Slater: Sydney FC’s brutal selection calls ahead of A-Leagues derby and AFC Champions League
Socceroos great Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde discuss the biggest issues in On The Attack, including the big selection call facing Sydney FC, and the retirement of an A-Leagues legend.
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Socceroos great Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde discuss the biggest issues in On The Attack, including the big selection call facing Sydney FC, a test of Adelaide United’s credentials, and the retirement of an A-Leagues legend.
DERBY DECISIONS
Sydney FC coach Ufuk Talay will do well to resist the temptation of throwing experienced defender Alex Grant straight into the pressure-cooker atmosphere of Saturday night’s derby against the Wanderers at Allianz Stadium.
With Sydney’s backline hit with some injuries, new signing Grant would be an ideal presence in the heart of the Sky Blues defence in the derby.
This is the type of game that Grant has been brought to the club to play in, particularly considering Sydney’s defensive issues this season.
However, Talay seems set to gamble on youngster Kyle Shaw, who only made his A-League debut last weekend.
Shaw did well in Sydney’s 4-1 win over Adelaide United, but a Wanderers side desperate for victory will perhaps target the 20-year-old centre-back in what will be a huge test of his resilience and composure.
“(Left-back) Joel King and Alex Grant are both touch and go at the moment whether we utilise them for the weekend,” Talay said.
Talay is playing a juggling game with his selections as he also has an eye on Sydney’s AFC Champions League Two round-of-16 first-leg clash against Bangkok United on Wednesday night.
Apart from Grant, Talay is also weighing up how to best use Brazilian star Douglas Costa over the Sky Blues’ next two games.
Costa is itching for the chance to torment the Wanderers from the opening whistle.
However, unfortunately, the former Juventus and Bayern Munich winger seems set only for another second-half cameo in just his second appearance since a lengthy layoff with a hamstring injury.
“It’s not an easy one to balance with Douglas. The medical staff have obviously capped him with certain minutes within the game,” Talay said.
“If I ask Douglas to play 90 minutes, he’ll say yes, he’ll agree to it straight away, but the reality is, we want to utilise him in the ACL (against Bangkok United) as well.”
“If we don’t have to use him (against Western Sydney), that would be great. Then we’ll have them available for the Wednesday clash.”
Great for Talay but not so good for the 30,000-plus crowd wanting to see one at least one of the competition’s two prized off-season recruits in action on Saturday night.
The other star A-League marquee, Wanderers’ Spanish midfielder Juan Mata, is next to no chance of playing after injuring his hamstring last week.
Unless he makes a miracle recovery, Mata won’t be part of Western Sydney’s engine room.
And that could be crucial to the outcome of the contest considering how influential Sky Blues midfielder Antony Caceres is likely to be.
Caceres never has a bad game, and tends to rise to the big occasion, and in the A-League, the Sydney derby is the biggest regular season occasion of them all.
Caceres isn’t the only player the Wanderers must nullify, with English winger Joe Lolley sure to be fired up to continue his side’s recent dominance over Western Sydney.
The Sky Blues will start as favourites, but the Wanderers can’t be intimidated, and you can bet that attacking weapon Brandon Borrello won’t be.
It’s up to Borrello and fellow attacker Nicolas Milanovic to take the game right up to Sydney.
Already three points outside the top six, Western Sydney needs to string some wins together to ensure they will play finals football this season.
RED ALERT
Let’s see on Friday night if Adelaide United is the real deal.
Poor last weekend in a 4-1 loss to Sydneysiders, the Reds need to bounce back in style at home against Melbourne City, not so much because of their ladder position, which is a healthy second, but to prove that they are indeed championship material.
There are still doubts over Adelaide’s ability to beat the A-League’s stronger teams, and while Melbourne City is just outside the top six, a stern test awaits the Reds, who have been disappointing at home this season.
Socceroos stalwart Mat Leckie, who is still among the competition’s top few players when fully fit, should be ready to fire for City after working his way back from injury in recent weeks.
And that could spell bad news for his former club.
A Leckie masterclass could also be just what City needs after successive losses before a bye last weekend.
FOREVER YOUNG
Congratulations to Jamie Young on a fantastic A-League career.
At 39, the A-League title-winning gloveman has called time on his professional career.
His professionalism has been evident right until the end, with Young showing nothing but support for young goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who has displaced him at Melbourne City this season.
The great news is that Young won’t be lost to the game, as he’s set to play at NPL level and also write a document for Professional Footballers Australia on the philosophies of footballers.
It’s this mental side of football that Young is set to show his expertise in future years, and you can bet there will be a host of clubs keen to use him to assist with the development of players.
Australian football can’t afford to waste the talents of the ultra-intelligent Young.
Remainder of A-League Round 18
Originally published as Slater: Sydney FC’s brutal selection calls ahead of A-Leagues derby and AFC Champions League
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