Doubt over Sydney’s FC’s newly signed coach Ufuk Talay after failed season
Sydney FC have just re-signed coach Ufuk Talay, but after the club’s failure to reach the finals, doubt is creeping in. Click for full Sky Blues analysis, a memorable finals clash to come and why the sky is the limit for Adelaide.
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Is Talay’s Time up?
Even if Ufuk Talay has signed a new two-year deal to remain in charge of Sydney FC, there must be doubt about his future at the Sky Blues after the club’s failure to reach the A-League finals series and their catastrophic 5-1 weekend loss to Melbourne City.
Talay told News Corp just over a week ago that he had agreed to terms on a new contract, but was yet to sign.
However, that was before the Sky Blues’ 1-0 loss to Western United and their capitulation against City. Sydney only needed a draw in either game to qualify for the finals.
Surely those contract terms included the need for the Sky Blues to play finals football this season. That should have been the minimum requirement, particularly after Sydney blew a golden chance to reach the final of the AFC Champions League Two in losing to Singapore club Lion City Sailors at the semi-final stage.
There were some suggestions on Sunday that Talay has put pen to paper on his new deal since last weekend, but while he has shown in the past that he’s a good coach, something seems broken at Sydney and many believe that a coaching change is needed.
For squad that possesses an attacking arsenal that includes former Juventus and Bayern Munich star Douglas Coast, ex-Nottingham Forest winger Joe Lolley, Polish striker Patryk Klimala and Socceroos midfielder Anthony Caceres, not to mention young goalscoring sensation Adrian Segecic, failing to reach the finals series is unacceptable and disastrous.
It has been obvious all season that defending is Sydney’s problem.
It was so bad on Saturday night that every time Melbourne City attacked it seemed a goal was coming.
The recruitment decisions of Talay and Sydney’s head of player management Alex Baunjohann therefore need to be heavily scrutinised.
It has been clear for more than just this season that the Sky Blues needed to strengthen their central defensive stocks.
Why then did the club not sign at least one experienced central defender before the start of its 2024-25 campaign?
.@MelbourneCity are running rampant against Sydney FC! 😲
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) May 3, 2025
Marco Tilio extends his side's lead to 3-0 in the opening half. Pure dominance.
📺 Watch #MCYvSYD live NOW on Paramount+, 10 Play or 10 Bold. pic.twitter.com/KrgbOrhbVd
If there wasn’t an Australian defender deemed good enough to bring to the club, then a visa spot should have been allocated to a centre-back rather than using all five permitted foreign signings on midfielders and attackers.
Did the Sky Blues really need Brazilian holding midfielder Leo Senna? Did they really need Morocco international midfielder Anas Ouahim?
The answer is that they didn’t need both, particularly when it cost them the chance to sign a foreign defender.
How this wasn’t recognised by Talay and Baumjohann is baffling.
Yes, the pair did sign an experienced centre-back, Alex Grant, in the January-February transfer window, but by then, the Sky Blues had already conceded far too many goals and dropped points that they shouldn’t have.
Grant being sidelined in recent weeks with a calf injury didn’t help Sydney’s cause, but had the Sky Blues signed a hardened central defender at the start of the season, this wouldn’t have been a problem.
Then there’s the goalkeeping issue. Talay’s decision to drop former Socceroos gloveman Andrew Redmayne in December and opt for Harrison Devenish-Meares for the rest of the season was extremely costly.
While Redmayne didn’t have the best of games in Sydney’s 4-3 loss to Western United on December 14, he didn’t deserve not to get another chance until it was forced upon Talay on Saturday night when Devenish-Meares had to be replaced in the second-half after suffering a groin injury.
Redmayne also deserved another opportunity because Devenish-Meares cost Sydney too many goals across the season.
With Redmayne leaving the club, the Sky Blues must sign a keeper that is ready for A-League football immediately.
Sydney officials also must make the tough decision regarding Talay, particularly when there are some very good coaching options available.
Memorable Wanderers-Victory battle looms
While we’re not getting a Sydney derby in the finals series, we are being gifted with the next best thing – an elimination final between two clubs possessing a passionate and large fan base in Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory.
If there’s not more than 20,000 at CommBank Stadium when the Wanderers and Victory meet in their do-or-die affair next weekend, it will be disappointing.
While most of the fans at the game will be cheering for the Wanderers, there is sure to be a loyal, and loud, contingent of Victory supporters who will make the trip from Melbourne.
After all, it could be the last time their team is in action this season.
How's this for a goal celebration ðŸ˜ðŸ™Œ
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) May 3, 2025
Anthony Pantazopoulos gives @wswanderersfc the lead with a home Elimination Final on the line 👀
📺 Watch #MACvWSW live NOW on Paramount+, 10 Play or 10 Bold. pic.twitter.com/iM3EGlK9UO
The Wanderers are the form team of the competition as they take a 12-match unbeaten run into the finals series.
While it has been extremely rare for a team finishing outside the top two to go all the way in the finals series and win the championship, the Wanderers would be confident of doing so such is their confidence and form.
All credit must go to Western Sydney coach Alen Stajcic. Many were questioning whether he was the right man for the job after the Wanderers’ indifferent start to the season.
However, one of Stajcic’s best assets is his mental strength, a trait he probably acquired, and needed, when he was controversially and wrongly sacked as Matildas coach.
His toughness is to be admired, as is his belief in himself and his ways.
Reds have nothing to lose
It’s a free shot for Adelaide United in the first week of the A-League finals.
Nobody expected the Reds to make the top six with Sydney FC only having needed one point from its final two games of the regular season to finish in sixth place ahead of Adelaide.
However, the Sky Blues’ capitulation has resulted in the Reds falling over the line, and anything they can achieve from now on should be considered a bonus when taking into account their poor form for the past three months.
Beating Western United in Melbourne will be tough, but Adelaide and the club’s departing coach Carl Veart have got nothing to lose.
What a fairytale it would be if Veart took the Reds all the way to a championship in his final days as Adelaide coach.
While it’s unlikely, it’s not impossible, and it would be a memorable end to Veart’s Adelaide tenure.
Team of the week: (4-2-2-2) Oli Sail (Perth Glory); Nathaniel Atkinson (Melbourne City), Kai Trewin (Melbourne City), Anthony Pantazopoulos (Western Sydney Wanderers), Aziz Behich (Melbourne City); Angus Thurgate (Western United), Samuel Klein (Brisbane Roar); Andreas Kuen (Melbourne City), Jaylan Pearman (Perth Glory); Zac Sapsford (Western Sydney Wanderers), Adam Taggart (Perth Glory). Coach: Aurelio Vidmar (Melbourne City)
Player of the week: Samuel Klein (Brisbane Roar)
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Originally published as Doubt over Sydney’s FC’s newly signed coach Ufuk Talay after failed season
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