David Carney says Sydney FC are determined to prove their detractors wrong as they prepare to face the Phoenix at Allianz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With five rounds remaining in the regular season and the Sky Blues out of the top six pressure is mounting on Graham Arnold’s side.
However Carney remains confident the Sky Blues can challenge for the title despite their current seven match winless run in the league.
“People are writing us off and hopefully we can prove them wrong,” Carney said.
“Five games left, what’s done is done. I think the performances over the last few weeks have been good, we just need to get the results with it.
“We had a great Asian Champions League victory and we just need to carry that into the league. Last week against Melbourne City, I thought the performance was very good, we’re just lacking that little bit of luck at the minute, and if we can get that then hopefully we can kick on for the rest of the season and get in the finals.
“We’ve got a good enough squad to win it,” he continued.
“I think all the lads know they’re good enough to beat everyone and we proved that in beating the Asian Champions. The squad has that belief that we can beat anyone, we just have to be more consistent.
“We definitely want to go on and win it but first and foremost we have to take it game by game, Wellington is our next target and I’m sure we can take the three points there.
“It just takes that one win, I think hopefully it’s this Saturday, but I still think we’ve got the squad and with Graham Arnold’s experience that we can still go on and win the Championship.”
While missing captain and goal scorer Alex Brosque, Carney said he doesn’t feel any added pressure to score as he praised the squad at coach Graham Arnold’s disposal.
“I go in to every game wanting to make a mark,” Carney said.
“It doesn’t matter where I am, doesn’t matter what game, I always want to make a footprint in the game I play in.
“It’s definitely hard losing players, but we’ve got Smeltzy who’s class but any team would be upset losing a player like Brosquey, he’s been one of the best players in the A-League.
“The players that we’ve got, they’re all class players. They’re all experienced and played in the top levels in Europe and we’ve got a lot of quality young ones.
“The way we do train is that high level where Graham Arnold has been. It’s still there and nothing has changed, there’s still been a lot of positives since I’ve been here.
“We’ve got a good run in to the end of the season so there’s a lot of positives and a lot of points to be grabbed.”
Sydney FC take on the Wellington Phoenix at Allianz Stadium on Saturday (kick off 5:15pm). Tickets are still available, purchase yours today and be there to cheer the Sky Blues on to rise above the Nix.
