Sydney FC’s attack is sweeping all before it ... but is this awesome foursome the A-League’s finest?
IT was a bold claim by the coach of Sydney FC, and guaranteed to stir debate. “The front four I believe is probably the greatest front line in A-League history,” said Graham Arnold. VOTE IN OUR POLL NOW.
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IT was a bold claim by the coach of Sydney FC, and guaranteed to stir debate.
“The front four I believe is probably the greatest front line in A-League history,” said Graham Arnold, lighting the Sky Blue touchpaper.
Arnold’s awesome foursome is showing an attacking potency that few A-League attacks have matched, with 42 goals in 18 games. But while any group of players needs a full season to be truly judged, how do they compare historically with the forward lines that have terrorised defences since the A-League began in 2005?
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Ask 1000 people and there’s a chance you’ll get 1000 opinions, but those we asked to assess the merits of various forward lines have watched more A-League than most. Even within a group of six though there were wildly disparate views.
There have been several noteworthy attacks, not least the Sydney forward line of last season that helped the club set a points record for the A-League. Three of its four members are part of the latest vintage, with the addition of Adrian Mierzejewski’s brilliance.
But they didn’t score the most goals in a season — the Melbourne City side of 2015-16 did that, notching 66 in 29 games as Aaron Mooy, Harry Novillo and Bruno Fornaroli ran amok.
But then that City side didn’t win anything. What’s the worth of an attack, the goals it scores, or the return it generates? City also conceded more goals than any team bar the bottom two, and their season ran out of steam.
Back in the early days, Ernie Merrick’s Melbourne Victory side of 2006-07 cut a swath, culminating in a 6-0 win in the grand final. Maybe the passage of time hasn’t been kind to the memories of Fred combining with Danny Allsopp and Archie Thompson, but it ranked the lowest in our poll.
Only just ahead was another Victory attack, and no doubt some will see a conspiracy in a Sydney newspaper producing such results. It might seem unfair too, as an attack of Besart Berisha, Kosta Barbarouses, Archie Thompson and Fahid Ben Kalfallah scored only four fewer than the Mooy-inspired City side.
Instead the debate produced a deadlock, three teams tied for top spot. Ange Postecoglou’s Roarcelona side actually scored the fewest, but it was the way they played — and the standard they set for the A-League — that still carries weight.
It was a real ensemble, too, a quality you could also ascribe to last season’s Sydney team.
Holosko frustrated the fans at times, but his teammates greatly valued his power and determination, not to mention his nine goals.
But Mierzejewski is undeniably a significant upgrade. So far Sydney have scored more goals per game than anyone, at a rate of 2.333 per game. Can they maintain that? Arnold loves to set his side targets, to maintain their drive, and the record number of goals in a season is one they didn’t set last year.
If they can do that, few would argue that they have been the most powerful attack.
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Andy Harper: “This season’s attack with Bobo, Milos Ninkovic, Alex Brosque and Adrian Mierzejewski, is the best credentialed in A-League history.”
Robbie Slater: “They’ve broken every record and dominated the season with the way the play and link up. They’ll be the best by the end of the season.”
Simon Hill: “The current Sydney team will probably be second and challenging for top spot.”
Adam Peacock: “Has a significant chance of getting to the top of this list. If Ninkovic and Mierzejewski reach their peak level at the same time, can’t see how they’ll be stopped,”
Tom Smithies: “There’s still a third of the season to go, but if Sydney continue as they are they will at least match the City attack of 15/16.”
David Davutovic: “Sydney’s quartet will be No.2 by season’s end. Victory and City are currently No.1 and No.2 because their three-pronged attacks shouldered their team’ attacking responsibility.”