And, second, will his number two John Hutchinson - slated to take the reins for the time being - be any better equipped to traverse the unforgiving terrain of Japan’s hyper-competitive top flight?

Kewell’s appointment, after an undistinguished head coaching career in England, was a wild spin of the roulette wheel by F. Marinos chiefs clearly in awe of all things Aussie in the wake of the stunning success Ange Postecoglou and then successor Kevin Muscat brought to the club.

The fact he’d been under Postecoglou’s coaching umbrella at Celtic as they stream-rolled to a Scottish treble lent Kewell, in the eyes of the Japanese, seeming credibility for the role when Muscat departed for the riches on offer at Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Port.

But four J1 defeats on the bounce accompanied by a drop to 12th on the ladder, sealed Kewell’s fate despite the mitigation of a 4-1 weekend win over Kashima Antlers.

Cynics, or perhaps just hardened realists, will say that Kewell’s labours in the lower divisions of England at Crawley Town, Notts Country, Oldham and Barnet provided fair warning to the Yokohama management of the limitations of the Socceroos great when it comes to elite level leadership.

Regardless, they decided to gamble - and whilst Kewell did buy himself time by taking them to the final of the ACL - it all ultimately unravelled, with Japanese media citing “unclear instructions and a lack of respect toward players" as contributory factors in his dismissal.

It’s likely Kewell’s departure will be officially ratified on Tuesday, and Hutchinson, an assistant previously at the club under both Postecoglou and Muscat, ascending to the top job.

It looks like another roll of the dice by the Yokohama bosses since Central Coast Mariners legend’s Hutchinson’s head coaching experience has been more off-Broadway than main stage.

The ex-Seattle Sounders and Western United assistant’s sole outing as the main man was at USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC in 2022, not quite the resume you’d expect for a J1 mentor.

The expectation is that Hutchinson will steady the ship and restore harmony with a disaffected group of players.

Beyond that, it’s anybody’s guess how this latest J1 Aussie adventure will unfold.

As for Kewell, 45, there will be those who claim he was promoted beyond his abilities for the job and it was only a matter of time before his masters recognised the magnitude of their miscalculation.

Those of a more charitable disposition will hope it’s a learning experience and another setback he can rebound from. Perhaps even back in the A-League.

Time, as always, will provide the answer