At the time of writing it’s still unclear precisely where Patrick Kisnorbo will be heading and which team he will be coaching after quitting Melbourne Victory.
When a club chairman says the following, “We are disappointed to see Patrick depart the club so early in his expected journey with us; however, Patrick has advised us that this is an opportunity he wanted to take for his own development as a coach,” you know all too well that the club was blindsided by the decision and, to not put too fine a point on the situation, is seriously pissed off.
Just four days out from the Melbourne Derby where Victory will almost certainly enter the contest as clear favourites against a fighting hard but injured and undermanned Melbourne City, Kisnorbo must have signed on for what will be some serious coin elsewhere.
Good luck to him. There is simply no loyalty in football from a managerial or player point of view these days and as soon as the bleeding heart brigade realise that fact, movement between clubs can be made without the emotional nonsense that often surrounds significant contracts.
Melbourne Victory would have torn up the agreement with Kisnorbo had he arrived at the club and not had an instant impact. Similarly, any player whose performances are simply beneath the expectations of a manager will be cast aside at the first opportunity.
And thus is the way football has become. Long gone are the handshake deals and selection based on deeds past, although a few might argue that some players across the league might be getting something of a leg up based on days gone by.
Patrick Kisnorbo. (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
Yet in the most part, the ruthless and cut-throat nature of modern professional sport is mighty simple to understand and observe based on what we see weekly in the world game.
Just as Ange Postecoglou declared his loyalty towards and passion for the Celtic fans that took to him with adoration and admiration, Kisnorbo came back to Australia after a failed period in France with Troyes, with the promise of commitment to the Victory cause.
In Postecoglou’s case, he was quick to jump at the chance to extend himself in the biggest league in the world after just two seasons and 113 games at the helm of the Scottish giant. Kisnorbo lasted just 12 matches in Melbourne with Victory, winning nine across league and cup competitions.
The move interrupts a season that looked well on course for one of the A-League’s most successful and powerful clubs.
Now, Victory assistant Arthur Diles will take the reins for the short term and attempt to keep the talented squad on track for a semi-final appearance in 2024/25. Based on the cattle available to him, the task is more than manageable.
However, exactly what effect the departure of the Victory manager will have as the season enters it second third and the busy festive period that demands team shift out of weekend football and into a more fluid period of play, is unknown.
Victory follow up the derby clash with City this weekend and move on to a Big Blue the following Saturday, before tackling current ladder leaders and the still-undefeated Auckland FC just four days later. Three days later, they host the Wanderers.
It is that kind of scheduling that requires teams to be united, calm and well prepared, something that Kisnorbo’s departure will almost certainly affect. If Diles can pull it together, all credit to him, yet the Victory board will be furious that a season looming as a potentially championship-winning one, could be derailed by the unexpected departure of the coach, just when the confidence was building in the group.
That group is mighty impressive, with names like Jason Geria, Daniel Arzani, Zinedine Machach, Bruno Fornaroli, Jordi Valadon, Roderick Miranda and Reno Piscopo right to think they are well inside the championship window.
Kisnorbo’s departure puts all the planning and preparation in jeopardy, but it will not be his lack of loyalty that prevents the squad from climbing the mountain this season.
Instead, it will be the simple fact that neither players nor managers care too deeply about the clubs they represent these days. And for that, football is a little worse off.