Sydney FC love a bit of drama but it’s time the Sky Blues found themselves a nice man and settled down. Farina, Arnold, Herbert, Ridge Forrester… Who can give Sydney what they need?
The shock resignation of Ian Crook leaves Sydney FC without a man at the wheel at a time when the club are under the most scrutiny in their history. Where can they find a coach who can tick all the boxes?
Sydney FC are the biggest soap opera in the league. The club demands attention, negative or otherwise – they just love a bit of drama. They-re The Bold and The Beautiful of the Hyundai A-League, all glamour and tantrums.
Seven coaches in eight years is ridiculous. It-s somehow suitably symptomatic of the Harbour City that its football club should be such a drama queen. But the show has to end – it-s time for Sydney to find the right man and settle down.
The Hyundai A-League has never been stronger and Alessandro Del Piero has put the Sky Blues in a position of such potential, to throw it away would be criminal.
If anyone can finally get Sydney into a stable relationship, it-s chief executive Tony Pignata – but even he has acknowledged the conflicting and demanding requirements any new coach must meet.
“Someone from the A-League understands the league, the players and the systems,” he said recently.
“Someone offshore adds extra value bringing in a different level and technical point of view.
“But it’s a pressure cooker environment coaching Sydney FC. There’s pressure from the fans and the media. You are under the microscope more than any club apart from Melbourne.
“It’s not just about coaching. It’s about being the face of the club and handling difficult times.”
So they want someone who knows the local scene but has international technical credentials, someone who can bring the club together as a community and manage intense scrutiny and expectations.
Anyone spring to mind? Seriously, any suggestions? The club reportedly want to make a swift appointment – and the names being bandied about include Frank Farina, Graham Arnold, Ernie Merrick, Miron Bleiberg and Ricki Herbert.
Should they look elsewhere in Australia? The limited rotation of A-League coaches – and subsequent lack of chances for those outside the usual list of names – has been a topic of discussion recently. Could they go for a wildcard and look to the state leagues? If so, who could make the step up?
Or should they look overseas? Del Piero certainly makes the club an attractive option for a more high profile coach – but they wouldn-t come cheap or quickly.
Give us all your suggestions below – although, given the love of dramatics and turmoil, perhaps we could add Ridge Forrester to that list…
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect those of FFA or the Hyundai A-League.
