One more cup of coffee before I go? Or Sydney v Newcastle is even more interesting...

So the current story is Frank Farina.

Former Roar coach Miron was running from this story from about half way through last year. For Miron and many Roar fans the story was - whether true or not:

ex-socceroo coach Frank Farina wants an A-League coaching job and there are only eight. Frank won the grand final for the Brisbane Strikers as captain coach in 1997. So Frank will wait for an opening at the Roar.

And when it became a question of when and fans again began calling out from their seats for Frank, Miron jumped.

But Miron caught everyone off guard. Particularly Frank and more particularly, it appears from press reports, his family. Frank had been preparing Courier Mail readers with hints in his weekly column that he was interested but that Miron had the job. Miron had to make the finals, so maybe the chance was next year. But at about the half-way mark Frank was put on the spot. Take the chance now or risk losing it altogether - a European was said to be interested in buying a share in the Roar and converting it into a feeder club for a major European club (or something like that as an alternative to Frank). And there are only 8 A-League coaching jobs. And he probably didn't want NZ.

So fans are told Frank is at the Roar for two years. Later it transpires that this was a handshake deal without a contract. Everyone wanted to move fast to secure the right outcome. Handshakes can be worth the paper they are written on.

Fast forward to the present. Terry Butcher is not well liked at Sydney. Players have been fighting. Top strikers have not been getting game time. At least one player has signed with a Japanese 2nd division team coached by the former Sydney coach. One of the coaching staff leaves for the same team and others may follow. Apparently, Terry threw water bottles and things around in the dressing room. Plus his game is said to be boring. And he does seem to be in his own world when you see him on the sideline. Also the crowds stayed away.

Anyway.

Come the end of the home and away season when destabilisation isn’t going to impact the Roar performance, someone howls to the press that Sydney FC is interested in Frank and Frank may not want to move to Queensland after all. With that any breathing space that Frank might have had, or needed, to wait for the orderly end of the season and to allow all the cards to fall as they will disappears.

Soon there is a bark in the press that Frank has been asked to commit to two years as our best friend within 24 hours. The deadline passes. Ambiguity reigns. Can Terry yet make the case to stay? What would it take? Enough that Sydney retain their title? Or too late anyway but can’t move for another coach until the season is officially over? And of Frank, there are still only 8 A-League jobs (he has consulted for the two new teams but they are not due till 2008-9 season), and if he leaves the Roar and Sydney does not become available? Maybe Frank needs Newcastle to win well enough to knock out Sydney tomorrow night, and then he can declare his hand?

And for the Roar? Are fans left thinking that they are the second choice and part of a step in someone’s career plan? Are they left, as the Courier Mail has suggested, with Damian Mori and is he a serious coaching contender? Surely Miron can’t come back? Or will the European reappear? Or was that media handling to make it look like the Roar had thought-out choices?