Graham Arnold has taken the axe to eight off-contract Sydney FC players, as the coach begins the A-League club’s radical rebuild.
Goalkeepers Ivan Necevski and Anthony Bouzanis, defenders Zac Anderson, Riley Woodcock and Jacob Tratt, and forwards Robert Stambolziev, Alex Mullen and Christopher Naumoff were all let go on Thursday, the day after Sydney were bundled out of the Asian Champions League.
Their departures follow the earlier releases of Jacques Faty, Mickael Tavares and Ali Abbas, while new contracts are still being finalised with off-contract players Alex Brosque and Matt Simon.
SYDNEY FC PLAYERS UNDER CONTRACT:
* Vedran Janjetovic
* Sebastian Ryall
* Matthew Jurman
* Andrew Hoole
* Milos Dimitrijevic
* Shane Smeltz
* Milos Ninkovic
* Brandon ONeill
* David Carney
* Filip Holosko
* Rhyan Grant
* George Blackwood
* Aaron Calver
* Alex Wilkinson
* Michael Zullo
Fan
Guest
Arnie is the Problem NOT the Solution!
albatross
Roar Pro
Mrs Arnold must still have some cabinetry work needing doing.
jupiter53
Roar Pro
Given SFC's record with young strikers, I am completely prepared to be proven wrong about Blackwood. I think his touch is better than you give him credit for, and he runs at defences well with the ball. I keep feeling that once he starts scoring and gets some confidence he will keep the goals coming. That is probably rubbish but I live in hope.
Kaks
Roar Guru
I dont know about Blackwood. I havent seen anything to suggest that he may become a great player. He is terrible in the air, which is extraordinary for such a tall player. He consistently makes the wrong decision. He has a poor goal return. He has a poor touch. He has a poor pass. He is alright at holding the ball up from what I've seen of him. Naumoff on the other hand I have seen real potential with and he has had some great performances, and he has a lot of time on his hands as a 20 year old. I can see SFC really regretting letting him go.
jupiter53
Roar Pro
Sorry, that was meant to be a general comment - this was meant as a reply---- Keeping Blackwood makes sense. He is young and raw, but I reckon he has real potential. Naumoff on the other hand has had great moments but should by now have found some consistency. My brother's theory is that Simon has a set of pictures of Arnie in a very compromising position.
jupiter53
Roar Pro
Settle down everybody. The key phrase in this report is "off-contract". As was pointed out by Sebastian Hassett in the SMH this morning, Smeltz is contracted for a further year, as are Dimitrijevic and Hoole. His suggestion is that SFC are trying to encourage all 3 of these players to move, but this is contingent on them getting offers elsewhere. Perhaps Smeltz highlights reel from every season in his career apart from this one? Hoole showing his dribbling but not his shooting? Dimitrijevic has improved over the last couple of months, and had a solid game on Wednesday night but he is not going to get any quicker, and that is a problem for him.
Realfootball
Guest
Matt Simon... a striker who doesn't score and thinks football is a nightclub brawl. And Smeltz, who is slower than a glacier. God help SFC fans.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Mullen, Naumoff and Woodcock? Keeps Blackwood, and Simon? May Arnie reign at SFC for ever and ever!
Fadida
Guest
Arnold talks about the need to start afresh, take a different approach, and resigns Simon. Nothing says"we're going for a hard working, muscular approach" more than Simon. It's looking like a forward trio of Brosque, Simon and Smeltz. Be still my racing pulse. Archie Thompson is also available:)
Punter
Guest
They keep Calver & let Woodcock go!!!!!
Tommaso
Guest
Simon still in squad and yet Mullen let go , what is the logic.