Graham Arnold hopes it won’t be long until reinforcements arrive for his injury-hit Sydney FC side but is adamant they have enough quality already in the squad to be getting results.
The Sky Blues have fallen away from the top of the Hyundai A-League ladder over the last month, without a win in their last five matches.
Preview: Brisbane Roar v Sydney FC
The downturn in form has coincided with a horror injury toll which has seen Ali Abbas, Nicky Carle, Corey Gameiro and Sasa Ognenovski all ruled out for the season.
But Arnold is sick of using the absences as an excuse for their poor results, confident the quality is still there to win matches, starting with Brisbane Roar.
“It can’t be about what’s missing, it’s got to be about what we’ve got here,” Arnold said ahead of Tuesday night’s clash at Suncorp Stadium.
“I’ve got enough faith in the quality we’ve got in the dressing room that we can get the right result and move forward.
“We started well and we’re having a bit of a dip at the moment but it’s how you come out of that.
“I’ve got all the confidence in the world in these boys that when we get out of it – and we will get out of it, hopefully that’s tomorrow night – it will take off again from there.”Â
Arnold and his extensive list of contacts and agents have been scouring Europe to try and find some suitable players to bring in on injury replacement deals.
The experienced boss revealed he has been spending up to five hours a day looking at potential recruits to find the best players possible to fit into his system and culture.
“Hopefully it’s not too far. The January transfer window opens (soon). I’m in contact with agents all the time,” Arnold said when asked when he hoped to have his first signing.
“Fortunately I’ve got a very good network of agents in Europe, and I think the European players to bring out would suit Australian lifestyle and mentality.
“We’re not going to bring players out for a holiday or the players out because Australia’s a beautiful place to live.
“They have to want to come out for the right reasons and the right reasons are to play football and be successful.
“I will fight for this club all the way through. I love this club, I love the players in the dressing room and I know that we’ve got a plan in place and that plan will eventually work.”
