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If the first half of Sydney FC’s pre-season is any pointer to Frank Farina’s plans for the A-League season, there’s every chance we might see Nicky Carle in a new role at the base of Sydney’s three-man midfield.
Carle’s new role as a deep-lying enabler was just one of the hints from Sydney’s comfortable and impressive 6-0 win over outclassed state league outfit Belmore United at Sydney Olympic Park last night.
Only a fortnight out from Sydney’s pre-season friendly against J-League outfit Sagan Tosu in Japan, Farina gave an early insight into his first team thoughts by setting his men out in a 4-3-3, which featured new signings Matt Jurman, Marc Warren, Pedj Bojic and Corey Gamiero, and the returning Carle.
In the second half there was an entirely new 11.
One of the questions heading into the season is just how Farina plans to use both Carle and Alessandro Del Piero, ostensibly number 10s, in the same 11.
Here there was a bit of a surprise, with Carle starting as a lone pivot, pulling the strings from a deep play-making role, with the more dynamic Brett Emerton and Rhyan Grant advance of him, to his right and left respectively.
While the opponent was very weak, Sydney gave an insight into the type of proactive possession-based football it undoubtedly hopes to take into the season proper, with Carle the fulcrum.
If they can replicate it against better opponents, then Sydney’s fans may have something to enjoy after a frustrating few seasons.
There were signs of the Brisbane Roar and Central Coast Mariners in the way Sydney set up, with the two centre backs – Sebastian Ryall and Jurman – splitting, allowing the number 6, Carle, to drop in between them and start the play.
Much of the first half went through him, Carle spreading the ball left and right, forward and back, dictating Sydney’s tempo.
In the meantime, the two fullbacks, Bojic on the right and Warren on the left, always had a high starting position, allowing Carle, Jurman and Ryall to play forward to them.
The shape and the way Sydney played out through Carle reminded me of the way the Roar under Ange Postecoglou did it through Erik Paartalu.
It is perhaps an early indicator into the influence Rado Vidosic has already had as Farina’s assistant, and the talk has been of double and triple session to hone the template.
The early signs are positive.
While Terry McFlynn may become available at some point, the difference between he and Carle as the team’s enabler couldn’t be starker.
Carle is the type that always wants the ball, even under intense pressing, whereas McFlynn is often seen encouraging his defenders to pass it to others, or bypass the midfield.
If Farina is inclined to go with Carle as a deep-lying playmaker, it augurs well for a vastly improved Sydney season.
Certainly the use of Emerton and Grant as mobile and powerful central midfielders should provide plenty of forward penetration, and their influence against Belmore was clear in the way they got into the box for the opening two goals.
As well, they are dynamic enough to drive back and lend defensive support to Carle, not allowing him to become isolated.
One of the big challenges for Sydney this season is for their defence to maintain a high line, allowing the entire unit to remain compact.
If they retreat, as they have often done in recent years, the midfield could get isolated in transition.
The signs are that the squad looks in good early condition, and there was a confidence in the way they zipped the ball around on a slippery surface.
Certainly the tempo of ball and body movement was too much for a Belmore team that tried to play with a high line and kept getting caught in behind by Sydney’s drive.
Sydney had particular joy at getting the ball wide and to the byline, with Joel Chianese and Ryan Griffiths tucking-in to allow the fullbacks to over-lap.
Meanwhile, Grant and Emerton chipped in, helping overload their respective flanks. The left side, with Warren, Grant and Chianese combining, for once looked functional.
Had Gamiero and Chianese had their finishing boots on, Sydney may have had five or six by the break.
Gamiero, playing at nine, likes a shot and looks like he’ll score a few, but it was hard not to think about how Del Piero would fit into the 4-3-3 system if this is how Farina decides to go.
The encouraging thing here though is that Sydney FC appear to be building a template where they might produce football that means they aren’t so reliant on their Italian legend.
Sydney FC (4-3-3)
First half
—————Janjetovic————–
—————————————-
Bojic—–Ryall—-Jurman—–Warren
—————————————-
—————–Carle—————-
———Emerton——-Grant———
—————————————-
—-Griffiths————–Chianese—-
—————-Gamiero—————-Second half
—————Necevski—————-
—————————————-
Esposito—Tiago—Petkovski—-Clifford
—————————————-
—————Triantis—————–
——-Gligor————Abbas———
—————————————-
—MacDonald————-Mallia——
—————–Naumoff————–
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