After casting a critical eye over six A-League clubs and their chances of improving in season 2021-22 in my regular Tuesday offering for The Roar, Part 2 of the series will feature the remaining clubs.
Newcastle Jets (last season – 11th)
Despite avoiding the wooden spoon by millimetres in the final throes of the season, the Jets won just five matches and fall into the category of an A-League team that simply must improve in 2021-22.
New manager Arthur Papas brings much credibility and subsequent hope, yet will battle to gel a squad that is almost entirely new.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
No less than 15 players have departed and another 12 have now hitched their wagons with Newcastle for the upcoming season.
After a campaign were a league-low 24 goals were scored, Papas will be hoping the acquisitions of Georgian Beka Mikeltadze, Cameroon attacker Olivier Boumal and local Samuel Silvera will provide the added attacking edge required.
Greek utility Savvas Siatravanis could well be the icing on the cake should the squad combine quickly.
Jets fans are sick of mediocrity and anything other than a strong start to the season will have them feeling miserable all over again.
Perth Glory (last season – ninth)
The Glory scored a creditable 44 goals last season, yet also allowed the same number, in what was a disappointing defensive effort.
Much talent has been lost in the form of Neil Kilkenny, Nick D’Agostino and Chris Ikonomidis, yet the stocks have been replenished with the signings of Englishman Daniel Sturridge, goalkeeper Brad Jones, proven defender Aaron Calver and central midfielder Brandon O’Neill.
(Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
Richard Garcia appears to have a slightly better squad with which to work this season and should Sturridge and Bruno Fornaroli strike up an effective partnership, who knows what is possible?
However, a spot in the top six looks a tough task for Perth, despite the attacking football they will undoubtedly play.
Sydney FC (last season – second)
Melbourne City were better than Sydney FC last season and accordingly won the championship.
Steve Corica’s squad has had minimal changes made to it in the off-season, with Elvis Kamsoba and Max Burgess the key recruits, and Alex Baumjohann the most telling departure.
It will not take much for Sydney to challenge City this season and having Adam le Fondre and Bobo together for a full campaign may well prove the difference.
(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
There is no assurance that the Sky Blues will improve this season, but their fans will certainly be expecting it, especially with Melbourne Victory also appearing likely to roar back into contention.
Wellington Phoenix (last season – seventh)
Despite a pandemic-enforced nomadic lifestyle, the Phoenix went within a whisker of the finals and were broadly commended for their efforts to do so.
Now, Ufuk Talay loses four key players from his squad in the form of recently retired Steven Taylor, striker Tomer Hemed, Mexican Ulises Dávila and Cameron Devlin. In anyone’s language, that hurts.
Yet in comes Englishman Gary Hooper, promising Kiwi Callan Elliot and Italian Nicholas Pennington.
(Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images))
In what will be another difficult start to the season in a home-away-from-home scenario, Wellington are under no pressure to improve after such a commendable season and may well stun a few teams along the way.
Sadly for them, another mid-table finish appears the most probable result come season’s end, with a return to home support in Wellington needed urgently to aid their cause.
Western Sydney Wanderers (last season – eighth)
I hope Wanderers manager Carl Robinson enjoys looking in the mirror, because he may well be forced to do so after the first two to three months of the season, should the Wanderers not be perched in the top four.
It is a simple story really. The club has once again made wholesale changes, recruiting Ramy Najjarine, Adama Traore, Tomer Hemed, Rhys Williams, Terry Antonis, Johnny Koutroumbis and Dimitri Petratos to fill the gaps created by the 11 men who have departed.
(Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
For how many years Western Sydney can continue the same repetitive pattern is unclear, yet one thing is for certain.
The fans, board and sponsors expect something far better in 2021-22, especially considering the players purchased.
Robinson is expected to deliver results ASAP. Should he not, look out!
Western United (last season – tenth)
United scored a paltry 30 goals across 26 home-and-away matches last season and need to find more to be any sort of threat this time around.
Some serious talent has departed, yet new manager John Aloisi has brought in quality and promise in the form of Swiss player Leo Lacroix, Serbian striker Aleksandar Prijovic and domestic players Neil Kilkenny, Dylan Wenzel-Halls, Ben Garuccio, Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Jamie Young.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Added to a squad that includes Alessandro Diamanti, Dylan Pierias, Josh Risdon and Steven Lustica, the new playing group could well present Alosi with his best chance yet to prove to the Australian public that he can indeed cut the mustard at the managerial top level.
Many are tipping Western to be the big improvers. I’m not too sure, but feel certain they will be more competitive on a week-to-week basis.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
I've dialled the numbers of a lot of Liverpool people over the last two days. Purely accidental of course.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
My sil, a big LFC fan was there with his Hammers supporter mate. Hammer by name, hammer by nature seemed to be their tactic. And say what, the Canaries won. Our ref, Gillette, gave them a penalty too.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
I'm giddy. About to get the girls to sit down and watch with me. Pinch me!
Griffo
Roar Guru
Jets were one of the first to start preseason but there has been massive changes to the squad and staff with signings still trickling in late on. A good start will only increase the cohesion of a vastly changed squad.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Everything points to the current owner-caretakers thinking that this is a multi-year project. Even Papas title as 'Manager' not coach shows that there is more work going on behind the scenes by Papas than just coaching a team and relying on results alone. Whilst results are still critical more so how Papas gets there and a discerning football community will be watching closely and are eager to get this season started. The caretakers cannot own this club forever so building on multiple successful seasons probably seen as necessary means for increasing interest in a refreshed league.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
just watched your Hammers get up on LFC Stuart. Only watched the mini replay, but a great win for them.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
yes they already have, the business is called Melbourne City :laughing:
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Must be something in the water! I might set up a little business here on the east coast, specifically destined to lure South Australian talent. Or has someone already done that?
Stuart Thomas
Expert
If he was pushing in the other direction, he did a ripping job of it!
Stuart Thomas
Expert
We all keep saying it about the Wanderers squad, year after year, good on paper. Maybe they just aren't as good as we think? Either way, Robinson gone by Christmas is not out of the question.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Papas could have a big impact. Anyone who has worked so closely with Big Ange would. I'm hopeful for them, but also aware they may take some time to really find their top level.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Newcastle look like being one of the most interesting stories. Papas doing well thus far. Once again, I'll be hoping every team wins their first three home matches. Great for crowds!
Paul
Guest
Ogawa
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
he was prolific as a juniors striker, but not all junior strikers go on to become good players, he needs to kick on with metrostars next season now hes broken into the first team -im not aware of united holding any interest in him currently. there are that many good african australian strikers coming out of of adelaide its not funny. tete yengi (who the jets should've given more game time) scored for ipswich during the week. bility (hes a defender not a striker though lol) was on the bench this morning for midtjylland in the europa league very exciting times for adelaide with the amount of players developed in the city, doing well in europe
Hudddo
Roar Rookie
WSW issue will there defence on the counter if they wish to maintain the 343, which based upon their off-season recruitment I would say is highly likely. I give robbo 5 weeks
Waz
Roar Rookie
* They're not franchises.
Nick Symonds
Guest
What is COP26 and how does it affect sport? - "And by 2050 it is estimated that almost one in four English football league grounds can expect flooding every year." - https://www.bbc.com/sport/59055449
sportstar111
Roar Rookie
what do you think of ariath piol? do you think he'll be another who having been passed over by aufc will be picked up by another A-L side?
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
That's a very good summary by Tim Gavel. He makes an excellent point: if each of the A-Leagues Men are going to have an equivalent womens team, then at some point, you end up with a situation where there are 12 mens teams and 13 womens teams, with the extra being Canberra United in the A-League Women. I can't see a situation where that can continue for too long. So the solution becomes: - add a Canberra mens team aligned with Canberra United, so that there are 13 equivalents in the A-Leagues Men and Women (and Youth); or - the two sides get balanced out by Macarthur aligning itself with Canberra United. Now I would agree that the last option is unlikely to be a goer, but the one nagging doubt I have about all of this: all the mens and womens teams will be part of the same franchise, with the exception of Canberra United. Do they need to be the ones putting in a mens team? Are they interested? How closely to they need to align with the new mens team if it's a different franchise? Would Canberra United become subsidiary to the new mens franchise? The answer to these questions is not so straight forward.
Nick Symonds
Guest
Canberra bid update: https://the-riotact.com/dont-write-off-canberras-chances-of-securing-an-a-league-licence/507930