Returning Sydney FC star Alex Brosque has sent a warning to their Hyundai A-League rivals, believing the current Sky Blues’ squad is more talented than the one which won the double in 2010.
Brosque was a key member of Viteslav Lavicka’s side that won both the Premiers’ Plate and then the Grand Final in a gripping penalty-shout win over Victory in Melbourne.
That squad possessed a good mix of talented youth and experienced professionals highlighted by the likes of Brosque, John Aloisi, Steve Corica, Mark Bridge and Karol Kisel.
While almost all the players from that season now moved on, Brosque is back in the Sky Blue jersey again following a three-year stint in Japan and the Middle East.
He returns to a squad with a new coach in Graham Arnold alongside names like Austrian skipper Mark Janko, Kiwi international Shane Smeltz, Sasa Ognenovski, Bernie Ibini and Nikola Petkovic.
“It’s probably a better squad that we’ve got now,” Brosque told www.aleague.com.au.
“You look around the squad at all the talent and there’s also just a really good feeling in the group. I can say that at the moment in the pre-season it’s the same type of feeling I had back then.
“There’s genuine excitement that we can do something, pre-season results are going well and everything that we are working towards is being translated into the matches that we’re playing.
“All that’s nice, but doesn’t count for much unless you go out and do it once the season starts. But I think we’re on the right track definitely.”
The Sky Blues have lost just once in the pre-season, taking out the recent Townsville Cup with wins against Brisbane Roar and the Newcastle as well as seeing off Melbourne City in the Westfield FFA Cup.
Brosque was also on the scoresheet on Wednesday night as Arnold’s troops cruised to a 5-0 win over Canberra FC at Deakin Stadium.
One of Sydney FC fans’ favourite sons, Brosque has made over 100 appearances for the club and scoring 28 times.
After stints with Shimizu S-Pulse in the J-League and then a move to the UAE with Al Ain, it took a quick call from Arnold to convince the 30-year-old to come home.
“I felt I really needed this challenge, something different. I was starting to lose a bit of motivation and passion in the last 12 months and coming back here with those quality players and knowing it’s going to be a very difficult task just to get in the starting XI every week. It’s just what I needed.
“It was good rolling back up to Macquarie and the familiar surrounds over there and seeing a few faces that I recognize around the club in the offices. It probably took just a week and then everything felt natural again.
A proud western Sydney boy, Brosque said he was thrilled to take on Sydney United 58 in the last 16 of the Westfield FFA Cup while he has already circled the Hyundai A-League round two local derby against Western Sydney Wanderers FC in his diary.
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