Can Sydney win a third Grand Final in a row? Or perhaps you’re wondering how Wellington will go after their fairy tale-like season of last campaign? Maybe you have questions you want answered about Macarthur FC, the new boys on the block? Fear not, in this in-depth A-League 2020/21 campaign preview, all your questions will be answered, and you’ll get a good insight into how each team should fare in what is perhaps the most crucial season in A-League history. Let’s tear right into it.
Keys:
*PF = Predicted Finish.
*LSF = Last Seasons Finish.
Sydney FC
PF First- LSF First.
Coach- Steve Corica.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Adam Pavlesic from the club’s academy (Sydney FC Youth).
Key Departure- Adam Le Fondre to Mumbai City FC (Indian Super League).
Why they’ll do well?
Trent Buhagiar. Against Asia’s best this campaign, he put the ball into the back of the net 5 times, from just 6 appearances for the Sky Blues. The former Mariner showed his speed and his poise in Sydney’s ACL campaign, as he helped his side garner back some respect in Asia. In addition, during the A-League season just past, he provided 3 goals, + 2 assists. He proved himself a good complementary piece to the now departed Le Fondre and the getting older Barbarouses. And now he gets a full-time audition to show why he can be Sydney’s newest addition in the Striker role and make it his own, once and for all. And it’s an audition, that based off what’s just occurred, he’s no doubt going to ace.
The defining question
How will Sydney deal with the intense pressure of trying to win a third Championship in a row? They are a proud club and arguably the most successful that the A-League has ever seen. However, even for the Sky Blues, they are entering un-chartered territory. It will be up to the veterans of the team such as Ninkovic, Wilkinson and Redmayne to right the ship if it all gets to be too much to handle.
Betting Tip- Sydney FC to win the Grand Final for a third straight season looks to be good odds at $4.00 (bet365, Sportsbet).
Macarthur FC
PF Second- LSF Not in the competition.
Coach- Ante Milicic.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Mark Milligan from Southend United (League One).
Key Departure- N/A.
Why they’ll do well?
Just like Western United entering the A-League last campaign, Macarthur will have little pressure on them, rather they just have to get accustomed to the life of the A-League. And when you look at their side, which posses a fair bit of youth, including Nick Suman (20), Walter Scott (21), Moudi Najjar (20), Denis Genreau (21) and Charles M’Mombwa (22), that factor will no doubt help them to perform at a high level. They’ll be able to flourish without wondering what the media will say or what supporters might think if they were to fail. And on the same note of being a new franchise, that gives the veterans of the team, including captain Mark Milligan, more motivation then ever to go out there and help them on a similar path to that of Western United in their first season. Look for them to finish high given the lack of pressure they possess.
The defining question
How will they deal with any issues that may arise and come straight their way (like a bull on the charge 😉)? Already before their first game, they’ve had various problems at the very top of the club (board-wise) and the active-supporter section, better known as the Bull Pen, reportedly had their initial seats moved to somewhere else, despite no consultation with them whatsoever about it. They haven’t been handled great so far. Let’s hope nothing like this potentially derails their season.
Betting Tip- Given the talent that Macarthur currently have, it’s not entirely out of the question that they could be a smokey top 2 team. At $26 (Unibet), having them in the top 2 at the conclusion of the regular season are amazing odds. Alternatively, if that’s a bit far fetched for you, perhaps them to make the GF at $9.50 (Unibet), may be better for you to choose.
Melbourne Victory
PF Third- LSF Tenth.
Coach- Grant Brebner.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Rudy Gestede from Middlesbrough (Championship).
Key Departure- Lawrence Thomas to SønderjyskE (Danish Superliga).
Why they’ll do well?
The Victory were barely able to coble together enough players to finish of their most recent ACL season. Combined with playing in a foreign country and in front of no fans, most supporters would’ve understood if the side decided to pack it in. Yet on the back of a disastrous domestic campaign, in which they finished 10th. They got it all together and managed to advance to the RD of 16, where they were knocked out in a courageous 3-0 defeat to Ulsan Hyundai. They managed to win 2 of their 6 group matches, as well as grab a draw. And ultimately that saw them finish above both FC Seoul and Chiangrai United in the standings. They can use all of that momentum they gained in Qatar to push forward and have a brilliant A-League campaign. They played like the Victory of old in the ACL and that’s the Victory we should expect to see this season.
The defining question
How well will Gestede replace Toivonen up front? Gone is the Swedish superstar Toivonen and replacing him is the journeyman Gestede. He scored 23 goals in 38 matches for Melbourne and is a big loss for them. If Gestede can’t replicate similar numbers, then the Victory could perhaps be in a bit of trouble for this campaign.
Melbourne City
PF Fourth- LSF Second.
Coach- Patrick Kisnorbo.
Key Signing or Re-signing– Andrew Nabbout from the Melbourne Victory (A-League).
Key Departure- Ex-manager Erick Mombaerts returning to France (family reasons).
Why they’ll do well?
Jamie Maclaren and Andrew Nabbout. One played for City last season and the other represented the other Melbourne team. And combined they should form one of the deadliest attacking combos in the A-League …. even perhaps that it’s ever seen? They are both current Socceroos and attacking geniuses. Maclaren took out the Golden Boot last campaign with an insane 23 goals, + he also had 4 assists to his name. Whilst for Nabbout, he scored on 8 occasions and had 3 assists. The one-two punch these guys will provide will destroy their opponents. And that in-turn should see them on the attack a lot of the time throughout games and in-turn, finish extremely high up on the ladder.
The defining question
Can City win a maiden Grand Final? From the ‘lowly days’ of the Heart to currently being known as Melbourne City, it’s been quite a whirl-wind ride for them! They were arguably hard done by as they suffered a tense and disappointing 1-0 defeat to Sydney in last seasons GF. And if it weren’t for a shocking referee call, there’s a fair chance they would’ve won it. Can they overcome the pressure? This may well be a question asked of them all campaign long.
Betting Tip- If Sydney don’t win the GF, then at $5.00 (Sportsbet, Unibet), Melbourne City looks like good money to finally break their long A-League drought. That especially so when you factor in their strong success of last season.
Western Sydney Wanderers
PF Fifth- LSF Ninth.
Coach- Carl Robinson.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Carl Robinson from the Newcastle Jets (A-League).
Key Departure- Pirmin Schwegler who retired.
Why they’ll do well?
For the first time in a while, they have some stability going around the club headed into the start of the season. New head-coach Carl Robinson has had some time to implement his ideas and tactics onto his new-look side. And that’s quite an important thing for a young side such as theirs. With emerging stars on the book such as Mohamed Adam (20), Tass Mourdoukoutas (21), Tate Russell (21) and Mohamed Al-Taay (20), it’s important for their development that they get that sort of continuity going sooner, rather then later. As well as that, they have Vedran Janjetovic as an option in goals, who was there this past season, as well as German defender Patrick Ziegler, who was as well. That’s all helping them to build something special this campaign.
The defining question
Will the supporters be there to back their team to the finish line? In recent years, it seems as though mass support throughout the greater Western Sydney area for the Wanderers has waned a fair bit and in-turn, their crowd numbers have been rather poor by their standard. But with an exciting new coach at the helm, as well as a strongly constructed squad, will the fans turn up to help see their team be victorious? Support is crucial for any A-League side. And the Wanderers need it now more than ever.
Western United FC
PF Sixth- LSF Fifth.
Coach- Mark Rudan.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Ayom Majok from Cumberland United (NPL South Australia).
Key Departure- Oskar Dillon to the Gold Coast Knights (NPL Queensland).
Why they’ll do well?
One name is Alessandro Diamanti, somebody who has called clubs such as Florentina, West Ham and Watford home in the past. And the other is Besart Berisha, somebody who is considered one of the best ever to grace Australia’s shores. At 37 years of age, Diamanti won the Alex Tobin Medal this past season, as he was just simply a menace for Western United. He scored 8 goals and had 7 assists. He also had 66 shot assists. He helped lead his side to the second week of the finals and he scored a goal in their opening finals win against Brisbane. While for Berisha, he proved as lethal as ever with 19 goals. He also provided 23 shot assists. Given the lack of change around W.U. for this campaign, these two should again shoulder most of the attacking burden, as they try to lead the Green & Black back into the finals. And do exactly that they shall.
The defining question
Will little change do the club a great deal of good? Or will it do the club a great deal of bad? Western United have whether right or wrong, elected to not make any major changes to their playing personnel for this season. And whilst names such as Kurto, Diamanti, Berisha and Burgess are great, another decent player or two could’ve probably done them no harm. If they fail to make the finals this campaign, then it’s safe to say the move has backfired spectacularly. I for one am not a huge fan of it.
Betting Tip- At $1.50 (Unibet), Western United are good odds to make the playoffs.
Perth Glory
PF Seventh- LSF Sixth.
Coach- Richard Garcia.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Andy Keogh from NorthEast United FC (Indian Super League).
Key Departure- Kristian Popovic to Xanthi (Super League Greece 2).
Why they’ll do well?
Chris Ikonimidis. Tony Popovic might’ve bailed on the club and brought some of his sons with him, but that’s fine, because he left the gift of Chris! The Australian international is an extremely hard to stop player when he’s on form. However, he was unfortunately limited to just 12 games this past season due to injury. But with a full pre-season under his belt, he should be fit and firing for the Glory’s opening game. He still managed to bag 3 goals and will be the key piece to Perth’s attack. Nabbout will obviously no longer be linking up with the Glory. Castro is seemingly on edge with regards to his future at the club and is getting older, Fornarolli was underwhelming in his first season in WA and it remains to be seen how Keogh will go upon his return to the club. It’s gonna be a huge year for Ikonimidis! And no doubt, he will live up to the task.
The defining question
How will Garcia do? This is his first gig in charge of a team (excluding youth). And given some of the changes Perth have made to their side for this season, the emphasis will be on him even more so to ensure that it is a smooth transition. He will have to learn on the fly given the high expectations for Perth this season. So, if he fails this campaign for Perth, he may well not see a second season in WA.
Betting Tip- At $1.72 (bet365), Perth Glory are good odds to make the playoffs.
Adelaide United
PF Eighth- LSF Seventh.
Coach- Carl Veart.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Javi López from Espanyol (Segunda División).
Key Departure- George Blackwood to Oldham Athletic (League Two).
Why they’ll do well?
Javi Lopez. Given the salary cap restrictions for each side, the fact that Adelaide managed to pull of this signing is pretty damn impressive. The man played 252 games for Espanyol, as well as having represented Betis lower-grade sides. He’s played in La Liga, one of the best leagues in the world and is ultimately someone who may finally be able to replace Isais. And if that were the case, how amazing would that be Reds fans? His goal-scoring and creative ability in the Midfield should be second to none. And the exciting link-up play he will be able to provide to burgeoning stars such as Brook, Hassan Toure and McGree will no doubt fill the highlight reels each week as well.
The defining question?
How good can Riley McGree get? We all remember his famous scorpion kick that got him nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award. And he’s also represented the Australia U-17’s and U23’s side on a combined 11 occasions. He clearly has the skill, but he needs to develop on it and get even better. He has the potential to be one of the A-League’s, as well as one of the Socceroo’s best players. And if he can reach that next level this season, he’ll make the Reds one hell of a team to beat!
Brisbane Roar
PF Ninth- LSF Fourth.
Coach- Warren Moon.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Masato Kudo from Renofa Yamaguchi (J2 League).
Key Departure- Mirza Muratovic to the Wellington Phoenix (A-League).
Why they’ll do well?
When you look at the Roar side currently, they have an exciting mixture of both experienced players, as well as youngsters looking to make their presence felt in the professional Football scene. And that is a winning recipe for success in the A-League. Just look at Sydney FC last season as an example, they had Le Fondre being backed up by Buhagiar. Whilst players such as Wilkinson and Van Der Saag complemented each other well in defence. One example of this is former Celtic player and 26X capped Socceroo Scott McDonald starting up front for Brisbane. While he’s being capably backed up by players such as the 22-year-old Dylan Wenzel-Halls. Another example is Australian-born Akbari in the Midfield being there and being able to learn of lads such as 32-year-old Republic of Ireland born Jay O’Shea.
The defining question
Will the move to Dolphin Stadium benefit them? Gone is Suncorp and hello to a more beautiful, more boutique stadium. Brisbane seemingly love to play there and with the crowd much more closer to the action then before, it should create a much more intimidating atmosphere then that of what the Rugby League ground presented to opposition teams. And it’s also so much better for them to play in a packed-out stadium, then a 3-quarters empty one. I can only see this being positive for Warren Moon’s side.
Wellington Phoenix
PF Tenth- LSF Third.
Coach- Ufuk Talay.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Tomer Hemed from Charlton Athletic (League One).
Key Departure- Steven Taylor to Odisha (Indian Super League).
Why they’ll do well?
Last season the Nix shocked all of Australia and New Zealand as they stormed into 3rd place on the A-League ladder. And whilst they were ultimately knocked out in the first week of the finals by Perth, it was both a memorable and fairy-tale season for them overall. They won 12 of their 26 games, + they had 5 draws. If they did it last season, why can’t they do it again in this upcoming one? They’ve got a lot of the same squad still leftover from last season, while Talay is still in charge. + They have a lot of NZ born players who want to go out there and give it their best shot for the club. All the players are motivated, and they want to win a maiden Grand Final. And being based in Sydney, at least for the time-being, they’ll come together even more as one and not want to let their sacrifice go to waste. Similar to that of how well the Warriors (NRL), played last campaign.
The defining question?
How will they cope without Steven Taylor? The former Newcastle veteran departed the Nix at the end of last season to head to the ISL. He sadly followed in the footsteps of former Wellington superstar Roy Krishna, as well as Adam Le Fondre. He brought a stern, clinical presence at the back for Talay’s men in defence. And it remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to maintain their brick-wall like defence in his absence. They can still remain competitive without him, but tactics, formations, etc may have to change.
Central Coast Mariners
PF Eleventh- LSF Last.
Coach- Alen Stajcic.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Matt Simon returning to the club on a new one-year deal (Was previously at the Mariners- A-League).
Key Departure- Tommy Oar to Macarthur FC (A-League).
Why they’ll do well?
The Mariners are a club that have been bullied by the A-League’s bigger sides in recent seasons. They’ve been bashed on the field and had their best players taken right out from under their noses. If you need some examples, ask yourself where do both De Silva and Izzo play currently? They’re a financial mess (supposedly) and at one point the Mariners were rumoured to be moving to Brookvale Oval. They don’t have a real marquee player and they came eleventh last season. All of this points towards the Mariners wanting to right all the wrongs and going out there to do the Gosford region proud. As evidenced through last season, they have a lot of heart and a lot of determination. Look at where that got Leicester not that long ago, this team ain’t gonna give up. And against weaker sides such as Newcastle and Wellington, that should do them a world of good.
The defining question
How will they fare using toy guns in an actual gun fight? Because players-wise, that’s kind of the challenge that they’re facing at the moment. A lot of their players are young and relatively in-experienced. So, when faced against the likes of Sydney, or City, or the Victory, how will they pose a threat? That’s a question that needs to be answered quickly, otherwise they may well find themselves down in the bottom rungs of the ladder sooner than anticipated.
Betting Tip- I strongly believe it is a tossup between the Mariners and the Jets as to who will finish last this season, and at $3.50 (bet365), those are decent odds.
Newcastle Jets
PF Last- LSF Eighth.
Coach- They do not currently have a head coach.
Key Signing or Re-signing- Ramy Najjarine on loan from Melbourne City (A-League).
Key Departure- Carl Robinson to the Western Sydney Wanderers (A-League).
Why they’ll do well?
The Jets jumped a couple of ladder positions late last season and ended up in 8th spot, just a win out of the finals. They won 9 matches and had 7 draws to their name, as they ended up on 34 points. Their late season run saw them beat Wellington 3-0, Western United 1-0, Sydney 2-1 and City 2-1. They will have a hell of a lot of momentum headed into this new season. And they need to be both physically and mentally strong and capitalise on it. They have enough good players to do just that. And it’s important for the club as a whole and the potential survival of it that they continue to do that. That momentum desperately needs to be taken into this campaign and given the experience that they have filtered throughout the side, they are more the capable of doing exactly that.
The defining question
How do the Jets deal with um well everything? Their owner wants out, players reportedly don’t want to be there (cough, cough Ibini) and their team looks pretty damn average so far, if that. This team needs some real stamina, grit, and determination to put up with all the crap happening in and around the club as of late. Maybe the coach could help out with that? Oh wait, they don’t have one as of yet! If they can finish inside the Top 6 this season, then god-damn, fair play to em!
Betting Tip- Newcastle aren’t looking particularly strong headed into this season. And at $6 to finish last (bet365), those are some pretty favorable odds. Especially when you factor in that they still are yet to have a head coach with the season fast approaching.
Best Bets of the Campaign
-Sydney look like good odds to claim both the Minor Premiership at $2.60 (bet365) and the GF at $4.00 (bet365, Sportsbet). However, if you want to go with higher-priced teams, my strong recommendations would be either Macarthur FC, the new boys on the block, or Melbourne City. Both Macarthur and City have the experience and the poise necessary to go all the way.
-And pick the Jets to finish last at $6.00 (bet365). They have higher odds then that of the Mariners and with all due respect to Newcastle fans, their club is in a total mess at the moment. But if you don’t like Newcastle to finish last, then obviously bet on the Central Coast a $3.50 (bet365).
-Trent Buhagiar of Sydney is a smokey to finish top goal-scorer at the conclusion of the season. And your more ‘stable’ options should be Jamie Maclaren (23 goals last season) or Bruno Fornaroli (13 goals last season).