JOSEP Gombau backed himself into a corner last season when he declared Adelaide United would contend for the A-League title in his second year in charge.

It was a bold statement — designed to ease the pressure on his team as they entered last year’s finals series — and one that will be quickly rehashed if the Reds get off to a slow start this season.

To be fair, those statements were made before Melbourne City, with its new-found financial freedom, secured Spanish superstar David Villa for a guest stint. And signed former Irish international Damien Duff. Then poached Aaron Mooy from Western Sydney.

John van’t Schip wasn’t the only coach to reload either.

Sydney FC, who were already expected to improve through the addition of manager Graham Arnold, added three proven A-League strikers in Shane Smeltz, Alex Brosque and Bernie Ibini.

Melbourne Victory has Brisbane champion Besart Berisha to finish off the work of a midfield which now includes Carl Valeri and Frenchman Matthieu Delpierre.

And who knows what to expect from a Perth Glory outfit whose number of new faces — including Richard Garcia, Mitch Nichols Youssof Hersi and Ruben Zadkovich — reached double figures.

But if we’ve learnt anything over the first 10 or so years of the A-League it’s that the competition is always quite even and its stable clubs like Brisbane and Central Coast who keep the same group of players together for several years who generally have success.

It’s this strategy Gombau is employing, resigning the bulk of his players and relying on the general improvement of the team.

“We’ll be better,” he said.

“Of course we’ll play against other teams who will be better (too).

“I think Sydney will be better, Melbourne City will be better ... but I am confident with the work the players are doing.

“The A League is growing and growing, it will be nice to see what happens.

“But I think we will be equal again. Even though we don’t have these big names, we have a squad who have been working together for a long time and I feel we have good players.”

The major departures from last year’s team are Michael Zullo — who played on the left as a winger and full back — and central defender Jon McKain.

Gombau is hopeful Cassio can return from a long spell on the sidelines to replace Zullo and covered the loss of McKain by bringing home SA-born defender Dylan McGowan from Scotland.

“It’s unfair (to compare him to McKain). McKain is 30 and McGowan is 21,” Gombau said.

“But he has experience in the A-League and experience in Scotland and I think with this long preseason he can learn the style and he can be a good player for us.”

Melbourne Victory addition Jimmy Jeggo offers another option in midfield, Michael Marrone — once he overcomes a broken leg — is basically a new recruit and Gombau is also expected to announce a Spanish replacement for released forward Jeronimo in the next fortnight.

The Reds have also stockpiled a lot of young talent, offering senior contracts to AIS trio Ben Warland, Mark Ochieng and Dylan Smith and goalkeeper John Hall.

“We will have more balance. Last season we had so many players in one position and not so many in others,” Gombau said.

“I think the quality will be more or less the same but we’ll have more balance.

“Last season I had problems in the midfield lines, now we bring Jeggo. Last season we had so many number six, now we have less.

“Last season I arrived and I found a team. This season I can make more adjustments and feel more comfortable.”

GERMAN APPROACH IMPRESSES GOMBAU

LIKE any football lover Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau soaked up the World Cup - at first at a reasonable hour while visiting home in Spain and then with the rest of our sleep-starved nation when he returned to Australia.

He studied the best teams — naturally focusing on eventual winner Germany — and was left with a new perspective on where the game is heading.

“Football is changing a lot. It’s more physical than skilful,” Gombau said.

“Germany are playing the style of football I like. The tiki taka, possession game ... but also the aggressive and strong defence when they lose the ball. They mix these two things.”

Gombau believes the Germans — and the number one team in their domestic league Bayern Munich — have taken the game to new heights and surpassed the play of Spain, which followed their win in 2010 with an early exit in Brazil.

“The Spanish football of four years ago and the football Germany plays now is quite similar. But they’ve added one more step — the aggressive, strong defence,” Gombau said.

Nothing he saw will prompt him to make major changes at Adelaide United this season, but their will be tweaks.

“The basics will be the same but we’ll change some movements because we need to add things,” Gombau said.

“And also we’ve changed a few players which changes things. We need to have more options in attack, more movement.

“My philosophy was built over many years at Barcelona but as a coach you have to be ready for the way football is being played today. You cannot stay in the old place.”