Sydney’s second chance

Given it allowed time for rest, contemplation and shopping the Asian Cup-enforced break has ensured that the remainder of the A-League season has a Part II feel to it. To no team is this more applicable than Sydney FC who travel to Perth this weekend. Having lost four players to season-ending injuries before the January transfer window, Graham Arnold was forced to dip into the market and take his chances on a host of new personnel, and the speed with which they settle in could well define Sydney’s season. There were good signs, two weeks ago, when Sydney dispatched the Central Coast 5-1 on Graham Arnold’s return to Gosford. But the Mariners are one thing; leaders Perth Glory — who stole a win at the SFS with two late goals in their only meeting to date this season — are very much another.

With Kenny Lowe’s team confident and settled (Serbian midfielder Nebojša Marinković and Scott Jamieson have both recently committed for another two seasons) Sydney have their work cut out for them, and all eyes will be on their newcomers, Senegalese cousins Mickael Tavares and Jacques Faty (no, he wasn’t in Mr. Hulot’s Holiday), as well as midfielder Robert Stambolziev. Terry Antonis and Seb Ryall will also be a welcome additions to the Sydney team after returning from Socceroos duty and injury respectively. After starting the season so well, Sydney’s place in the top six is now under threat. Yes, the top four looks settled already, and the bottom three hardly look capable of picking their noses let alone picking themselves off the deck, but that still leaves two finals spots between three teams: Sydney, City and Brisbane. The race is on.

Newcastle’s first steps on their wooden legs

Ten days ago had Newcastle Jets fans — and anyone who’s ever followed professional sport, for that matter — been asked to predict the first person dragged out of Hunter Stadium by their heels in the event a guillotine had been delivered to the club’s loading bay they surely would have nominated coach Phil Stubbins. Not only because he’d overseen a listless team with a poor record of one win in 15, but also because coaches are almost aways the first to go when a club is struggling. Not this time. For that reason alone — if you can manage the giant task of ignoring the business machinations of owner Nathan Tinkler — it could be seen as refreshing that, in the quest for “culture change”, as Tinkler called it, a coach has been backed ahead of some of his players. If Stubbins had lost the dressing room then maybe it’s the key agitators in that dressing room revolt (if, indeed, that’s what they were), not the coach, who should be moved on, especially if they are senior players in the last year of their respective contracts (as Kew Jaliens, Joel Griffiths, Billy Celeski and Adrian Madaschi were; David Carney was sacked, reportedly, for disciplinary reasons).

But sacked assistant Clayton Zane commented there were “23 players” who no longer wanted to play for Stubbins which suggests that culture change may take a while. And with Jeronimo Neumann having just joined the exodus — and four new players having to settle in, including ex-Wanderer Daniel Mullen, goalkeeper Jess Vanstrattan and South Korean defender Lee Ki-je — consistently good results could take even longer. Give it a year, Stubbins said yesterday. So this could get worse before it gets better. How patient can already patient Jets fans be? We’ll get a first glimpse tonight when the Jets host Brisbane.

The Chapman Effect

Rob Wielaert may not agree in this instance but you’ve got to enjoy quirky statistics while they last. So consider this: since former Newcastle Jet Connor Chapman replaced Wielaert in City’s central defence back on 7 December (a week after City’s slack-jawed 5-1 loss at the Phoenix) City have won four and drawn one of five matches. The one time since then that Chapman didn’t play (when John van’t Schip cunningly decided to rest him ahead of the A-League going on a month’s hiatus) City lost 2-0 to the Central Coast. Wielaert, as it happens, played that game, back in central defence with Paddy Kisnorbo.

As convenient as it would be to blame Wielaert for City’s poor start to the season, the Heart’s form last year and, while we’re looking for scapegoats, the death of Harold Holt, it’s clear City’s resurgence has more to do with just the shift of Chapman to central defence in his stead. City’s good run has also coincided more or less with the belated appearance of Robbie Koren, the fine form (and four goals) of midfield rock Aaron Mooy and useful contributions across the park, including those of Ben Garuccio at left-back and emerging midfielder Jacob Melling, a young man as combustible as polyester pyjamas. So, really, Wielaert shouldn’t be damned by statistics just yet.

In any case, the Chapman Effect will be tested vigorously in the weeks ahead as City play Victory, Wellington, Perth and Adelaide. Saturday night’s match against Victory — who’ll play without the suspended Mark Milligan and injured Matthieu Delpierre — at Etihad will be particularly tough. Not only are Victory still smarting after conceding two late goals in their last match to draw away at leaders Perth, but they’re last start derby losers, City dispatching them 1-0 in injury-time. We’ve every reason to expect an entertaining game.

If you host it will they come?

The extent of how much west is in the Western Sydney Wanderers gets a test on Sunday when the Wanderers host the Wellington Phoenix in Penrith. While it sounds like a shot in the so-called war between the codes (Penrith, of course, being the home of the NRL’s Panthers) the Panthers are hosting the Wanderers at their home ground, and they are happy to be doing it. (So it’s nothing like when the Wilsons call you from out of the blue and say ‘Hey! We’re in the area, do you mind if we drop in?!’ and you, thinking of all the things you’d rather be doing than entertaining the Wilsons, like drinking arsenic, say, through gritted teeth, ‘Sure thing, sounds wonderful’.)

Indeed, back in 2013, when the Wanderers had all the momentum of an elephant in a bobsled, the Panthers registered their interest with FFA in regards to buying a stake in the new A-League club, in large part to increase their chances of getting funding for the building a new stadium in Penrith. Penrith’s bid was knocked back but the Panthers are still searching for funding and a relationship with the Wanderers (who are co-tenants at Parramatta Stadium with Penrith’s arch rivals, the Parramatta Eels) is seen to be beneficial in this aim.

The Wanderers see the benefits in it too, of course, which is why they floated the idea in the first place. About 50% of their membership base is located in the vast red-roofed tundra west of Parramatta so they’ll be hoping the shorter commute to game day will be well received by the locals. Yes, it’s a shame the Wanderers aren’t exactly in top form and, yes, there’s a long commute for Wellington fans from, ah, Bondi, but any effort to take the game to the people should be applauded. And, the Wanderers will be hoping, rewarded.

Brisbane, Sydney and City desperately need a route. To goal.

To state the bleeding obvious if you expect to have any chance to making the top four you need more than one route to goal. Adelaide have thus far spread their goals most equitably with five players having scored three or more goals so far this season — and three of the four (Bruce Djite, Sergio Cirio and Marcelo Carrusca) have all scored five each. It’s such a spread of attacking threat that makes Adelaide so difficult to shut down. Perth have four players with three or more goals each but they have relied more heavily on the goals of one player, Andy Keogh (with nine). Likewise, Melbourne Victory have four players with three of more goals, with the burden mostly shared thus far between Besart Berisha (8) and Archie Thompson (6). Wellington’s Nathan Burns is the clear leader of his team’s attack, scoring 10 ahead of Roy Krishna (6) and Michael McGlinchey (4).

By contrast, Sydney, Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar only have two players each who’ve scored more than three goals, with their leading scorers being, respectively, Mark Janko (6), Aaron Mooy (4) and Henrique (7). City will be hoping incoming former Socceroo Josh Kennedy proves their saviour on this front, and he’s been named in this week’s squad. Brisbane, meantime, will be pinning their hopes on incoming Serbian striker Andrija Kaludjerovic — Brisbane’s third summer signing, along with centre-back Luke DeVere and German utility Jerome Polenz. Kaludjerovic replaces goal-shy striker Mensur Kurtishi, the Albanian you have when you’re not having an Albanian, who was let go in January after troubling the scorers just once. He’s not ready for this week, however, and with Henrique on the injury list, Brisbane need someone to step up, just as Jean Carlos Solorzano did against Wellington last week.

Round 16 fixtures

Friday

Newcastle Jets v Brisbane Roar, Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, 7.40pm

Saturday

Central Coast v Adelaide United, Central Coast Stadium, Gosford, 5pm

Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City, Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, 7.30pm

Perth Glory v Sydney FC, nib Stadium, Perth, 6.30pm (9.30pm AEDT)

Sunday

Western Sydney Wanderers v Wellington Phoenix, Sportingbet Stadium, Penrith 5pm