After a week that rocked Adelaide United, former Reds star ROBBIE CORNTHWAITE analyses Craig Goodwin’s departure from the Isuzu UTE A-League, but explains why the club’s 20th season can still be a success.
When news broke of Adelaide United captain Craig Godwin’s departure, it not only rocked Adelaide United and its fan base, it shocked the Australian football public. The reigning Johnny Warren Medal winner and one of the stars of the Socceroos’ 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign had ultimately accepted a life-changing offer to return to his former club, Al Wehda in Saudi Arabia. While that alone was almost too much to take, it was the club’s apparent poor handling of the negotiations that has rightly angered Adelaide fans.
31-year-old Goodwin has never shied away from his love and passion for his hometown club and would happily wear the tag of ‘Mr. Adelaide United’, so why was the club’s leading goal scorer so upset after his departure?
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Despite the multimillion-dollar offer from the Middle East, Goodwin was willing to stay in red and had approached the club about a three-year contract extension, which would have seen his deal expire at the age of 36.
In my opinion, Adelaide had, rightly or wrongly, every right to refuse that deal if it didn’t make sense financially in the latter years. Would I have extended him for that long on the same money? Probably not.
The sticky point, and the reason I’m told Craig was so upset, was the lack of a counteroffer by the club. They never went back to him with a revised deal to see if they could meet somewhere in the middle; they never tested the water to try and keep the club’s greatest ever player. How could you not see that he was willing to accept far less than what was on offer to stay? He’d turned down many others in the past, but the deal on the table this time was too good to turn a blind eye to, no matter how much you love Adelaide.
For me, this is unacceptable and the club clearly dropped ball. They didn’t want to re-sign a player on big money who still had two years left to run on his current deal. They played it safe from a financial point of view and were far too short sighted, which is odd when you know how far ahead they think in terms of squads. Whether Craig would have accepted a revised deal, we will never know, but Goodwin and his family deserved to make that decision.
As for Craig coming out on social media, that’s not something I completely agree with either. What’s to gain from a statement like that? It only serves to garner sympathy while turning people against the team you said you loved so much. Being hurt is totally understandable, but you’ve heaped more pressure on a team that’s already had a terrible preseason.
I know from experience that sometimes it’s better to be the bigger man.
With all that said, I wish you nothing but luck and hope to see you back at United one day. I wouldn’t rule it out!
Just quickly, Red Army. You only have to look at what’s happened at Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou in the past few months to know that things can change very quickly in football. I’m not comparing Carl to Ange, but when Spurs lost Harry Kane, everyone said: how will he ever be replaced? He won’t, but something new is always born when things change or players leave. And how quickly Kane has been forgotten.
New players are making a name for themselves, and that’s something that happens year after year around the world. It’ll be no different at Coopers.
There’s a lot I’m excited about for this season, and you should be too.
With Craig gone, the opportunity is now there for one of the hottest properties in world football to stake his claim as United’s most potent attacking option. There’s no point in signing an out-and-out winger now who’s going to stop the 17-year-old from playing. The door has been opened for Nestory Irankunda to earn his place in the starting 11.
It won’t be given to him, but if the prospect of Nesta starting week in and week out doesn’t excite you, I don’t know what will.
Even if he only starts 15–20 games, I’d be shocked if he doesn’t reach a double-digit goal tally.
While rumours of his move to Germany have resurfaced in recent weeks, I believe negotiations between the two clubs are still ongoing, with no deal currently in place. Even if a deal is struck, there’s a very good chance it won’t be announced until 2024, when he turns 18 years old and inevitably makes the move to Europe.
Whatever happens, we all know he’s here this season, and if he can mature and improve his match fitness and discipline, then you’d be a fool not to be watching Adelaide United week in and week out this season.
What Carl Veart has managed to do over the past few seasons has been nothing short of miraculous. The side has made the semi-finals in each of the past three seasons, something most other A-League fans could only dream of.
He’s done it his way, playing free-flowing, attacking football while giving a large number of kids their start in the professional game. I’m not an Adelaide United cheerleader, so I’d be lying if I said things were perfect. The club has rarely gotten things right defensively in the past few seasons, but despite what we may all think, that’s not the number one focus at United. They want to score goals and subscribe to the theory that if they score three, we’ll score four. That doesn’t always work, obviously.
Did the season end well last season? No! Obviously, the way the side went out was extremely disappointing, but let’s not forget what the Mariners went on to do to Melbourne City in the Grand Final. Adelaide weren’t the only ones to get thrashed by the eventual champions.
With all that said, Carl and the fans deserve the best possible team the club can put together. They deserve a team that’s going to be not only exciting but also extremely competitive, and the good news for the Red Army is that reinforcements are on the way.
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My understanding is that the club is closing in on two foreign signings, with an announcement hopefully not too far away. Fans have been crying out for something new in the front third, and they could soon be getting their wish.
A versatile attacking option and another central midfielder are high on the club’s wish list and should be secured in the near future.
The profile of these players is very important. A player who’s got experience but still has plenty to offer. Adelaide has played its cards right in the past and signed club legends like Cássio, Marcelo Currusca, and Isaias, three names we would have never heard of when they arrived.
As I mentioned, Adelaide has been defensively poor over the past 12 months in particular, and I know some will be asking why the club hasn’t targeted a foreign centre back. I personally do see the benefit of bringing in experience, especially in that position, but I’m not a coach, and clearly Adelaide would prefer to spend that money elsewhere. The options at the back are thin, but it’s more about the way the team defends than who’s there. It’s an area of concern.
The youth team won the SANPL title last week, and if this isn’t a clear sign of the youth system the club has put in place over the past 5–10 years, then I don’t know what is. I wrote an article last year about the policy the club has implemented and how they are clearly a leader in minutes for players under U/20. While some may believe the club isn’t planning ahead, I can guarantee they are already locking in talented kids for 2024 and beyond.
Johnny Yull, Luke Duzel and Luka Jovanovic are all on 3-plus-year contracts with more around the corner. There’s a whole crop of players that, in two seasons, could make up the bulk of the Reds squad. This club is more like Athletic Bilbao, where homegrown talent comes first.
The club is also celebrating its 20th birthday this year, the first of the A-League clubs other than Perth Glory. The team has been officially known as ‘the people’s team, but this year it’s ‘the people’s club’. There have been a lot of highs and lows over the journey, and that’s what being a football fan is all about. The club sought out Ben Coonan, Australian football’s leading storyteller, to make a documentary, which, from what I’ve seen, will be an amazing watch.
There will be other things happening throughout the year, including a fan-voted team of the two decades, the anniversary strips dropping shortly, and so much more.
There’s been a lot of change over the past 20 years, and it feels like there’s been a lot more over the past few months, but the Goodwin situation can never happen again. There’s a new director of football who’s getting thrown in at the deep end.
The owners promised investment, and so far we’ve seen a little bit, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. The back end of the business has been dramatically improved in recent months, and players are now getting more access to world-class recovery, monitoring, and wellness systems.
We all want to see money spent on the pitch, but plenty is happening off it.
The club will soon announce a date for a fan forum where fans can once again come and vent their frustrations or ask questions to the club’s higher-ups. If you are one of the people commenting on social media and voicing your disapproval, then I better see you there.
This is your chance to have your say, so please take the opportunity in a constructive setting to be heard.
Has this been the off-season you dreamed of? No, but this club and this team have been in this city for the past 20 years. It’s part of the fabric of this town, and it’s a part of me. It makes you laugh and cry, but most importantly, it brings people together, and that’s why I love this game.
Despite it all, I know I’ll see you at Coopers!
