The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Sydney FC set to paint the A-League sky blue

Roar Guru
14th September, 2014
Advertisement
Graham Arnold has his side purring. (AAP)
Roar Guru
14th September, 2014
46
1198 Reads

After a shocking season last year, Graham Arnold has regenerated Sydney FC into a powerhouse, like they were five years ago.

We have said farewell to Frank Farina and some of our recognised players, including former captains Alessandro Del Piero and Terry McFlynn, and welcomed new faces.

Since Graham Arnold has become the ninth coach to sit in the Bunnings chairs at the Sydney Football Stadium, there has been a lot of changes.

People say if a team has a good pre-season then they’ll have a great season. For example, the Brisbane Roar last season performed very well in their pre-season, and ended up clinching both the premier’s plate and the championship.

This pre-season Sydney have won seven games out of eight, and that’s not including their win against Melbourne City in the FFA Cup round of 32.

In-form striker Corey Gamiero has scored in every game the Sky Blues have won, close to scoring a hat-trick at times.

New recruits – returning midfielder Alex Brosque, talisman Shane Smeltz, pacey Bernie Ibini and marquee man Marc Janko – have all settled in to the Graham Arnold system.

Sydney are playing a new style, one which other coaches in the past have achieved.

Advertisement

The Vitezslav Lavicka era saw a European style of play, and during the Del Piero era the playmaker created a new brand of football, but now Arnold – like he did at the Central Coast Mariners – has the team playing football the way they did under Pierre Littbarski in season one.

That’s how long it’s been since we have played our best football, so I must praise chairman Scott Barlow and CEO Tony Pignata for appointing Arnold as head coach. But how will he deploy the talent at his disposal?

One of the stars who saved us in matches last season was Vedran Janjetovic. That penalty save against Western Sydney against former Sydney striker Mark Bridge in the Sydney derby was just pure gold. With respect to Adelaide United goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, Janjetovic should’ve been anmed goalkeeper of the year.

In defence, Sasa Ognenovski and Nikola Petkovic lead the back four, and both are potential captains. Pedj Bojic will be back to full fitness.

Arnold has a few opinions for the left back position. Youngsters Alex Gersbach, Matt Jurman and Rhyan Grant would be some of my choices for that position, but Arnold has stated he’d like to sign a European left back.

In midfield, Ali Abbas has been superb for Sydney since arriving two seasons ago; he’ll retain his spot. In right midfield, it will be a tackle between future Socceroo Terry Antonis and Serbian Milos Dimitrijevic. Antonis could also play as a defensive midfielder, which he did towards the end of last season, but Peter Triantis and Hagi Gligor will be competing for that position as well.

Alex Brosque can be played in the playmaker role, as he did when he used to play for Sydney, just in behind the two strikers. Former Socceroo Nicky Carle could be a back-up to Brosque since he prefers the playmaker position as well.

Advertisement

Sydney have Janko, Smeltz, Ibini and Gamiero to chose from, and I would have Ibini and Smeltz on the bench, coming on as super-subs.

Gamiero has been the best in-form player in the A-League during pre-season, and he deserves to play David Villa’s Melbourne City in Round 1, alongside Marc Janko.

My line-up for the match against City
Janjetovic
Bojic-Ogeneovski-Petkovic-Grant
Antonis
Dimitrijevic-Abbas
Brosque
Janko-Gamiero
Bench;:Necevski, Jurman, Carle, Ibini, Smeltz

With this squad and this coach in the dugout, Sydney FC are set for a third championship!

close