After covering five clubs on Tuesday, here are the words that could define the five remaining teams’ seasons.
Newcastle Jets
Hangover
What the quiet and measured Ernie Merrick was able to achieve in the Hunter last season was remarkable. From day one things looked promising after a 5-1 rout of the Mariners at Central Coast Stadium.
As the season unfolded, any thoughts of a derailment became less and less frequent and the Jets drew within arms distance of Sydney FC late in the race for the Premier’s Plate.
History tells us that it wasn’t to be. However, it will also show that football was reignited in the region and the hosting of the Grand Final was a well-deserved prize for a team that played the most enterprising of football.
Even Andrew Nabbout’s departure to Japan and the long term injury to Ronald Vargas couldn’t dishevel the master tactician. When one player withdrew, Merrick had another ready to step in and perform admirably.
This season could be a consolidation of the work already done yet with higher expectation comes potential danger. Any lapse in intensity and focus could see the Jets struggle to recapture the magical goal scoring touch and resilience they showed in 2017-18.
The settled squad and astute new signings of former Phoenix midfielder Matthew Ridenton and Brazilian attacker Jair Eduardo Britto da Silva, suggest the Jets once again will be a force with which to be reckoned.
However there is always a sense of the unknown at the start of any season and Newcastle will be hoping they can rediscover the magic early on and eliminate any doubts.
Will we see some more Merrick Magic this year? (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Perth Glory
Poppa
Hopefully, Tony Popovic will one day write a book about his managerial experiences in Turkey.
In search of a stepping stone to move closer to his ambitious goal of eventually working at the top level of world football, Popovic left the Wanderers at a crucial time.
In reality, he never stood a chance, with a host of murky and bizarre stories surrounding his short time at the helm of Karabukspor coming to light. Snatched up by the in need Glory, Popovic does stand a chance this season.
He has a team that showed potential under Kenny Lowe yet lacked the polish and discipline that Popovic will hope to bring.
Application in defence will have been the mantra over the break and the additions of Ivan Franjic, Matthew Spiranovic and Tomislav Mrcela are clearly an attempt to improve that area.
Former Wanderer Brendon Santalab provides an explosive option up front and Chris Ikonomidis looks a future star.
Perth fans will be anticipating a tightness at the back, foreign to that achieved in the Kenny Lowe era. The more conservative Popovic has the tools at his disposal to achieve it and in turn, get his managerial career back on track.
Tony Popovic (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Sydney FC
Mystery
It might take some time for the fans and Sydney FC themselves to work out exactly who they are. Clubs in turmoil often experience significant overhauls in playing personnel, it is less common in successful clubs, yet Sydney have experienced it for the second time in only three seasons.
With success comes enhanced interest and opportunity for players. Thus, Adrian Mierzejewski, Jordi Buijs and Bobo all depart.
Throw in five more regular first team contributors and the chasm of uncertainty is considerable.
Sydney fans shouldn’t panic though, the domestic acquisitions of Trent Buhagiar and Daniel De Silva (loan) from the Mariners and the new internationals Jop van der Linden, Adam le Fondre and Siem De Jong, all look promising signings.
De Jong has the potential to make a significant A-League splash this season and Sydney is abuzz after watching footage of some of his best work online.
With a different vision and direction emanating from the new manager Steve Corica, it is still unclear what style and structure Sydney will adopt this season. The FFA Cup has provided glimpses but nothing definitive to this point.
It might take a few months before the complete picture is clear. The Sydney FC fans will just have to show some patience; something they have in spades.
Wellington Phoenix
Change
It has been a miserable past three A-League seasons for the Phoenix. The club has managed just 20 wins from 81 matches over that period and fans, A-League bosses and the franchise itself are all demanding change.
Send rookie A-League manager Mark Rudan into the battlefield with a host of personnel changes and everything should work out just fine? Quite possibly it could. Englishman Steven Taylor brings a wealth of experience to bolster the defence and Polish goal keeper Filip Kurto is an interesting A-League addition.
It will be interesting to see how Roy Krishna, Nathan Burns and the returning David Williams combine up front, along with new Polish midfielder Michal Kopczynski.
Roy Krishna of the Phoenix (AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)
Rudan has a solid base with which to work and countless hours will have been spent in attempting to gel the squad.
Time will be crucial in allowing his vision and structures to take shape and how successful he is in implementing them is still a mystery yet to unravel. One thing is for certain, the fans will be expecting a change and one of the positive variety.
Western Sydney Wanderers
Home
With a looming return to its spiritual home, the Wanderers have just one more nomadic season ahead of them. Western Sydney Stadium is taking shape and the fans of the red and black are champing at the bit to take the keys and fill the joint.
However, it is not just a physical homecoming that the Wanderers need in order to return to the top of the ladder. Rediscovering some of the hard-nosed, desperate and disciplined football played under Tony Popovic would serve them just as well as a coliseum in Parramatta.
Recent seasons have seen the Wanderers look lost in a footballing sense, without a clear and definitive identity and purpose. Managerial uncertainty has added to that perception.
German Markus Babbel takes the reins and a host of domestically based players have made the switch to Sydney.
Nick Fitzgerald, Bruce Kamau and Ruon Tongyik arrive from Melbourne City whilst Tarek Elrich and Jordan O’Doherty make the switch from Adelaide United. With new Germans, defender Patrick Ziegler and midfielder Alexander Baumjohann, it will certainly be a new look team that takes to the pitch in round one against the Glory.
Bruce Kamau has moved to the Wanderers (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
There is an undoubted German influence in the squad, perhaps an attempt to return to the more disciplined and ruthless brand for which the Wanderers were once known. If achieved, it will be the first of two significant homecomings for the Wanderers in 2019.
Griffo
Roar Guru
You could be right Waz, as far as pre season predictions go :lol: One thing the Jets rare have is a stable preseason, which I think both McKinna and Merrick are going for. O’Donovan was out for a significant period last season and it wouldn’t surprise me if he will find it hard to get back into a successful squad this time. Still a number of squads have recruited well on paper and with that squad quality looks a step up for this season.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Mariners have been written off by many already Mid (myself included) but that 3-0 win over a near full-strength WSWs side yesterday raises a few questions and will get people thinking twice. Glory, Roar, Victory, SFC, City have made significant improvements to their squads; SFC look to have replaced quality with quality; and on paper both WSW and Adelaide have improved squads so this seasons going to be a tough one.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
I'll be up there for the Mariners vs Sydney clash, would love to catch up.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Stuart Word of warning the changes to this site seems to have had a huge hit on posts and views... If we sign our rumours the Mariners will be quite competitive this year. Every player signed is a step up from the player replaced, much better coach and our 3 gamble players i.e. talented but injured ... if they and the rumours come off then expect a huge improvement..
Kaks
Roar Guru
A lot of hype for Perth this season, however on paper they seem to have quite possibly the weakest midfield in the league. Kilkenny is well past it. That midfield could be their Achilles heel. Will also be interesting to see how Spiranovic goes after years of not giving a crap in China.
mattq
Roar Rookie
funny Waz. I do expect they'll have great crowds though (apart from at the SCG) and prove once and for all Allianz is the wrong place for the team.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I thought I'd read somewhere that Phoenix were trying to recruit former Chelsea midfielder Essein, who must be getting on now. They've also signed Mitch Nichols haven't they? who's a bit hit and miss but may do well under Rudan. And great to have David Williams back in the HAL, as our only indigenous player I believe.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
lol
Waz
Roar Rookie
How would we know though? They’ve been suffering crowd wise for the last couple of seasons lol
Sam
Guest
Will be interesting if Sydney FC suffer crowd-wise for the next 3 seasons being nomads,just like the Wanderers have.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Jets are probably the top side at greatest risk this season and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them fall off significantly due to a variety of factors. Last season started with the backdrop of a club “reinvented” and a lot of effort went on behind the scenes that’s unlikely to have the same effect this season. All the teams immediately below them have recruited better (City, Victory, Adelaide, Roar, Glory) and SFC are arguably better off squad wise. Meanwhile jets recruiting has been tepid. Merrick is a fine coach and hopefully he can pull off a second fine season, but with O’Donnovon out for a third of it and the challenge of fitting Vargas and Petratose into the same side, it might be a big ask.