Sydney FC will head into Friday night’s Semi-Final first leg against Central Coast Mariners without talisman Joe Lolley but club stalwart Rhyan Grant believes the fear-factor around the Sky Blues is still very much intact.
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Ufuk Talay’s side booked their ticket to the semis after dismantling Macarthur FC 4-0 at Allianz Stadium in the Elimination Final and Grant believes their performances over the course of the campaign will have the Mariners on high alert.
“I think if I was to put myself in another team’s shoes I think I wouldn’t want to play us,” said Grant when addressing media at Sydney FC’s press conference on Wednesday morning.
“When we’re at our best or playing the way we want to be playing, we’re a very hard team to beat.
“If teams were to try and analyse us, they can do that all they want, but the way we play it’s so hard to play against and defend… I’m glad I’m on our side!
“I’m quietly confident whoever we play we can beat and I know that people will fear playing us, especially in big games.”
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After a poor start to the season which ultimately saw the Sky Blues part ways with legendary head coach Steve Corica, Sydney FC really hit their stride under Ufuk Talay and eventually qualified for the Finals Series with three games to spare.
Amongst their impressive performances this season were home and away wins over Mark Jackson’s side, however Talay is keen to put those wins behind him especially given the Mariners have since gone on to win both the Premiers Plate and the AFC Cup.
“We need a similar type of mindset when we go out there,” Talay said.
“You’ve seen this season where there (are) big occasions the boys have stood up.
“One thing we just need to be mindful of (is) I know we’ve beaten them twice in the league but that was the league. It’s different now, this is finals football.”
Having defeated Macarthur FC 4-0 the Sky Blues’ mood was somewhat soured on Tuesday with confirmation star playmaker Joe Lolley would miss the remainder of the season after scans confirmed a hamstring injury would rule him out of action for up to 10 weeks.
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“I think we all are upset in the sense that he’s not going to be available,” said the Sky Blues boss when reflecting on Lolley’s injury.
“I think Joe is a special player. I think he’s a special player, not just for Sydney FC, but also for the competition itself.
“Maybe if he didn’t hit the ball as hard as he did his standing foot wouldn’t have give way a little bit. It is what it is, we can’t control these type of injuries at times and it’s probably come at the worst time because he is very influential.”
A leading contender to claim this season’s Johnny Warren Medal, Lolley totalled 11 goals and seven assists from 27 matches as well as playing a starring role in the Australia Cup final which saw the Sky Blues defeat Brisbane Roar 3-1 to lift the trophy.
Whether Talay opts to fill Lolley’s void by recalling central striker Fabio Gomes to the side or utilising midfielder Max Burgess on the right remains to be seen, however teammate Rhyan Grant believes there are certain aspects of the Englishman’s game which are simply irreplaceable.
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“I think (it’s) just the threat of him. If he’s on the park I think the opposition are always going to be wary of him so it might free up a little bit more space elsewhere,” Grant said.
“He works his bum off too, he’s not just all flashy and flair and goals and assists, he gets back.
“I play behind him so he does a lot of work for me and a lot of times I can just give him the ball and hope for the best to be honest and let him deal with it when I’m in a tricky situation!”
Another headache Sky Blues boss Talay is likely to have ahead of Friday night’s match is whether or not captain Luke Brattan will be available for selection.
A heavy challenge from Macarthur’s Jake Hollman left the Sydney FC captain unable to finish Saturday night’s win over the Bulls but Talay had some positive news for fans regarding the latest on Brattan’s ankle injury.
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“He did some running yesterday, which was great to put some load on his ankle to see where he’s at,” revealed Talay. “Today (Wednesday) he’ll be involved with the session and hopefully he can get through the session pain-free and then we’ve got another day for him to get through.
“Hopefully he’ll be available for the game. I think he’s looking good at the moment but we’ve got to make sure he’s going to be right in his ankle and also in his head to be able to play through the game.”
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