds’ will now need a minor miracle to be crowned 2016-17 champions.
The departure of Mauk to Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie (NEC) in the Eredivisie for an undisclosed fee had a sense of inevitability about it. Mauk had previously made it no secret of his desire to ply his trade abroad in Europe and a transfer over the winter break was a strong possibility.
“Being able to make the move to Europe, this is something I always dreamed of after making my A-League debut and getting my first professional contract,” he said from the Netherlands in a club press release.
“My aim was always to try and get over to Europe, even since I was a little kid.
“To be able to make the move now on the back of winning the A-League Championship with Adelaide really is a dream come true.”
But consequently, his decision to leave has alarmingly left a gaping hole in the middle of the park for Guillermo Amor. Mauk was a revelation at United after transferring back to his hometown from Melbourne City, proving to be an integral player behind the club’s resurgence and success in the space of five months.
It may seem premature to start writing off Adelaide’s title credentials, given it is still pre-season and the Reds will likely acquire more players – but realistically it probably is not.
History speaks for itself when it comes to teams defending their championship. Look no further than the demise of Melbourne Victory after being seemingly invincible during the 2014-15 season. Since the A-League’s inception in 2005 only one side has won successive ‘Toilet seat-shaped’ trophies with the exception of the phenomenal Brisbane Roar outfit under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou in 2011 and 2012.
The constraints of participating in a salary capped league, means for clubs looking to consolidate on its dominance is near impractical for a variety of reasons – symptomatic of how difficult it is to continue winning accolades.
Despite the exodus in attack over the break, with Craig Goodwin and Bruce Kamau swapping the city of churches for Sparta Rotterdam and Melbourne City respectively, as well as Pablo Sanchez leaving, one sensed Adelaide could replace them and stay competitive.
Had Mauk stayed at Coopers Stadium, coupled with the tactical shrewdness of Amor still at the helm, Adelaide could have mounted a serious case for being a top two contender again. Although short of pedigree up front, the Reds still have a vacant visa spot allowing them to potentially sign a top quality foreigner for the wing.
However, Mauk’s departure was the last straw. He was the lynchpin between defence and attack. The missing piece in Adelaide’s quest to win a maiden and long overdue championship for a proud football city.
Without his creativity, dynamism and admirable defensive work-rate one wonders if the Reds would have taken that next step after going on an incredible run to eventually lift that elusive trophy.
The Reds hierarchy now has the arduous task of not only finding the right international footballer, but also a replacement for Mauk. George Mells, irrespective of showing glimpses of his talent is still a few seasons away from demanding a regular starting role in midfield, while new acquisition Jesse Makarounas was bought as extra depth with the impending AFC Champions League campaign in mind.
Perhaps Isaias could assume a more advanced role to play alongside Marcelo Carrusca and purchase an industrious defensive-midfielder – though that could disrupt the balance of the team.
Whoever Adelaide sign they will have huge boots to fill, given the extraordinary impact Mauk imparted on the club.
It may be harsh and too early to dismiss Adelaide’s chances of going back-to-back, since they are likely to attain at least two more players – Mauk’s successor and a visa player. However, the enormity of the situation should not be underestimated.
But following last season’s sensational heroics – residing at the bottom of the league standings for the first eight weeks – before completing an unprecedented double, anything is possible.
Yet at the moment United’s title defence has taken a major blow for a club desperate to swiftly rebuild.
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