Perhaps Sydney were due a gift. But Sunday's scrappy win against fellow cellar-dwellers Newcastle left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Sydney created few chances and will take little confidence to the Gold Coast despite the win and first clean sheet of the season. The champions should not settle for winning ugly. Viteslav Lavicka was not wrong to state: "We are doing small steps forward now."
Sydney FC should be running. Hiro Moriyasu earned his new contract for his enthusiasm. His dynamic play has energized Sydney's formerly ponderous midfield and it was little surprise to see him pushed further forward into a front three role. If his touch could compare to Karol Kisel's, Sydney might be in business.
It doesn't. Not yet, anyway. But Lavicka is entitled to expect further improvements from his state league recruit. Without Nicky Carle he has few others to turn to, as it would seem that Danning and Antonis may as well write off the season.
Goal scorer Bruno Cazarine continues to impress. He lacks Viduka's touch and his distribution is frequently dodgy, but Bruno closes down, employs more than one defender at most times and is adept at stealing goals. His heading at set pieces has been disappointing in the last few home matches and he and Brosque rarely display an understanding. Again, more is expected as time goes on. Both men are undroppable with Mark Bridge injured and out of form.
That said, it has been a long time since Alex Brosque has made an impression on a match. Some strikers can afford to live moment by moment. Sydney need more from their most creative (healthy) player.
Bridge will surely return to the bench for the next match as Stuart Musialik mostly impressed with more agile men around him. Lavicka will however be disappointed by how Newcastle overran and outplayed Sydney for large periods of the match.
Sydney's midfield were unable to keep the ball under sustained pressure and the old bad habit of ball watching and finger pointing resurfaced in the second half. Players seemed intent on bossing each other around and not moving into space to receive or allow a pass. Rhyan Grant is still finding his way and Terry McFlynn offered aggression and little else. Ben Kantarovski would slide straight into this Sydney side and so would a few others.
Ali Abbas impressed with everything but his finishing and it is high time that Scott Jamieson repayed the club for recruiting him with intent. By all reports Byun will depart at the end of his contract and Jamieson must start defending with effort and authority. Shannon Cole similarly needs to get out of third gear and the delivery from wide areas has been poor all season.
Hayden Foxe and Stephan Keller were pegged back but managed for the most part. But the question must be asked - with Ryall benched, Foxe surely on his last legs and Keller similarly out of contract, does Lavicka have a recruitment strategy in place? One would hope so, but his work in this department does not inspire confidence. A top class centreback must be the first priority for Asia.
And now Sydney travel to meet their nemesis. Thankfully Gold Coast cannot boast much of a home ground advantage. It is time for several Sydney players to remember how good they can be.
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