HAVING lost the support of his players, members of the football department and the board, Mike Mulvey’s days as Brisbane Roar coach were always numbered.

Not even guiding the Roar to the premiership-championship double six months ago could save Mulvey, who had the look of a sacked coach after the Roar’s 1-0 loss to Melbourne Victory last Friday night.

It was Brisbane’s fifth loss in six matches this season, but it wasn’t just that poor record that cost the man briefly dubbed “Magic Mike” his position.

Trouble started almost immediately after the Roar’s 2-1 grand final win over Western Sydney Wanderers in May.

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Roar sack title-winning coach Mulvey

That success, plus being named A-League coach of year, perhaps went to Mulvey’s head. Already a confident chap, he couldn’t help but bask in the glory.

And really, who could blame him after he struggled for work following Gold Coast United’s demise at the end of the 2011-12 A-League season.

He was back in the headlines for the right reasons and loved every minute of it, despite often saying that it was all about his players, not him.

He was right to a degree. There were many who thought that anybody could have coached last season’s Brisbane team to the title considering that it contained five of the A-League’s best 10 players in Thomas Broich, Besart Berisha, Ivan Franjic, Matt McKay and Luke Brattan.

Unfortunately for Mulvey, star striker Berisha and Socceroos right back Franjic left in the off-season.

Mulvey talked up his ability to replace them, but having returned from his European scouting mission empty-handed, he is understood to have signed attacker Mensur Kurtishi, who has had little impact this season, off DVD evidence.

Poor recruitment has come back to haunt Mulvey, as has his fractured relationship with the club’s technical director Ken Stead, a staunch ally of managing director Sean Dobson and chairman Chris Fong.

media_camera Mulvey’s failure to replace Ivan Franjic and Besart Berisha cost him dearly.

Ironically, it was Stead who recommended Mulvey as the man to replace Rado Vidosic as Roar coach less than two years ago.

But in the end, Mulvey didn’t like having a football boss and wanted to do things his way, rather than the “Roar” way.

He thought winning the double last season had given him more power, and it had in the sense that the club allowed him to appoint Ron Smith as his assistant.

That move, plus Mulvey’s decision to all but push his successful assistant from last season, Luc Trani, out the door, has spectacularly backfired.

media_camera Mulvey is understood to have signed Mensur Kurtishi off DVD evidence.

Trani, a club appointment, challenged the head coach, and the players loved that.

Smith, who Mulvey ridiculously declared as his best signing of the off-season, didn’t question the head coach to anywhere near the same degree, and Mulvey loved that.

Mulvey also made a rod for his own back by appointing a seven-strong leadership group, which included Broich, Smith, McKay, Michael Theo, Shane Stefanutto and Jade North, all of who are among the most decorated players in A-League history.

media_camera Roar coach Mike Mulvey got too big for his boots and paid the price.

Since Ange Postecoglou’s departure, player power has gone to a new level at the Roar, and once Mulvey lost his senior players due to his attitude and complacency, there was no way back.

That perceived arrogance stayed with Mulvey right until his last day as Roar boss.

It’s understood he claimed not to have seen his sacking coming, despite Fong having recently put him on notice less than two weeks ago.

A few days after that Mulvey told the media that he appreciated Fong’s comments, but obviously not enough because less than two weeks later — rightly or wrongly — the A-League coach of the year is out of a job.