Can anyone beat Sydney FC this season? It’s a question plenty will be asking after the Sky Blues hammered Perth Glory at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
It wasn’t so much the style of Sydney FC’s 4-1 dismantling of Perth Glory that was so impressive.
After all, if Glory striker Andy Keogh had put away any of three early chances, the complexion of the match would have changed entirely.
Then there was the fact that Dino Djulbic gifted Sydney FC their opener.
It was a gamble to play the hulking centre back on the right-hand side of defence in the absence of Socceroos defender Josh Risdon, and Glory coach Kenny Lowe would be the first to admit that it failed.
It wasn’t even the fact that the Sky Blues kicked on to score a couple of late goals, despite missing several earlier chances, that will have most impressed.
No, what will worry their A-League rivals is the fact that the Sydney FC machine simply looks relentless.
And in Milos Ninkovic, the Sky Blues currently possess the best player in the league.
Bruno Fornaroli might score more goals, but Ninkovic is finally demonstrating the sort of form that once made him a star at Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kiev.
We shouldn’t be surprised that Ninkovic is such an outstanding talent, but so often players who once starred in Europe find the hard pitches and physical nature of the A-League a bridge too far.
However, after a disappointing first season in which he showed only glimpses of his best, Ninkovic is surely the early front runner in the Johnny Warren Medal stakes.
The fleet-footed Serb was at his impish best at Allianz Stadium, scoring twice and setting up Bobo for a tap-in – a confidence booster for the Brazilian striker if ever there was one.
And when Alex Brosque scored Sydney’s fourth in his 150th game for the club, the Sky Blues capped off a practically perfect day at the office.
They’ve now won six league games straight, setting up a clash of monumental proportions against Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium next Saturday night.
And if there’s any team that knows about going on an unbeaten run, it’s the Roar.
They were somewhat unlucky to come away from Coopers Stadium in Adelaide with a 1-1 draw on Friday night, and the ongoing loss of Jamie Maclaren to international duty is a major blow.
And with long-time rivals Melbourne Victory making a statement of intent with a 3-0 home win over a disjointed Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday, the Roar can ill-afford to continue throwing points away on the road.
If there’s one thing that has been readily apparent over the opening six rounds of the season, it’s that the standard of football in the A-League continues to improve.
Yes, there are still some games that disappoint – the less said about Central Coast’s pointless trip to Canberra the better – but on the whole, the quality of football on show is the best it’s ever been.
And with the national team in action in a World Cup qualifier against Thailand on Tuesday night, football fans are currently spoiled for choice.
You’d think, then, that we’d see a bit more football coverage in some of our mainstream newspapers.
Instead of giving the back page to Channel Nine’s rugby league reporter Danny Weidler when the NRL is not even in season, perhaps the Sun-Herald should give Dom Bossi a weekend column instead?
After all, one of the city’s own are lighting up the A-League with some of the most effective football – if not always the most attractive – we’ve seen in a long time.
There may still be a long way to go, but even at this early stage of the season, the question isn’t whether Sydney FC can win the league.
The question is – who can stop them?
Arto
Guest
I never said your statement was 'crazy' - in fact I agree 100% that SFC can't expect to keep winning if they keep starting matches slowly like they have so far. it stands to reason a good team will punish them to the extent that they can't get back into the game. Having said that, I doubt here has ever been a team that wins the league without having a bit of good fortune, scrambling in defence and the opposition bombing their chances! :-) What I was also trying to point out is that despite the record-breaking start they have had, they can improve a fair bit and that should worry the majority of teams in the league a great deal - we're already 6pts clear without playing 100% to our potential. you might argue that no team is after 6 Rnds, but that ignores the fact that SFC has clearly been the best performing team so far no matter which way someone tries to argue it. Mike Tuckermann's original question was who can stop SFC running away with the league? At present, only teams 2-4 have a realistic chance and possibly PG too. Come Finals time though, and it's a whole new ball-game as everything depends upon how teams turn up on the day...
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
How many times this season do you think you can get away a slow start and rely on,and in your own words, good fortune, scrambling and the oppositions profligacy in front of goal. It would be bucking the trend would it not for Sydney FC to come out the stronger?, which is precisely why i said if Brisbane get on top early and take their chances it will be interesting to see Sydney's reaction as it hasn't happened yet...hardly a crazy statement!
Arto
Guest
I agree that the nature of the 1st goal PG conceeded was damaging to the team's morale, but in much the same way you expect a team to be fired up from the start, you should expect your team to overcome early setbacks - you guys did it against WSW, for example! Arnold has stated it publicly, and if you review all of SFCs games so far there's evidence to prove, we've had 'slow starts' in just about all of them (vs CCM and Jets are the exceptions) and it's been a blend of good fortune, good scrambling in defence, good goalkeeping, and the opposition's profligacy that we've kept ourselves in the game. So I think my conclusion is valid - what also accompanies confidence after a start such as ours is complacency and even though it's been kept at bay for the most part so far, it could easily be a factor in the time it takes to tighten up the defence and take the attacking opprtunities we've been presented with in games...
Arto
Guest
@ The Phantom Commissioner: Sorry, but I don't agree that PG has plenty of pace - the midfield is very slow; Marinkovic, Smiljanic, Griffiths, Garcia and Williams are not known for being quick at all, and the CBs are not quick either. Also using shots on target to defend transitions doesn't really make sense as they are not definitively related - you might argue that with more time on the ball, a player can have better aim, but transitions can just as easily be too quick to allow for extra time on the ball. If you look at the majority of the goals PG has conceeded, they are almost exclusvely on the counter hence why I am not rating the pace you see in the team
Arto
Guest
Hi jb, Well, you managed to answer my question even though "for the life of me I cannot work out what you want me to “expand upon”! ;-) Indeed, I agree with you 100% that SFC are finishing off their games well and have pointed out on other sights that they lead the leage in goals scored in the 2nd half with 12. I'd dispute though your assertion that David Carney is the most gifted player in the squad - he's a shadow of his former self and whilst he is still a good player, he's hardly the most gifted (not sure where you get Carney having a great 'football brain' from, he's only made 1 assist all season so far?!). Ninkovic, Dimitrejevic, for starters have a much better technical repetioire and I'd even state that Brosque, Holosko and Ibini bring just as much to the table if not more than Carney (hence why Carney has lost his starting position after Brosque's return to fitness) and whilst he hasn't shown a lot, even Bobo is probably a better player. The other player I'd mention in this discussion is of course Brandon O'Neill (who's keeping Dimitrejvic out of the side due to his performances!) as he combines both the defensive and attacking sides of the game well. I'm quite sure Arnold is well aware of how SFC hasn't played a full 90mins of top quality football so far this season - he's said so himself in his press conferences and yes, PG could have changed dramatically how the game transpired if they had taken their chances in the opening 15mins, but that's the intrinsic element of sport - you need to take your opportunities as no one is playing the game to lose (at least those who aren't involved in some sort of match-fixing/corruption!) - SFC had a similar situation vs MV in the 1st half last week (if they had nailed their half-chances it could have been 3-3 at haflt-time and a different ball game all together!). Arnold has stated publicly that he believes the team is operating at about 60% of its potential so it stands to reason that he is looking at improving the team to get that potential out on the field. And so we come back to your question - ' can Arnold do it?' - and that's probably the most open to contention. I'm quite sure he can as he took a team from 6th under Farina to 2nd the season after and had them playing much better football too. In Arnold, I trust! ;-)
Arto
Guest
Wow! Doesn't sound very inviting! Kudos for toughing it out yourself! :-)
duecer
Guest
Mister Football - do you have a link to your claim that Sydney ratings for GWS being the highest in Fox Footy history? Not that I'm dismissing the claim, just would like confirmation. Is the fact that most games are on FTA enticing people to sign up to Foxtel, having whet their appetite? Or is it the case of GWS playing an exciting style of AR that maybe is grabbing neutral fans? FWIW I think the Swans have a strong following in Sydney, but that following is more localised than the 2 football sides up here, ie you could go to any section of Sydney and find the same support for Football, but support for AR will vary greatly depending on which area you reside.
punter
Guest
I can see them all Mister Football all watching the Giants playing on a telly, all wearing Wanderers gear, thinking this aint football.
punter
Guest
Not if you come from Sydney!!!!
Nemesis
Guest
You know as well as I. Foxtel doesn't separate the viewing numbers based on City. Foxtel's number is national. Yes. We know AFL rates well nationally. Same on FTA Tv. But it doesn't rate well in Sydney. And, I know some people like to spin the story that all the Swans and GWS fans are Foxtel customers. Which would be odd since Swans & GWS fans can watch every single match every season for Free. They don't need Foxtel.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
In years gone by, I would have agreed with you. 2016 is different. Looking at the Giants' Fox numbers, that was earned across 24 games at an average of nearly 250k per game. Think about that. The Giants averaged Fox ratings across the whole season of nearly 250k. That's a huge number. Given the AFL average ratings is around the 185k to 190k mark, that means there are a lot of people watching the Giants who are aren't watching other games, so it's probably wrong to pin all of the Giants' ratings on opposition fans - the Giants are clearly pulling in new viewers (confirmed by Fox management by the way, with the Sydney ratings being the highest in the history of Fox Footy). Let me put that average of nearly 250k in context. If one single A-League game ever gets close to 125k, people are doing cartwheels down the corridor with excitement - the Giants averaged 250k across a whole season.
Aethelbert
Guest
We've had literally 3 out of 6 home games. Also can I quote you on that?
Realfootball
Guest
You've had a lot of games at home. Now it gets much harder, and the run ends on Saturday.
Realfootball
Guest
Let's hope I'm not looking through orange tinted glasses :)
Bob Brown
Roar Guru
Ninkovic is all class and has finally settled in Sydney to show his talent. Arnold is virtually playing with 4 strikers up front and has helped create more room for Ninko this season. Attack is the best form of defence. Brillante is having a great influence in front of the back 4 as well, which adds to the adventurous running of Ninko. But Sydney are very much beatable and the Roar have a very good record against us, so expect a big game. Nice article Mike. Lets discuss how beatable Sydney are after 25 rounds over a caramel soy latte in Surrey Hills.
punter
Guest
BigAl, very good question? I would say the Bulldogs or Parramatta. Rugby League like AFL in Melbourne is very territorial. This year Cronulla could lay claim on it, fans came out of the woodwork. Live long Cronulla fans crying after their GF win, not sure where these people were for the last 30 years. There is no Collingwood in Sydney. As for Swans, I don’t know what it was like in Melbourne for the Storm playing in the GF in the League.. But I hardly saw too many cars or houses, shops streets with Swans merchandises flying or flags flying or walking past stranglers in the shops or cafes discussing the game, before or after. It wasn’t like Sydney was in mourning after they lost. Not saying there wasn’t, but there was little feel that this is Sydney’s premier side. All this talk from B1 Mister Football & B2 The word is just fluff. The AFL is backed by the biggest sporting competition in the country & hence ratings, revenue etc are not driven within Sydney. As far as merchandise, interest the Wanderers leaves the Giants for dead. Swans are well ahead of SFC, but maybe not that much above Wanderers. Like Clipper says, Sydney is a Rugby League town, but no dominance, fair distance than Football is 2nd (no doubt A-League is behind AFL in popularity, as football is more than just A-League), with AFL running 3rd.
Nemesis
Guest
The numbers for the Giants & Swans are big because opposition fans are watching the game. The fact is GWS & Swans ratings are abysmal in Sydney even though they are broadcast by the No.1 FTA TV network in the country. Shudder to think what Swans & GWS would rate in Sydney if they were on SBS2.
punter
Guest
Spot on Clipper.
pacman
Guest
Arto, it was 5deg C, but the wind chill factor on top made it challenging, especially as the stand I was in was open ended, with the wind coming in at one end, and flowing through to the other end and out. After that, if you were silly enough to take kids, you have to get them out of the stadium and home. Find your car, anywhere up to a mile away, and then put up with the traffic congestion. Three hours later, you (and the kids) may have made it home. Perhaps this was why I didn't notice any kids. More likely see them at the new stadia, more or less purpose built, providing you have the money.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
It's a difficult question trying to answer the question as to which is the biggest football club in Sydney. League gets massive TV ratings, and all 9 NRL clubs would share in those big ratings - the only club that would come close to matching any of the ratings of some of the 9 NRL clubs would be the Swans (see table below). In terms of every other metric, the Swans are pretty strong: average home attendance (no. 1); membership (no. 1); annual revenue (no. 1); sponsorship (no. 1); value of playing strip in marketing terms (no. 1) - not sure about merchandising. The total TV ratings for the two Sydney AFL clubs are actually pretty big, here's an excerpt of a table showing the total TV ratings for each club for the 2016 season (in '000s): Rank -- Club -- FTA -- Fox -- Total ratings 1. Bulldogs - 16,908 - 6,051 - 22,959 2. S Swans - 15,769 - 6,628 - 22,397 10. GWS G - 5,461 - 5,898 - 11,359 Those Sydney Swans total TV ratings would outnumber the total TV ratings for the whole of the A-League for a whole season, by a good margin, and in fact, even the Giants total ratings would not be all that far off the total A-League ratings for a whole season.