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.
(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.
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.
(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.
(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.
(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.
Nick Screnci
Guest
This is the worst piece of journalism I have seen in a long time. We are lucky enough to watch one of the best Football teams Australia has ever produced and we dish up articles like this ? Is this how we promote the game? Why is it that we have this compulsion give people looking to rubbish our game ammunition to use against us? What is it with you guys? Where are the articles telling people how amazing Sydney FC have been for back-to-back seasons, especially in a salary cap league? Where are the articles that make non-Football people want to come to games? I wish the FFA had a bit more guts to come down hard on stuff like this. If I went and published something this negative about a person, I would probably get sued for defamation. If I wrote an article or spoke about someone at work negatively like this, I would be called up by HR. I could possibly be accused of bullying, harassment or discrimination. Football will never get anywhere in this country until we stop this kind of rubbishing of our best teams. Stuart, if you don't like our game, please go find something else to do. If you hate Sydney FC (which you obviously do by the looks of things) please learn to leave your personal bias behind when writing articles on Football and show some respect and professionalism.
BrainsTrust
Guest
Most of the biggest crowds in the regular season for the A-league outside of derbies have involved battles for the premiership. .The ratings as well are bigger for the matches and even the media coverage. So the public say your totally wrong. Because finals matches cost more money final attendances are smaller outside the grand final than the final match if the premiers title is on the line.The same applies to GWS if they have to buy tickets for the finals or can scalp them to a rival team fans less will attend a final than regular season. Or is it because they fudge all the regular season crowds probably a bit of both.
Griffo
Roar Guru
From memory Lionheart Dimi was deemed to not distribute the ball quick enough in the K-League onced received. Why they wouldn't have known this before hand is one question. Another is what are they after in the J-League? If he goes hopefully not until after the finals. Certainly the right transfer offer will help. As will the funds I'm sure. Jets with some recruiting to do next season...
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
A point of fact is that a majority of Australians refer to the premier as nothing more than minor. Correction: a majority of Australians have no idea about the A-League, but a majority of the ones that do, refer to the premier as minor. The mainstream will always rule the hardcore element. The one percent will always rule the mainstream. Your point of fact is nothing more than fiction in our capitalistic world.
Waz
Roar Rookie
It’s a point of detail as well as a point of fact. That’s all.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Of course, they can win the minor premiership. Oh wait, you're not one of those 'True Believers' that refers to the minor premiers as premiers? The day the FFA decided to have the Championship integrated within the Premiership was the day the Premiership became minor. The two are not mutually exclusive. Everything from attendance, ratings and publicity says I'm right, i.e. no one cares about the minor premiers compared to the champions.
BrainsTrust
Guest
1. The great football analist on here Nemesis recommended that Wilkshire make a comeback to the Socceroos but that was before the ACL. No one puts a 36 year old at fullback, if they play on they move central Maldini and others. Geogevski knows all you need to do is tap the ball past Wilkshire and outrun him, the lucky thing is few others have realised it. 2. I was talking physical preparation as in resting key players, as far as other preparations I don;t have the slightest clue. If they did them there is no way it could have made a difference with the physical problems they have. 3, A good sub for a team like Sydney would have been Ibini. Simon holds the ball up or wins aerial balls and there is no one to run for them. Giving away fouls is not of any value, holding the opposition off in the corner is about the only value he has. To make it worse Bobo is left on as his partner usually.. 5. The fans should be thankful for what success they have had this year. Sydney are a great once a week team in the A-league with the best technical quality ever seen across the park in an A-league team bya big margin.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Stanley Matthews in best ten all-time? Many claim it.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Wow, heard it here first.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Sung to flight of the Valkyries?
Waz
Roar Rookie
Sydney can’t and won’t win the minor premiership!
Nemesis
Guest
Don't get me wrong. SydFC, the most consistently good team in the ALeague. But, if - and it's a big IF - each team were to play to its very best?.. Be interesting to see which team is the best.
chris
Guest
Nem some element of truth in what you say. But not entirely. When Sydney have their best 11 on the park they are a very good side. A side that could/should be doing better than what they are so far in the ACL. They were awful in their first game, good in their second and poor in the 3rd match. In the 3rd match they were without Ninko through injury and obviously Bujis due to 3 foreigner rule. Bobo came on as a sub but its been pretty obvious he doesn't have the legs to go 2 games in a week. They have a very skinny bench and take one of the best 11 out of their starting line up and they seem very ordinary indeed.
Buddy
Guest
Totally accept it isn’t silly for most but I switch off and say goodbye at the completion of round 27 and that’s the way I like it to end. Makes no difference which team is where.
Lionheart
Guest
money money money I'm sure they'd release him at the right price, but when you consider that he struggled for game time in the K League, how would he go in the J League?
Football is Life
Guest
I don't think character is the term I would employ in this particular case. Simon's conduct in the FFA Cup Final was counter to everything the FFA is trying to achieve in creating a family friendly environment that will capitalise on the squillions of juniors out there playing football. And yet miraculously Mr Marrone was villan and Simon and dodgey ballboy got off scott free. And this is just one instance!!
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Firstly, congratulations on writing an article about the football, Stuart. The cracks are indeed appearing, which will be worrying for Arnold and his men. They'll win the minor premiership with ease, but it will mean naught. Just like the Tour de France, where the mountains separate the men from the boys, so too does the Championship within the A-League. No one cares about the most consistent. It's all about which team produces best under pressure come finals footy. My boys are clearly the team to beat, especially after thrashing 2017-2018's spooners.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
Matty is a character, one who has made the most of his modest abilities as a footballer.
mad monk
Guest
Umm no. Jets have 2 goals for next 5 weeks, finish 2nd and get Pato, Vargas and O'Donovan fit and firing for the finals. I doubt they see catching Sydney as realistic.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
Oh lighten up Pip. Matty SImon is one of the great characters in our A-League.