Sydney FC skipper Terry McFlynn has made no apologies for the club’s brazen attempt to poach Gary van Egmond.
Sydney FC skipper Terry McFlynn has made no apologies for the club’s brazen attempt to poach Gary van Egmond from Newcastle as the Sky Blues search for the right man to pull them out of the mire.
As the club reportedly gets closer to unveiling former Socceroos mentor Frank Farina as their next coach, McFlynn was forced to defend Sydney for their pursuit of van Egmond.
The Jets were left angered by Sydney’s attempt this week to lure the championship-winning boss to be Ian Crook’s successor, labelling the move unprofessional and lacking ethics.
But the Sydney skipper said his club had every right to look at all options as they search for the best candidate to help resurrect their stuttering season.
“From Sydney FC’s point of view when you’re looking for a coach or player you just ask questions,” McFlynn said on Tuesday.
“We may have asked a question and the answer was no so they (the Sydney board) moved on.
“But in life if you don’t ask questions you don’t get answers.
“Gary van Egmond showed his loyalty to Newcastle Jets and has stayed with them so Sydney’s search for a coach progresses. Hopefully in next few days we’ll have an announcement.”
Reports suggest Farina is likely to be handed the reins on a short-term deal this week, although club officials remained tight-lipped on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old, who coached Australia for seven years, recently completed a three-month stint with the Papua New Guinea national team and hasn’t coached in the A-League since he was sacked from the Brisbane Roar in 2009.
Asked about Farina’s credentials, McFlynn said: “Frank’s got great history with the Socceroos and has a lot of experience as a coach.
“He’s a good candidate but I’m sure the club has a number of coaches they are looking at.
“As players we can’t dwell on it (the coaching situation).
“The board are working around the clock to get the right man to come in and help us get out of this situation.
“As players we just have to stick together, be strong as a unit, be united behind Steve (interim boss Steve Corica) and move forward.”
The Sky Blues’ next coach will be the club’s seventh boss in just eight seasons.
When asked if the prolonged search was an indication coaches are reluctant to take on the Sky Blues’ hot seat, the Sydney skipper said: “I don’t think so – for me it’s the best club in Australia.
“The fact it’s taken so long speaks volume for the board that they’re searching for the right person.
“It could have been easy for the club to appoint the first person to put their hand up.
“But the list of candidates has been long which shows it’s been a popular job around the world that people want.
“We have to be patient and have faith and trust in board they get the right person.”
Sydney face a defining period of their season in coming weeks, with a home clash with Melbourne Heart on Sunday followed by a tough trip to Wellington and the second local derby against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
