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Sydney’s derby victory indicates that Corica might just be in with a chance

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8th October, 2018
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When Steve Corica accepted the role at Sydney FC, he knew exactly what he was in for. During the domestic home and away dominance of the Sky Blues under Graham Arnold, the fan base grew well and truly comfortable with the success and now expect little to change.

Citing potential, improvement and development isn’t really an option for the new man. Sitting atop the league table since late 2016 and having collected considerable silverware over that time, Sydney fans aren’t hoping for a struggling team to improve; they are looking for more of the same.

Some A-League clubs have the luxury of allowing their manager a period of grace; with the new man given time to implement new structures and thinking. Tony Popovic, Mark Rudan and Markus Babbel will enjoy such a period in their current roles.

Contrastingly, the Harbour City can be a rather ruthless and heartless beast. Trust me, I have lived in the nation’s most populated and fickle city all my life and despite Corica’s Queensland roots, his time in Sydney will have made him well aware of the challenges and expectations he will face.

Steve Corica

Steve Corica (AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)

Corica will be expected to challenge for silverware immediately. However, considering the loss of three of the best foreign imports in the A-League, that expectation could well be interpreted as unfair.

Bobo scored 42 goals for the Sky Blues over the course of two seasons, Adrian Mierzejewski won the Johnny Warren Medal as the best player in the league and key defender Jordi Buijs’ experience became a cornerstone in defence.

With Luke Wilkshire, David Carney and Matt Simon also departing the club, it became clear the eleven that Corica would put on the park to start his tenure, would be remarkably different from a team that had been incredibly easy to select in the preceding 12 months.

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New foreign players always bring a sense of the unknown and Sydney appeared in no rush to fill their roster. Daniel de Silva and Trent Buhagiar joined with months to spare, yet the fans were keen to see what quality the front office would source and lure to the club from abroad.

In the end, it was experienced Premier League and English Championship player Adam le Fondre and journeyman Dutch defender Jop van der Linden who would fill two of the key slots on Sydney’s books.

Van der Linden’s fellow Dutchman Siem de Jong was the third in a trio of imports in whom the sky blues will invest considerable faith.

As things have unfolded, the new manager has made a cracking start, wiped his brow in relief and navigated his baptism of fire well.

Advancement to the FFA Cup semi finals, despite an almighty scare against Avondale FC in the quarters, had Corica building early support in the Cove, yet a derby always serves as something of an acid test when it comes to football in Sydney.

The convincing 3-0 win against the Wanderers at Penrith Stadium sent Sydney FC to its third FFA Cup final and built early confidence in Corica.

The victory also continued a recent derby dominance, which both sides place high on their list of priorities.

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Siem De Jong of Sydney FC smiles

Siem de Jong was in ominous form for Sydney. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

As fiery and passionate as a derby can be and as fervently as both sets of supporters sang, there was somewhere far more important than the score line itself.

A collective sigh of relief could be heard among the Sydney fans; knowing that their new personnel had shown its quality and that the chances of a competitive season now appeared high.

De Silva has fallen victim to injury early in the season, yet Buhagiar appears a revitalised player on the end of improved service. His time at the Central Coast Mariners saw little in terms of goal production, in what was more often than not a struggling team.

The 20 year-old looked comfortable and effective in front of goal once again and captain Alex Brosque will have difficulty in reclaiming his starting spot with Buhagiar in such good form.

Le Fondre has looked a striker in the pure sense of the word. Sniffing around opportunistically appears his method and when given the chance, precision and power have been evident in his finishing.

Van der Linden and de Jong look impressive. The combination between Alex Wilkinson and van der Linden appears potentially imposing and will need to be if Sydney is to continue its dam-like defence of the past two seasons.

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De Jong appears to have a sublime touch and his free kick to double the lead on Saturday night was artistry.

There will be few moments of relief for Steve Corica this season. Each and every week, Sydney fans will be watching keenly to note any interruption to what they perceive as normal transmission.

Alternatively, opposition fans will be licking their lips and ready to pounce in the terraces if the Sydney train shows any signs of derailment.

Daniel De Silva of Sydney FC controls the ball during the FFA Cup round of 32 match between Rockdale City Suns and Sydney FC at Ilinden Sports Centre on August 1, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

Daniel De Silva of Sydney FC (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The early moments suggest that Sydney will be fine, competitive and a serious top six contender. However, the questions and analysis will continue for…..well, ever.

It is what Sydney demands and it also reflects the standards that Graham Arnold set, however difficult they may be to maintain.

Corica appears to have a darn good squad. Whether its success replicates the past or is acceptable to the Sydney fans is yet to be seen.

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But for now, Sydney is certainly sky blue.

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