Grae Piddick’s plan to reinvent Gold Coast United as NPL force
GOLD Coast United’s new coach Grae Piddick has a plan to get his side back to the top.
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GOLD Coast United’s new coach Grae Piddick has a plan to get his side back to the top.
Piddick took the role three months after being dumped by National Premier Leagues Queensland rivals Gold Coast Knights.
The 2019 NPLQ-winning coach said he was looking forward to working with United young playing group.
“I live on the Gold Coast and I’m passionate about Gold Coast football,” he said.
“ I think there’s a lot of potential for the city to have a team who can go somewhere.
“United have been in the A-League before and they’ve publicly stated they want to get back to the highest level.
“For me it’d be great to be a part of that journey and help them get there.”
To make the step up from its 11th placing in 2020, Piddick wants his team to lift its intensity and presence.
“I always want to have sides who are proactive, looking to play good football and take it to the opposition with or without the ball,” he said.
“The avenues we can build on are what the team has already got.
“I want the boys to get out there and let the opposition know they’re playing United.
“At end of the game they should know they’ve had a tough match and we’ve got a satisfactory result. We’re going to be positive and play natural football with young players who want to be aggressive and go for it.”
A high-risk, high-reward style of play is in Piddick’s DNA. It helped carry the Gold Coast Knights to a championship but the style is fraught with danger.
Young players must learn to balance all-out aggression with restraint.
Piddick said the experience of senior leaders in United, like former Socceroos defender Michael Thwaite, would be invaluable in helping youngsters take that step.
’It’s good to be back’: Spicy twist as sacked coach signs with arch rivals
THE popular coach at the centre of Gold Coast sport’s most acrimonious divorce has signed on to coach his former team’s most bitter rival.
Football coach Grae Piddick was dumped by the NPL’s Gold Coast Knights in August after a shock loss snapped a 20-match winning streak.
Three months later Piddick has returned to the Glitter Strip’s football scene at the helm of the Knights’ arch rivals, Gold Coast United.
“It’s good to be back,” Piddick said.
“I’d spoken to a few clubs, some in Brisbane, but once Gold Coast United flagged their interest it was really a no-brainer.”
Piddick’s hiring is sure to supercharge the rivalry between the Coast’s top football sides.
He was replaced at the Knights by club CEO Adem Poric, who is in the mix to return in 2021 to coach against the man he sacked in two mouth-watering Gold Coast derbies.
“I’ll be looking for those fixtures when the draw is out,” Piddick promised.
“They’re going to be some spicy derby matches.
“They’re always interesting games but this will add some spice and that’s good for football on the Coast.”
Piddick said the first step of scaling the heights of Queensland football with his new club would be to create an appropriate coaching structures from the first team to the juniors.
The second, he said, would be to win the “silly season” of player recruitment.
Piddick did not rule out a poaching raid of players he coached to the 2019 NPL championship at Knights.
“I’ve had plenty of chats with players I know,” Piddick said.
“I certainly would love to have some of the Knights players I’ve coached in the past because they’re quality players.
“There are plenty of players around who are good enough to play at NPL level, from United or the local league or overseas, let along other NPL clubs.”
United will announce new hires to the coaching staff and playing roster in coming weeks.
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