Newly appointed Adelaide United coach John Kosmina wants the players to adopt a ‘warrior mentality’ as he attempts to turn the Reds’ fortunes around this season.
Newly appointed Adelaide United coach John Kosmina wants the players to adopt a ‘warrior mentality’ as he attempts to turn the Reds’ fortunes around this season.
Kosmina who coached the club’s inaugural Hyundai A-League Adelaide squad until stepping down in early 2007 has been recalled to the club for a second stint to replace former coach Rini Coolen.
Coolen had led Adelaide to only two wins this season and was asked to step down following the Reds’ embarrassing 3-0 home defeat to bottom side Gold Coast United.
Coolen is now expected to take up a double role as the Reds’ Youth Team coach and head of the club’s junior development program.
Kosmina who has spent three years away from the coaching caper following his sacking from Sydney FC in January 2009, will coach the Reds until the end of the season when a decision will be made over his longer-term future.
Despite being rushed into the hot seat with a lack of preparation, Kosmina believes he is the man to revive Adelaide’s dismal season.
The 55-year-old pointed to the example of Central Coast coach Graham Arnold who reinvigorated and guided his in-form Mariners to the top of the league table despite a poor start to the season.
“I want to make them warriors… they need to adopt that warrior mentality, but if they don’t buy into it it’s not going to work,” Kosmina said.
“I hope to turn it around, I think I can and I will back myself in, but it comes down to the players… if they want to turn it around then we will turn it around but they have to buy into it.
“Coaches can help players with their motivation … but they have to be intrinsically motivated and really look what’s inside themselves otherwise you’re not going to be successful.”
Kosmina oversaw his first training session in what was an intense run-out for the Reds, with a number of players looking visibly passionate and spirited.
He delivered an inspiring speech prior to the session stressing the need for the players to show purpose and fight on the training ground.
An experienced Qantas Socceroo in his playing days, Kosmina said maintaining consistent intensity in training was the key to achieving results.
“They must train with purpose because training is what it’s all about. If you don’t train well you’re never going to play well, ever,” Kosmina said.
“You get out of it (training) what you put into it and I don’t think that ever changes. If you don’t get stuck in and have a go you’re not going to get a result or be successful.”
“They got stuck in a bit, it was fairly intense… but they’ve got to come back and do it tomorrow, then they’ve got to do it on Thursday night (against Sydney FC) and then they’ve got to do it first session next week.”
Kosmina’s first fixture in charge is against his former employers Sydney FC on Thursday in what’s expected to be an emotional return for the interim coach.
Kosmina hopes a few history lessons will return the fire to the bellies of a United team that hasn’t won in five matches and sit in ninth on the Hyundai A-League table, just one point above Gold Coast.
“Tradition is something that you’ve got to feel, history you can learn about but whether you actually feel it or not is a whole different situation,” he said.
“At least making them aware of that sense of history will help them in the future but it’s not going to change overnight, it won’t just happen.
“I see a room full of players but I don’t see a team in there at the moment.”
