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Sydney FC's throat is exposed. A-League opposition needs to step on it

Luke Wilkshire of Sydney FC reacts during the round 18 A-League match between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC at AAMI Park on January 26, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images)
Expert
12th March, 2018
67

After almost two seasons with an air of invincibility surrounding Sydney FC, the cracks are finally appearing.

The fans can see it and Graham Arnold knows it. The approach of rival clubs should be to throw the rig in gear and drive through the space available before it is too late. Following the ‘foot on the throat’ mentality, A-League contenders need to realise that Sydney is wounded, even if not fatally, and that now is the time to strike.

Without doubt, the boys in blue will still have something significant to say come finals time, and the premiers plate is probably already theirs, but a window of opportunity has opened.

With five weeks remaining in the A-League home-and-away season and with Sydney midway through a rather humbling Asian Champions League campaign, Arnold’s men are wavering. While the manager begins planning for a succession process that will see his replacement take on one of the most pressurised gigs in Australian football, his team looks somewhat exposed.

Despite the effectiveness of their play and their ability to maintain a high level of performance for over 50 A-League matches, much commentary has hypothesised that there are cracks and weaknesses to be exposed in the right set of circumstances. There are five clear lines of thinking that question the invincibility of the Champions.

Luke Wilkshire

(Jack Thomas/Getty Images)

1. Sydney has been fortunate with injuries and if they had had their fair share, things would be different
The staff and medical professionals at sporting clubs deserve nothing but credit when teams stay healthy and avoid losing players for extended periods. Sydney FC has experienced a golden run.

Aside from the long-term ACL issue to Rhyan Grant, the Sky Blues have avoided major disaster and the more irritating bumps and bruises that also affect continuity.

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All of a sudden, with niggles to Milos Ninkovic, Michael Zullo, Bobo and Luke Wilkshire, things have looked far less stable, particularly at the back.

Aaron Calver and Paulo Retre have stepped in admirably, yet combining the long-term omission of Grant, the recent injuries, as well as Jordi Buijs’ omission from the ACL squad, it is no wonder the dam has looked less impregnable.

Sydney FC's Michael Zullo

(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

2. The ACL is having a negative impact on confidence
Stating the bleeding obvious and citing the impact of two games in a week with a short turnaround, the travel implications and the subsequent physical impact on players is one thing. What is more relevant is the downturn in confidence and the scarring that a club may carry back to their local competition.

No matter how talented or expensive the opposition, losses are humbling, and Sydney have been forced to lick their wounds frequently over the last month.

This presents an opportunity for upcoming A-League opponents Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne Victory, all in finals contention. Newcastle provided the blueprint a fortnight back, now they must follow.

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3. Sydney’s lack of depth can be exposed
Graham Arnold appears a loyal man, and once his trust is gained, a solid relationship is built. He seems something of a ‘pick and stick’ guy to me. Alex Wilkinson is one of those players, as are David Carney and Michael Zullo, men with whom Arnold has been in the trenches and guys that he wants by his side in times of crisis.

While Wilkinson and Zullo haven’t let anyone down, whenever the names David Carney, Aaron Calver and Matt Simon appear in the starting 11, opposition fears are somewhat allayed.

Playing Matt Simon in any role other than his normal 20 minutes of violence and mayhem is stretching things a bit.

While Simon does a job for Arnold, there are also football realities that need to be faced. One of those realities revolves around salary cap pressure, and in assembling what many are calling the best team in A-League history, your second stringers will indeed be just that.

Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold

(AAP Image/Joe Castro)

4. Adrian Mierzejewski is keeping Sydney’s head above water
The Polish star will win the Johnny Warren medal in a canter this season, and rightfully so. Since his first appearance in the FFA Cup match against Bankstown Berries when Graham Arnold assessed his performance as somewhere around 30 per cent he has done nothing but improve.

Match-hardened and now with a firm grasp on the subtleties of the Australian game, Mierzejewski is flying and a joy to watch. However, if ‘muscles’ does have an off night, as we saw recently in the ACL, Sydney are vulnerable. With Milos Ninkovic in the picture you would think not, yet the Pole has been the fulcrum this season.

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Adrian Mierzejewski Sydney FC

(AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)

5. The Sydney fans’ faces say it all
Born of a sustained period of excellence, Sydney fans have now assumed a permanent state of Arnold-like grumpiness as they fear the toppling of their empire. Social media is on fire with criticism, some warranted and some not, of both individual and tactical ineptitude.

Sydney FC fans had forgotten how to lose, probably something all managers wish they could instil in their players’ minds, yet now they are undertaking a crash course in the art and not enjoying it one little bit.

It is an admission of weakness, as the fans themselves see the cracks and frailties that they hope the other A-League teams are too blind to notice or are incapable of exposing.

The reality for Sydney is that with only one win in all competitions over the last month – a 3-1 derby success against the Wanderers – things are on the slide.

Is Sydney good enough to reverse that slide? Probably. Will they do it? Who knows. But there are other teams with finals aspirations that should play the bully right now and step on Sydney’s throat.

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