A-League: New signings ready to make big impact for defending champions Sydney FC
Sydney FC were quiet achievers right up until their semi-final caning of Melbourne Victory last season. But with some star new recruits, will it be the same story this time around?
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A poached Western Sydney Wanderer, and one from Melbourne Victory too if you don’t mind.
On paper there’s plenty of possibility in Sydney FC recruits Alex Baumjohann and Kosta Barbarouses.
A German playmaker, perhaps not utilised to his full potential in red and black, could tear the house down alongside a forward who knocked in 14 goals for Victory last regular season and once caught the eye of former Socceroos coach Bert van Marwijk – before he realised he was Kiwi.
And yet, as we learnt with Reza Ghoochannejhad, Jop van der Linden and, to a certain extent, Siem de Jong, signings aren’t always what they promise on paper.
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Still, who can argue with a championship trophy? And one lifted by a rookie head coach in the unenviable position of following Graham Arnold’s record-shattering era.
The thing about Steve Corica’s Sky Blues in 2018-19 is that they never really looked an unbeatable force until that 6-1 semi-final rout of Victory.
Prior to that they chipped away quietly, eking out results to finish second despite possessing a goal difference 19 shy of premiers Perth and having scored 21 fewer goals than in 2017-18.
Retired skipper Alex Brosque acknowledged as much after beating the Glory in the grand final on penalties, calling for the finals to be scrapped because they don’t reflect the season proper.
If home-and-away fixtures are where it counts, Sydney were lacking a couple of puzzle pieces.
But there are finally signs this attack, also headlined by almost-golden-boot-winner Adam Le Fondre (16 regular-season goals), technical mastermind Milos Ninkovic and recovered whippet Trent Buhagiar, may finally fill the void left by Adrian Mierzejewski and Bobo.
That’s even more important given the retirement of club legend Brosque.
Add former Socceroos defender Ryan McGowan and ex-City midfielder Luke Brattan, and fans’ expectations will once again be high.
The faithful will surely have questions, too.
Like why Bling FC haven’t shelled out for a high-profile marquee - and, indeed, why they won’t even reveal which two players’ wages are outside the salary cap?
And whether the snake emojis those riled-up Victory fans have been dishing out to Barbarouses will transfer into real-life vitriol during November’s first Big Blue?
Viewers of last December’s Sydney derby must surely also be wondering if Baumjohann’s forlorn 60 minutes of change-room moping, after being subbed early by Babbel, might fuel some sort of Machiavellian reprisal at Bankwest Stadium in round three.
In more consequential terms, the coveted treble still eludes the Sky Blues after their premature FFA Cup exit, but the double remains in Corica’s sights.
It’s always tough when you win the GF the year before, and most teams want to beat Sydney anyway,” Corica said.
“I’ve warned the boys and set that as a goal. That’s the challenge for us.”