Jacob Stevens 
Adelaide United 2024/25 A-League season preview. Photo: Texi Smith. Design: Round Ball Australia
With a new technical director, Ernest Faber, at the helm, an almost complete clear out of the squad in the offseason and minimal action in the transfer market, Adelaide United are arguably the league’s biggest question mark heading into the season.
This is a team that failed to make finals last season, and yet despite scraping past NPL opposition in the Australia Cup, only narrowly missed out on a shot at silverware, falling to a strong Victory side in close fashion in the semi final.
The true form of this team is a massive unknown. Dutch centre back Bart Vriends is yet to step onto the pitch – and the same can be said for Archie Goodwin and recent signing Ben Folami.
With a new-fangled back three formation (whether through necessity or not), it seems Carl Veart, has made some tactical changes to try and bring some silverware to his reign as longest-serving United head coach.
The Manager: Carl Veart
Veart has become a divisive figure in Adelaide footballing circles in recent seasons.
Some fans appreciate his no-nonsense, game-by-game attitude, while other have bemoaned a lack of tactical nous and ability to set the team up for big games.
He was cut some slack by the board with a three year extension two seasons ago, but he has not achieved anything in that time, and in fact fans have seen the team’s form steadily decline.
While the club acknowledges it is rebuilding at this point in time, that approach is almost directly in opposition to having your coach on only one year.
Veart (and the club) has had all the time in the world to build a competitive squad, and failed. It is harsh, sure, but it is true.
That leaves him in an odd position. He is now tasked with leading the team through the first year of a potentially rocky rebuild, without the comfort afforded to him by his previously cushy contract.
It is not clear exactly where the club sits with regard to Veart, but given the lengthy contracts handed out to players identified as being pivotal to the rebuilding of the squad, it might suggest they are not fully committed to Veart.
There is no reason to believe Veart is in the metaphorical hot seat; mostly because the club has low expectations anyway and his contract expires this year so even if it is a complete disaster, it will be over at the end of the season.
The Squad
A bit of spring cleaning was needed after last season, which is exactly what the club did.
The departures of Ben Halloran, Lachlan Barr, Nick Ansell and Ben Warland came as no surprise, the former being well out of form, and the latter three combining to contribute to one of the league’s worst defences last season.
But it was not just some of the so-called ‘deadwood’ that was cleared. Most notably star Japanese striker Hiroshi Ibusuki, fresh off the back of a 15 goal season, was released by the club after contract talks broke down.
This was a second departure in as many seasons that left a rather sour taste in the mouths of Adelaide fans.
Much like Craig Goodwin, Hiroshi made it clear he wanted to stay at the club; and also much like Goodwin, Hiroshi had just had a season-best career.
Not only was salt rubbed in the wound as Ibusuki headed to another A-League side in Western United, but the striker the club have signed this off season, Archie Goodwin, has seen only minutes in some friendlies before suffering yet another injury.
Ernest Faber’s tenure at the top has also seen the club bring in Wanderers winger Dylan Pierias and Victory attacker Ben Folami, the latter on a boggling deal that will see the Melbourne club continue to pay a portion of his salary for the coming season.
Easily the biggest, and most exciting, signing so far has been Bart Vriends. He is exactly the player Reds fans have been crying out for, if not a few seasons too late to actually capitalise on the impact he is expected to have at the back.
Speaking of which, Adelaide’s defence may be just as bad again this season. Not necessarily because of a decrease in quality, but simply because the depth is so poor that an injury or absence (or both, as seen in the Cup semi final) will leave the side without an actual defender available for selection.
The signing of Jordan Elsey to a one year deal adds at least a bit of depth, but he has not played meaningful minutes since 2023 due to injury, and as good as any player might be, nobody can do the role of two players at once.
The short contract also suggests that this was a desperate, hail Mary signing from the club. Beggars can’t be choosers, and in this economy you can only take players that are not only available, but also willing to join the club.
In this space, you would expect to see the club try and do a bit of business in January to shore up the future of the backline, as alongside the three aforementioned centre backs, the Reds also waved goodbye to promising young full backs Harry van der Saag and Giuseppe Bovalina.
That leaves Ryan Kitto, who was far from the best defensively last season, a 37-year-old Javi Lopez, and two repurposed wingers in Panashe Madanha and Pierias as starting options at full back.
Somewhere where depth is not an issue is in the centre of the park. The United midfield is arguably one of the strongest in the league, both in raw quality and depth.
Stefan Mauk and Zach Clough both return, the pair forming a strong connection in the latter stages of last season.
They will be helped, likely in a four-man midfield, by youngsters such as Ethan Alagich (who has been recognised as a key player moving forwards and rewarded with a five year deal) and Jay Barnett.
These two have shown good signs of a strong double pivot in preseason, absolutely shutting the Wanderers midfield out of the game in the Cup quarter final.
Depth pieces, and those who may even push for starts, include the much-lauded Jonny Yull, defensive veterans Ryan Tunnicliffe and Isaias, and the versatile options of Josh Cavallo and Luke Duzel.
The key players this season are without a doubt going to be the more ‘veteran’ players. The likes of Mauk and Clough need to really lay on the creativity this season to help bed in the younger, less experienced forwards in the squad.
Likewise at the back, Vriends will have a lot on his plate to shore up the back line, and evidence so far suggests that centre backs in Veart’s new system will have a lot of defensive responsibility.
Keep an eye on Austin Ayoubi up front, too. Now in his second season with the club, he was resigned to sitting on the bench behind Ben Halloran last season, but has already shown his dynamism and quality in attack in the preseason.
He will be out to prove that Veart made a mistake not using him last season, and while he is not super young like some of the players that have come into the United squad in recent years, he is only 23 and has a lot still ahead of him.
Panagiotis Kikianis is also due a breakout season, already receiving a five year deal from the club. Partnering Vriends should help him develop quickly – which he’ll need to do given he hasn’t a huge amount of experience at this level.
The Off-Field
It has been an exciting few months off the pitch for the club.
Following the announcement of a partnership with Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven, the appointment of former-PSV youth head Ernest Faber as United’s technical director and a visit to the Netherlands for a few of the Reds’ coaches and youth prospects, there is already a fresh sense that this might become a partnership that proves fruitful for both clubs.
And, while the ownership situation has been interesting in recent years, with the club being on the market as recently as 24 months ago, Cor Adriaanse and the other, unknown, backers in the consortium have stood behind the club and taken it out of debt and into a financially stable situation.
Plus there is Hindmarsh Stadium, already the greatest football venue in the country, has seen tens of millions of dollars worth of upgrades, furthering the development plan laid in place prior to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
With safe standing in the Red Army bays in the North Stand, extra video screens around the venue, and a well-earned re-laying of the pitch, there stands no reason why this ground will not be at the top of the players’ choice for best venue come the end of the season once again.
Really the big talking point for the club, though, is its long term vision. Fans lamented a perceived lack of transparency last season – seen as hypocritical by many when the club claimed to be prioritising open communications.
But now fans know where the club sees itself. This is a rebuild, they have missed their chance to compete, and things might get worse before they get better.
Reds fans should take solace, though, in the fact that if the Mariners can turn their fortunes around, then there is a lot to suggest that Adelaide can be just as successful.
And worst comes to worst, at least they will have the best stadium in the league to watch games from.
Expectations
Make the finals.
That is the standard this club has set over the last 20 years. Very rarely do they fail to make the top six, and when they do, it is often accompanied by a coaching exit.
Veart has been handed a lifeline with his lengthy contract, and will need to show his quality as a coach to dispel suggestions his success has come from riding the coattails of talented players like Craig Goodwin and Nestory Irankunda.
Also, surely it is important for Veart to win something. He has been at the club longer than any other head coach, and has yet to even make a final, let alone win silverware.
He is also in his final year on his current contract, and good results – or at least a semblance of improvement over last season – will be pivotal if he is planning on keeping his job.
The Reds have already missed arguably their best chance at silverware with the Australia Cup this year, and Veart has a lot of work ahead to turn the team into a true competitor.
In fact, at the members forum, club officials made it apparent that the team is in a transitional, rebuilding phase, and that they have missed their window for competing and that it will open again in about four years time.
While the transparency is great, it is asking a lot from this fanbase, which has become so accustomed to being the perpetual underdogs and dark horses, to belay those expectations and stick with the team through a potentially rough period of time.
So, while fans may expect a finals appearance, the club has made their expectations clear: don’t expect anything.
In reality, though, in a league where almost half the sides make finals, there is really no reason, on paper, why this team shouldn’t do the same.
Ultimately, despite the expectations, this is a season that could go either way for Adelaide. They could be good, they could be rubbish.
There is lots to be excited about – a few promising youngsters, an upgraded stadium etc. There are also glaring issues – no defensive depth, stagnating form and a board who is in full rebuild mode.
Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, this is a team with many personalities. Two juxtaposing identities that make it hard to truly pin down what exactly this team will look like.
Are they rebuilding? Are they trying to win now? Who knows? But what is blatantly obvious is that this will be one hell of a journey.
Correction: The orginal version of this piece indicated that Carl Veart is in the final year of his contract. Veart is actually contracted until the end of the 2025/26 season.