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A-League grand finalists set to be dismantled

20th May, 2015
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Graham Arnold is the new 'Roos coach. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Expert
20th May, 2015
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This season’s A-League grand finalists face perhaps the greatest challenge of all over the coming weeks.

For triumphant Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat, the intent will be to keep his championship-winning side together. For Sydney FC, who were insipid in defeat, much work needs to be done to avoid similar capitulations next term.

Graham Arnold’s men were played off the park in the grand final, and not because of ability or tactics. What was missing from the Sky Blues was the resilience to fight back amid a barrage of pressure from the home side. It was a challenge, evidently, they simply weren’t up for on the day.

Immediate speculation over the future of marquee man Marc Janko commenced after the final whistle, and sources claim that the Austria skipper has now played his last game for Sydney. Arnold, though, insists the striker will make a final decision after his wedding in early June.

But whether Janko – this season’s Golden Boot winner – stays or is replaced by another top-quality striker, such as Didier Drogba, is just one of the many decisions facing the Sky Blues.

Newcomer Mickael Tavares has attracted interest from the Western Sydney Wanderers for his performances in the second half of the season, though his price tag may have dropped after the weekend.

Milos Dimitrijevic, who is still at AAMI Park looking for Fahid Ben Khalfallah in the lead up to Victory’s third and final goal, is also off contract but will have seen his bargaining power plummet from this time last week.

Bernie Ibini is heavily linked with a move up the M1 to the Newcastle Jets, while grand final injury casualty Jacques Faty is another free agent.

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Then there is the Shane Smeltz dilemma. Will Arnold want to apportion so much of the salary cap to a 33-year-old substitute? Will Smeltz be satisfied with such a role at the tail end of his career?

One thing is for certain. While Arnold will be pleased his dressing room revolution saw Sydney FC head into their first decider in five years, he will be livid that they went seven games without a win mid-season, and fell in a heap in the biggest game of the campaign.

Expect Arnold to make some ruthless decisions soon, before bringing in some steel.

For the Victory, Nathan Coe and Jesse Makarounas are likely to depart abroad, while Daniel Georgievski is reportedly set to follow them.

Danny Vukovic would appear the most natural replacement for Coe, and would fight Lawrence Thomas – who is also coming off contract – for the number one jersey.

Archie Thompson is the real conundrum for Muscat. Will he re-sign the fan favourite, or use those valuable dollars to bring in someone fresh?

While content in the knowledge that the majority of his squad will be sticking around, Muscat’s biggest off-season challenge is to handle the futures of Thompson and Georgievski.

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If they depart, hopefully amicably, they will need to be replaced by better players. The bullseye is now painted on the Victory’s back, and they will need to improve again next season.

Another motivating factor for the club will be their relatively poor record in Asia. From four forays in the continent’s premier club competition, the Victory have never made it out of the group stage, and have won just seven of their 25 games to date.

It would not surprise to see Muscat therefore bring in recruits with proven experience across Asia to replace his few departing players.

There is plenty of work ahead of the Victory and Sydney as the A-League heads into the off-season, but with savvy bosses such as Muscat and Arnold at the helm, it’s hard to see them getting it wrong. For all other clubs, the chase is on.

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