Sydney FC's new head coach Ian Crook has moved decisively and courageously to axe three former Socceroos. The off-season will be long but fascinating as Crook uses significant room in the salary cap to fill his roster.
Michael Beauchamp was part of the Socceroos squad for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. Scott Jamieson was the A League's Young Player of the Year in 2009 and has played for Australia three times. Shannon Cole scored spectacular goals for Sydney FC and represented Australia against Indonesia.
None were deemed worth retaining by Crook, who has worked with each as an assistant coach for Sydney FC. For a squad short on defensive options, Crook's cuts look courageous indeed. One can only surmise that some were asking for more money than Crook believed their performances warranted, or that the new coach has other options in mind. The speed of his decision perhaps indicates the latter.
But there are few Australians of obvious quality available as A League clubs cannot pursue a player under contract at another team. Left-footed fullbacks are even thinner on the ground and the new Western Sydney squad will voraciously pursue any Australian talent not yet tied down. Bruno Cazarine has also departed, despite being the club's leading goalscorer for the last two seasons, and Sydney need to add strength at both ends of the park.
Thankfully for Sydney, Crook has a lot of salary to spend and three foreign slots available. Crook will also promote young, home-schooled talent: the well-credentialed coach is the former overseer of Sydney's youth squad and has partly-chaperoned Terry Antonis, Dimitri Petratos, Joel Chianese and others into the first team.
Vacancies at left back and striker will be at least partially filled by youngsters Mitch Mallia and Daniel Petkovski, but Crook and football manager Gary Cole will pursue flashier options. David Carney and perhaps even Scott Chipperfield will fuel discussions on filling the left side. One also hopes the club will at least explore unlikely options such as Matthew Spiranovic or other members of the Asian-based defensive diaspora.
At centreback, with Pascal Bosschart injured, Crook only has Seb Ryall, who has failed to force his way into the first team for three seasons, and young Nathan Sherlock. Strikers looks similarly slim on the ground - Crook believes Chianese is more of a midfielder (despite his stunning end to the season), while Mallia is quick but raw. Mark Bridge remains the main man on the roster, despite scoring four goals in two years.
Other gaps exist: at right back Rhyan Grant and Ryall are no more than stopgaps while Brett Emerton is needed further forward. Ivan Necevski has won the number one jersey but will need competition and cover between the sticks.
Sydney's current marquee men Emerton and Nicky Carle are taking up a huge slab of the club's budget and any third big-name signing will have to fit under the salary cap. That factor, plus the appetites of cash-rich clubs throughout Asia and the Middle East, probably rule out names like Michael Owen or even James Beattie. Foreign recruits are likely to be previously-unknown surprise packets such as Thomas Broich, Besart Berisha, Carlos Hernandez or Patricio Perez.
An off-season of speculation awaits as the club again yearns for stability. A new coach, a new squad, and perhaps most importantly, a new chief executive under a new majority owner in David Traktovenko will present their class of Sydney FC to the Cove in five months time.
Crook will be under the most pressure. Will he move Sydney away from the midfield diamond? Will he alter the at-times soporific pace of play? Will he find the men he needs to do it?
It seems clear that while Tratkovenko and chairman Scott Barlow seek a new CEO, Crook needs to recruit a new striker, left midfielder, left back, centreback and find cover at right back and goalkeeper. Crook has the time and the money to get exactly who he wants. But has he burnt his best options?
