Perhaps the biggest surprise in Sydney FC’s 2-2 draw on Wednesday was not Milos Ninkovic’s goal, but the fact that the Newcastle Jets were the better side.
Ninkovic scored not just a goal-of-the-season candidate but one of the best solo goals ever seen in the A-League, as the twinkle-toed Serb exchanged passes with Bobo before dancing through the Jets defence like they were Easter Island statues.
It was a goal of staggering quality – even if Jets defender Lachlan Jackson could probably live without the countless replays it spurred.
And having fought back from a goal down, seasoned A-League watchers could have been forgiven for thinking the Sky Blues would steamroll their opponents in the second half.
But this is a different Newcastle Jets outfit. And they owe much of their resurgence to Ernie Merrick.
Is Merrick the best coach in the A-League? He’s arguably the most underrated.
(AAP Image/Theron Kirkman)
And having won championships with Melbourne Victory and steered habitual strugglers Wellington Phoenix into finals football, Merrick is now transforming Newcastle into the most entertaining team in the league.
That he’s done it without playmaker Ronny Vargas, and more recently Roy O’Donovan, is testament to Merrick’s ability to get the very best out of the players at his disposal.
And in bringing in Argentine attacker Patricio Rodriguez, Merrick is attempting to do something that has proved surprisingly problematic in the A-League – source quality foreign talent.
In this regard, it could be said the Jets have taken a few cues from none other than Sydney FC.
When Milos Ninkovic joined the Sky Blues, some online critics saw him as just another foreign blow-in from some far-flung corner of Europe.
It was a strange position to take given that Ninkovic had won a couple of Ukrainian championships with a star-studded Dynamo Kyiv, and turned out for Serbia – against the Socceroos, no less – at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
(AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)
And in signing the Serbian star, the Sky Blues signalled that it was possible to recruit highly experienced players who aren’t necessarily in the Alessandro Del Piero class of marquee player.
We can argue all we like about other factors – the rehabilitation of Alex Wilkinson and Michael Zullo, the signing of Danny Vukovic and subsequent form of Andrew Redmayne, the emergence of Brandon O’Neill and Josh Brillante among them – but what all of these components have in common is ‘recruitment’.
Put simply, Sydney FC have out-recruited everyone else in the A-League.
And they’ve done it mainly on the strength of their foreign signings.
It started with Marc Janko and included Filip Holosko, but there’s no doubt their current crop of foreign stars is the best of the lot.
Ninkovic and Polish winger Adrian Mierzejewski are the most effective foreign duo in the league since Thomas Broich and Besart Berisha – yes, thanks for the reminder Brisbane Roar fans – while Brazilian striker Bobo is one of the most prolific strikers in recent A-League history.
Add the recruitment of cult defender Jordy Buijs midway through last season, and it’s clear Sydney’s scouting department is doing something right.
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All this after Graham Arnold finished seventh in his second season in charge.
And for all the supposed favouritism shown towards the club by Football Federation Australia – should Bobo have been allowed to score seven goals in his past three games after raking his studs down Manny Muscat’s shin? – there’s a bigger-picture bonus to Sydney FC’s current dominance.
It should drag the rest of the league up to their level.
Sorry Western Sydney, tough luck Melbourne Victory… if you want to be the biggest clubs in the land – on the pitch, at least – you’ll have to match Sydney FC’s current standards.
Newcastle Jets have responded to the challenge.
And with Sydney FC’s AFC Champions League commitments just around the corner, now is the time for the rest of the A-League to strike.
Kangajets
Guest
fadida New England patriots won 5 out of 7 Super Bowls in 10 years with a salary cap Hawthorn win 3 grand finals in a row with a salary cap
Kangajets
Guest
Clut will be hoping to get some game time one day , can’t get in the jets team , even with 7 injuries.
Alex
Guest
Not trying to be pedantic but it's spelt "kudos"
Alex
Guest
It's been said before that Aloisi doesn't have a (Devante) "Clut" about who is a quality player and who is not
Fadida
Guest
I can't comment on those teams, due to a lack of interest in either sport
Nick Symonds
Guest
"I don’t think sydney fc have tried to proclaim themselves as the team for all of sydney" On the Sydney FC website it proclaims "We are Sydney". I still don't think they've given up on the idea that they represent the whole city like they did at the start. I don't think it's gone away completely.
Kangajets
Guest
I remember it well . Hoping the jets do a mugging on ccm next week .
punter
Guest
No not sure what you talking about AGO, apart from the following, there is heaps of love for SFC; FFA playing favouritism for ACL FFA refs playing favouritism (yellow cards). Ball boys, players all slowing game down Lots of fouls, every other team pure angels especially MV, NJ, MC & BR, they never foul. Salary cap, how do they fit in Matty Simon, Paulo Retre & Alex Wilkinson? Matty Simon, Carney, Grant, Brosque & Ryall, hate those players Boring Boring Sydney No crowds for big club Outside of that there is huge love & no jealousy for a team the won the double last year & well ahead this year & nearly everyone love them as much as the Jets. Actually AGO I just laugh at them.
Kangajets
Guest
Adrian is a terrific player . Is he still representing Poland at international level ?
AGO74
Guest
He's on a 3 year deal so the signs are good you'll see him for a while.
AGO74
Guest
Re number 2 - I don't think sydney fc have tried to proclaim themselves as the team for all of sydney since wsw came in to the call mp. If anything the wanderers entry has helped sydney fc and by extension the a-league in Sydney as it clearly divides the city down the middle in a manner of speaking.
Nathan Strapps
Roar Rookie
Sydney FC have recruited what is he best a league team ever assembled. Cudos to what they have done even if you think they get favoured by the ffa (which I do beleive). Given that you still have to do the right recruiting and the right coaching. Adrian Mierzejewski is a superstar and one of the best things to happen to the A-League, I hope he stays for many years.
Yowzers
Roar Rookie
Well said Kang + 1 here
Yowzers
Roar Rookie
I’m not up on my Victree/Pissants history but how are they the ‘Original Derby’? Jets/Mariners rivalry kicked off in 05 when Nick Mrdja absolutely mugged Durante in a pre-season. Credit where it’s due tho, at least you called it its true name F3. Roads change names. Derbies don’t.
Nemesis
Guest
Agree, the Melbourne Derby off-field rivalry is very low key. Yet, the Melbourne Derby is, without doubt, the fixture that consistently produces more memorable on-field contests than the Sydney Derby. If City started winning trophies, the rivalry will develop. The MV/SydFC rivalry for me was hardly worth mentioning when ADP was in ALeague and SydFC were rubbish. It's only now that SydFC is very strong on field that SydFC becomes a rival for me as a fan.
Nick Symonds
Guest
For me the biggest A-League fixtures are - 1) The Big Blue, contested between Australia's two biggest cities it's "Australia's Clasico". 2) The Sydney Derby. The Sky Blues claiming to represent the whole city and having all the beaches, and the CBD, and the bridge, and the Opera House versus the working class west with most of the cities players...and Parramatta Westfield. It's the game that stops the city. 3) The Original Derby. Melbourne v Adelaide, Victoria v South Australia, there from the start and a traditional rivalry with plenty of history. 4) The Clash. Sydney v Brisbane, NSW v Queensland. It isn't yet as big as it should be but over time I think it will take it's rightful place as one of the A-Leagues biggest matches. 5) The F3 Derby. The only two regional teams in the league. They might be small cities but there's plenty of feeling between the fans and it's real. 6) Adelaide v Sydney. See link below - https://www.adelaideunited.com.au/news/reds-v-sky-blues-hyundai-a-leagues-oldest-rivalry 7) The Melbourne Derby. I've tried watching it and the atmosphere can be decent enough but Melbourne City are just too pointless to make this fixture more important. They just don't have a clear identity apart from being "not Victory" and it's hard to take this match all that seriously. But it's utter pointlessness makes it very unique and thus somehow curiously interesting. Tis a "Silly Derby".
Swans
Guest
Kenny Lowe Just hopes Castro taggart and Keogh can score enough goals to hide the lack of game plan
AGO74
Guest
Interesting timing your comment asToday's SMH has a good article with insights as to how sydney fc manage salary cap. http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/sydney-fc/how-graham-arnold-mastered-the-aleague-salary-cap-at-sydney-fc-20180104-h0dm63.html
AGO74
Guest
Agree with kanga as well. Nice to have a positive conversation- especially when it's on my team!
nevyn
Guest
I think it comes down to attention to detail. Arnie has a detailed system and understands what is required of players to play in this system. He also recruits specifically to that plan. Not just players who are technically and physically capable but players who can learn to make the right decisions. Lowe is all about man management, no details, bring in some quality players and he'll chuck em on the field to play, then complain about his bad luck when things didn't go well. O'Neill has been very good at Sydney, and couldn't get a game at Glory (despite an ordinary midfield), Nicholls was excellent under Ange's system and looks terrible roaming around the field with no plan for Glory. With no plan and no attention to detail, clubs like Perth (and Wellington) will continue to flounder.