GETTING success early in life can be tough. Just ask Michael Jackson. And as the great singer/dancer knew too well, both failure and success can be humiliating.
Sydney FC got success very early playing in the Club World Championship in Japan and winning the A-League Grand Final in their first season.
Soon after that success it started to get humiliating for the inaugural A-League champions. The next season the Sky blues lost their winning coach Pierre Littbaski. They lost their marquee, Dwight Yorke. then late in the season Sydney FC also lost points because of a salary cap infringement, ironically because they were paying David Zdrillic too much.
Since then it has been a case of diminishing returns with each following season failing to deliver on the early season promises.
So Sydney FC should be wary of their success they are achieving at the moment during their pre-season campaign as failure during the regular season will prove to be rather humiliating.
If anything is to go by Sydney FC's impressive thrashing of North Queensland, it shows that Fury have recruited poorly and will struggle during the first A-League season. The first game of A-League Season Number Five could see Sydney FC embarrass Fury on August 8 up in Townsville.
New Signings
There was some good news coming out of Sydney FC recruitment wise with the addition of new specialists left back Korean Byun Sung-Hwan. It's the first time FC will have a proper left back since Alvin Ceccoli told Terry Butcher to fuck off in season two.
Good to hear that the Korean who can hit a free kick or two is saying all the right things: "I (am) very happy. Sydney city is beautiful," he explained. "Sydney FC has good team, good coaching staff - this season we can be champions."
At 29 years of age the Korean will bring some experience to a youth full defence.
Except for Karol Kisel, who plays in midfield, and the experienced centre back that is arriving soon, Sydney FC will practically have the same team as last year, even though there was a large cleanout.
The Youth
The younger brigade of Danning, Gan, Grant, Golec and Jurman are now a year old older and definitely football wiser after the first A-League season. I don't think we have seen what these players can do as they only had cameo roles to play late in the season.
This year they have the chance to play leading roles and Vitezslav Lavicka and his assistant Michael Zach who have experience coaching the under- 21 Czech team can only assist in the football education of this young group.
You can see that Sydney FC coach Lavicka, unlike some other A-league coaches and current affair programmes, believes and trusts in the youth. A youthful Sydney FC side beat Sutherland Sharks 4-1 this week and a new star for Sydney FC could emerge with Kerim Bulut who recently represented the under 17 Australia side in Turkey scoring Sydney's third goal.
With youth with a smattering of experience - and a touch of luck - maybe Sydney FC can live up to the hype this season.
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