Adelaide United coach John Kosmina has claimed he will know whether or not his side can win the Hyundai A-League title in four games' time.
Adelaide United coach John Kosmina has claimed he will know whether or not his side can win the Hyundai A-League title in four games' time.
United sit comfortably second on the table, just one point behind league leaders Central Coast although they have already spent time previously perched at the top.
Despite witnessing his side taste defeat on only two occasions in 11 matches, Kosmina continually keeps United's championship expectations in check.
But with a busy festive period that sees the Reds play four games in 15 days concluding with a visit to Hunter Stadium to meet the Newcastle Jets on January 5, Kosmina admitted it would be following the match when he would publically assess whether the team is a genuine title favourite.
"By the time we finish playing Newcastle and we wake up on January 6 we would have been 15 games into the season and then be able to say that we are going to go on with this and give it a good shake or its going to be a bit of a battle for the remaining 12 games," Kosmina said.
"I think over the next four weeks the table is really going to sort itself out because there's a lot of games in a very short space of time.
"We've got four games in 15 days and two trips - one to (Western) Sydney this week and then the one to Newcastle next year.
"We also have the distractions of Boxing Day (against Brisbane Roar) and New Year's Eve (against Sydney FC) at home, so I think generally this period sorts out who is serious and who is not.
"We will have a better idea where we are and where we are going to finish."
To kick-off the jam-packed schedule, Adelaide travel to Western Sydney for a Friday night clash at Parramatta Stadium.
The Wanderers host the Reds buoyed by their gritty 2-0 derby win over cross-town rivals Sydney, while United make the trip on the back of two impressive home wins over Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix.
With four wins in their past five matches, Kosmina said he would not alter his line-up for the second week in a row, although his hand may be forced with the hectic run ahead.
"This has been a short week and there's momentum from Sunday (3-1 win over Wellington), so that's why there are no changes, plus people have freshened up a bit," Kosmina said.
"But certainly with four games in 15 days - each five days apart - we will start to look at rotating the bench if necessary."
Victory on Friday would top off a positive week for the club who announced the re-signings of striker Bruce Djite and Cam Watson.
The duo joins vice-captain Cassio, Argentine forward Jeronimo Neumann and Portuguese winger Fabio in extending their contracts by a further two years.
While new contracts have continued to roll out for the players, Kosmina is yet to enter negotiations over a new deal.
Kosmina said it was not a concern, but reassured supporters he was not considering offers from elsewhere.
"That will come up in due course. I keep my cards close to my chest. I think about it, but for me I'm more worried about Western Sydney on Friday night," Kosmina said.
"No one has spoken to me though (about leaving the club). It's not even a consideration.
"I've got a family and I'm happy here in Adelaide."