Adelaide fans fire up after club releases 'statement of incompetence'

Adelaide United fans have heavily criticised the club's management on social media after the club decided to release a statement in regards to fan behavior after the 2-0 home loss to Melbourne Victory.

Adelaide United

Adelaide United fans at Hindmarsh stadium. Source: AAP

The Reds dismal season is going from bad to worse. 

With only one win in their last 15 matches, United fans, according to the club's statement, "saw fit to express their views as to the team’s performance and the “lack of” investment this season in the Adelaide United playing squad."

The actions of those fans provoked the following statement from the club: 

"Putting aside the totally inappropriate language used and directed to AUFC Board Members and family of our coaching staff, which will be dealt with, the Club believes it is important to correct the falsities in the minds of some fans regarding player spend this season."

"The Club has spent 100 per cent of the A-League’s salary cap and we have utilised our home-grown player allocation and marquee funds. 

"Our recruitment and retention decisions have not been made by a sole individual. The Club’s Football Sub-Committee, which includes owners, senior management, and all members of the coaching staff, have been aligned through this process.

"We equally share the burden of our successes and failures. The entire football community in South Australia has benefitted from the investment we have made in A-League, Women's Football, and Youth Development. This is without mentioning the infrastructure costs associated with the setting up of the Playford Training Facility and the soon to be opened Northern Football Building at Elizabeth.

"In addition to this, our January transfer window recruitment plan, which we are already implementing, has been in place since the start of the season. We are working feverishly to secure the further players we acknowledge are required to return the Club to its rightful position on the ladder.

"We anticipate making positive announcements in this regard during the course of the transfer period which closes Saturday, 4 February.

The statement was blasted on Adelaide United's own Facebook page with the second top comment describing it as "a statement of incompetence".



"If you have spent 100% of the cap and this is the result of it, isn't that a further proof the people are correct in placing the blame on the board? If you'd spent 70% and we weren't up to scratch it would be more understandable, but to come out and say we spent it all and this is the best we've got is more a statement of incompetence than anything," commented United fan Ben Waldon.

"So if the club has spent 100% of what it is allowed to, money has been wasted on bad recruitment and or coaching is not up to scratch. 1 win in 14 is unacceptable at any level," echoed Brad Wells.

Another fan, Sam Johnson, commented that it seems unlikely that the vague promise of player recruitment in January will be fulfilled if they are spending 100% of the salary cap like they claim in the statement.
Adelaide United currently sit last on the table, having taken just seven points from the opening 14 matches. 






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3 min read
Published 8 January 2017 2:15pm
By Nick Stoll
Source: SBS


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