2. Sydney FC

Graham Arnold faces up to his second season at Sydney FC with some major hurdles to face, but there is every reason to believe another prosperous campaign lies in store. It is easy to forget that it was just 12 months ago that Arnold started out as Sydney FC’s eighth coach in nine seasons. The Sky Blues’ history is littered with numerous seasons of underachievement, interspersed among several notable highs. But finally the club is set for a long period of stability, and indeed success, under Arnold.

The immediate challenge, however, is for Arnold to bring cohesion to a squad full of new faces. Many of the big names that took Sydney FC to last year’s season decider have exited for a variety of reasons. Among those departed include Marc Janko, Bernie Ibini, Nikola Petkovic, Sasa Ognenovski, Corey Gameiro, Terry Antonis and Nicky Carle. Arnold even suggested the departure of Janko is a mixed blessing as it will allow Arnold to implement his preferred style of “playing between the lines”, rather than an approach adapted specifically for the headline recruit.

Such a haemorrhaging of talent would be a near-mortal blow for the immediate fortunes of many clubs. And while last season’s Sydney FC – which included numerous new faces – took some time to find their feet under Arnold’s methodology, they were statistically the most consistent side during the second half of the competition. There is every reason to believe the Sky Blues will at least come close to reprising that form.

Early reports indicate the Serbian playmaker, Milos Ninkovic, and the Slovakian winger, Filip Holosko, will be high-quality recruits. Among the other new arrivals are former Central Coast Mariners pair Matt Simon and Zac Anderson, plus youth national team representatives Andrew Hoole and Riley Woodcock. PS

1. Melbourne Victory

Premiership windows open and shut so fast you can lose a marquee or two if you’re not careful, but reigning double winners Melbourne Victory have the look of a team that has jammed their window open with something that’ll take some shifting. It’s as good a place as any to put that toilet seat championship trophy.

But as prepared and as capable as Victory look for another successful tilt at glory, nothing can be taken for granted. Kevin Muscat, and Victory, should know that well enough. Sustaining the necessary hunger is one thing, but the first time Victory won the double, in 2006-07, they followed it up by finishing fifth in 2007-08, running out of steam as injuries and their involvement in the Asian Champions League conspired against them.

Victory will be back in the ACL this season and it’s how they manage that in the back half of the season that could decide their domestic chances. If it comes to a choice between A-League or ACL success – and often it seems to, or at least the Wanderers might agree – what will they choose?

That aside, Victory – luxuriating in a 25,000+ membership base that is starting to outgrow AAMI Park – look as capable as any team in the A-League era of going back to back (or is it, in terms of the double, back-to-back squared?). Their squad is relatively unchanged and as such it’s been an off-season of such stability that if Muscat has a swear jar (and he should, there are struggling nations he could fund) he’s surely not had to add to it very often since Victory swept rivals Sydney aside with such brio in last season’s decider.

In the debit column, club stalwart Mark Milligan has departed for sandier climes, and his drive, defensive work rate and leadership will be missed. However, the one time Mariner and Socceroo, Oliver Bozanic, comes in from Luzern, and while he’s even less of a goalscorer than Milligan he’s a reasonable facsimile and should partner new captain Carl Valeri in midfield. Goalkeeper Nathan Coe has also left the club but in former Glory No1 Danny Vukovic Victory look to have upgraded.

Those changes aside Victory’s squad looks familiar; frighteningly so if you’re the opposition. They’ve a backline to be chosen from Jason Geria, Leigh Broxham, Nick Ansell, Daniel Georgievsi, Matthieue Delpierre, Scott Galloway and new buy, Olyroo Giarcarlo Gallifuoco. Then there are the midfielders Bozanic and Valeri, ahead of backup Rashid Mahazi. And at the pointy end they sport the attacking trio of Kosta Barbarouses, Gui Finkler and Fahid Ben Khalfallah who will once again feed the whirling dervish that is Besart Berisha.

Waiting for their chance behind this attacking quartet – one which so recently cut Adelaide apart in their FFA Cup quarter-final – are the likes of Connor Pain, Jesse Makarounas, promising teenager George Howard and the currently injured Archie Thompson. Victory could struggle if Berisha goes down, particularly with Thompson out for a few months, but Muscat has some squad at his disposal. The pieces are certainly in place for the league’s biggest club to live up to its name. PC

Predicted placings were determined by aggregating the verdicts of a seven-strong panel of Guardian Australia football writers – Richard Parkin, Joe Gorman, Jack Kerr, Rob Brooks, Pete Smith, Mike Hytner and Paul Connolly. Here’s the full breakdown of how the 385 points on offer (first place = 1 point, second = 2 points, third = three, and so on) were split:

1. Melbourne Victory (10 points in total)
2. Sydney FC (11)
3. Melbourne City (25)
4. Adelaide United (28)
5. Western Sydney Wanderers (35)
6. Wellington Phoenix (41)
7. Perth Glory (50)
8. Newcastle Jets (59)
9. Brisbane Roar (61)
10. Central Coast Mariners (65)