Sydney Derby Part II

Four points from two games in charge and it looks like Frank Farina has all the right answers for those all concerned at SydneyFC.  On the other side of town counterpart Tony Popovic hasn’t put a foot wrong all season and has Western Sydney six places above their cross town rivals.

The first ever Sydney derby didn’t live up to expectations on the pitch, but with both teams coming off a win this should be one for the end of season highlights DVD.  Don’t expect Del Piero to play though, time is against his hamstring and there are too many key games over the Christmas/New Year period.

Sydney (10th)	LOSS	LOSS	LOSS	DRAW	WIN
Wanderers (4th)	LOSS	WIN	LOSS	LOSS	WIN
Form Rating	SYD	0.80	Sharp Shooter	A.Del Piero	5 goals
	WSW	1.20		M.Bridge	2 goals

 

Saturday Night  19:45 AEST          Allianz Stadium

Head to Head    Sydney 1 wins   Draws 0                Wanderers 0 wins

Earlier this season – Wanderers 0 lost to Sydney 1

 

Boris Gligorevic looks at SydneyFC as they look for derby supremacy again

Last Round:

It wasn’t pretty but Frank Farina’s first full week in charge resulted in 3 points.

Seb Ryall’s return to the backline produced another goal to his collection while Rhyan Grant got to play in midfield and did well. His performance was also rewarded with him scoring the decisive goal. Jason Culina’s return to the starting line-up was another positive. No doubt, it was another positive to what has been a tumultuous 6 weeks.

Now it’s on to the Sydney Derby, part 2. The foundation is there and another win will instantly propel the Sky Blues back into semi-final contention.

This Round:

Well it seems as though Farina’s double sessions worked a treat. A few players came out during the week and said this is what professional football is and I have to agree with that.

This week, Farina and the players have to build on the things they did well last week. The players responded well to Farina’s ideas and this week needs to see a continuation of this development.

It is safe to say that Farina has resolved Sydney’s defence issues. Fabio, Pascal Bosschaart, Adam Griffiths and Seb Ryall are the chosen 4. In my opinion, this is the strongest backline. They need to continue to work together during the game and at training to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The more minutes they get together, the better they will be for it.

Farina has opted for a 5-man midfield. With Terry McFlynn’s suspension, Paul Reid should come in to partner Jason Culina. Brett Emerton’s return will almost certainly demote Ali Abbas to the bench unless Farina chooses Abbas as Culina’s defensive midfield partner.

Has Grant done enough to retain his spot? I am not so sure. With Terry Antonis back, Farina may opt to restore him to the first XI and bench Grant.

As I have previously mentioned, I believe Sydney’s midfield is where most of their problems lie. Alessandro Del Piero has added to this problem as first Ian Crook did not know how best to use him and now Farina will need to figure that out. I still believe that Del Piero is best used at the attacking point of midfield or as a shadow striker. Whether Del Piero plays this weekend or not is another story.

The forwards for Sydney have all been rotated so far this season. Blake Powell, Joel Chianese, Mitch Mallia and Kruno Lovrek have all had a go as the striker and all have failed. What Farina needs to do is pick who thinks will be most effective in his formation and give them enough game time (as well as lots of training) to find form and consistency.

Overall, Farina needs to continue to implement the right players and structures to continue Sydney’s turnaround. While Sydney does not have the best squad in the league, they have a core group of players who can guide the ship. The remaining players just need to listen and know their role.

Prediction:

Both teams come into the game on the back of a win. This week also sees international players return and should add much needed flair to the game. I am hoping for a better game and more passion from the players than the first derby. I think Sydney is starting to turn the corner and see them winning a tight one by the odd goal.

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