Sydney FC, the club traditionally known as the A-League’s big spenders, are set to have a much different look this season.
The side won’t resemble the ‘Silvertail’ image that it has gained over the years but if the recent 5-0 drubbing of would-be cross-town rivals Macarthur FC is anything to go by, that might not be a bad thing.
The off-season has brought a few surprises for both Sydney FC supporters and the league in general with club legend and head coach Steve Corica taking a more pragmatic approach in regards to recruitment.
This off-season has seen no high profile recruitment of experienced overseas talent, no returning journeyman Socceroos, no out of favour mid-table European players, in their place a raft of young blood with a decent amount of A-League experience, is this a sign of things to come for the Sky Blues?
With the big-spenders ball firmly in the court of Melbourne City it could be a great time to move to a more underrated approach and build a core of players who could potentially stay with the club for the next decade.
First cab off the rank is defender James Donachie, who at 28 I am stretching the definition of “Youth” for.
I digress, he has a wealth of experience not only in Australia but in India and the Asian football powerhouse that is Korea, he is likely to be the starting partner to the ageing Alex Wilkinson. Well-regarded at Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory he could be a potential club captain in years to come.
Next is the returning Max Burgess, former youth team player who actually made a senior appearance for Sydney way back in 2014, Burgess was a mainstay of new club Western United last season where he scored a hat-trick from midfield against the Central Coast Mariners.
With the likes of Luke Brattan, Anthony Caceres, Paulo Retre and even former youth team compatriot Chris Zuvela ahead in the pecking order he will have his work cut out for him to gain a starting place.
Connor O’Toole is a left-back who graduated from arguably the A-League’s best academy Adelaide United.
He arrives with a great amount of experience playing for both Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets. Corica has obviously recruited O’Toole to be a rival for Joel King who has been second-choice left-back behind A-League mainstay Michael Zullo, when Zullo hangs up his boots Corica will be left with two great choices for starting left-back.
Lastly the most exciting recruit of the off-season, Elvis Kasomba the Burundi international, comes straight from Melbourne Victory where he made 61 appearances.
Kasomba netted a goal in the previously mentioned pre-season friendly against Macarthur. A winger with a lot of pace, Kasomba was the recipient of the Mike Cockerill medal in 2018, the award for the best NPL-based player in the FFA Cup, adding to that last season for the Victory he scored five goals from the wing and will be looking to build on such a positive season.
(Photo by Mohamed Farag/Getty Images)
There is already a heated debate amongst Sydney FC supporters on which Elvis Presley song to sing in his honour and headlines bearing the words “All Shook Up” and “Heartbreak hotel” are bound to follow.
These recruits join a fantastic amount of academy talent whom Corica is very familiar with from his time as the youth coach, the likes of Patrick Wood, Calem Nieuwenhof and Harry Van Der Saag have been instilling hope to the Sydney FC faithful.
Many have previously criticised the club for not promoting enough youth in their ranks, missing out on the likes of academy graduates such as Dimitri Petratos, George Blackwood and Joel Chianese who all came through the ranks of Sydney FC but have gone on to have impressive careers with other clubs.
All in all, as a Sydney FC supporter, this move away from big signings in favour of hard working home grown players doesn’t trouble me as much as some other supporters, Corica clearly has a vision with these signings and they could form a solid core to build a team around in the next decade, the days of marquee players like Dwight Yorke, Alessandro Del Piero, Bret Emerton and Matt Simon may be over – but it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Hudddo
Roar Rookie
I never said SFC were a 'checkbook' club, I did say you don't develop players though. Noting the funding in your club you don't need to be a club that develops players, that just a fact, enjoy it, embrace it.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
impartial? lol scroll up, i said adelaide will leak goals this season; will more than likely miss the 6. im not blaming sydney for anything money related, its the same for any league in the world - some teams, have money; some dont.
CC2Football
Roar Rookie
Tell me oh wise knower of everything that can't be wrong ever, if Sydney FC are "A chequebook club" why are we operating without any marquee players?
CC2Football
Roar Rookie
You certainly are angry.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Those players I mentioned are 19/20. They were U15 only a few years ago. If they have the ability and determination they could be overseas and playing at a higher level by 23. When you look at the names in a Joey's squad there are always 3 or 4 from SFC - usually more than other squads.
Winter
Guest
23 is not youth. That's peak of your career. 15,16 is youth. 28 is golden years. 35 is retirement or stretching it out for a few years.
Winter
Guest
Dude it's your first article...just chill. No one is angry, ragging or hateful. It's called having a conversation. Not everyone has to worship your OPINION which is quite flawed from many people's perspectives. Sydney isn't the centre of the earth. The rest of Australia is pretty big :silly:
AGO74
Guest
An enjoyable rant Punter!
CC2Football
Roar Rookie
Also I'm saying maybe this is a move to become a more youth producing club bit the irrational hate makes people go a bit loopy, you included. I'm really enjoying people running around in circles just because I said something positive about their hate obsession.
CC2Football
Roar Rookie
These haters don’t realise what they sound like. As I said, mention Sydney FC the knives come out and brains go out the windows.
CC2Football
Roar Rookie
If you have to imagine other people angry that's on you.
Grem
Roar Rookie
And another interesting point - when you look at Australian youth teams (U23 (Pavlesic, Talbot, Wood, etc), Olympic Squad, etc.) there are usually 2 or 3 players from SFC. I wonder what club SFC is? I often don't see any or as many from AUFC, CCM or other "youth" clubs! But they don't produce youth!
Winter
Guest
Agreed. City are taking the game to a new level. Sydney are keeping it the same as before. City's tactics are closer to Ange's and may work on an international level. Sydeny's have proven they dont work on an international level. So it depends on what you are looking for from Australian football. I guess all those that want to play at a higher level go overseas to at least try accomplish as much as they can. In Australia it just seems like we do things backwards when we claim that the oldest team in the league in a summer season is what we should be grateful for. So far all we have gotten with the current administration is a new logo. Hopefully a NSD happens. But we can't expect any international success by doing things exactly as they have been done and have proven they dont work. The Matildas will acheive a lot more than the socceroos in the next number of years. The women's world cup is amazing and really looking forward to it but how will that affect ALW from being a part time league?
Punter
Roar Rookie
Funny you should mention Arnie. He is the only one that produced the baulk of the socceroos when he coached CCM. Ryan, Sainsbury, Rogic, Duke, Wilkinson, Bozanic. He was the only one that did it on an oily rag with Aussie players with CCM. Don't get confused Brisbane did it with Broich & Berisa, even Mike Mulrvey won with them. Melbourne Victory did with smattering of foreigners & 2 seasoned pros in Thompson & Muscat. Adelaide did is with Spaniards & an Argentinian. Don't get caught up on all the hola coming from AA. Perth did it with Castro. Look at the current Socceroos sides they come from all the teams, not one in particular. The only teams over the years who produced in multiples like I said above Arnie with CCM & Brisbane Roar from the Farina era.
Winter
Guest
No one said they don't like SFC. They have the most titles and is the most successful club. But to say it's ALSO a youth producing/ playing club is just delusional when you can clearly measure the average age of the playing team. Have they contributed to taking australian football forward? Not really based on Arnies playing style and afc results. Is the CEO of SFC also CEO of APL? Yes. But this doesn't matter, people don't like SFC obviously :stoked: .
Punter
Roar Rookie
Like I've said before AA, your knowledge of youth football is great. However, if you think you are not impartial when it comes to Adelaide, you are truly delusional. You too are blind to real facts. It's not SFC's fault that Adelaide are poor.
Punter
Roar Rookie
I wrote this below, but made some minor changes; Mr Author, what are you talking about. Can you see all the fans of the other clubs are saying Sydney has no youth. You don’t understand. This is the narrative, we sticking by it. SFC doesn’t have any youth, but what about all these youth players listed in Grem's note below, yeah but they are not as good as the players they are replacing, what those marquee players at the end of their careers comparing to players at the beginning of their careers. But you saying we have no youth? SFC doesn’t produce any youth, yes we do, look at the smattering of ex SFC players in the A-League, yeah they only left SFC because you don’t play them, but you said we didn’t produce them Tilio, Teague, Devlin, etc. SFC buys other teams players, yeah so does every other team, yeah but they should develop their own players, we do look King was A-League youth player of the year, no you don’t. Look if SFC was to run on an oily rag like some of the other clubs they wouldn’t be successful like some of the other clubs. Well neither are the other clubs, Listen, you not listening, we DON’T LIKE SFC, so they don’t have a youth policy, you don't produce your own players & you only poach other clubs & you have too many good players & win too many trophies. I don’t know why you arguing with me. But it’s not true, I don’t care I DON’T LIKE SFC.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Grem, what are you talking about. Can you see all the fans of the other clubs are saying Sydney has no youth. You don't understand. This is the narrative SFC doesn't have any youth, but what about all these youth players listed above, yeah but they are not as good as the players they are replacing, what those marquee players at the end of their careers comparing to players at the beginning of their careers. SFC doesn't produce any youth, yes we do, look at the smattering of ex SFC players in the A-League, yeah they only left SFC because you don't play them, but you said we didn't produce them Tilio, Teague, Devlin, etc. SFC buys other teams players, yeah so does every other team, yeah but they should develop their own players, we do look King was youth player of the year, no you don't. Look if SFC was to run on an oily rag like some of the other clubs they wouldn't be successful like some of the other clubs. Listen Grem you not listening, we DON'T LIKE SFC, so they don't have a youth policy, they only poach other clubs & they have too many good players. I don't know why you arguing with me. But it's not true, I don't care I DON'T LIKE SFC.
Punter
Roar Rookie
You have to understand the mentality of the smaller clubs, it's all SFC's fault. It's all their fault that their clubs are poor.
Marcel
Guest
.....and a single thru mid-wicket brings up the century!