Soccer: Rich pickings for Auckland

It's sometimes said that Auckland City are the Chelsea of New Zealand football.

They're one of the richest clubs around and have spent close to $300,000 on player wages this season.

They took success for granted after three consecutive NZFC titles, as well as an appearance at the Club World Cup in 2006, and wanted to win with style.

And they then followed Roman Abramovich's lead and installed a revolving door for coaches as they became impatient for success.

This NZFC season has been a short one, reduced from 21 to 14 rounds, but it has been tumultuous for the Kiwitea St club.

They sacked another coach and have lost more games than in any other season.

Remarkably, however, they are still in with a chance of winning

everything. They should beat bottom team Canterbury United in today's

final round of the NZFC and it would mean they once again finish second behind runaway leaders Waitakere United.

That would leave them in pole position to claim the second O-League spot for New Zealand teams for 2009-10.

They would claim this if they or Waitakere win the grand final and as long as the Oceania Confederation again gives New Zealand two places in next season's O-League.

They are also just one draw away against Waitakere from qualifying for the O-League final and, win that, a large share of the minimum US$500,000 doled out by Fifa to play at the Club World Cup.

Two months ago, things didn't look quite so rosy. They had just sacked coach Colin Tuaa and slumped to sixth on the NZFC table after a series of poor performances.

"That was the low point," coach Paul Posa said. "We had to make some changes and we had a heart-to-heart about what was going on.

"Some guys spoke their mind about what was going on, which was a good thing, and there has been a change of attitude since then.

"Some of the senior guys have also stepped up and taken the responsibility on board. But that's when things turned around."

It was also when Posa took control as coach. He had been installed as Tuaa's successor but assistant Ramon Tribulietx was still picking the side.

Posa took over selections after their disappointing 3-1 loss to Wellington at Kiwitea St and they have since gone on a run of two wins and a draw, crucially against rivals YoungHeart Manawatu and Hawke's Bay, as well as an 8-1 O-League victory over Port Vila.

They have shown in that time they are at least the second best side in the country.

Captain Ivan Vicelich has played more fitting of someone understood to be on $50,000, while former Korean international Ki-Hyung Lee, who is believed to be on $70,000, has had more time and space to exploit under Posa's set-up.

Problems still exist up front, particularly with the lack of return from Milos Nikolic and Paul Urlovic and the injuries to Keryn Jordan and

Andrew Dickinson, but this has been offset by the return of Grant Young.

Auckland will fancy their chances of making the grand final because over two legs, they are better than any of the other pretenders.

"It's in the balance," Posa said. "That's what you get in a playoffs

system. A team like Waitakere can win the league by 10 points but lose one game and not be champions. But given what has happened for us this season, we cannot afford to look past one game.

"The last two years have been an aberration. The club is demanding but why would you want to be anywhere else?

"It's got its downsides but those are outweighed by the good."

Waitakere United are still in the box seat and have greater depth and talent than

Auckland but what looked like another NZFC and O-League double might not be quite so comfortable.

As Sir Alex Ferguson famously said, it's squeaky bum time.