It is probably too late - it seems that Sydney FC have pursued Graham Arnold for months, and the Mariners' exit from the A League finals will loosen Arnold's ties to the Central Coast.
But for what it's worth, this is a plea to the club - do not hire Graham Arnold.
The case for Arnold is simple. The former Socceroo player and manager has led an unfancied and cheaply assembled Mariners outfit to a grand final and a Premier's Plate in two seasons. He has promoted several young players who have blossomed into budding stars. Arnold's Mariners have mostly dominated the Lavicka-led Sydney FC. And while Arnold's A League coaching record is second only to Ange Postecoglou, Arnold is the better-credentialed coach as he is a rare Australian-born manager with international and Asian experience.
With Postecoglou either Melbourne-bound or staying in Brisbane, Arnold looks like the obvious choice. But he is not the man that Sydney need.
Even if all that an Arnold era promises came true - if Sydney FC won the league - they would win ugly. And winning ugly is a pass mark in the A League's toughest market.
Viteslav Lavicka was respected for his acumen and decency, but his style of football saw the club shed members when losses mounted. Even the premiership season was witnessed by an average amount of fans.
With Lavicka heading home, the A League limping into an off-season and Sydney rudderless at front office, Sydney FC need success. They need an inspired choice who will commit to playing attacking football, not a man who plays the admirably dogged Daniel McBreen at number 10 and whose tactics attract 7,500 fans to an elimination final.
Sydney need someone who can communicate with the city and seduce those former members who have severed ties. Graham Arnold has strengths but communication is not one of them.
The final factor is less obvious but no less important. Sydney FC is a club diametrically different to the Mariners in culture, profile and expectation. Sydney FC have Socceroos and marquees where the Mariners have a small-town ethos (and Arnold's record at managing Socceroos is aging, but not encouraging). Sydney is the bling football club in a city that ignores domestic football, while the Mariners are the only fish in a much smaller pond. And while Mariners fans delight in surpassing expectations, Sydney players are slowly boiled in them.
Graham Arnold has proved himself as an excellent coach and his achievement at the Mariners is undoubted. But football repeatedly shows that success at one club does not guarantee the same elsewhere.
Winning ugly is the minimum that Sydney demands and a pass mark will not do it anymore. Sydney FC have bled fans since season one, and while the club's immediate future is assured, it is time for Sydney to strive for success.
Sadly this devilish dilemma comes at the worst possible time. Sydney's acting CEO Stefan Kamasz is caught in the vice. He needs to find a coach so the roster can be filled before Western Sydney and other clubs sweep up the best Australians. But if he makes the wrong appointment, Sydney will suffer a worse fate - for every coach or CEO that departs, members decide their dollars are better spent elsewhere.
Former CEO Dirk Melton had a hit list lined up but one wonders if Kamasz has had the time to look overseas. I have no suggestions for him. But the club should look further than Arnold.
Showing posts with label Sydney FC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sydney FC. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Kisel and Lavicka Bid Melbourne Goodbye
Sydney FC trounced Melbourne on Saturday night and while the victory might have felt sweetest to the fans, Viteslav Lavicka and Karol Kisel can take the most pride in the performance.
Kisel put in a solid performance on the ball, was one cog in a dominant midfield and did not so much slot his penalty as smack it through to an adoring Cove. He later signed himself up for miss of the season (joining the unfortunate Joel Chianese) but the animated Slovak has adopted Sydney as his hometown and Melbourne as his nemesis.
Lavicka chose a predictable but fascinating squad - he kept faith with Chianese and relegated Dimitri Petratos and Mitch Mallia. Mark Bridge was restored to the bench, perhaps with his own record against Melbourne in mind, but did little to secure a spot next week.
Terry Antonis also returned from injury and mirrored Chianese's ability to find dangerous positions and shank passes and chances. The best news for Sydney is they have youngsters with potential fighting for places. The bad news is it is too late to be a real finals threat.
Melbourne's performance was universally disparaged (not least by their own manager) and Mark Bosnich apparently called it the worst in the club's history. Satisfying as the win was, Sydney's inability to score more than one goal or to extend their first half dominance will hardly have the Heart or the Jets shaking in their finals-bound boots.
Lavicka has established a new period of dominance against Sydney's most bitter rivals and will leave at the end of the season with some pride to go with disappointment - still, Sydney have not shown they can send their coach out as a winner. The best the club can hope for is a late run at the finals and a final look at some players.
Sydney have always had the squad to win this season. They have never displayed the ruthlessness required and a club in crisis will have to be ruthless in its contracting for the next campaign.
Obviously the biggest vacancies are at the top. Some might claim that finding the right CEO is more important to the club's future than the right manager, but Sydney have the remarkable record of employing more chief executives than managers - and the Sky Blues have sacked plenty of managers.
While the club desperately search for the right men (or, god forbid, women), Gary Cole is left with the job of finding the right players for next season. Proper contract negotiations are presumably on hold for now, but Cole will want to hook the players he fancies as soon as possible.
Sydney fans well know the importance of proper recruitment. After winning the double Sydney failed to replace a handful of key men and the club plunged to ninth place. A similar number of players are off contract at the end of this season (my thanks to those on The Cove forums who have compiled a series of excellent and comprehensive lists that I have shamelessly swiped):
Contracts expire at the end of this season:
Juho Makela (foreign)
Bruno Cazarine (foreign)
Karol Kisel (foreign)
Scott Jamieson
Shannon Cole
Michael Beauchamp
Chris Coyne
All these players have claimed first team roles (albeit some only briefly) this season and Cazarine, Jamieson, Kisel and Beauchamp started against Melbourne. If the club gets the recruitment wrong it risks sending Sydney back into the doldrums.
Makela and Kisel are almost certainly out the door - Kisel for a career in the law, Makela for more game time. While Kisel's decisive and dynamic contributions will be missed, few will mourn the loss of Makela, who managed to knock in a couple of crucial goals but rarely showed the touch required of a quality striker.
Bruno Cazarine remains an enigma. The burly Brazilian continues to win penalties, score goals and unsettle defenders, but occasionally goes missing from games and traps Sydney into playing a certain way.
More pertinently the club can only sign four foreigners next season and Pascal Bosschaart and Hiro Moriyasu are already on the books. Sydney are sure to go for a quality foreign striker or left midfielder and with Brett Emerton and Nicky Carle filling up the marquee places, the Sky Blues only have so much money left for wages under the salary cap.
If Bruno won't settle for a wage befitting a squad player, the Brazilian's nomadic career will continue elsewhere. Cazarine's goal-getting abilities will be missed but he looks like getting squeezed out by wage and foreign player demands. Sydney should retain him but not break the bank to do so.
Gary Cole and the club's new backroom masters will have to juggle some delicate backline management. Cole, Beauchamp, Jamieson and Coyne have all started in Sydney's defence this season and better alternatives are sparse on the ground.
Jamie Coyne is almost certainly gone. If Coyne makes one more appearance he will automatically earn a new deal with the club, but now that Seb Ryall has returned only an injury crisis will see Coyne on the field. Coyne carried the bag for some inconsistent defensive performances and despite starting his Sydney spell brightly, he won't be missed by most Sydney fans.
Michael Beauchamp came to the club in strange circumstances. Beauchamp and Simon Colosimo were supposed to form a Socceroo-quality rearguard at Melbourne Heart but neither managed to impress. Beauchamp went from World Cup player to damaged goods and was glad to come to Sydney as soon as possible.
Beauchamp's inconsistent performances have unfortunately continued and he's far from sure of a new deal. His consistent selection probably owes more to his manager's view of Seb Ryall than Beauchamp's own performances. Beauchamp has played some good matches but been dominated physically and aerially by the best in the league and is only going to lose more mobility as he ages (Beauchamp turned 32 last week).
Sydney would be wise to pursue alternatives such as Michael Thwaite, who will need a home after the demise of Gold Coast. As he ages Beauchamp might have to settle for less money to stay with Sydney.
If Beauchamp and Coyne depart Sydney, the club will be left with Pascal Bosschaart and Seb Ryall as recognized centrebacks, with the young Nathan Sherlock a untried alternative. One imagines the club will look for an upgrade of Beauchamp.
Sydney might look light on for central defenders but the club's real deficiency is on the left. The Sky Blues continue to lack a left-footed left midfielder and if Scott Jamieson and Shannon Cole leave, Sydney won't have a senior left back.
Shannon Cole deserves to stay but probably won't. Cole can play on either side in defence or midfield, is confident on the ball, scores spectacular goals from set pieces and broken play and is a local hero to many fans. But Cole has failed to win his place in the last two years and one can imagine the one-time Socceroo leaving if an established manager makes him an offer combining good money with game time.
Scott Jamieson is the man most likely to stay. Jamieson failed to impress in a midfield role last season, but has locked down the left back role and demonstrated a welcome ability to sling in a pacy, curving dead ball. Jamieson is young enough to improve all aspects of his game - hopefully including his rather poor right foot. Jamieson seems the likeliest to stay and probably deserves it the most.
Kisel put in a solid performance on the ball, was one cog in a dominant midfield and did not so much slot his penalty as smack it through to an adoring Cove. He later signed himself up for miss of the season (joining the unfortunate Joel Chianese) but the animated Slovak has adopted Sydney as his hometown and Melbourne as his nemesis.
Lavicka chose a predictable but fascinating squad - he kept faith with Chianese and relegated Dimitri Petratos and Mitch Mallia. Mark Bridge was restored to the bench, perhaps with his own record against Melbourne in mind, but did little to secure a spot next week.
Terry Antonis also returned from injury and mirrored Chianese's ability to find dangerous positions and shank passes and chances. The best news for Sydney is they have youngsters with potential fighting for places. The bad news is it is too late to be a real finals threat.
Melbourne's performance was universally disparaged (not least by their own manager) and Mark Bosnich apparently called it the worst in the club's history. Satisfying as the win was, Sydney's inability to score more than one goal or to extend their first half dominance will hardly have the Heart or the Jets shaking in their finals-bound boots.
Lavicka has established a new period of dominance against Sydney's most bitter rivals and will leave at the end of the season with some pride to go with disappointment - still, Sydney have not shown they can send their coach out as a winner. The best the club can hope for is a late run at the finals and a final look at some players.
Sydney have always had the squad to win this season. They have never displayed the ruthlessness required and a club in crisis will have to be ruthless in its contracting for the next campaign.
Obviously the biggest vacancies are at the top. Some might claim that finding the right CEO is more important to the club's future than the right manager, but Sydney have the remarkable record of employing more chief executives than managers - and the Sky Blues have sacked plenty of managers.
While the club desperately search for the right men (or, god forbid, women), Gary Cole is left with the job of finding the right players for next season. Proper contract negotiations are presumably on hold for now, but Cole will want to hook the players he fancies as soon as possible.
Sydney fans well know the importance of proper recruitment. After winning the double Sydney failed to replace a handful of key men and the club plunged to ninth place. A similar number of players are off contract at the end of this season (my thanks to those on The Cove forums who have compiled a series of excellent and comprehensive lists that I have shamelessly swiped):
Contracts expire at the end of this season:
Juho Makela (foreign)
Bruno Cazarine (foreign)
Karol Kisel (foreign)
Scott Jamieson
Shannon Cole
Michael Beauchamp
Chris Coyne
All these players have claimed first team roles (albeit some only briefly) this season and Cazarine, Jamieson, Kisel and Beauchamp started against Melbourne. If the club gets the recruitment wrong it risks sending Sydney back into the doldrums.
Makela and Kisel are almost certainly out the door - Kisel for a career in the law, Makela for more game time. While Kisel's decisive and dynamic contributions will be missed, few will mourn the loss of Makela, who managed to knock in a couple of crucial goals but rarely showed the touch required of a quality striker.
Bruno Cazarine remains an enigma. The burly Brazilian continues to win penalties, score goals and unsettle defenders, but occasionally goes missing from games and traps Sydney into playing a certain way.
More pertinently the club can only sign four foreigners next season and Pascal Bosschaart and Hiro Moriyasu are already on the books. Sydney are sure to go for a quality foreign striker or left midfielder and with Brett Emerton and Nicky Carle filling up the marquee places, the Sky Blues only have so much money left for wages under the salary cap.
If Bruno won't settle for a wage befitting a squad player, the Brazilian's nomadic career will continue elsewhere. Cazarine's goal-getting abilities will be missed but he looks like getting squeezed out by wage and foreign player demands. Sydney should retain him but not break the bank to do so.
Gary Cole and the club's new backroom masters will have to juggle some delicate backline management. Cole, Beauchamp, Jamieson and Coyne have all started in Sydney's defence this season and better alternatives are sparse on the ground.
Jamie Coyne is almost certainly gone. If Coyne makes one more appearance he will automatically earn a new deal with the club, but now that Seb Ryall has returned only an injury crisis will see Coyne on the field. Coyne carried the bag for some inconsistent defensive performances and despite starting his Sydney spell brightly, he won't be missed by most Sydney fans.
Michael Beauchamp came to the club in strange circumstances. Beauchamp and Simon Colosimo were supposed to form a Socceroo-quality rearguard at Melbourne Heart but neither managed to impress. Beauchamp went from World Cup player to damaged goods and was glad to come to Sydney as soon as possible.
Beauchamp's inconsistent performances have unfortunately continued and he's far from sure of a new deal. His consistent selection probably owes more to his manager's view of Seb Ryall than Beauchamp's own performances. Beauchamp has played some good matches but been dominated physically and aerially by the best in the league and is only going to lose more mobility as he ages (Beauchamp turned 32 last week).
Sydney would be wise to pursue alternatives such as Michael Thwaite, who will need a home after the demise of Gold Coast. As he ages Beauchamp might have to settle for less money to stay with Sydney.
If Beauchamp and Coyne depart Sydney, the club will be left with Pascal Bosschaart and Seb Ryall as recognized centrebacks, with the young Nathan Sherlock a untried alternative. One imagines the club will look for an upgrade of Beauchamp.
Sydney might look light on for central defenders but the club's real deficiency is on the left. The Sky Blues continue to lack a left-footed left midfielder and if Scott Jamieson and Shannon Cole leave, Sydney won't have a senior left back.
Shannon Cole deserves to stay but probably won't. Cole can play on either side in defence or midfield, is confident on the ball, scores spectacular goals from set pieces and broken play and is a local hero to many fans. But Cole has failed to win his place in the last two years and one can imagine the one-time Socceroo leaving if an established manager makes him an offer combining good money with game time.
Scott Jamieson is the man most likely to stay. Jamieson failed to impress in a midfield role last season, but has locked down the left back role and demonstrated a welcome ability to sling in a pacy, curving dead ball. Jamieson is young enough to improve all aspects of his game - hopefully including his rather poor right foot. Jamieson seems the likeliest to stay and probably deserves it the most.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Sydney FC Steal Hope Against Adelaide
Adelaide United hit the post twice and Ivan Necevski made six superb saves to secure Sydney FC three precious points on Sunday night.
It is a mark of Sydney's schizophrenic season that they could secure 65 percent of possession in the first half yet safely be described as undeserving winners. In the first 45 minutes Sydney enjoyed the ball without displaying real ruthlessness, until the previously-ineffective Joel Chianese caressed a difficult volley in from a corner.
The goal released all the pressure on Sydney FC and they came out after halftime determined to land a killer blow - yet Adelaide surged back and finished as the far stronger side. In the first half the South Australians closed down like Australian manufacturing, but in the second half they suffocated Sydney's creaky transition play.
Adelaide hit the post twice and while Eugene Galekovic made one save, clear man of the match Ivan Necevski made six and watched the ball smash against the upright.
Barbiero butchered a fantastic opporturnity, Cassio hit the post, Caravella drew the best out of Necevski from point-blank range and both managers acknowledged who Lady Luck favoured on Sunday night.
Sydney FC might sneak into the finals and will fancy themselves to do some damage. But they must be concerned after a dominant first half display with 65 percent of possession required a ricochet opening from a set piece.
A squad stacked with Socceroos in attacking positions should do better at fashioning opportunities (and congratulations to Brett Emerton and especially Nicky Carle for their well-deserved call ups for Wednesday night).
Wellington Phoenix are tougher prey and Viteslav Lavicka will have to weigh a number of issues.
The back five are sorted: Scott Jamieson put in an impressive attacking shift on Sunday and delivered the decisive through ball to Mitch Mallia after shrugging off a nasty head knock. Ivan Necevski keeps his place while Rhyan Grant continues his crash course at right back.
As ever, Sydney's front six are the paradox. Hiro Moriyasu put in a solid performance without expressing any real influence on the match. In fairness, Hiro is not a proper left winger and his best work comes in the middle of the park.
If Karol Kisel is fit to start, Moriyasu will probably drop to the bench despite Kisel's own dislike for the left side and Moriyasu's solid return to the starting line up (Terry Antonis should be given time in the youth league to reach proper match fitness for what will be a string of must-win games).
Goal scorer Joel Chianese will no doubt enjoy the opposite experience to Hiro: Chianese's strike will probably secure him another start, but the youngster stumbled over several other opportunities to shoot, cross or even trap and clearly remains a work in progress.
Chianese's scoring volley was sumptuously taken, but fundamental slips, such as failing to win a corner when trapped on the touchline, or not finding a yard to deliver a cross to Bruno (Chianese would be wise to study Cassio in this regard) will be more costly against an in-form Wellington.
In the end Chianese's game flattered and deceived. He often found dangerous positions but failed to make good decisions or execute them under pressure - except for a lovely goal. Obviously these elements of his game can be improved with time, but Sydney need to win to make the finals.
Chianese and Mallia both have potential but need to keep improving to keep Olyroos Dimitri Petratos and Terry Antonis out of the side when they return.
Sydney FC have every reason to beat Wellington Phoenix and every chance with the strong squad at Viteslav Lavicka's disposal. A win against the high-flying Phoenix could propel Sydney into outside chances for a grand final.
A loss would further dishearten those Sydney fans already dizzy from inconsistency and disappointed by defeat. Bring on the weekend.
It is a mark of Sydney's schizophrenic season that they could secure 65 percent of possession in the first half yet safely be described as undeserving winners. In the first 45 minutes Sydney enjoyed the ball without displaying real ruthlessness, until the previously-ineffective Joel Chianese caressed a difficult volley in from a corner.
The goal released all the pressure on Sydney FC and they came out after halftime determined to land a killer blow - yet Adelaide surged back and finished as the far stronger side. In the first half the South Australians closed down like Australian manufacturing, but in the second half they suffocated Sydney's creaky transition play.
Adelaide hit the post twice and while Eugene Galekovic made one save, clear man of the match Ivan Necevski made six and watched the ball smash against the upright.
Barbiero butchered a fantastic opporturnity, Cassio hit the post, Caravella drew the best out of Necevski from point-blank range and both managers acknowledged who Lady Luck favoured on Sunday night.
Sydney FC might sneak into the finals and will fancy themselves to do some damage. But they must be concerned after a dominant first half display with 65 percent of possession required a ricochet opening from a set piece.
A squad stacked with Socceroos in attacking positions should do better at fashioning opportunities (and congratulations to Brett Emerton and especially Nicky Carle for their well-deserved call ups for Wednesday night).
Wellington Phoenix are tougher prey and Viteslav Lavicka will have to weigh a number of issues.
The back five are sorted: Scott Jamieson put in an impressive attacking shift on Sunday and delivered the decisive through ball to Mitch Mallia after shrugging off a nasty head knock. Ivan Necevski keeps his place while Rhyan Grant continues his crash course at right back.
As ever, Sydney's front six are the paradox. Hiro Moriyasu put in a solid performance without expressing any real influence on the match. In fairness, Hiro is not a proper left winger and his best work comes in the middle of the park.
If Karol Kisel is fit to start, Moriyasu will probably drop to the bench despite Kisel's own dislike for the left side and Moriyasu's solid return to the starting line up (Terry Antonis should be given time in the youth league to reach proper match fitness for what will be a string of must-win games).
Goal scorer Joel Chianese will no doubt enjoy the opposite experience to Hiro: Chianese's strike will probably secure him another start, but the youngster stumbled over several other opportunities to shoot, cross or even trap and clearly remains a work in progress.
Chianese's scoring volley was sumptuously taken, but fundamental slips, such as failing to win a corner when trapped on the touchline, or not finding a yard to deliver a cross to Bruno (Chianese would be wise to study Cassio in this regard) will be more costly against an in-form Wellington.
In the end Chianese's game flattered and deceived. He often found dangerous positions but failed to make good decisions or execute them under pressure - except for a lovely goal. Obviously these elements of his game can be improved with time, but Sydney need to win to make the finals.
Chianese and Mallia both have potential but need to keep improving to keep Olyroos Dimitri Petratos and Terry Antonis out of the side when they return.
Sydney FC have every reason to beat Wellington Phoenix and every chance with the strong squad at Viteslav Lavicka's disposal. A win against the high-flying Phoenix could propel Sydney into outside chances for a grand final.
A loss would further dishearten those Sydney fans already dizzy from inconsistency and disappointed by defeat. Bring on the weekend.
Monday, February 13, 2012
McFlynn out for Forgotten Hiro?
"Dignity" and "honour" were the words of last week after Sydney hit rock bottom against Newcastle. Sydney faced the A League's form side last Sunday and wrestled out a 2-1 victory against Perth that provides some of the path ahead.
Sydney were far from dominant at home - in the first half the Sky Blues were barely seen; Bruno Cazarine provided the only attacking thrust. But certain signs were encouraging: Sydney were a little more desperate, a little more alert, a little more willing in the challenge and pacy with the pass.
Brett Emerton and Scott Jamieson led the effort while Karol Kisel, Hiro Moriyasu and Bruno Cazarine played their roles. Captain Terry McFlynn was absent yet Sydney roused themselves after a fairly diabolical first half to secure three precious points.
It was Hiro, Bruno and Kisel who made Sydney's first goal - Hiro showed great awareness to combine a tackle with a touch on, Bruno perfectly released Kisel and the Slovak scampered down his least favoured left side while Joel Chianese led the defence to the near post.
The highlights show the rest: Emerton's emphatic finish, the deliberate celebration in front of The Cove, and Sydney were off to the races.
Sydney found further joy down the flanks through Jamieson and Shannon Cole before Emerton showed wonderful judgement to curl a lofted ball around a defender on the goal line and on to the brave Bruno's bullet header.
Naturally a clean sheet was too much to ask, and Sydney's inability to keep the ball in the final stages provided a needlessly nail-biting finale as Perth surged forward.
Terry McFlynn will be available for selection against Adelaide and now the dilemma presents itself: will Lavicka restore his captain to a victorious side? Hiro Moriyasu has barely played for Sydney since signing an extended contract last season, but he was incisive and decisive against Perth.
Hiro has his limitations and some touches out of trouble seemed a little speculative, but Moriyasu made the most of his opportunity and does not deserve to be dropped.
The obvious move would be to ditch home debutant Joel Chianese, who looked willing but limited as a second striker, and move Carle forward, leaving a midfield of Kisel, McFlynn, Moriyasu and Emerton.
But Nicky Carle has repeated his statement that he prefers playing at 8 over 10 and Carle has always looked better with players in front of him. Unfortunately a central midfield of Carle and Moriyasu is hardly going to help in the mix or at set pieces and when Dario Vidosic starts sending freekicks at Adelaide's smorgasbord of big men, Sydney might rue their diminutive midfield.
Lavicka's alternatives are to play Mitch Mallia next to Bruno Cazarine in a classic little/large predator/target man pairing, and slot McFlynn next Carle; or to drop McFlynn to the bench.
Lavicka has run out of reasons to pick anything but a team that matches his footballing philosophy. The outgoing manager will probably push Carle forward behind Bruno and hope that Sydney's new-found width continues to threaten. Mitch Mallia, Rhyan Grant and Carle might need to wait for next year to get a go at their preferred positions.
The rest of the side picks itself: Bruno, Emerton and Kisel will start, while Rhyan Grant and the Beauchamp/Bosschaart central pairing are chiseled into the backline.
Scott Jamieson had a brain fade against the Newcastle Jets but he seems to have dodged the usual bullet for abandoning his post. The former Next Big Thing has shown glimpses of class this season and was a constant threat on Saturday.
Shannon Cole looked lively against Perth but will remain on the bench as the great struggle for a contract continues. It is hard to believe that Sydney could cut loose a local boy and fan favourite who can cover four positions and once earned selection for the Socceroos, but Cole might be running out of chances to win a new contract.
Earlier this season Sydney FC honoured William Doggadog Duran, a fan I never met but who was clearly loved within The Cove and respected by the players. Barely a month later, less than ten thousand Sydneysiders showed up for Saturday night's game. Those who stayed missed the dignified performance they've been praying for.
If Sydney beat Adelaide, who ended their own wretched run of form with a scrappy win over Gold Coast on the weekend, the fans should return for a pivotal clash against the high-flying Wellington Phoenix on February 25.
Sydney were far from dominant at home - in the first half the Sky Blues were barely seen; Bruno Cazarine provided the only attacking thrust. But certain signs were encouraging: Sydney were a little more desperate, a little more alert, a little more willing in the challenge and pacy with the pass.
Brett Emerton and Scott Jamieson led the effort while Karol Kisel, Hiro Moriyasu and Bruno Cazarine played their roles. Captain Terry McFlynn was absent yet Sydney roused themselves after a fairly diabolical first half to secure three precious points.
It was Hiro, Bruno and Kisel who made Sydney's first goal - Hiro showed great awareness to combine a tackle with a touch on, Bruno perfectly released Kisel and the Slovak scampered down his least favoured left side while Joel Chianese led the defence to the near post.
The highlights show the rest: Emerton's emphatic finish, the deliberate celebration in front of The Cove, and Sydney were off to the races.
Sydney found further joy down the flanks through Jamieson and Shannon Cole before Emerton showed wonderful judgement to curl a lofted ball around a defender on the goal line and on to the brave Bruno's bullet header.
Naturally a clean sheet was too much to ask, and Sydney's inability to keep the ball in the final stages provided a needlessly nail-biting finale as Perth surged forward.
Terry McFlynn will be available for selection against Adelaide and now the dilemma presents itself: will Lavicka restore his captain to a victorious side? Hiro Moriyasu has barely played for Sydney since signing an extended contract last season, but he was incisive and decisive against Perth.
Hiro has his limitations and some touches out of trouble seemed a little speculative, but Moriyasu made the most of his opportunity and does not deserve to be dropped.
The obvious move would be to ditch home debutant Joel Chianese, who looked willing but limited as a second striker, and move Carle forward, leaving a midfield of Kisel, McFlynn, Moriyasu and Emerton.
But Nicky Carle has repeated his statement that he prefers playing at 8 over 10 and Carle has always looked better with players in front of him. Unfortunately a central midfield of Carle and Moriyasu is hardly going to help in the mix or at set pieces and when Dario Vidosic starts sending freekicks at Adelaide's smorgasbord of big men, Sydney might rue their diminutive midfield.
Lavicka's alternatives are to play Mitch Mallia next to Bruno Cazarine in a classic little/large predator/target man pairing, and slot McFlynn next Carle; or to drop McFlynn to the bench.
Lavicka has run out of reasons to pick anything but a team that matches his footballing philosophy. The outgoing manager will probably push Carle forward behind Bruno and hope that Sydney's new-found width continues to threaten. Mitch Mallia, Rhyan Grant and Carle might need to wait for next year to get a go at their preferred positions.
The rest of the side picks itself: Bruno, Emerton and Kisel will start, while Rhyan Grant and the Beauchamp/Bosschaart central pairing are chiseled into the backline.
Scott Jamieson had a brain fade against the Newcastle Jets but he seems to have dodged the usual bullet for abandoning his post. The former Next Big Thing has shown glimpses of class this season and was a constant threat on Saturday.
Shannon Cole looked lively against Perth but will remain on the bench as the great struggle for a contract continues. It is hard to believe that Sydney could cut loose a local boy and fan favourite who can cover four positions and once earned selection for the Socceroos, but Cole might be running out of chances to win a new contract.
Earlier this season Sydney FC honoured William Doggadog Duran, a fan I never met but who was clearly loved within The Cove and respected by the players. Barely a month later, less than ten thousand Sydneysiders showed up for Saturday night's game. Those who stayed missed the dignified performance they've been praying for.
If Sydney beat Adelaide, who ended their own wretched run of form with a scrappy win over Gold Coast on the weekend, the fans should return for a pivotal clash against the high-flying Wellington Phoenix on February 25.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Melton's "Look In The Mirror" Comment Not Aimed At Fans
Both Dirk Melton and Adam Lucius, the writer of the article quoted below, have informed me that the following comment made by Melton was not aimed at Sydney FC fans.
"(Sydney FC manager Viteslav Lavicka) has been here for three years and been given an absolutely dignified farewell and given an opportunity to do what he needs to do for the rest of the year," the Sydney boss said.
"If people find any difficulty in that then they probably need to look in the mirror."
My previous column was somewhat sparked by the belief that Melton had aimed the "look in the mirror" comment at fans calling for Lavicka's sacking.
I read the Sydney CEO's remarks as a broadside aimed at anyone calling for Lavicka's removal. It seems that several other Sydney fans felt the same way, but Melton and Lucius have now said that the "people" being discussed were not Sydney fans or members. I accept this, apologize for assuming the aim of the quote (though I can't say that the context was particularly clear), and regret any confusion my column may have spread.
You can see Adam Lucius's Twitter profile here, and Dirk Melton's is found here. My Twitter profile is found here.
Readers of my column will note that it discusses other matters - notably Sydney FC's undignified recent form and the end of the option to sack Lavicka - which are separate to the issue of what must never be referred to as "Mirrorgate." The column will be left as it is, with a link to this article.
As always, your comments or tweets on this or other issues are always welcomed.
Postscript: Amid the sound and fury, it is quite remarkable that Dirk Melton found time late on a Monday night to write to me regarding my blog - an action above and beyond the duties of a CEO. For this and many other reasons, Sydney's front office seems to be in good hands.
"(Sydney FC manager Viteslav Lavicka) has been here for three years and been given an absolutely dignified farewell and given an opportunity to do what he needs to do for the rest of the year," the Sydney boss said.
"If people find any difficulty in that then they probably need to look in the mirror."
My previous column was somewhat sparked by the belief that Melton had aimed the "look in the mirror" comment at fans calling for Lavicka's sacking.
I read the Sydney CEO's remarks as a broadside aimed at anyone calling for Lavicka's removal. It seems that several other Sydney fans felt the same way, but Melton and Lucius have now said that the "people" being discussed were not Sydney fans or members. I accept this, apologize for assuming the aim of the quote (though I can't say that the context was particularly clear), and regret any confusion my column may have spread.
You can see Adam Lucius's Twitter profile here, and Dirk Melton's is found here. My Twitter profile is found here.
Readers of my column will note that it discusses other matters - notably Sydney FC's undignified recent form and the end of the option to sack Lavicka - which are separate to the issue of what must never be referred to as "Mirrorgate." The column will be left as it is, with a link to this article.
As always, your comments or tweets on this or other issues are always welcomed.
Postscript: Amid the sound and fury, it is quite remarkable that Dirk Melton found time late on a Monday night to write to me regarding my blog - an action above and beyond the duties of a CEO. For this and many other reasons, Sydney's front office seems to be in good hands.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Melton Should Crucify Lavicka (now amended due to response from Melton)
Sydney FC CEO Dirk Melton has made his first big mistake. In an interview published on Sportal Melton delivered a rightly circumspect whip to the players but a rather stinging putdown to a growing group of Sydney FC fans.
"(Coach Viteslav Lavicka) has been here for three years and been given an absolutely dignified farewell and given an opportunity to do what he needs to do for the rest of the year. If people find any difficulty in that then they probably need to look in the mirror."
Melton has not been at the club long enough to tell the fans what to do. Even if he is right, and I do not believe that he is, those are poorly chosen words for the thousands who have clearly given up on the Lavicka school of football. Bluntly bagging fans for criticizing the coach, cruel as they may be, is a stupid thing to do at the best of times.
To do it in the name of dignity is particularly galling. If Sunday's game was a horse race Sydney FC would have found dignity behind a tent and a shotgun. They played with intent for less than half of a home match against geographic rivals.
By contrast the fans have largely held their tongues. The Cove has not chanted for Lavicka's head. The banners have not risen against the once-successful Czech. The venom is reserved for the people most to blame: the players who continually fail to deliver on their potential.
It is true that Sydney fans take too much delight in booing their own players. I wish it were a club that cheered on losing Sky Blues at half time. I wish that confidence players were given more than 30 minutes to change a game.
But changing that culture (a worthy mission that needs a different strategy than Melton's here) will take time and Sydney have bigger problems. Melton is smart enough in his remarks to hold back from trying to take the motivational reins. The players are Lavicka's problem and Lavicka has to deal with it.
This failing squad is Lavicka's responsibility and many fans, if not most, have lost patience with Lavicka's tenure. It's nothing personal. It's simply football.
For two years Sydney have been a bottom half side. They don't deserve a place in the finals this season, and they didn't deserve one last season. The evidence is quite obvious.
Since Lavicka claimed Sydney's sweetest title, the club has played 50 games, won 14, drawn 16 and lost 20. Those results do not include the club's desolate Asian Champion's League campaign.
Last season Sydney finished 9th. Right now they lie 7th and no one is tipping them to rise higher.
Sydney have won a single game in their last nine matches. They've lost 5-2 and 4-nil at home. The Sky Blues have kept four clean sheets in 20 matches. In the last nine games they've conceded 22 goals.
For the last two seasons the crowd rises slightly when success beckons or Brett Emerton debuts, but flee when Sydney lose. Football's Capital demands success with style. They've had neither for two weary years.
Melton would find it hard to find a fan who dislikes Lavicka as a person (although the man who threw his membership card at the Czech when he withdrew Nicky Carle against Gold Coast might volunteer). Lavicka is well-known and liked for the way he speaks to fans and applauds their efforts, particularly on away trips.
Obviously Lavicka's character and his debut double, combined with the front office's long-stated desire to stabilize a previously-bloodthirsty club, has stayed the knife. But Sydney FC is toxic now. The mood amongst the players seemingly matches their performances and the atrocious results. The crowd will shrink until only the malcontents remain because no one wants to watch a good man leave in disgrace.
Melton said Lavicka has been given an absolutely dignified farewell and an opportunity to do what he needs to do.
It won't be dignified if Sydney continue to lose. It may sink the club further into footballing disrepute. What Lavicka "needs to do" is find a way to win matches with one of the most expensive sides in the A League. A double in the first season is not enough to offset shame in the last.
And Lavicka's "dignified" long goodbye smacks of spin more than substance: perhaps the club wants to avoid a Melbourne/Durakovic situation while it hooks Graham Arnold or a big foreign fish for next season.
Saturday night's match against Perth should be a big occasion - Sydney fighting for a finals berth against a side brimming with talent. But the crowd won't reach ten thousand in "Football's Capital".
Pontius Pilate-like, Melton has appealed to the angry mob for mercy. But Lavicka's fate really rests in the hands of his supposed disciples: the players. Only they can save him from bitter, pathetic disgrace.
As unfair, undignified, dishonorable as it is, if Sydney fail against Perth, Lavicka should carry the cross - provided Ian Crook or Steve Corica are prepared to take the burden for the rest of the season.
Unfortunately this cannot even happen. Melton may be trying to re-shape Sydney FC, the most fickle club in the land, into a better place. I applaud the intention but today's interview is a serious misstep along a difficult path. The decision to name the Clubman Of The Year Award after Lavicka might reflect "core values" but it has effectively taken Melton's only option away.
Dignity and loyalty are things to be exchanged between players and fans, not ephemeral concepts to fall back on when poor decisions create a vacuum of leadership. Nature abhors a vacuum - this one has been filled with disaffection and vitriol. It started with the thousands of members who refused to renew their membership for this season, despite the recruitment of Emerton.
Melton struggled to understand that then. He surely has to understand now. Can he wash his hands of a good man's demolition? If Sydney FC fold against Perth, Melton should give the mob their head.
AMENDMENT: Dirk Melton replied to me on Twitter last night saying he's been misquoted and wouldn't disrespect fans. (You can see this on his Twitter account here: https://twitter.com/#!/Dirk_Melton).
As a former journo I know how things can quite easily be taken out of context. I hope this is addressed and corrected by Melton and the website in a more formal way.
You can see an additional post explaining what happened next here: http://afootontheball.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/meltons-look-in-mirror-comment-not.html
"(Coach Viteslav Lavicka) has been here for three years and been given an absolutely dignified farewell and given an opportunity to do what he needs to do for the rest of the year. If people find any difficulty in that then they probably need to look in the mirror."
Melton has not been at the club long enough to tell the fans what to do. Even if he is right, and I do not believe that he is, those are poorly chosen words for the thousands who have clearly given up on the Lavicka school of football. Bluntly bagging fans for criticizing the coach, cruel as they may be, is a stupid thing to do at the best of times.
To do it in the name of dignity is particularly galling. If Sunday's game was a horse race Sydney FC would have found dignity behind a tent and a shotgun. They played with intent for less than half of a home match against geographic rivals.
By contrast the fans have largely held their tongues. The Cove has not chanted for Lavicka's head. The banners have not risen against the once-successful Czech. The venom is reserved for the people most to blame: the players who continually fail to deliver on their potential.
It is true that Sydney fans take too much delight in booing their own players. I wish it were a club that cheered on losing Sky Blues at half time. I wish that confidence players were given more than 30 minutes to change a game.
But changing that culture (a worthy mission that needs a different strategy than Melton's here) will take time and Sydney have bigger problems. Melton is smart enough in his remarks to hold back from trying to take the motivational reins. The players are Lavicka's problem and Lavicka has to deal with it.
This failing squad is Lavicka's responsibility and many fans, if not most, have lost patience with Lavicka's tenure. It's nothing personal. It's simply football.
For two years Sydney have been a bottom half side. They don't deserve a place in the finals this season, and they didn't deserve one last season. The evidence is quite obvious.
Since Lavicka claimed Sydney's sweetest title, the club has played 50 games, won 14, drawn 16 and lost 20. Those results do not include the club's desolate Asian Champion's League campaign.
Last season Sydney finished 9th. Right now they lie 7th and no one is tipping them to rise higher.
Sydney have won a single game in their last nine matches. They've lost 5-2 and 4-nil at home. The Sky Blues have kept four clean sheets in 20 matches. In the last nine games they've conceded 22 goals.
For the last two seasons the crowd rises slightly when success beckons or Brett Emerton debuts, but flee when Sydney lose. Football's Capital demands success with style. They've had neither for two weary years.
Melton would find it hard to find a fan who dislikes Lavicka as a person (although the man who threw his membership card at the Czech when he withdrew Nicky Carle against Gold Coast might volunteer). Lavicka is well-known and liked for the way he speaks to fans and applauds their efforts, particularly on away trips.
Obviously Lavicka's character and his debut double, combined with the front office's long-stated desire to stabilize a previously-bloodthirsty club, has stayed the knife. But Sydney FC is toxic now. The mood amongst the players seemingly matches their performances and the atrocious results. The crowd will shrink until only the malcontents remain because no one wants to watch a good man leave in disgrace.
Melton said Lavicka has been given an absolutely dignified farewell and an opportunity to do what he needs to do.
It won't be dignified if Sydney continue to lose. It may sink the club further into footballing disrepute. What Lavicka "needs to do" is find a way to win matches with one of the most expensive sides in the A League. A double in the first season is not enough to offset shame in the last.
And Lavicka's "dignified" long goodbye smacks of spin more than substance: perhaps the club wants to avoid a Melbourne/Durakovic situation while it hooks Graham Arnold or a big foreign fish for next season.
Saturday night's match against Perth should be a big occasion - Sydney fighting for a finals berth against a side brimming with talent. But the crowd won't reach ten thousand in "Football's Capital".
Pontius Pilate-like, Melton has appealed to the angry mob for mercy. But Lavicka's fate really rests in the hands of his supposed disciples: the players. Only they can save him from bitter, pathetic disgrace.
As unfair, undignified, dishonorable as it is, if Sydney fail against Perth, Lavicka should carry the cross - provided Ian Crook or Steve Corica are prepared to take the burden for the rest of the season.
Unfortunately this cannot even happen. Melton may be trying to re-shape Sydney FC, the most fickle club in the land, into a better place. I applaud the intention but today's interview is a serious misstep along a difficult path. The decision to name the Clubman Of The Year Award after Lavicka might reflect "core values" but it has effectively taken Melton's only option away.
Dignity and loyalty are things to be exchanged between players and fans, not ephemeral concepts to fall back on when poor decisions create a vacuum of leadership. Nature abhors a vacuum - this one has been filled with disaffection and vitriol. It started with the thousands of members who refused to renew their membership for this season, despite the recruitment of Emerton.
Melton struggled to understand that then. He surely has to understand now. Can he wash his hands of a good man's demolition? If Sydney FC fold against Perth, Melton should give the mob their head.
AMENDMENT: Dirk Melton replied to me on Twitter last night saying he's been misquoted and wouldn't disrespect fans. (You can see this on his Twitter account here: https://twitter.com/#!/Dirk_Melton).
As a former journo I know how things can quite easily be taken out of context. I hope this is addressed and corrected by Melton and the website in a more formal way.
You can see an additional post explaining what happened next here: http://afootontheball.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/meltons-look-in-mirror-comment-not.html
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Sydney beat the best and hope is born
It has taken this long to collect my thoughts on Sydney's remarkable bludgeoning of Brisbane on the weekend. October seems an age ago. Perhaps Viteslav Lavicka has rediscovered his side's spine.
Ground level seats by a corner post prevented me really seeing how the game unfolded (plus a Homebake hangover that endangered the cleanliness of said corner post), but certain things were obvious. After the shock of the early goal, Sydney closed down with coordinated intent. Their clear game plan was invigorated by Petratos' drive and the side shifted to each flank as one.
Brisbane only had Plan A and Sydney made a mockery of it. Safe possession was ceded to the Roar centrebacks but the fullbacks were sharked and the midfield shackled. Sydney forced the match into a 30 yard square and dared the Roar to stitch a passing path through them. Brisbane utterly failed to do so.
Sydney's "long ball" game was aided by strong gusts that pulled the Sky Blues' long passes back towards them. Bruno Cazarine won a fair share of headers while Dimi Petratos harried, hassled and won an unbelievable number of knock downs and 50/50s. Sydney sucked in the Brisbane midfield and then played the ball first time to space.
Once Sydney established their lead and willingness to gamble for scraps, they began to put their foot on the ball. Pascal Bosschaart, Shannon Cole, Karol Kisel, Brett Emerton and Nicky Carle were able to relieve the pressure of Brisbane possession, while Terry McFlynn and Jamie Coyne played their part.
Liam Reddy is a man transformed. The intense keeper has built a platform of form and confidence from his strong opening match against the Victory and orders the side around like a tyrant. In front of him Michael Beauchamp and Pascal Bosschaart played the match Sydney fans have been waiting to see. They resisted Brisbane's attempts to pull them apart and some of Bosschaart's distribution bordered on the ridiculous and/or miraculous. Can the Cove finally forget Simon Colosimo?
Shannon Cole slotted in for the suspended Scott Jamieson and the left footer might be hard-pressed to win his spot back. Cole grew into the game and his swashbuckling forays in the second half caught the eye while some in the crowd caught their breath. One little run that led to a freekick was particularly risky but Cole looked immaculate in defence and his kamikaze block must make him undroppable.
It would be harsh to drop Jamie Coyne, who did little wrong and lends much needed height at set pieces, but Cole offers courage, technique and panache. If he does get left on the bench, expect to see him on at halftime if Sydney are chasing the game.
Terry McFlynn led the side like never before. He lifted the crowd, mostly kept the ball safe and constantly encouraged the troops to left. When Petratos butchered a chance to play Bruno in, McFlynn talked the justifiably petulant Brazilian into pulling his head in. The A League has grown past the notion of McFlynn as an attacking midfielder, but he might be the anchorman to guide Sydney to glory.
I couldn't see too much of the midfield duel but all pundits seem to have praised how disciplined Sydney's most experienced players were. Carle, Emerton and Kisel are the type to relish taking on Australia's best and they will want to push the club forward.
Dimi Petratos was waiting for a chance to impress, and boy did he take it. It was an enormous shame that he couldn't take more - Petratos is not quite the predator we would wish him to be, but suddenly Sydney look strong across the front. Petratos' touch and turn make him more of a scheming midfielder than a beat-the-line speedster, but it is clear he has intrigued Lavicka and invigorated Bruno.
Mark Bridge and Terry Antonis will rightly find it hard to win a starting spot. Potential must be matched by performance in a team of Sydney's ambition.
Sydney have options all across the park, are relatively injury free and know they can beat the best team in Australian professional sporting history.
Brisbane were well below their best but Sydney won't care. They won, won with style, won the fans and know they can win a title. It is the leaders that will decide whether they build towards glory.
Sunday's success has led some to ask whether Sydney FC should move to Kogarah. The answer is in the title. Sydney is the city's football club and must play near its central station. A cozy suburb with a community stadium is a fantastic place to visit, but until someone builds Sydney's answer to AAMI Park at Redfern, the SFS is home.
Ground level seats by a corner post prevented me really seeing how the game unfolded (plus a Homebake hangover that endangered the cleanliness of said corner post), but certain things were obvious. After the shock of the early goal, Sydney closed down with coordinated intent. Their clear game plan was invigorated by Petratos' drive and the side shifted to each flank as one.
Brisbane only had Plan A and Sydney made a mockery of it. Safe possession was ceded to the Roar centrebacks but the fullbacks were sharked and the midfield shackled. Sydney forced the match into a 30 yard square and dared the Roar to stitch a passing path through them. Brisbane utterly failed to do so.
Sydney's "long ball" game was aided by strong gusts that pulled the Sky Blues' long passes back towards them. Bruno Cazarine won a fair share of headers while Dimi Petratos harried, hassled and won an unbelievable number of knock downs and 50/50s. Sydney sucked in the Brisbane midfield and then played the ball first time to space.
Once Sydney established their lead and willingness to gamble for scraps, they began to put their foot on the ball. Pascal Bosschaart, Shannon Cole, Karol Kisel, Brett Emerton and Nicky Carle were able to relieve the pressure of Brisbane possession, while Terry McFlynn and Jamie Coyne played their part.
Liam Reddy is a man transformed. The intense keeper has built a platform of form and confidence from his strong opening match against the Victory and orders the side around like a tyrant. In front of him Michael Beauchamp and Pascal Bosschaart played the match Sydney fans have been waiting to see. They resisted Brisbane's attempts to pull them apart and some of Bosschaart's distribution bordered on the ridiculous and/or miraculous. Can the Cove finally forget Simon Colosimo?
Shannon Cole slotted in for the suspended Scott Jamieson and the left footer might be hard-pressed to win his spot back. Cole grew into the game and his swashbuckling forays in the second half caught the eye while some in the crowd caught their breath. One little run that led to a freekick was particularly risky but Cole looked immaculate in defence and his kamikaze block must make him undroppable.
It would be harsh to drop Jamie Coyne, who did little wrong and lends much needed height at set pieces, but Cole offers courage, technique and panache. If he does get left on the bench, expect to see him on at halftime if Sydney are chasing the game.
Terry McFlynn led the side like never before. He lifted the crowd, mostly kept the ball safe and constantly encouraged the troops to left. When Petratos butchered a chance to play Bruno in, McFlynn talked the justifiably petulant Brazilian into pulling his head in. The A League has grown past the notion of McFlynn as an attacking midfielder, but he might be the anchorman to guide Sydney to glory.
I couldn't see too much of the midfield duel but all pundits seem to have praised how disciplined Sydney's most experienced players were. Carle, Emerton and Kisel are the type to relish taking on Australia's best and they will want to push the club forward.
Dimi Petratos was waiting for a chance to impress, and boy did he take it. It was an enormous shame that he couldn't take more - Petratos is not quite the predator we would wish him to be, but suddenly Sydney look strong across the front. Petratos' touch and turn make him more of a scheming midfielder than a beat-the-line speedster, but it is clear he has intrigued Lavicka and invigorated Bruno.
Mark Bridge and Terry Antonis will rightly find it hard to win a starting spot. Potential must be matched by performance in a team of Sydney's ambition.
Sydney have options all across the park, are relatively injury free and know they can beat the best team in Australian professional sporting history.
Brisbane were well below their best but Sydney won't care. They won, won with style, won the fans and know they can win a title. It is the leaders that will decide whether they build towards glory.
Sunday's success has led some to ask whether Sydney FC should move to Kogarah. The answer is in the title. Sydney is the city's football club and must play near its central station. A cozy suburb with a community stadium is a fantastic place to visit, but until someone builds Sydney's answer to AAMI Park at Redfern, the SFS is home.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Mariners Rattle and Roll Over Sydney
Sydney FC's Socceroo-laden side was out-muscled, then out-hustled, and finally out-played on Saturday night. Central Coast were good value for their 3-2 win and Sydney FC must ponder some hard questions if they are to challenge for the title that "Football's Capital" surely deserves.
When Terry McFlynn left the field, perhaps succumbing to injury, perhaps to a tactical decision by Viteslav Lavicka, promising 17-year-old Terry Antonis was left to mind Daniel McBreen and a fierce Mariners outfit. Graham Arnold's side allowed Sydney a measure of harmless possession, then sharked at Mark Bridge whenever he received the ball at his feet.
The Mariners' winning goals were born from textbook transition play and when Arnold subbed McBreen for the wily Musti Amini a tiring Antonis was overwhelmed and eventually hooked. The youngster may have been overworked after Young Socceroos duties. Maybe he just had a shocker. Neither explanation should be surprising at Antonis' age, but Hiro Moriyasu might have been brought on earlier to stem the tide.
Antonis was far from Sydney's worst on a fairly forgettable night. Star marquee Brett Emerton endured a pretty average first half and was unable to shrug off Central Coast's disciplined defensive pattern. Like Antonis, Emerton should improve after a week's rest.
Michael Beauchamp was schooled by Matt Simon. Beauchamp was once selected for the Socceroos for his strength in the air and immovability on the ground. He was unable to win a header in the second half and his list of errors is starting to lengthen. Seb Ryall might start to fancy his chances of a recall at centre back, though that would leave a short Sydney team even more susceptible at set pieces.
Chris Coyne and Terry McFlynn did the dirty work, but Coyne did not take strong options with the ball at his feet and some of the passing from Sydney's "water carriers" was woeful. McFlynn was missed in the second half, particularly when the second goal was clipped in from the spot while Antonis was nowhere to be seen. Sydney will hope their captain can recover quickly - he provides the muscle that an A League competitor seems to need.
Mark Bridge seems to pop up in all the right places and then butcher all the best chances. He has never scored prolifically and is as likely to balloon a simple chance before playing an exquisite pass. Bridge failed at 10 last year and is, so far, failing at no 9. Bruno Cazarine is a man of slow feet and heavy touch but backs himself to score. Bridge fits better with Sydney's aspirations of play, but Bruno has scored 10 goals in 28 games. Bridge has 27 in 116.
Liam Reddy and Scott Jamieson built on their strong campaigns so far. Nicky Carle continues to impress but still seems more comfortable when he has more than one passing option in front of him. How to fit Carle, Emerton, Kisel, McFlynn and Antonis into a midfield diamond remains Lavicka's biggest dilemma. Right now he has decided to play his two marquee men out of position. Such a decision could be described as "courageous".
When Terry McFlynn left the field, perhaps succumbing to injury, perhaps to a tactical decision by Viteslav Lavicka, promising 17-year-old Terry Antonis was left to mind Daniel McBreen and a fierce Mariners outfit. Graham Arnold's side allowed Sydney a measure of harmless possession, then sharked at Mark Bridge whenever he received the ball at his feet.
The Mariners' winning goals were born from textbook transition play and when Arnold subbed McBreen for the wily Musti Amini a tiring Antonis was overwhelmed and eventually hooked. The youngster may have been overworked after Young Socceroos duties. Maybe he just had a shocker. Neither explanation should be surprising at Antonis' age, but Hiro Moriyasu might have been brought on earlier to stem the tide.
Antonis was far from Sydney's worst on a fairly forgettable night. Star marquee Brett Emerton endured a pretty average first half and was unable to shrug off Central Coast's disciplined defensive pattern. Like Antonis, Emerton should improve after a week's rest.
Michael Beauchamp was schooled by Matt Simon. Beauchamp was once selected for the Socceroos for his strength in the air and immovability on the ground. He was unable to win a header in the second half and his list of errors is starting to lengthen. Seb Ryall might start to fancy his chances of a recall at centre back, though that would leave a short Sydney team even more susceptible at set pieces.
Chris Coyne and Terry McFlynn did the dirty work, but Coyne did not take strong options with the ball at his feet and some of the passing from Sydney's "water carriers" was woeful. McFlynn was missed in the second half, particularly when the second goal was clipped in from the spot while Antonis was nowhere to be seen. Sydney will hope their captain can recover quickly - he provides the muscle that an A League competitor seems to need.
Mark Bridge seems to pop up in all the right places and then butcher all the best chances. He has never scored prolifically and is as likely to balloon a simple chance before playing an exquisite pass. Bridge failed at 10 last year and is, so far, failing at no 9. Bruno Cazarine is a man of slow feet and heavy touch but backs himself to score. Bridge fits better with Sydney's aspirations of play, but Bruno has scored 10 goals in 28 games. Bridge has 27 in 116.
Liam Reddy and Scott Jamieson built on their strong campaigns so far. Nicky Carle continues to impress but still seems more comfortable when he has more than one passing option in front of him. How to fit Carle, Emerton, Kisel, McFlynn and Antonis into a midfield diamond remains Lavicka's biggest dilemma. Right now he has decided to play his two marquee men out of position. Such a decision could be described as "courageous".
Monday, November 7, 2011
Kisel The Key Man
I missed the first half of Sydney FC's best game of the year thanks to a weekend stint in gaol. We arrived five minutes before halftime. The crowd was as I feared - restless, angry and smaller than it should be.
Sydneysiders sense their team's collective lack of belief. Last season the club scrapped and grappled for draws, in stark contrast to the team of two years ago who scored first and strangled teams into submission.
Viteslav Lavicka - surely the manager with the most to prove this season - identified the problem of a lack of leadership and re-recruited Karol Kisel before the close of a lost season. He beefed up Sydney's spine with Pascal Bosschaart and Michael Beauchamp, and the shock signing of Brett Emerton left Lavicka with as good a squad on paper as one could ask for: three Socceroos, three Young Socceroos, two former internationals and a host of home-grown footballers with lots to prove.
The opening arm wrestle against Melbourne was rich with promise - Sydney dominated much of the play until Mark Bridge's brain snap. The home fans endured a spanking from the Roar, but results against Adelaide and the Heart were encouraging.
What a shame it was that only 11 051 fans turned up on a gloomy Sunday afternoon to see Sydney wilt, straighten and run over Gold Coast United. It was the performance that proved Lavicka's point: he has more leaders. He can let the team off the leash because their capacity to entertain springs from mental strength.
I've previously called for Karol Kisel to be benched for Dimi Petratos and Terry Antonis. Kisel showed on Sunday exactly why he was the first player Lavicka wanted for this season. Kisel possesses belief, technique, nous and a competitive fire that spreads throughout the side.
It was Kisel, Carle and Emerton that forced Sydney FC back into the match after the calamitous second Gold Coast goal. They kicked the club into fifth gear. Passes previously delivered at a pedestrian pace skidded off the turf. Fullbacks were thrust forward while Terry McFlynn mopped up with venom.
I had figured that Kisel's inclusion would damage Sydney by forcing the messiah himself, Brett Emerton, out onto the left - a role which proved difficult against the Victory and the Roar. But Emerton proved his worth to Sydney on Sunday. His backheels, lay offs, flicks and driving runs inside and outside Gold Coast's defence pulled defenders away from Scott Jamieson, who has lifted his game this season. Perhaps Jamieson has been energized by some of the leadership that Lavicka was after. More could come from a raw, young talent.
The backline of Coyne, Bosschaart, Beauchamp and Jamieson seems settled but work is clearly required - Gold Coast's second goal would not have been out of place in an early edition of FIFA. United's forward movement often threatened to pinch a third goal - can a triangle of McFlynn, Bosschaart and Beauchamp keep up with a mobile threat?
Sydney's midfield is certainly mobile enough and technically adroit. Emerton, Nicky Carle, Karol Kisel and Terry McFlynn will take some replacing - though it was interesting that Lavicka did not decide to replace McFlynn with Rhyan Grant as the clock wore down. Instead Beauchamp galloped forward and won the crucial penalty after Gold Coast wrapped their legs around him.
Lavicka's biggest dilemma remains how to get the most out of Mark Bridge. The eternal enigma could have scored a hat trick and won a penalty, but took home nothing but the rage of the crowd after he blinked when Emerton bounced a cross towards his hip.
Some say that Bridge is the club's best natural finisher. It's time he proved it. With Bruno and Petratos nipping at his heels, to say nothing of the phantom Surgeon, Bridge will have to start taking opportunities.
Sydney's next home game is against their closest rivals - Central Coast, another side with a lot to prove. It will be a heated match but Sydney have the most cause to look forward to it. They know they can win tight matches by playing positive, ball on the ground football. They know Brett Emerton and Nicky Carle will only get better - Carle must be getting close to a Socceroos recall.
And Terry Antonis, one of the A League's brightest prospects, wasn't even playing on Sunday. This could be a great season.
Sydneysiders sense their team's collective lack of belief. Last season the club scrapped and grappled for draws, in stark contrast to the team of two years ago who scored first and strangled teams into submission.
Viteslav Lavicka - surely the manager with the most to prove this season - identified the problem of a lack of leadership and re-recruited Karol Kisel before the close of a lost season. He beefed up Sydney's spine with Pascal Bosschaart and Michael Beauchamp, and the shock signing of Brett Emerton left Lavicka with as good a squad on paper as one could ask for: three Socceroos, three Young Socceroos, two former internationals and a host of home-grown footballers with lots to prove.
The opening arm wrestle against Melbourne was rich with promise - Sydney dominated much of the play until Mark Bridge's brain snap. The home fans endured a spanking from the Roar, but results against Adelaide and the Heart were encouraging.
What a shame it was that only 11 051 fans turned up on a gloomy Sunday afternoon to see Sydney wilt, straighten and run over Gold Coast United. It was the performance that proved Lavicka's point: he has more leaders. He can let the team off the leash because their capacity to entertain springs from mental strength.
I've previously called for Karol Kisel to be benched for Dimi Petratos and Terry Antonis. Kisel showed on Sunday exactly why he was the first player Lavicka wanted for this season. Kisel possesses belief, technique, nous and a competitive fire that spreads throughout the side.
It was Kisel, Carle and Emerton that forced Sydney FC back into the match after the calamitous second Gold Coast goal. They kicked the club into fifth gear. Passes previously delivered at a pedestrian pace skidded off the turf. Fullbacks were thrust forward while Terry McFlynn mopped up with venom.
I had figured that Kisel's inclusion would damage Sydney by forcing the messiah himself, Brett Emerton, out onto the left - a role which proved difficult against the Victory and the Roar. But Emerton proved his worth to Sydney on Sunday. His backheels, lay offs, flicks and driving runs inside and outside Gold Coast's defence pulled defenders away from Scott Jamieson, who has lifted his game this season. Perhaps Jamieson has been energized by some of the leadership that Lavicka was after. More could come from a raw, young talent.
The backline of Coyne, Bosschaart, Beauchamp and Jamieson seems settled but work is clearly required - Gold Coast's second goal would not have been out of place in an early edition of FIFA. United's forward movement often threatened to pinch a third goal - can a triangle of McFlynn, Bosschaart and Beauchamp keep up with a mobile threat?
Sydney's midfield is certainly mobile enough and technically adroit. Emerton, Nicky Carle, Karol Kisel and Terry McFlynn will take some replacing - though it was interesting that Lavicka did not decide to replace McFlynn with Rhyan Grant as the clock wore down. Instead Beauchamp galloped forward and won the crucial penalty after Gold Coast wrapped their legs around him.
Lavicka's biggest dilemma remains how to get the most out of Mark Bridge. The eternal enigma could have scored a hat trick and won a penalty, but took home nothing but the rage of the crowd after he blinked when Emerton bounced a cross towards his hip.
Some say that Bridge is the club's best natural finisher. It's time he proved it. With Bruno and Petratos nipping at his heels, to say nothing of the phantom Surgeon, Bridge will have to start taking opportunities.
Sydney's next home game is against their closest rivals - Central Coast, another side with a lot to prove. It will be a heated match but Sydney have the most cause to look forward to it. They know they can win tight matches by playing positive, ball on the ground football. They know Brett Emerton and Nicky Carle will only get better - Carle must be getting close to a Socceroos recall.
And Terry Antonis, one of the A League's brightest prospects, wasn't even playing on Sunday. This could be a great season.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Emerton The Solution To Lavicka's Midfield Riddle
Brett Emerton is every manager's must-have player. Emerton is a model professional and a capable technician, and is positionally versatile and ridiculously fit (in the stamina sense - the other sense is perhaps best left to the marketing department).
But Viteslav Lavicka now has a devilish problem to resolve. Emerton is probably happiest playing as a genuine right winger, but the Czech master's preference for a midfield diamond is well known. He has shown no intention to play with wingers - in fact, he shipped off Kofi Danning, his only genuine wide man, and we know that Sydney FC were expecting to recruit Emerton next season but nabbed him 12 months early.
So how does Lavicka fit an EPL-standard winger into his starting 11, while making full use of his talents?
Emerton could play at right back. Lavicka has never settled on Shannon Cole or Seb Ryall in the troublesome spot, and the swift exit of Byun and recruitment of Jamie Coyne demonstrates his dissatisfaction with his younger options. Emerton has played right back for the Socceroos for years and would dominate opposing attackers.
But has Emerton really come to Australia to mark out a winger and mind a touchline, occasionally venturing forward in the conservative way that Lavicka has demanded of his fullbacks over the last two years? It seems doubtful, even though Emerton's decision making and enormous engine are actually perfectly suited to playing the wingback role behind a midfield diamond. It is to be hoped that the rush to push the marquee man goalwards doesn't stop Lavicka from trying Emerton at right back with Karol Kisel ahead of him.
One can however assume that Lavicka will want maximum influence from his premier player and will probably slot Emerton into a midfield role as soon as possible. One hopes he is smart enough to exploit the Socceroo's versatility. Emerton can play right back, defensive midfield, right wing or even genuine centre midfield, and he will probably fill all of these roles within a 90 minutes.
Lavicka demands that his players pass to feet along the grass. We are often told that ball on the ground football is best played by players rotating between positions. Such lofty ambitions are no longer beyond Sydney FC and there is a first 11 that would allow them to switch between formations while playing their young stars alongside their Socceroo mentors - a goal that Sydney should ignore for another year to their peril.
Here is a starting 11 within the current squad that can fluidly shift from a diamond 4-4-2 to a flat 4-4-2 and a classic 4-1-4-1. Let's start with Lavicka's preferred diamond:
-----------------Cazarine-------------------------
-------------------------Petratos----------------
---------------------Carle----------------------
-------------Antonis-----Emerton-------------
-------------------McFlynn---------------------
-Jamieson--Beauchamp--Bosschart--Cole/Coyne
----------------------Reddy--------------------
Here Petratos plays the role of support striker. Note that the formation already encourages players to swap and shift between the lines. Antonis, Petratos and Carle can all play at LCM, at 10 or at support striker, while McFlynn can push on with Antonis and Emerton covering behind as both have done for the Socceroos. Emerton can also switch with Shannon Cole, though Lavicka will probably choose new recruit Jamie Coyne.
This same 11 can quickly switch to the following shape:
-----------------------------Cazarine-------------------------
-------------------------Antonis/Carle----------------
Petratos-------Carle/Antonis----------McFlynn----------Emerton
---------Jamieson--Beauchamp--Bosschart--Cole/Coyne
-------------------------------Reddy--------------------
In this flat midfield Emerton plays in his favoured right winger role and McFlynn holds the midfield fort, but others are admittedly out of their comfort zones. Petratos is left-footed and has played left wing but looks more comfortable in central roles. Here Carle can float out left to bring Petratos back into the centre, while Carle and Antonis share their preferred number 10 spot as well as the "Modric" role in the middle. A lot would be required of Scott Jamieson, a confidence player at the best of times.
Still, the formation is remarkably fluid. All four midfielders can comfortably occupy central roles, while Carle and Emerton have repeatedly played wide positions for the Socceroos. Carle, Antonis and Petratos all love to play behind Bruno at 9, and Emerton can surge forward as well.
If the team gets a lead and Lavicka plays conservatively (an approach which did take Sydney to a double just a year ago), he can switch things up without making a substitution.
-----------------------------Cazarine-------------------------
------------Petratos-----Antonis-----Carle----------Emerton
--------------------------------McFlynn-----------------------
---------Jamieson--Beauchamp--Bosschart--Cole/Coyne
-------------------------------Reddy--------------------
This formation can break at pace. Carle and Antonis are particularly capable of playing through balls to Emerton and Petratos, and Cazarine is particularly adept at running across two central defenders to keep them interested.
The key man in all of this is probably the captain - Terry McFlynn. In each formation he is required to do much more than break heads and bust a gut. In the diamond McFlynn's distribution would be tested and if his passing goes astray (as is known to happen), the entire formation breaks down. In the second formation, McFlynn is required to "mind" a much smaller central midfield partner. In the defensive variation McFlynn is again the chief distributor as Lavicka loathes to bypass the man in the hole.
McFlynn struggled in central defensive midfield last season, but reports suggest that Lavicka has him in mind for Stuart Musialik's old role. If he can make it work, it will instantly free up what was a battling midfield. If he can't, the captain may be benched for Rhyan Grant or Hiro Moriyasu.
This starting 11 has other weakness - Petratos plays outside his natural central midfield role, and the squad might lack height at set pieces against physical outfits. But a creative midfield core of Petratos, Antonis, Emerton and Carle is a vast improvement on Musialik, Hiro, McFlynn and Bridge, which is what Sydney was reduced to when injury and poor recruitment cruelled last year's campaign.
But Viteslav Lavicka now has a devilish problem to resolve. Emerton is probably happiest playing as a genuine right winger, but the Czech master's preference for a midfield diamond is well known. He has shown no intention to play with wingers - in fact, he shipped off Kofi Danning, his only genuine wide man, and we know that Sydney FC were expecting to recruit Emerton next season but nabbed him 12 months early.
So how does Lavicka fit an EPL-standard winger into his starting 11, while making full use of his talents?
Emerton could play at right back. Lavicka has never settled on Shannon Cole or Seb Ryall in the troublesome spot, and the swift exit of Byun and recruitment of Jamie Coyne demonstrates his dissatisfaction with his younger options. Emerton has played right back for the Socceroos for years and would dominate opposing attackers.
But has Emerton really come to Australia to mark out a winger and mind a touchline, occasionally venturing forward in the conservative way that Lavicka has demanded of his fullbacks over the last two years? It seems doubtful, even though Emerton's decision making and enormous engine are actually perfectly suited to playing the wingback role behind a midfield diamond. It is to be hoped that the rush to push the marquee man goalwards doesn't stop Lavicka from trying Emerton at right back with Karol Kisel ahead of him.
One can however assume that Lavicka will want maximum influence from his premier player and will probably slot Emerton into a midfield role as soon as possible. One hopes he is smart enough to exploit the Socceroo's versatility. Emerton can play right back, defensive midfield, right wing or even genuine centre midfield, and he will probably fill all of these roles within a 90 minutes.
Lavicka demands that his players pass to feet along the grass. We are often told that ball on the ground football is best played by players rotating between positions. Such lofty ambitions are no longer beyond Sydney FC and there is a first 11 that would allow them to switch between formations while playing their young stars alongside their Socceroo mentors - a goal that Sydney should ignore for another year to their peril.
Here is a starting 11 within the current squad that can fluidly shift from a diamond 4-4-2 to a flat 4-4-2 and a classic 4-1-4-1. Let's start with Lavicka's preferred diamond:
-----------------Cazarine-------------------------
-------------------------Petratos----------------
---------------------Carle----------------------
-------------Antonis-----Emerton-------------
-------------------McFlynn---------------------
-Jamieson--Beauchamp--Bosschart--Cole/Coyne
----------------------Reddy--------------------
Here Petratos plays the role of support striker. Note that the formation already encourages players to swap and shift between the lines. Antonis, Petratos and Carle can all play at LCM, at 10 or at support striker, while McFlynn can push on with Antonis and Emerton covering behind as both have done for the Socceroos. Emerton can also switch with Shannon Cole, though Lavicka will probably choose new recruit Jamie Coyne.
This same 11 can quickly switch to the following shape:
-----------------------------Cazarine-------------------------
-------------------------Antonis/Carle----------------
Petratos-------Carle/Antonis----------McFlynn----------Emerton
---------Jamieson--Beauchamp--Bosschart--Cole/Coyne
-------------------------------Reddy--------------------
In this flat midfield Emerton plays in his favoured right winger role and McFlynn holds the midfield fort, but others are admittedly out of their comfort zones. Petratos is left-footed and has played left wing but looks more comfortable in central roles. Here Carle can float out left to bring Petratos back into the centre, while Carle and Antonis share their preferred number 10 spot as well as the "Modric" role in the middle. A lot would be required of Scott Jamieson, a confidence player at the best of times.
Still, the formation is remarkably fluid. All four midfielders can comfortably occupy central roles, while Carle and Emerton have repeatedly played wide positions for the Socceroos. Carle, Antonis and Petratos all love to play behind Bruno at 9, and Emerton can surge forward as well.
If the team gets a lead and Lavicka plays conservatively (an approach which did take Sydney to a double just a year ago), he can switch things up without making a substitution.
-----------------------------Cazarine-------------------------
------------Petratos-----Antonis-----Carle----------Emerton
--------------------------------McFlynn-----------------------
---------Jamieson--Beauchamp--Bosschart--Cole/Coyne
-------------------------------Reddy--------------------
This formation can break at pace. Carle and Antonis are particularly capable of playing through balls to Emerton and Petratos, and Cazarine is particularly adept at running across two central defenders to keep them interested.
The key man in all of this is probably the captain - Terry McFlynn. In each formation he is required to do much more than break heads and bust a gut. In the diamond McFlynn's distribution would be tested and if his passing goes astray (as is known to happen), the entire formation breaks down. In the second formation, McFlynn is required to "mind" a much smaller central midfield partner. In the defensive variation McFlynn is again the chief distributor as Lavicka loathes to bypass the man in the hole.
McFlynn struggled in central defensive midfield last season, but reports suggest that Lavicka has him in mind for Stuart Musialik's old role. If he can make it work, it will instantly free up what was a battling midfield. If he can't, the captain may be benched for Rhyan Grant or Hiro Moriyasu.
This starting 11 has other weakness - Petratos plays outside his natural central midfield role, and the squad might lack height at set pieces against physical outfits. But a creative midfield core of Petratos, Antonis, Emerton and Carle is a vast improvement on Musialik, Hiro, McFlynn and Bridge, which is what Sydney was reduced to when injury and poor recruitment cruelled last year's campaign.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sydney FC wasting the worst of times
Sydney FC fans were supposed to enjoy a season of promise. Instead they endure a bitter malaise. The club is locked in a suffocating spiral as a dwindling tribe of disgruntled supporters show up to sing for a stuttering and terrified squad.
How did it come to this?
The champions built on their famous double by replacing an ageing and failed marquee in John Aloisi with a fringe Socceroo and genuine number 10. A front office headed by the impeccably credentialed Edwin Lugt and bankrolled by David Traktovenko stated the ambition to become a premier club in Asia (later the "preeminent club in Asia") and coach Viteslav Lavicka looked forward to warming up for his title defence with glamour preseason friendlies against Everton, Rangers, Blackburn and AEK Athens.
Now Lugt is gone. The Festival of Football was a lonely failure. Sydney FC could not even claim the false honour of a finals place. The Asian Champions League campaign is crippled, almost certainly beyond repair. Last season's mastermind is tottering despite his recent contract extension, undermined by his one dimensional approach, limited squad and failure to recruit players who can excel within his system.
I have already chronicled how the A League campaign fell apart under the weight of poor recruitment, a cascade of injuries and the unexpected acceleration in the quality of the A League. But the ACL is another matter.
Last week Sydney FC capitulated against Kashima Antlers. The club has failed to win a home game in the ACL and departs for unfriendly shores against superior opposition. Three points in Shanghai are an absolute necessity for a side that will face up against group leaders Kashima and Suwon with no clear idea of how to beat them.
More experienced scribes than I have already written about how Sydney FC's new low standards of ambition are a disgraceful mockery of the club's potential. Michael Cockerill believes that the club must recruit a Harry Kewell-level marquee player to haul itself out of a death spiral. I agree with the need to recruit a genuine marquee striker and believe that a Yorke or Fowler level signing would bring back 5,000 fans to the first home game, possibly more. But there is a particular type of striker that is required to entice the thousands of paying members to every home game.
Sydney FC fans demand more than football. We know that the SFS will never host a technical exhibition to match what we can see at home on television. But Sydney FC's greatest problem is its lack of flair. The idea of enduring 90 minutes of Mark Bridge and Dimitri Petratos playing out of position is more than most can bear. It was equally frustrating to witness the armband pass to a player not deemed worthy of a new contract in Stuart Musialik. How can a club not have more than one leader?
Sydney need flair and belief in equal measure. They need a swashbuckling striker who will show more heart than Bridge or Bruno Cazarine, and better touch than Juho Makela. Alex Brosque was popular because he believed in his own abilities. Precious few Sky Blues do the same - Shannon Cole's enduring popularity is based on his confidence, not his defensive positioning.
Kewell would fit the bill (hopefully his contract would include a requirement that he stay on his feet and play nice with the referees). Michael Owen's Premier League appeal would also do quite nicely. Miroslav Klose and Ruud Van Nistelrooy round out the quartet of impossible targets, but this is the ambition that Sydney FC must show.
More likely marquee targets are Vince Grella or Scott Chipperfield - neither would fill the flair void that Nicky Carle cannot match on his own. Whoever replaces Lugt will have one hell of a job finding the marquee man that Sydney rightly crave.
How did it come to this?
The champions built on their famous double by replacing an ageing and failed marquee in John Aloisi with a fringe Socceroo and genuine number 10. A front office headed by the impeccably credentialed Edwin Lugt and bankrolled by David Traktovenko stated the ambition to become a premier club in Asia (later the "preeminent club in Asia") and coach Viteslav Lavicka looked forward to warming up for his title defence with glamour preseason friendlies against Everton, Rangers, Blackburn and AEK Athens.
Now Lugt is gone. The Festival of Football was a lonely failure. Sydney FC could not even claim the false honour of a finals place. The Asian Champions League campaign is crippled, almost certainly beyond repair. Last season's mastermind is tottering despite his recent contract extension, undermined by his one dimensional approach, limited squad and failure to recruit players who can excel within his system.
I have already chronicled how the A League campaign fell apart under the weight of poor recruitment, a cascade of injuries and the unexpected acceleration in the quality of the A League. But the ACL is another matter.
Last week Sydney FC capitulated against Kashima Antlers. The club has failed to win a home game in the ACL and departs for unfriendly shores against superior opposition. Three points in Shanghai are an absolute necessity for a side that will face up against group leaders Kashima and Suwon with no clear idea of how to beat them.
More experienced scribes than I have already written about how Sydney FC's new low standards of ambition are a disgraceful mockery of the club's potential. Michael Cockerill believes that the club must recruit a Harry Kewell-level marquee player to haul itself out of a death spiral. I agree with the need to recruit a genuine marquee striker and believe that a Yorke or Fowler level signing would bring back 5,000 fans to the first home game, possibly more. But there is a particular type of striker that is required to entice the thousands of paying members to every home game.
Sydney FC fans demand more than football. We know that the SFS will never host a technical exhibition to match what we can see at home on television. But Sydney FC's greatest problem is its lack of flair. The idea of enduring 90 minutes of Mark Bridge and Dimitri Petratos playing out of position is more than most can bear. It was equally frustrating to witness the armband pass to a player not deemed worthy of a new contract in Stuart Musialik. How can a club not have more than one leader?
Sydney need flair and belief in equal measure. They need a swashbuckling striker who will show more heart than Bridge or Bruno Cazarine, and better touch than Juho Makela. Alex Brosque was popular because he believed in his own abilities. Precious few Sky Blues do the same - Shannon Cole's enduring popularity is based on his confidence, not his defensive positioning.
Kewell would fit the bill (hopefully his contract would include a requirement that he stay on his feet and play nice with the referees). Michael Owen's Premier League appeal would also do quite nicely. Miroslav Klose and Ruud Van Nistelrooy round out the quartet of impossible targets, but this is the ambition that Sydney FC must show.
More likely marquee targets are Vince Grella or Scott Chipperfield - neither would fill the flair void that Nicky Carle cannot match on his own. Whoever replaces Lugt will have one hell of a job finding the marquee man that Sydney rightly crave.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Wasted Summer Part 4: When 1.1 Goals Per Game Isn't Enough
Sydney FC won the last championship with a combination of clean sheets and clinical strikes. In 2010/11 the Sky Blues lost their defence and forgot how to score.
Injuries to key attackers Nick Carle and Alex Brosque and the club's decision to replace Karol Kisel with a left back crippled the front men from the start.
Add Mark Bridge's debilitating loss of form to the late recruitment of Bruno Cazarine and one quickly understands why the defending champions scored just 35 goals in 30 games.
The three goals against Melbourne in the opening game were almost as good as it got - Sydney attacked with confidence, intent and poise. And then it all went to shit, the season swallowed by what might have been.
The championship winners took the title by scoring 1.3 goals a game. But they also conceded 23 in 27, not the 40 in 30 of the "title defence". When strikers don't score or defend, as was the case with Mark Bridge and others throughout the season, any team is in dire trouble.
SQUAD REVIEW
STRIKERS
Alex Brosque, Bruno Cazarine, Juho Makela, David Williams (loan)*
Alex Brosque was Sydney's main man. A pacy, two footed and creative striker, as comfortable out wide taking on a fullback as he was flicking a pass to an onrushing midfielder, Brosque was the perfect support striker for Viteslav Lavicka's diamond midfield.
Before his acrimonious transfer abroad Brosque scored six goals in 13 starts and two appearances off the bench. His year was frustrated by niggling injuries and he tended to contribute in fits and starts, as opposed to dominating games.
Brosque was frequently Sydney's most direct player and the way he split and committed defenders immediately made space for others. Sydney will miss his mobility and, more notably, his agility. His departure has left Viteslav Lavicka with a pair of battering rams.
Bruno Cazarine was recruited after a prolonged courtship and his 9 goals in 20 starts are widely credited with saving Sydney's season. A cool finisher within the box with his head and feet, Bruno brought a direct option with a deft enough first touch, and a positional awareness often lacking from Bridge.
Big Bruno may not match the Samba template but he brought much-needed balance to a Sydney side. His obvious desire in the first half of the season lifted the club after he was finally signed in September. One imagines he could have made an even greater impact had he enjoyed a pre-season with Carle, Bridge, Brosque and company.
Bruno has re-signed for another season and his selection for the ACL shows Lavicka's faith in his ability. Cazarine can hold the ball up and choose the right option. His little and large combination with Dimitri Petratos was something to savour and it will be fascinating to see how Lavicka sends out the troops next Spring once David Williams has departed.
One hopes Bruno can work on his shooting from outside the box: a crucial option in the arsenal for less-mobile strikers, particularly in a Sydney side often guilty of over-elaboration.
Juho Makela is an interesting case. Allegedly recruited without the approval of his coach, the Shark sunk his teeth into the A League before his form petered out at the end of the season.
Lavicka tried pairing Makela with Cazarine but the two seem too similar, too comfortable leading the line and too predictable with the ball at their feet. Defending against the two was all barge and no risk and it was no real surprise when Makela was chosen to warm the pine for the ACL.
Someone should tell Sydney's webmaster, who still states that Makela's "height and size will be great attributes for Sydney FC in the 2011 AFC Champions League".
Makela has an obvious nose for goal and seems relatively effective in the air, but looks short of agility at a relatively sedate full throttle. Unless he can find a way to fit around Cazarine's style, I predict Makela will feature mostly on the bench next season as a perfectly able backup to Bruno.
Where Makela and Petratos play will be determined by David Williams. Williams has played for the Socceroos and long enjoyed the "next big thing" tag despite a rather unflattering strike rate of 12 goals in 85 career appearances.
Williams now occupies the attacking winger role but would be converted to second striker by the wing-shy Lavicka. He has what Sydney lack most of all - pace, and the ability to take defenders on in one on one situations. It seems extremely unlikely that Williams will sign a long-term deal but he would be a very welcome addition.
Sydney will most likely head into the next A League with a strike force of Cazarine and Makela as genuine number 9s, supplemented by Mark Bridge and Dimitri Petratos. A pacier option, perhaps in the form of a marquee signing, would be very welcome indeed.
*Mark Bridge, Dimitri Petratos and Kofi Danning's contributions are examined here.
Injuries to key attackers Nick Carle and Alex Brosque and the club's decision to replace Karol Kisel with a left back crippled the front men from the start.
Add Mark Bridge's debilitating loss of form to the late recruitment of Bruno Cazarine and one quickly understands why the defending champions scored just 35 goals in 30 games.
The three goals against Melbourne in the opening game were almost as good as it got - Sydney attacked with confidence, intent and poise. And then it all went to shit, the season swallowed by what might have been.
The championship winners took the title by scoring 1.3 goals a game. But they also conceded 23 in 27, not the 40 in 30 of the "title defence". When strikers don't score or defend, as was the case with Mark Bridge and others throughout the season, any team is in dire trouble.
SQUAD REVIEW
STRIKERS
Alex Brosque, Bruno Cazarine, Juho Makela, David Williams (loan)*
Alex Brosque was Sydney's main man. A pacy, two footed and creative striker, as comfortable out wide taking on a fullback as he was flicking a pass to an onrushing midfielder, Brosque was the perfect support striker for Viteslav Lavicka's diamond midfield.
Before his acrimonious transfer abroad Brosque scored six goals in 13 starts and two appearances off the bench. His year was frustrated by niggling injuries and he tended to contribute in fits and starts, as opposed to dominating games.
Brosque was frequently Sydney's most direct player and the way he split and committed defenders immediately made space for others. Sydney will miss his mobility and, more notably, his agility. His departure has left Viteslav Lavicka with a pair of battering rams.
Bruno Cazarine was recruited after a prolonged courtship and his 9 goals in 20 starts are widely credited with saving Sydney's season. A cool finisher within the box with his head and feet, Bruno brought a direct option with a deft enough first touch, and a positional awareness often lacking from Bridge.
Big Bruno may not match the Samba template but he brought much-needed balance to a Sydney side. His obvious desire in the first half of the season lifted the club after he was finally signed in September. One imagines he could have made an even greater impact had he enjoyed a pre-season with Carle, Bridge, Brosque and company.
Bruno has re-signed for another season and his selection for the ACL shows Lavicka's faith in his ability. Cazarine can hold the ball up and choose the right option. His little and large combination with Dimitri Petratos was something to savour and it will be fascinating to see how Lavicka sends out the troops next Spring once David Williams has departed.
One hopes Bruno can work on his shooting from outside the box: a crucial option in the arsenal for less-mobile strikers, particularly in a Sydney side often guilty of over-elaboration.
Juho Makela is an interesting case. Allegedly recruited without the approval of his coach, the Shark sunk his teeth into the A League before his form petered out at the end of the season.
Lavicka tried pairing Makela with Cazarine but the two seem too similar, too comfortable leading the line and too predictable with the ball at their feet. Defending against the two was all barge and no risk and it was no real surprise when Makela was chosen to warm the pine for the ACL.
Someone should tell Sydney's webmaster, who still states that Makela's "height and size will be great attributes for Sydney FC in the 2011 AFC Champions League".
Makela has an obvious nose for goal and seems relatively effective in the air, but looks short of agility at a relatively sedate full throttle. Unless he can find a way to fit around Cazarine's style, I predict Makela will feature mostly on the bench next season as a perfectly able backup to Bruno.
Where Makela and Petratos play will be determined by David Williams. Williams has played for the Socceroos and long enjoyed the "next big thing" tag despite a rather unflattering strike rate of 12 goals in 85 career appearances.
Williams now occupies the attacking winger role but would be converted to second striker by the wing-shy Lavicka. He has what Sydney lack most of all - pace, and the ability to take defenders on in one on one situations. It seems extremely unlikely that Williams will sign a long-term deal but he would be a very welcome addition.
Sydney will most likely head into the next A League with a strike force of Cazarine and Makela as genuine number 9s, supplemented by Mark Bridge and Dimitri Petratos. A pacier option, perhaps in the form of a marquee signing, would be very welcome indeed.
*Mark Bridge, Dimitri Petratos and Kofi Danning's contributions are examined here.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A Wasted Summer Part 3: Sydney FC's Crippled Magicians
Sydney FC's championship defence was destroyed the moment Nicky Carle succumbed to his second injury, and coach Viteslav Lavicka had only himself to blame.
The Czech oversaw a clearout of seasoned veterans but failed to replace his favourite player: Karol Kisel. The decision to fill Kisel's left midfield spot with young left back Scott Jamieson hamstrung Sydney early on, but was brutally exposed when Carle took to the sidelines.
When Steve Corica was injured last campaign, Kisel took his place at the head of Lavicka's diamond. Equally at home in the playmaking Number 10 slot or minding the left side of midfield, Kisel provided creativity and confidence on the ball.
When Nicky Carle keeled over for most of 2010, Lavicka's only options were to play Mark Bridge at 10 or promote his new signing Hiro Moriyasu, who was only just finding his feet. Bridge's catastrophic loss of form and Hiro's inability to threaten in front of goal left the team without a way to score goals or even hold up the ball and transition from defence to attack.
Lavicka's plan to shoehorn Jamieson into left midfield left the young wingback all at sea. He failed to threaten with his first touch and his delivery is too wayward to trust him with the ball at close quarters. If Lavicka had to play a fullback in midfield to accommodate Jamieson, Shannon Cole and Sung Hwan Byun, Cole would have been a much better choice.
Later injuries to Alex Brosque and Bridge sealed Sydney's fate, and the Cove only had Bruno to cheer as Sydney fizzled in front of goal.
The one positive to come from this sorry season is the emergence of Dimitri Petratos and Terry Antonis. Sydney must play these two youngsters as much as possible in 2011/2012. The A League rewards clubs that promote and develop young players, and the fans will flock to see future Socceroos learn their craft.
SQUAD REVIEW
ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
Nick Carle, Terry Antonis, Dimitri Petratos, Kofi Danning, Brendan Gan, (Hiro Moriyasu)
Viteslav Lavicka's 4-4-2 diamond with conservative fullbacks requires creative input from the two wide midfielders. Unfortunately Lavicka chose to play Hiro Moriyasu and Terry McFlynn in front of Stuart Musialik, a conservative approach that lost Sydney games and fans.
Nicky Carle showed in the opening match against Melbourne that he can more than replace Steve Corica. Carle might lack goals and genuine pace, but his sublime touch gives Sydney the rarest of players in the A League: one who can hold up the play under pressure, play the right pass and unlock a defence with a moment of magic.
If Carle stays fit for most of the next season (and his career shows no reason to doubt he will) Sydney will make the finals. If Lavicka can play Karol Kisel or another more offensively minded player with Carle in midfield, Sydney may well go further. Sydney must attack from the first game to win back their fickle fans.
The whinging minority who call Carle a false marquee should consider the gross wages payed to John Aloisi, a player who only came good for six weeks in two years, and measure Carle's contribution at the end of his contract. Carle's wages are far from obscene and I am confident he will prove to be value for money.
News that Sydney were chasing Matt McKay showed welcome ambition and is a great relief: it means that the club has finally acknowledged the gap left by Karol Kisel in left midfield (just in time for Kisel's return). But Brisbane would never let their captain leave for free and Sydney cannot afford a transfer fee. This transfer is extremely unlikely and Sydney would be better served looking elsewhere for versatile wide midfielders: Scott Chipperfield and Brett Emerton, anyone?
Terry Antonis found precious little time on the pitch this season but Sydney must promote and develop his talent. Antonis must play, and in Carle's position, at every opportunity next year (whenever Carle is injured, suspended or tired). Antonis destroyed Wellington in February and his understanding with Dimitri Petratos in that game is surely a sign of good times to come. In that match he ran at players, picked the right pass and controlled the ball despite atrocious conditions. We can only hope he does not move overseas too early.
Dimitri Petratos is an interesting case. He has Mark Bridge's versatility but twice the ability. Petratos can pick a pass, score a goal (his air swing against the Victory aside) and occupies intelligent positions. I still believe his best position is attacking central midfielder and I hope he will find a home on the left side of midfield, but his work as Bruno Cazarine's support striker at the end of the season was inspiring. Sydney should sign him up long term and Petratos deserves to start matches.
Sadly Kofi Danning has not come on in the same way. Danning is caught in a terrible bind. His pace and enthusiasm dazzles against players his age, but his first touch can be dire and is not up to A League standard. Danning's greatest problem is his coach's system. Lavicka only plays Danning up front as a last resort and the Czech rarely plays with out and out wingers.
Now that Lavicka has re-signed with Sydney for another season, it is time for Danning to leave. Though his departure would leave Sydney short of genuine pace, the kid is at the age where he has to play. Another season on the bench will do him no favours and he does not fit within Sydney's best 20. Danning may be a likeable lad and a crowd favourite but he has not lived up to the hype.
Brendan Gan is another player who looks likely to leave. Gan should have slotted into a wide midfield role after Kisel departed, but Lavicka is clearly reluctant to pick a player who divides fans. Gan is keen and adequate, and has a cool finish, but he will probably have to leave and fight for a spot elsewhere to prove his worth.
It is a great shame that the Fury are no more. Players such as Gan and Danning could have found a home there, but will probably end up on the Gold Coast or across the Tasman instead.
MARK BRIDGE
Bridge is the only player afforded his own section throughout my season review because he is a player without a natural position. He also deserves special mention because he was undoubtedly the major disappointment of 2010/11.
This season showed Bridge to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. 1 goal and 6 assists in 19 games would be a poor return from a winger, but Bridge has played as a target man, playmaking number 10, wide midfielder and second striker.
Unfortunately he was not particularly good at any of those positions. Bridge lacks the pace to play winger, the vision and confidence to slot in at Number 10, the acceleration and lethality to excel at second striker and the sheer dynamism to lead the line.
Bridge looks most at home up front with his back to goal, and suffered badly when Nick Carle's injury forced him into attacking midfield.
Players dream of this kind of opportunity. Bridge was asked to run the offence for the A League defending champions. He tried hard but became The Cove's greatest disappointment since John Aloisi.
By late spring Bridge lacked the confidence to turn on the ball when had metres of space around him. Teams crowded him early, destroyed his confidence and reduced him to training drill passes and robotic movement off the ball. His failure to close down properly also left the team dreadfully exposed against overlapping fullbacks.
Bridge tried hard and occasionally put in a good performance. But the former Young Socceroo has suffered the curse of versatility. A sustained spell at striker produced his best form last season, but the A League has moved on. Other clubs have Van Dyk, Smeltz, Thompson and Fowler, and Sydney's "Killer Bs" though never truly prolific, could just about match that standard.
But Bridge never got near the input of the new and improved number 10s: Broich, Flores, Perez and Amini, and is certainly no Carlos Hernandez or Daniel. If the man at the top of the diamond goes into his shell, the team falls apart, and Bridge failed all too often.
It is not too late for Bridge, who clings to his new and improved contract while young talent like Matt Jurman departs for bigger money elsewhere. Like Aloisi Bridge may redeem himself and he does not lack raw ability. He needs to back himself next time he gets on the ball. He must play with the freedom denied him by the shackles of his own mind.
The Czech oversaw a clearout of seasoned veterans but failed to replace his favourite player: Karol Kisel. The decision to fill Kisel's left midfield spot with young left back Scott Jamieson hamstrung Sydney early on, but was brutally exposed when Carle took to the sidelines.
When Steve Corica was injured last campaign, Kisel took his place at the head of Lavicka's diamond. Equally at home in the playmaking Number 10 slot or minding the left side of midfield, Kisel provided creativity and confidence on the ball.
When Nicky Carle keeled over for most of 2010, Lavicka's only options were to play Mark Bridge at 10 or promote his new signing Hiro Moriyasu, who was only just finding his feet. Bridge's catastrophic loss of form and Hiro's inability to threaten in front of goal left the team without a way to score goals or even hold up the ball and transition from defence to attack.
Lavicka's plan to shoehorn Jamieson into left midfield left the young wingback all at sea. He failed to threaten with his first touch and his delivery is too wayward to trust him with the ball at close quarters. If Lavicka had to play a fullback in midfield to accommodate Jamieson, Shannon Cole and Sung Hwan Byun, Cole would have been a much better choice.
Later injuries to Alex Brosque and Bridge sealed Sydney's fate, and the Cove only had Bruno to cheer as Sydney fizzled in front of goal.
The one positive to come from this sorry season is the emergence of Dimitri Petratos and Terry Antonis. Sydney must play these two youngsters as much as possible in 2011/2012. The A League rewards clubs that promote and develop young players, and the fans will flock to see future Socceroos learn their craft.
SQUAD REVIEW
ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
Nick Carle, Terry Antonis, Dimitri Petratos, Kofi Danning, Brendan Gan, (Hiro Moriyasu)
Viteslav Lavicka's 4-4-2 diamond with conservative fullbacks requires creative input from the two wide midfielders. Unfortunately Lavicka chose to play Hiro Moriyasu and Terry McFlynn in front of Stuart Musialik, a conservative approach that lost Sydney games and fans.
Nicky Carle showed in the opening match against Melbourne that he can more than replace Steve Corica. Carle might lack goals and genuine pace, but his sublime touch gives Sydney the rarest of players in the A League: one who can hold up the play under pressure, play the right pass and unlock a defence with a moment of magic.
If Carle stays fit for most of the next season (and his career shows no reason to doubt he will) Sydney will make the finals. If Lavicka can play Karol Kisel or another more offensively minded player with Carle in midfield, Sydney may well go further. Sydney must attack from the first game to win back their fickle fans.
The whinging minority who call Carle a false marquee should consider the gross wages payed to John Aloisi, a player who only came good for six weeks in two years, and measure Carle's contribution at the end of his contract. Carle's wages are far from obscene and I am confident he will prove to be value for money.
News that Sydney were chasing Matt McKay showed welcome ambition and is a great relief: it means that the club has finally acknowledged the gap left by Karol Kisel in left midfield (just in time for Kisel's return). But Brisbane would never let their captain leave for free and Sydney cannot afford a transfer fee. This transfer is extremely unlikely and Sydney would be better served looking elsewhere for versatile wide midfielders: Scott Chipperfield and Brett Emerton, anyone?
Terry Antonis found precious little time on the pitch this season but Sydney must promote and develop his talent. Antonis must play, and in Carle's position, at every opportunity next year (whenever Carle is injured, suspended or tired). Antonis destroyed Wellington in February and his understanding with Dimitri Petratos in that game is surely a sign of good times to come. In that match he ran at players, picked the right pass and controlled the ball despite atrocious conditions. We can only hope he does not move overseas too early.
Dimitri Petratos is an interesting case. He has Mark Bridge's versatility but twice the ability. Petratos can pick a pass, score a goal (his air swing against the Victory aside) and occupies intelligent positions. I still believe his best position is attacking central midfielder and I hope he will find a home on the left side of midfield, but his work as Bruno Cazarine's support striker at the end of the season was inspiring. Sydney should sign him up long term and Petratos deserves to start matches.
Sadly Kofi Danning has not come on in the same way. Danning is caught in a terrible bind. His pace and enthusiasm dazzles against players his age, but his first touch can be dire and is not up to A League standard. Danning's greatest problem is his coach's system. Lavicka only plays Danning up front as a last resort and the Czech rarely plays with out and out wingers.
Now that Lavicka has re-signed with Sydney for another season, it is time for Danning to leave. Though his departure would leave Sydney short of genuine pace, the kid is at the age where he has to play. Another season on the bench will do him no favours and he does not fit within Sydney's best 20. Danning may be a likeable lad and a crowd favourite but he has not lived up to the hype.
Brendan Gan is another player who looks likely to leave. Gan should have slotted into a wide midfield role after Kisel departed, but Lavicka is clearly reluctant to pick a player who divides fans. Gan is keen and adequate, and has a cool finish, but he will probably have to leave and fight for a spot elsewhere to prove his worth.
It is a great shame that the Fury are no more. Players such as Gan and Danning could have found a home there, but will probably end up on the Gold Coast or across the Tasman instead.
MARK BRIDGE
Bridge is the only player afforded his own section throughout my season review because he is a player without a natural position. He also deserves special mention because he was undoubtedly the major disappointment of 2010/11.
This season showed Bridge to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. 1 goal and 6 assists in 19 games would be a poor return from a winger, but Bridge has played as a target man, playmaking number 10, wide midfielder and second striker.
Unfortunately he was not particularly good at any of those positions. Bridge lacks the pace to play winger, the vision and confidence to slot in at Number 10, the acceleration and lethality to excel at second striker and the sheer dynamism to lead the line.
Bridge looks most at home up front with his back to goal, and suffered badly when Nick Carle's injury forced him into attacking midfield.
Players dream of this kind of opportunity. Bridge was asked to run the offence for the A League defending champions. He tried hard but became The Cove's greatest disappointment since John Aloisi.
By late spring Bridge lacked the confidence to turn on the ball when had metres of space around him. Teams crowded him early, destroyed his confidence and reduced him to training drill passes and robotic movement off the ball. His failure to close down properly also left the team dreadfully exposed against overlapping fullbacks.
Bridge tried hard and occasionally put in a good performance. But the former Young Socceroo has suffered the curse of versatility. A sustained spell at striker produced his best form last season, but the A League has moved on. Other clubs have Van Dyk, Smeltz, Thompson and Fowler, and Sydney's "Killer Bs" though never truly prolific, could just about match that standard.
But Bridge never got near the input of the new and improved number 10s: Broich, Flores, Perez and Amini, and is certainly no Carlos Hernandez or Daniel. If the man at the top of the diamond goes into his shell, the team falls apart, and Bridge failed all too often.
It is not too late for Bridge, who clings to his new and improved contract while young talent like Matt Jurman departs for bigger money elsewhere. Like Aloisi Bridge may redeem himself and he does not lack raw ability. He needs to back himself next time he gets on the ball. He must play with the freedom denied him by the shackles of his own mind.
Monday, February 28, 2011
A Wasted Summer Part 2: Sydney FC's defensive midfield
Sydney FC scored 29 goals in 30 games this season. The defending champions won the previous title by scoring then shutting teams out, but Sydney forgot how to score this time around and conceded 40 goals.
Sydney's precipitous drop in form was felt across the park and part one of my review examined the club's defenders and goalkeepers. It is now time to examine the men at the coalface - and how they let down their teammates and fans.
SQUAD REVIEW
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS
Stuart Musialik, Terry McFlynn, Hirofumi Moriyasu, Rhyan Grant
Stuart Musialik arrived in Sydney as a fringe Socceroo and an improving young player - a technically adroit defensive midfielder as composed on the ball as he was efficient off it. Musialik revelled in his favourite "sit and distribute" role last season as Lavicka sat him behind Steve Corica, Karol Kisel and the robust Terry McFlynn.
But Musialik has endured a poor 2010/11. After the opening match against Melbourne, I wrote "Musialik put in his usual performance: an excellent, controlling game apart from one or two dreadful errors that put his team under pressure". Unfortunately Musialik's moments of excellence dimmed until the New Year, and he lost his confidence on the ball just as Viteslav Lavicka lost confidence in his contribution. Musialik - a main man in the championship winning team - remains out of contract for next season. I would miss his best but not mourn his passing, and it would not surprise many to see him suiting up next to Jason Culina for the Jets next summer.
Skipper Terry McFlynn has been underwhelming ever since his superb chip agonizingly found the wrong side of the underside of the bar against the North Queensland Fury. That 1-1 draw in the September rain crippled Sydney's finals campaign and sucked the morale out of the club and the crowd. For McFlynn to finally produce a moment of skill but miss by centimetres from far outside the box was crushing.
McFlynn has offered precious little on the ball and while the skipper's return from injury certainly steadied the ship after Sydney's first few matches, the improvement in A League midfields may have made McFlynn obsolete - at least as a wide midfielder. One goal and one assist in 27 games tells a partial but compelling story and regular readers of this column (I appreciate all two of you!) will know I am not a great fan of what McFlynn brings to the team (his wonderful clearance off the line against the Glory aside).
The future for Sydney is a little brighter. Rhyan Grant enjoyed a strong tournament for the Young Socceroos and looked comfortable enough when filling in for an out-of-form Stuart Musialik. He could seize the position at the base of Sydney's diamond with a strong pre-season, particularly if Musialik leaves as expected. While he is dynamic enough when played wider, he offered few moments of creativity or threat on the ball to suggest he is anything but a defensive midfielder.
New signing Hiro Moriyasu is an interesting case. Hiro played without the fear that seemed to afflict Sydney after Nicky Carle succumbed to injury and his dynamism in midfield was a big reason that the Sky Blues shook themselves back to life. He tackles decisively and backs himself technically - sometimes to his detriment, particularly against fast-pressing teams such as Brisbane.
Hiro has found his home on either side of the midfield diamond and contributes as a box-to-box hard-running midfielder, who can also play a pass (such as the assist for Alex Brosque at Parramatta Stadium). His limitations are clear: he scored one goal from 38 attempts this season and freezes when running at goal with the ball at his feet.
If Hiro can improve his shooting and dribbling options then Sydney will boast a competent trio of screeners and box-to-box players next season. If Stuart Musialik stays in Sydney then Grant may suffer without game time. But will Lavicka gamble on an inexperienced player in such a vital decision-making position? Time will tell.
One thing is clear. Grant, McFlynn, Musialik and Moriyasu provided just four goals all season. Sydney can only afford to have two of the three in the team. The more defensively minded midfielders must be complemented by an attacking player like Karol Kisel or Dimitri Petratos. Left back Scott Jamieson's presence in left midfield at the start of the season shackled an already low scoring side.
And finally: defensive midfield may be the side's engine room, but Sydney need more from their skipper. Will McFlynn keep the armband?
Sydney's precipitous drop in form was felt across the park and part one of my review examined the club's defenders and goalkeepers. It is now time to examine the men at the coalface - and how they let down their teammates and fans.
SQUAD REVIEW
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS
Stuart Musialik, Terry McFlynn, Hirofumi Moriyasu, Rhyan Grant
Stuart Musialik arrived in Sydney as a fringe Socceroo and an improving young player - a technically adroit defensive midfielder as composed on the ball as he was efficient off it. Musialik revelled in his favourite "sit and distribute" role last season as Lavicka sat him behind Steve Corica, Karol Kisel and the robust Terry McFlynn.
But Musialik has endured a poor 2010/11. After the opening match against Melbourne, I wrote "Musialik put in his usual performance: an excellent, controlling game apart from one or two dreadful errors that put his team under pressure". Unfortunately Musialik's moments of excellence dimmed until the New Year, and he lost his confidence on the ball just as Viteslav Lavicka lost confidence in his contribution. Musialik - a main man in the championship winning team - remains out of contract for next season. I would miss his best but not mourn his passing, and it would not surprise many to see him suiting up next to Jason Culina for the Jets next summer.
Skipper Terry McFlynn has been underwhelming ever since his superb chip agonizingly found the wrong side of the underside of the bar against the North Queensland Fury. That 1-1 draw in the September rain crippled Sydney's finals campaign and sucked the morale out of the club and the crowd. For McFlynn to finally produce a moment of skill but miss by centimetres from far outside the box was crushing.
McFlynn has offered precious little on the ball and while the skipper's return from injury certainly steadied the ship after Sydney's first few matches, the improvement in A League midfields may have made McFlynn obsolete - at least as a wide midfielder. One goal and one assist in 27 games tells a partial but compelling story and regular readers of this column (I appreciate all two of you!) will know I am not a great fan of what McFlynn brings to the team (his wonderful clearance off the line against the Glory aside).
The future for Sydney is a little brighter. Rhyan Grant enjoyed a strong tournament for the Young Socceroos and looked comfortable enough when filling in for an out-of-form Stuart Musialik. He could seize the position at the base of Sydney's diamond with a strong pre-season, particularly if Musialik leaves as expected. While he is dynamic enough when played wider, he offered few moments of creativity or threat on the ball to suggest he is anything but a defensive midfielder.
New signing Hiro Moriyasu is an interesting case. Hiro played without the fear that seemed to afflict Sydney after Nicky Carle succumbed to injury and his dynamism in midfield was a big reason that the Sky Blues shook themselves back to life. He tackles decisively and backs himself technically - sometimes to his detriment, particularly against fast-pressing teams such as Brisbane.
Hiro has found his home on either side of the midfield diamond and contributes as a box-to-box hard-running midfielder, who can also play a pass (such as the assist for Alex Brosque at Parramatta Stadium). His limitations are clear: he scored one goal from 38 attempts this season and freezes when running at goal with the ball at his feet.
If Hiro can improve his shooting and dribbling options then Sydney will boast a competent trio of screeners and box-to-box players next season. If Stuart Musialik stays in Sydney then Grant may suffer without game time. But will Lavicka gamble on an inexperienced player in such a vital decision-making position? Time will tell.
One thing is clear. Grant, McFlynn, Musialik and Moriyasu provided just four goals all season. Sydney can only afford to have two of the three in the team. The more defensively minded midfielders must be complemented by an attacking player like Karol Kisel or Dimitri Petratos. Left back Scott Jamieson's presence in left midfield at the start of the season shackled an already low scoring side.
And finally: defensive midfield may be the side's engine room, but Sydney need more from their skipper. Will McFlynn keep the armband?
Monday, February 21, 2011
2010-2011: A Wasted Summer Part 1
A near 30 percent drop in average crowds. No finals football. The acrimonious loss of their Socceroo and star striker.
It wasn't the worst of times but the best of times faded pretty quickly this season for Sydney FC.
The A League has few real traditions but a swift stab in the back for under-performing Sydney managers is a seasonal delight. Viteslav Lavicka is very, very lucky to still be in a job. The Sydney FC overlords are to be commended for their restraint and thanked for their deep pockets.
Few others associated with the club deserve the same sentiment. Sydney is a city of high expectations (and lamentably low levels of supporter loyalty). For A League champions to miss the finals is not unprecedented but remains catastrophic. It is time to take stock.
The Asian Champions League can do more than salve the wounds from this campaign. It is time for the club to be decisive. It needs to jettison or play Stuart Musialik, Sung Hwan Byun and Stephan Keller. Lavicka needs to nurture or release Kofi Danning and find the best positions for Shannon Cole and Seb Ryall. He must pick and stick with one of Liam Reddy and Ivan Necevski.
Indecision has robbed Sydney FC of Matt Jurman - Lavicka should not be permitted to put his own short-term priorities ahead of future development. Lavicka's fight for survival is the bed that the board has made until the spring. Sydney will just have to live with it.
SQUAD REVIEW
GOALKEEPERS
Liam Reddy, Ivan Necevski
Australian football seems best at generating goalkeepers and to have a mediocre keeper is unacceptable. Reddy and Necevski were frustratingly inconsistent throughout this season and while both bore the cost of shaky shifts put in by those in front of them, neither seized the position with anything like the determination and confidence displayed so often by Clint Bolton. Reddy was very poor at times, particularly against North Queensland when he failed to read the obvious intentions of David Williams, while Necevski seems unable to grasp a cross or corner.
The decision to release Bolton, recruit Reddy and retain Necevski looks dodgy, particularly given the need for stability at the back with the obvious departure of Simon Colosimo (who was contemplating a trip overseas for months). It may have been a question of timing and wages, but there are better keepers home and abroad. Would it be too rude to mention Danny Vukovic?
CENTRAL DEFENCE
Hayden Foxe, Stephan Keller, Seb Ryall, Matt Jurman, Antony Golec, Andrew Durante (loan)
The source of many of Sydney's woes. The decision to replace the ball-playing Simon Colosimo with the skilled but slow-footed Hayden Foxe put Lavicka in a constant tactical bind. A central pairing of Foxe and Stephan Keller was extremely vulnerable to the pacy attacks of early season foes. Last season's high line and compact defence evaporated early. Too often the last line was left too deep to intercept but too high to recover, and Seb Ryall's inconsistencies and weakness in the air cost him his place - somewhat unfairly, in my opinion, as some of Keller's displays were particularly dire. Matt Jurman's emergence as a talented compromise candidate came too late to save Sydney's season and his departure is one to mourn.
The centrebacks were not assisted by unusually poor form from the screening Stuart Musialik and the ball holding target man Mark Bridge, but the end of the Asian Champions League campaign will bring a real challenge to the Sky Blue backline. Odds are that Keller, Foxe, Jurman and Durante will all depart, leaving Ryall and Golec, who barely played at all this season, as the only specialist centrebacks for the next A League season. Sydney will plummet from over supply to a chronic shortage in an area where they seemed so well stocked just 18 months ago.
Of course we all expect the club to sign a new central defender soon but outstanding candidates are thin on the ground. Jade North is another undersized centreback who can be maddeningly inconsistent - a Ryall/North partnership would be vulnerable to tall, rough attacks and the players' own panic attacks on and off the ball. Sydney need to find a more permanent solution than Durante - a signing I applaud, but a stopgap measure none the less. Jamie Coyne is a long way from Simon Colosimo's level of ability, even taking into account Colosimo's poor season in Melbourne.
For a club to play two central defenders that are on their way out, or not even Sydney players to begin with, is more than a symptom of poor recruitment - it is counter productive in the long run.
FULL BACKS
Shannon Cole, Sung Hwan Byun, Scott Jamieson, (Seb Ryall)
Full back might be Sydney's strongest area going into Asia - an odd assertion given that Byun could be trimmed to make room for other foreigners and Ryall will rarely start matches at rightback.
In Shannon Cole and Scott Jamieson Sydney have a pair of fullbacks at home in the tackle, dogged over 90 minutes and happy to bomb forward with the ball at their feet.
Both have their limitations. Cole's attitude and ability in attack is sabotaged by some poor positioning and tendency to ball watch, while Jamieson's first touch and delivery from wide areas can be phenomenally dire. Jamieson is also rather one-footed and loses speed at the end of the second half.
But Lavicka's set up of a conservative midfield three behind a hard-running number 10 requires attack-minded fullbacks and there are few better suited to the task, or with more potential for improvement, than Cole and Jamieson (not that Josh Rose, Cassio or Shane Steffanuto are not slightly above the Sydney two).
If Sydney can settle on a midfield anchorman, a centreback combination and keep Nick Carle fit, Cole and Jamieson will find form and consistency. It was not easy for Cole to half-heartedly get forward as the ball was lost in midfield, or for Jamieson to start off as a left midfielder (a position he should never play again).
Ryall is too conservative a fullback for an already narrow team and Lavicka seems rightly unlikely to play him on the right unless the last 10 minutes require locking up. Byun will always be a Sydney hero but his second season will be remembered for yelling at his teammates and shrugging his shoulders.
The recruitment of a seasoned left back such as Dean Heffernan would simply retard Jamieson's progress in the same way that Cassio's brilliance forced him out of Adelaide. Sydney should find another solution, perhaps a left footed centreback who provides a defensive alternative, and continue to develop their two Australians. The whispered arrival of Scott Chipperfield could also work, provided Chipperfield plays in midfield and provides cover for injury.
It wasn't the worst of times but the best of times faded pretty quickly this season for Sydney FC.
The A League has few real traditions but a swift stab in the back for under-performing Sydney managers is a seasonal delight. Viteslav Lavicka is very, very lucky to still be in a job. The Sydney FC overlords are to be commended for their restraint and thanked for their deep pockets.
Few others associated with the club deserve the same sentiment. Sydney is a city of high expectations (and lamentably low levels of supporter loyalty). For A League champions to miss the finals is not unprecedented but remains catastrophic. It is time to take stock.
The Asian Champions League can do more than salve the wounds from this campaign. It is time for the club to be decisive. It needs to jettison or play Stuart Musialik, Sung Hwan Byun and Stephan Keller. Lavicka needs to nurture or release Kofi Danning and find the best positions for Shannon Cole and Seb Ryall. He must pick and stick with one of Liam Reddy and Ivan Necevski.
Indecision has robbed Sydney FC of Matt Jurman - Lavicka should not be permitted to put his own short-term priorities ahead of future development. Lavicka's fight for survival is the bed that the board has made until the spring. Sydney will just have to live with it.
SQUAD REVIEW
GOALKEEPERS
Liam Reddy, Ivan Necevski
Australian football seems best at generating goalkeepers and to have a mediocre keeper is unacceptable. Reddy and Necevski were frustratingly inconsistent throughout this season and while both bore the cost of shaky shifts put in by those in front of them, neither seized the position with anything like the determination and confidence displayed so often by Clint Bolton. Reddy was very poor at times, particularly against North Queensland when he failed to read the obvious intentions of David Williams, while Necevski seems unable to grasp a cross or corner.
The decision to release Bolton, recruit Reddy and retain Necevski looks dodgy, particularly given the need for stability at the back with the obvious departure of Simon Colosimo (who was contemplating a trip overseas for months). It may have been a question of timing and wages, but there are better keepers home and abroad. Would it be too rude to mention Danny Vukovic?
CENTRAL DEFENCE
Hayden Foxe, Stephan Keller, Seb Ryall, Matt Jurman, Antony Golec, Andrew Durante (loan)
The source of many of Sydney's woes. The decision to replace the ball-playing Simon Colosimo with the skilled but slow-footed Hayden Foxe put Lavicka in a constant tactical bind. A central pairing of Foxe and Stephan Keller was extremely vulnerable to the pacy attacks of early season foes. Last season's high line and compact defence evaporated early. Too often the last line was left too deep to intercept but too high to recover, and Seb Ryall's inconsistencies and weakness in the air cost him his place - somewhat unfairly, in my opinion, as some of Keller's displays were particularly dire. Matt Jurman's emergence as a talented compromise candidate came too late to save Sydney's season and his departure is one to mourn.
The centrebacks were not assisted by unusually poor form from the screening Stuart Musialik and the ball holding target man Mark Bridge, but the end of the Asian Champions League campaign will bring a real challenge to the Sky Blue backline. Odds are that Keller, Foxe, Jurman and Durante will all depart, leaving Ryall and Golec, who barely played at all this season, as the only specialist centrebacks for the next A League season. Sydney will plummet from over supply to a chronic shortage in an area where they seemed so well stocked just 18 months ago.
Of course we all expect the club to sign a new central defender soon but outstanding candidates are thin on the ground. Jade North is another undersized centreback who can be maddeningly inconsistent - a Ryall/North partnership would be vulnerable to tall, rough attacks and the players' own panic attacks on and off the ball. Sydney need to find a more permanent solution than Durante - a signing I applaud, but a stopgap measure none the less. Jamie Coyne is a long way from Simon Colosimo's level of ability, even taking into account Colosimo's poor season in Melbourne.
For a club to play two central defenders that are on their way out, or not even Sydney players to begin with, is more than a symptom of poor recruitment - it is counter productive in the long run.
FULL BACKS
Shannon Cole, Sung Hwan Byun, Scott Jamieson, (Seb Ryall)
Full back might be Sydney's strongest area going into Asia - an odd assertion given that Byun could be trimmed to make room for other foreigners and Ryall will rarely start matches at rightback.
In Shannon Cole and Scott Jamieson Sydney have a pair of fullbacks at home in the tackle, dogged over 90 minutes and happy to bomb forward with the ball at their feet.
Both have their limitations. Cole's attitude and ability in attack is sabotaged by some poor positioning and tendency to ball watch, while Jamieson's first touch and delivery from wide areas can be phenomenally dire. Jamieson is also rather one-footed and loses speed at the end of the second half.
But Lavicka's set up of a conservative midfield three behind a hard-running number 10 requires attack-minded fullbacks and there are few better suited to the task, or with more potential for improvement, than Cole and Jamieson (not that Josh Rose, Cassio or Shane Steffanuto are not slightly above the Sydney two).
If Sydney can settle on a midfield anchorman, a centreback combination and keep Nick Carle fit, Cole and Jamieson will find form and consistency. It was not easy for Cole to half-heartedly get forward as the ball was lost in midfield, or for Jamieson to start off as a left midfielder (a position he should never play again).
Ryall is too conservative a fullback for an already narrow team and Lavicka seems rightly unlikely to play him on the right unless the last 10 minutes require locking up. Byun will always be a Sydney hero but his second season will be remembered for yelling at his teammates and shrugging his shoulders.
The recruitment of a seasoned left back such as Dean Heffernan would simply retard Jamieson's progress in the same way that Cassio's brilliance forced him out of Adelaide. Sydney should find another solution, perhaps a left footed centreback who provides a defensive alternative, and continue to develop their two Australians. The whispered arrival of Scott Chipperfield could also work, provided Chipperfield plays in midfield and provides cover for injury.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Game 25 - Sydney FC 1 vs Melbourne Victory 1 - 15/01/11
Melbourne had three of the five clear cut chances in this enthralling match but Sydney should have dominated a contest so full of hope and despair that Juho Makela's equalizing goal was, for a good two seconds after it hit the net, too good to be believed by half the crowd.
Sydney raced back to the halfway line ball in hand and buoyed by stunned supporters, somehow believing that after failing to score for 91 minutes, they could thrash one into the net in 90 seconds. Too little, too late for Viteslav Lavicka, who will be lucky to survive the week.
Finals football was a forlorn hope after the devastating draw with the Fury back in October's three-game stretch. Last night's failure has cut the cord. Sydney are six points back and have played two more games than the sixth-placed Jets.
The case against Sydney FC is simple. If you can't beat your biggest rivals when they are missing four of their best five outfield players, when you are playing in front of your biggest home crowd, when you have 16 shots at goal in the first half, then you don't deserve to play in the finals.
At halftime I wrote: "The game has the feel of a Sydney FC training run with everyone missing their shots. I fear a sucker punch."
If Juho Makela was fit to start, the Sky Blues would have won the match. If Alex Brosque was fit to play it would have been a rout. If Hiro Moriyasu's shot had slid inside the post, if Dimitri Petratos had even touched the ball...
A title defence should not depend on wishes or sentiment. Sydney have drawn or lost 19 out of 25 games this season. That the Sky Blues have a mathematical chance of finals football is an insult to other sides.
Judging by last night's glorious first half what hurts the most is what might have been. Sydney flew at Melbourne unburdened by the doubts that have crippled this campaign. Melbourne had the two best chances of the half but it seemed a moot point, such was Sydney's dominance.
The first 45 minutes were encapsulated by one Sydney movement when Nicky Carle rode a challenge then back-heeled the ball to kick off a raid that ended in a shot off target. Carle dominated the first half in the same way that he dominated the opening game of the season. How Sydney have suffered under the poor form of Mark Bridge.
Melbourne were desperate to slow the game down but still had the best chances of the first 45. Stephan Keller inexplicably decided to let a sliding cross roll past him along the six yard box and straight onto Danny Allsopp's boot, and Liam Reddy was lucky to see a feeble header spring from Matt Jurman's last-ditch challenge on Allsopp, whose movement troubled Sydney's back two all night.
By the 35th minute some Sydney players were getting restless. Bruno Cazarine put in more petulance than workrate and Juho Makela's drifting runs were a welcome addition after he came on for Hiro Moriyasu at the 55th minute. If Alex Brosque returns, Big Bruno will be lucky to keep his place. Stephan Keller's 80th minute shot from near the centre circle was selfish, stupid and hardly the thing to invigorate his supporters or his side. Skipper Terry McFlynn should not be allowing this sort of thing.
Nicky Carle deserved his man of the match award but his detractors (and there are many) will quite rightly point out that he failed to place a shot on target and that his cross to Makela may well have been a mis-cued shot. He was also peripheral in the first fifteen minutes of the second half when Sydney's passing was comical at best and atrocious at worst. McFlynn and Bruno, then Byun and Makela made pathetic efforts to attack down the right hand side and Carle should have demanded the ball to restore Sydney's possession.
All that said, Carle played in Petratos for what should have been a certain goal, put the ball right onto Makela's foot for his strike and tore Melbourne to shreds in the first 45. Things are looking up for what will be a very tough Asian Champions League campaign.
18-year-old Dimitri Petratos has played in four different positions: across midfield and as a support striker. He ran himself into the ground last night but looks most at home with players in front of him. The air swing was poor and but hopefully his confidence is shored up strong foundations. Does Viteslav Lavicka have the wherewithal to slot Petratos back into midfield before he has too much time to dwell on his miss? Time will tell.
Which brings us to the boss himself. If the Sydney board show the ruthlessness of their predecessors then this failure - and it is a failure - should be Czechmate for Lavicka.
It depends on the players. If they have lost all confidence in Lavicka then he should be congratulated for last season and retired. The first half performance does not indicate that things have degenerated that far. But Lavicka seems unable to improve the team at halftime which is when a manager should be at his best.
Few managers have enjoyed this much patience from a board. Lavicka has recruited the wrong replacements for the wrong departures, has stuck with the the wrong tactics at the wrong times and failed to shore up the confidence of a previously dominant and swaggering team.
One more game without a win should seal his departure. If the looming "mid-January" board meeting comes before Sunday's game against the high-flying Mariner, Lavicka may not get even that chance.
EDIT: One thing I forgot to mention was the fantastic contribution from The Cove. They were in amazing form with another brilliant tifo, and here's hoping everyone comes back for the final game of the season against the Phoenix next month. If you missed it, here's a link I snagged from parkingthebus on Twitter.
Sydney raced back to the halfway line ball in hand and buoyed by stunned supporters, somehow believing that after failing to score for 91 minutes, they could thrash one into the net in 90 seconds. Too little, too late for Viteslav Lavicka, who will be lucky to survive the week.
Finals football was a forlorn hope after the devastating draw with the Fury back in October's three-game stretch. Last night's failure has cut the cord. Sydney are six points back and have played two more games than the sixth-placed Jets.
The case against Sydney FC is simple. If you can't beat your biggest rivals when they are missing four of their best five outfield players, when you are playing in front of your biggest home crowd, when you have 16 shots at goal in the first half, then you don't deserve to play in the finals.
At halftime I wrote: "The game has the feel of a Sydney FC training run with everyone missing their shots. I fear a sucker punch."
If Juho Makela was fit to start, the Sky Blues would have won the match. If Alex Brosque was fit to play it would have been a rout. If Hiro Moriyasu's shot had slid inside the post, if Dimitri Petratos had even touched the ball...
A title defence should not depend on wishes or sentiment. Sydney have drawn or lost 19 out of 25 games this season. That the Sky Blues have a mathematical chance of finals football is an insult to other sides.
Judging by last night's glorious first half what hurts the most is what might have been. Sydney flew at Melbourne unburdened by the doubts that have crippled this campaign. Melbourne had the two best chances of the half but it seemed a moot point, such was Sydney's dominance.
The first 45 minutes were encapsulated by one Sydney movement when Nicky Carle rode a challenge then back-heeled the ball to kick off a raid that ended in a shot off target. Carle dominated the first half in the same way that he dominated the opening game of the season. How Sydney have suffered under the poor form of Mark Bridge.
Melbourne were desperate to slow the game down but still had the best chances of the first 45. Stephan Keller inexplicably decided to let a sliding cross roll past him along the six yard box and straight onto Danny Allsopp's boot, and Liam Reddy was lucky to see a feeble header spring from Matt Jurman's last-ditch challenge on Allsopp, whose movement troubled Sydney's back two all night.
By the 35th minute some Sydney players were getting restless. Bruno Cazarine put in more petulance than workrate and Juho Makela's drifting runs were a welcome addition after he came on for Hiro Moriyasu at the 55th minute. If Alex Brosque returns, Big Bruno will be lucky to keep his place. Stephan Keller's 80th minute shot from near the centre circle was selfish, stupid and hardly the thing to invigorate his supporters or his side. Skipper Terry McFlynn should not be allowing this sort of thing.
Nicky Carle deserved his man of the match award but his detractors (and there are many) will quite rightly point out that he failed to place a shot on target and that his cross to Makela may well have been a mis-cued shot. He was also peripheral in the first fifteen minutes of the second half when Sydney's passing was comical at best and atrocious at worst. McFlynn and Bruno, then Byun and Makela made pathetic efforts to attack down the right hand side and Carle should have demanded the ball to restore Sydney's possession.
All that said, Carle played in Petratos for what should have been a certain goal, put the ball right onto Makela's foot for his strike and tore Melbourne to shreds in the first 45. Things are looking up for what will be a very tough Asian Champions League campaign.
18-year-old Dimitri Petratos has played in four different positions: across midfield and as a support striker. He ran himself into the ground last night but looks most at home with players in front of him. The air swing was poor and but hopefully his confidence is shored up strong foundations. Does Viteslav Lavicka have the wherewithal to slot Petratos back into midfield before he has too much time to dwell on his miss? Time will tell.
Which brings us to the boss himself. If the Sydney board show the ruthlessness of their predecessors then this failure - and it is a failure - should be Czechmate for Lavicka.
It depends on the players. If they have lost all confidence in Lavicka then he should be congratulated for last season and retired. The first half performance does not indicate that things have degenerated that far. But Lavicka seems unable to improve the team at halftime which is when a manager should be at his best.
Few managers have enjoyed this much patience from a board. Lavicka has recruited the wrong replacements for the wrong departures, has stuck with the the wrong tactics at the wrong times and failed to shore up the confidence of a previously dominant and swaggering team.
One more game without a win should seal his departure. If the looming "mid-January" board meeting comes before Sunday's game against the high-flying Mariner, Lavicka may not get even that chance.
EDIT: One thing I forgot to mention was the fantastic contribution from The Cove. They were in amazing form with another brilliant tifo, and here's hoping everyone comes back for the final game of the season against the Phoenix next month. If you missed it, here's a link I snagged from parkingthebus on Twitter.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Game 19 - Sydney FC 0 vs Queensland Roar 1 - 12/12/10
"It could have been worse."
That is the frightening defeatism that has infected Sydney FC. This season has seen a champion squad plunge into despair and disrepair, with nary a captain or coach able to bail the water out of a sinking ship.
To say that Sydney FC won the second half flatters the hosts mightily. Brisbane rarely got out of second gear. Imagine what they could accomplish with a top class striker. The Roar worked their way down field methodically and brazenly, while Sydney struggled to play out of their own half.
All the old bad signs were there. Stephan Keller thumping the ball long and wide. Static fullbacks hugging the touch line. Players pointing at positions where they expected each other to be, five seconds after the ball had gone. Sydney's playmaker, either Mark Bridge or Terry Antonis, settling for occupying a defender instead of running them ragged.
Viteslav Lavicka should guide the club to the Asian Champions League but Sydney FC should not be offering him an Alan Pardew-esque five and a half year deal. Lavicka clearly arrived with Plan A - the same 4-4-2 diamond that Sydney have played for a year and a half - and no Plan B, despite Brisbane playing the same way they have all season.
Lavicka identified that Gan and Antonis were struggling but changed personnel without attacking the cause of the problem. Few managers have disrupted Brisbane this season but the diamond left Antonis and Bridge completely impotent - exhausted by defence and desperately out of position in transition attack. Brisbane apparently enjoyed 68 percent of possession in the first half. I'm surprised it wasn't more.
To go man for man, as Sydney were unable to do:
Ivan Necevski should have done better to block Kosta Barbarouses's cool finish but made some smart saves in either half. A good back up option for sure, but it seems Crazy Ivan has found his level.
Shannon Cole was easily Sydney's most impressive player over the 90 minutes. He supplied Sydney's only moment of skill with a cool backheel in the second half, put in a few threatening runs and kept Thomas Broich reasonably quiet. Cole backed himself in the tackle and on the ball, which was something few other Sydney players seemed willing to do. His combination with Dimitri Petratos was encouraging and should be nurtured.
Sung-Hwan Byun put in possibly his worst shift in a Sky Blue shirt. Apart from supplying atrocious delivery from wide areas throughout the match, Byun was one of many Sydney players who seemed more intent on ordering his teammates around than getting in a helpful position himself. Byun's mind seems off the job and Scott Jamieson cannot return soon enough.
Hayden Foxe and Stephan Keller may have been a great central combination five years ago. But Foxe's distribution has degraded over the past month and Keller's has probably been atrocious his entire career. That Brisbane did not win by more is evidence of their honest hard work but they were often caught too far apart, too far from their Solorzano, too deep (to cover their lack of pace) and too scared of the ball. It is time for Lavicka to recruit some replacements.
Sydney's under fire manager was forced to substitute Brendan Gan and Terry Antonis at halftime and both youngsters deserved the hook. Hopefully Antonis will not stay benched for long. The lad has undoubted ability but today's match was too cruel a test so early. His confidence must now be sand-bagged, not sabotaged. Sydney's first responsibility was too relieve defensive pressure and neither Gan nor Antonis contributed, while Terry McFlynn's performance was similarly lacking.
Terry McFlynn may be a Foundation Player but he needs to be a proper captain. It has been too long since McFlynn, or any Sydney player, took a match by the scruff of the neck. It is McFlynn's duty to lead by example, but doing a job is no longer enough in a Sydney side of much lower quality than last year's edition.
Hiro Moriyasu also put in a fairly abject performance. He was played in what is allegedly his preferred position at the base of Sydney's midfield, but lost possession time and again, took too long to select an option, was weak in the tackle and failed to interact properly with his defence. Hiro is best employed as a box to box harasser and lacks the composure to play as the screening anchor. An in-form Stuart Musialik is a better option, but Sydney have precious few players in form at the moment.
Big bad Bruno Cazarine was obviously not fully fit and played for free kicks before halftime. Alex Brosque was dynamic, inspirational and alone.
Mark Bridge was absolutely anonymous. Again. His new contract should be read to him like the Riot Act. Hopefully a rocket up the backside can push him past the barrier of his natural abilities. Bridge is an enigma without the ability to justify his inconsistency. Nicky Carle, it has been said too often, cannot return soon enough.
A champion side should not regress so poorly. A great manager should not allow them to. Great managers adapt. Great players overcome adversity. Sydney FC simply flounder while their crowds dwindle and The Cove grows quieter. Sydney's names were not cheered and the side was barely applauded onto the park.
Something is out of kilter and it is not just Nicky Carle's back.
That is the frightening defeatism that has infected Sydney FC. This season has seen a champion squad plunge into despair and disrepair, with nary a captain or coach able to bail the water out of a sinking ship.
To say that Sydney FC won the second half flatters the hosts mightily. Brisbane rarely got out of second gear. Imagine what they could accomplish with a top class striker. The Roar worked their way down field methodically and brazenly, while Sydney struggled to play out of their own half.
All the old bad signs were there. Stephan Keller thumping the ball long and wide. Static fullbacks hugging the touch line. Players pointing at positions where they expected each other to be, five seconds after the ball had gone. Sydney's playmaker, either Mark Bridge or Terry Antonis, settling for occupying a defender instead of running them ragged.
Viteslav Lavicka should guide the club to the Asian Champions League but Sydney FC should not be offering him an Alan Pardew-esque five and a half year deal. Lavicka clearly arrived with Plan A - the same 4-4-2 diamond that Sydney have played for a year and a half - and no Plan B, despite Brisbane playing the same way they have all season.
Lavicka identified that Gan and Antonis were struggling but changed personnel without attacking the cause of the problem. Few managers have disrupted Brisbane this season but the diamond left Antonis and Bridge completely impotent - exhausted by defence and desperately out of position in transition attack. Brisbane apparently enjoyed 68 percent of possession in the first half. I'm surprised it wasn't more.
To go man for man, as Sydney were unable to do:
Ivan Necevski should have done better to block Kosta Barbarouses's cool finish but made some smart saves in either half. A good back up option for sure, but it seems Crazy Ivan has found his level.
Shannon Cole was easily Sydney's most impressive player over the 90 minutes. He supplied Sydney's only moment of skill with a cool backheel in the second half, put in a few threatening runs and kept Thomas Broich reasonably quiet. Cole backed himself in the tackle and on the ball, which was something few other Sydney players seemed willing to do. His combination with Dimitri Petratos was encouraging and should be nurtured.
Sung-Hwan Byun put in possibly his worst shift in a Sky Blue shirt. Apart from supplying atrocious delivery from wide areas throughout the match, Byun was one of many Sydney players who seemed more intent on ordering his teammates around than getting in a helpful position himself. Byun's mind seems off the job and Scott Jamieson cannot return soon enough.
Hayden Foxe and Stephan Keller may have been a great central combination five years ago. But Foxe's distribution has degraded over the past month and Keller's has probably been atrocious his entire career. That Brisbane did not win by more is evidence of their honest hard work but they were often caught too far apart, too far from their Solorzano, too deep (to cover their lack of pace) and too scared of the ball. It is time for Lavicka to recruit some replacements.
Sydney's under fire manager was forced to substitute Brendan Gan and Terry Antonis at halftime and both youngsters deserved the hook. Hopefully Antonis will not stay benched for long. The lad has undoubted ability but today's match was too cruel a test so early. His confidence must now be sand-bagged, not sabotaged. Sydney's first responsibility was too relieve defensive pressure and neither Gan nor Antonis contributed, while Terry McFlynn's performance was similarly lacking.
Terry McFlynn may be a Foundation Player but he needs to be a proper captain. It has been too long since McFlynn, or any Sydney player, took a match by the scruff of the neck. It is McFlynn's duty to lead by example, but doing a job is no longer enough in a Sydney side of much lower quality than last year's edition.
Hiro Moriyasu also put in a fairly abject performance. He was played in what is allegedly his preferred position at the base of Sydney's midfield, but lost possession time and again, took too long to select an option, was weak in the tackle and failed to interact properly with his defence. Hiro is best employed as a box to box harasser and lacks the composure to play as the screening anchor. An in-form Stuart Musialik is a better option, but Sydney have precious few players in form at the moment.
Big bad Bruno Cazarine was obviously not fully fit and played for free kicks before halftime. Alex Brosque was dynamic, inspirational and alone.
Mark Bridge was absolutely anonymous. Again. His new contract should be read to him like the Riot Act. Hopefully a rocket up the backside can push him past the barrier of his natural abilities. Bridge is an enigma without the ability to justify his inconsistency. Nicky Carle, it has been said too often, cannot return soon enough.
A champion side should not regress so poorly. A great manager should not allow them to. Great managers adapt. Great players overcome adversity. Sydney FC simply flounder while their crowds dwindle and The Cove grows quieter. Sydney's names were not cheered and the side was barely applauded onto the park.
Something is out of kilter and it is not just Nicky Carle's back.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Game 17 - Sydney FC 3 vs Wellington Phoenix 1 - 02/12/10
The four thousand hardy souls who ventured to the SFS on a wet and windy Wednesday night witnessed the possible birth of a new footballing star.
Terry Antonis only played for half an hour but he controlled the midfield with enthusiasm and daring. He ran at players with the ball at his feet, turned during his first touch despite the bucketing rain, took the initiative with a long range shot and most importantly - passed decisively, elegantly and forwards despite playing in the middle of a veritable monsoon.
Antonis played in Mark Bridge for Bridge's own drought-breaking goal and linked well with fellow super-sub Dimitri Petratos. If those two continue to improve Sydney have a pair of real prospects in their ranks.
Stuart Musialik must be wondering where he fits into Sydney's future as his contract winds down. Terry McFlynn is a defensive midfielder at heart and his status as skipper ensures his selection. Hiro Moriyasu is a box to box defensive type and was recently re-signed. Rhyan Grant has played junior international football and clearly has Lavicka's favour. Brendan Gan slotted in nicely on the right side of the diamond, though still fails to inspire complete confidence.
With Petratos growing into a deep-lying playmaker role and Musialik's selection anything but the sure thing it was last season, we may see Disco Stu head for safer pastures at the end of the season. It would be sad to see him go - at his best he offers far more than McFlynn, who maintains his spot thanks to Sydney's overall lack of aggression.
The match itself was a corker - and thanks to our Harbour City's allergic reaction to rain, I missed the first 35 minutes due to traffic jams. It boasted 26 shots - three of which hit the post - and four goals of high drama, if not high quality.
Bridge looked to be level as Antonis released him for his well-taken goal but Seb Ryall's handball for Sydney's third strike was as blatant as they come. Dylan Macallister's late goal was anything but a consolation as Wellington looked the marginally better side and finished far stronger than Sydney.
The Sky Blues reverted to some familiar bad habits after taking the lead. When opposing fullbacks push forward for a constructed overlap, Bridge in particular will often track back to within metres of a challenge but then not follow his man despite Sydney's left back committing to the opposing winger.
Sydney have been caught out by simple overlaps down the line time and time again this season and Wellington only failed to earn a point due to poor delivery. Kiwi crosses often found a sole Sydney defender with Phoenix strikers lurking to either side. When Sydney did have numbers back their marking was woefully poor and players failed to track fullbacks or close down Phoenix players as they pinged in crosses from deep.
If Sydney fail to cover these areas against the Mariners then expect an aerial bombardment aimed at their physically dynamic strikers. Of course, if Sydney are drawn too wide then Graham Arnold will direct his number 10 to drift into space.
The strikers must take responsibility for closing this increasingly obvious gap in Sydney's defensive set up. Bridge and Brosque need to track back and actually follow their man, not just get six feet behind the ball and wait for the opposition to lose it.
Sydney can take a lot from this match. The celebration with The Cove has returned with some welcome swagger on the ball. Scott Jamieson battled well before succumbing to illness and fatigue. Gan played well, Ryall was everywhere, Brosque and Bridge scored well-taken goals and Bridge in particular put in another impressive overall contribution. Hopefully some of Antonis's enthusiasm will encourage Bridge to pass first-time against the Mariners.
On the downside the delivery from Shannon Cole and Jamieson from wide areas was as rare as it was appalling, Hiro was largely anonymous, Ivan Necevski's distribution failed to improve and only Antonis had the wherewithal to test Mark Paston from distance in atrocious conditions (and did so weakly). But Sydney's inconsistency remains the biggest concern. Sydney take an even contest and find five minutes of beautiful passing football, but remain unable to wrest back the initiative when their opponent has the upper hand.
Sydney are playing below the Mariner's level, will be exhausted after a tough match in heavy rain and can only hope that the Mariner's are still in shock after the Roar savaged them 5-1. It is far more likely that Central Coast will be desperate to beat their rivals in front of their fans and salvage some pride. A point may be a good result.
Terry Antonis only played for half an hour but he controlled the midfield with enthusiasm and daring. He ran at players with the ball at his feet, turned during his first touch despite the bucketing rain, took the initiative with a long range shot and most importantly - passed decisively, elegantly and forwards despite playing in the middle of a veritable monsoon.
Antonis played in Mark Bridge for Bridge's own drought-breaking goal and linked well with fellow super-sub Dimitri Petratos. If those two continue to improve Sydney have a pair of real prospects in their ranks.
Stuart Musialik must be wondering where he fits into Sydney's future as his contract winds down. Terry McFlynn is a defensive midfielder at heart and his status as skipper ensures his selection. Hiro Moriyasu is a box to box defensive type and was recently re-signed. Rhyan Grant has played junior international football and clearly has Lavicka's favour. Brendan Gan slotted in nicely on the right side of the diamond, though still fails to inspire complete confidence.
With Petratos growing into a deep-lying playmaker role and Musialik's selection anything but the sure thing it was last season, we may see Disco Stu head for safer pastures at the end of the season. It would be sad to see him go - at his best he offers far more than McFlynn, who maintains his spot thanks to Sydney's overall lack of aggression.
The match itself was a corker - and thanks to our Harbour City's allergic reaction to rain, I missed the first 35 minutes due to traffic jams. It boasted 26 shots - three of which hit the post - and four goals of high drama, if not high quality.
Bridge looked to be level as Antonis released him for his well-taken goal but Seb Ryall's handball for Sydney's third strike was as blatant as they come. Dylan Macallister's late goal was anything but a consolation as Wellington looked the marginally better side and finished far stronger than Sydney.
The Sky Blues reverted to some familiar bad habits after taking the lead. When opposing fullbacks push forward for a constructed overlap, Bridge in particular will often track back to within metres of a challenge but then not follow his man despite Sydney's left back committing to the opposing winger.
Sydney have been caught out by simple overlaps down the line time and time again this season and Wellington only failed to earn a point due to poor delivery. Kiwi crosses often found a sole Sydney defender with Phoenix strikers lurking to either side. When Sydney did have numbers back their marking was woefully poor and players failed to track fullbacks or close down Phoenix players as they pinged in crosses from deep.
If Sydney fail to cover these areas against the Mariners then expect an aerial bombardment aimed at their physically dynamic strikers. Of course, if Sydney are drawn too wide then Graham Arnold will direct his number 10 to drift into space.
The strikers must take responsibility for closing this increasingly obvious gap in Sydney's defensive set up. Bridge and Brosque need to track back and actually follow their man, not just get six feet behind the ball and wait for the opposition to lose it.
Sydney can take a lot from this match. The celebration with The Cove has returned with some welcome swagger on the ball. Scott Jamieson battled well before succumbing to illness and fatigue. Gan played well, Ryall was everywhere, Brosque and Bridge scored well-taken goals and Bridge in particular put in another impressive overall contribution. Hopefully some of Antonis's enthusiasm will encourage Bridge to pass first-time against the Mariners.
On the downside the delivery from Shannon Cole and Jamieson from wide areas was as rare as it was appalling, Hiro was largely anonymous, Ivan Necevski's distribution failed to improve and only Antonis had the wherewithal to test Mark Paston from distance in atrocious conditions (and did so weakly). But Sydney's inconsistency remains the biggest concern. Sydney take an even contest and find five minutes of beautiful passing football, but remain unable to wrest back the initiative when their opponent has the upper hand.
Sydney are playing below the Mariner's level, will be exhausted after a tough match in heavy rain and can only hope that the Mariner's are still in shock after the Roar savaged them 5-1. It is far more likely that Central Coast will be desperate to beat their rivals in front of their fans and salvage some pride. A point may be a good result.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Game 7 - Sydney FC 1 vs Gold Coast United 1 - 26/9/2010
It's a big week for football in Sydney but the city's football club is still tottering on the precipice, determined not to make a leap of faith, and refusing to kick out and kick-start a stalled season.
In fairness, Sydney FC could not have come much closer to finding their first win (incredible, isn't it?) of the season. To have one goal scored a second after the ref's whistle, hit the post and play against ten men for a good half hour but still not win must be galling.
Take heart boys. Sunday afternoon's draw against Gold Coast was surely Sydney's most impressive performance of the season. The Sky Blues showed some of last season's maturity, determination and composure but still could not truly earn three points.
Essentially Sydney have to rediscover their ruthless streak. This obviously applies to efforts in front of goal where Alex Brosque was unlucky and rusty, Byun continues to frustrate, Bridge seems uninterested in striking through the ball and Musialik looks more likely to lob the keeper from 50 metres than smack one from the edge of the box.
Sydney must also find their edge in possession. Too many players settled for crossing the ball from deep when Gold Coast were down to ten men, despite the true Bling FC boys looking far more vulnerable throughout the match to feints and touches around the edge of the box. By the end of the match Sydney were attempting one-man plays and panicking for the goal, but again seemed completely terrified of turning with their first touch despite having space to do so. This is a continuing facet of the Age of Lavicka and a lamentable one.
When your opponent is down to 10 men and sitting deep it is the number 10's job to make the play. Mark Bridge pulled the strings well and played some nice football but failed to impose himself when it mattered most and remains an absolute enigma. I have long thought Bridge is best played as a target man but coaches switch him from a leading striker to a ghost striker, then to a man in the hole and even send him to either side as a genuine winger. Bridge has the basic skills to play each position and rarely puts in a horrible game. But he is yet to dominate a match and should be dropped for Nicky Carle as soon as possible.
Alex Brosque is understandably yet to form this season but if he can play 60 minutes on Wednesday night, I think he will score. He hit the post, slightly dithered over his "non-goal" and failed when sent through the lines by Bridge in the second half. Sydney need him sharper and focused on the right battles. New man Bruno Cazarine sated his taste for goal and heard his name sung by The Cove. Let us hope that is enough as he seems a willing striker and tough player, but certainly not someone to frighten the likes of Michael Thwaite or Simon Colosimo.
Enough carping. Sydney's improvement was dramatic and it began, as it always should, at the back and off the ball.
For once Byun and Jamieson worked in harmony on the left. Jamieson remains an enigma within the team - technically adequate with the ball at his feet, positionally very sound, defensively strong, but entirely unwilling to (or not allowed to) take on a man. He put in a good shift but his substitution came as no surprise despite Sydney starting with at least three other players short of genuine match fitness.
McFlynn was McFlynn, a welcome return, but a midfield of McFlynn, Jamieson and Musialik is never going to create much. That will heap more pressure on Cazarinie, Brosque, Bridge and Carle, whose stats suggest they have never been prolific goalscorers. These are the personnel choices Lavicka has made and now he has to justify them on Wednesday night.
Sydney can take most heart from their centre of defence. I thought Keller was due a spell on the bench but he and Ryall performed mostly brilliantly in open play, with Ryall unlucky not to be man of the match. I used to have little time for Ryall but if he plays this well against the Fury and particularly Adelaide, the future will look decidedly brighter for all Sydney fans.
Both goals came from corners and featured positionally astute finishing. Sydney inexplicably pulled the ball out of their net with two men at the near post and after allowing two free headers. McFlynn has confessed to losing his man but it was Keller who went for the ball and completely missed it while vacating the space that Djite eagerly entered. It was a lax moment and to concede in added time only added to the bitterness of another soft goal.
Reddy looked solid in goal (if a little erratic when coming to punch) and continues to justify his recruitment.
Gold Coast can heart from this match. Bruce Djite looks an improved player and hungry for goals, while Culina and Porter will win them games like this. They have no obvious weak link and may well play a home semifinal in front of two thousand fans.
The big story for Sydney is that the pressure on last season's champions will continue to build until Wednesday night. The clearest symptom of the strain on the squad came when Sydney received yet another card for dissent after Alex Brosque decided to inexplicably tick off a previously-friendly referee. But injuries and fitness permitting, Viteslav Lavicka showed on Sunday that he has no need to change his system. His players just need to perform to the level required by it.
In fairness, Sydney FC could not have come much closer to finding their first win (incredible, isn't it?) of the season. To have one goal scored a second after the ref's whistle, hit the post and play against ten men for a good half hour but still not win must be galling.
Take heart boys. Sunday afternoon's draw against Gold Coast was surely Sydney's most impressive performance of the season. The Sky Blues showed some of last season's maturity, determination and composure but still could not truly earn three points.
Essentially Sydney have to rediscover their ruthless streak. This obviously applies to efforts in front of goal where Alex Brosque was unlucky and rusty, Byun continues to frustrate, Bridge seems uninterested in striking through the ball and Musialik looks more likely to lob the keeper from 50 metres than smack one from the edge of the box.
Sydney must also find their edge in possession. Too many players settled for crossing the ball from deep when Gold Coast were down to ten men, despite the true Bling FC boys looking far more vulnerable throughout the match to feints and touches around the edge of the box. By the end of the match Sydney were attempting one-man plays and panicking for the goal, but again seemed completely terrified of turning with their first touch despite having space to do so. This is a continuing facet of the Age of Lavicka and a lamentable one.
When your opponent is down to 10 men and sitting deep it is the number 10's job to make the play. Mark Bridge pulled the strings well and played some nice football but failed to impose himself when it mattered most and remains an absolute enigma. I have long thought Bridge is best played as a target man but coaches switch him from a leading striker to a ghost striker, then to a man in the hole and even send him to either side as a genuine winger. Bridge has the basic skills to play each position and rarely puts in a horrible game. But he is yet to dominate a match and should be dropped for Nicky Carle as soon as possible.
Alex Brosque is understandably yet to form this season but if he can play 60 minutes on Wednesday night, I think he will score. He hit the post, slightly dithered over his "non-goal" and failed when sent through the lines by Bridge in the second half. Sydney need him sharper and focused on the right battles. New man Bruno Cazarine sated his taste for goal and heard his name sung by The Cove. Let us hope that is enough as he seems a willing striker and tough player, but certainly not someone to frighten the likes of Michael Thwaite or Simon Colosimo.
Enough carping. Sydney's improvement was dramatic and it began, as it always should, at the back and off the ball.
For once Byun and Jamieson worked in harmony on the left. Jamieson remains an enigma within the team - technically adequate with the ball at his feet, positionally very sound, defensively strong, but entirely unwilling to (or not allowed to) take on a man. He put in a good shift but his substitution came as no surprise despite Sydney starting with at least three other players short of genuine match fitness.
McFlynn was McFlynn, a welcome return, but a midfield of McFlynn, Jamieson and Musialik is never going to create much. That will heap more pressure on Cazarinie, Brosque, Bridge and Carle, whose stats suggest they have never been prolific goalscorers. These are the personnel choices Lavicka has made and now he has to justify them on Wednesday night.
Sydney can take most heart from their centre of defence. I thought Keller was due a spell on the bench but he and Ryall performed mostly brilliantly in open play, with Ryall unlucky not to be man of the match. I used to have little time for Ryall but if he plays this well against the Fury and particularly Adelaide, the future will look decidedly brighter for all Sydney fans.
Both goals came from corners and featured positionally astute finishing. Sydney inexplicably pulled the ball out of their net with two men at the near post and after allowing two free headers. McFlynn has confessed to losing his man but it was Keller who went for the ball and completely missed it while vacating the space that Djite eagerly entered. It was a lax moment and to concede in added time only added to the bitterness of another soft goal.
Reddy looked solid in goal (if a little erratic when coming to punch) and continues to justify his recruitment.
Gold Coast can heart from this match. Bruce Djite looks an improved player and hungry for goals, while Culina and Porter will win them games like this. They have no obvious weak link and may well play a home semifinal in front of two thousand fans.
The big story for Sydney is that the pressure on last season's champions will continue to build until Wednesday night. The clearest symptom of the strain on the squad came when Sydney received yet another card for dissent after Alex Brosque decided to inexplicably tick off a previously-friendly referee. But injuries and fitness permitting, Viteslav Lavicka showed on Sunday that he has no need to change his system. His players just need to perform to the level required by it.
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