Retooled Sydney FC launch A-League title defence

Sydney FC’s title defence is resting on a poached Western Sydney Wanderer and another from Melbourne Victory.

New Sydney FC striker Kosta Barbarouses. Picture: AAP

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 used 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 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.

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 great era.

The thing about Steve Corica’s Sky Blues in 2018-19 is they never really looked unbeatable 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 minor premiers Perth.

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.

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If home-and-away fixtures are where it counts, Sydney were lacking a few puzzle pieces. But there are finally signs this attack, also headlined by 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 Brosque.

Add former Socceroos defender Ryan McGowan and ex-City midfielder Luke Brattan, and fans’ expectations will once again be high.

The faithful will have questions, too. Like why Bling FC haven’t shelled out for a high-profile marquee — and why they won’t 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 might also be wondering if Baumjohann’s forlorn 60 minutes of change-room moping, after being subbed early, might fuel some sort of 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.”

Meanwhile, if Markus Babbel is feeling $390m of pressure, so far he’s not showing it. But if Western Sydney Wanderers don’t start the new season with a bang, we might start to see the strain. After three miserable years as nomads, the Wanderers return to an inspiring, $360m stadium in Parramatta.

Babbel has been backed heavily in terms of squad signings, with two marquees — Bundesliga veterans Alex Meier and Pirmin Schwegler — on some $2.5m between them. Overall, after three mediocre seasons, and two without even making the finals, the expectation is the Wanderers will be back among the pacesetters.

The only cloud is the knee injury suffered by playmaker Radoslaw Majewski just three weeks out from the start of the season and which will in all likelihood rule him out for the whole campaign.

Wanderers open their campaign against Central Coast Mariners at Bankwest Stadium on Saturday.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH