In this third and last part to my preview of the upcoming season. Below is an examination of the teams that I believe will fill the top 3 places.
3rd – Brisbane Roar
There is a lot to like about Frank Farina’s team, it is beautifully balanced with a strong defence, a midfield full of talent and an attack that oozes class. His biggest issue it seems is keeping everyone fit.
--------------------Reddy---------------------
-Packer-----Moore-----DeVere------Tiatto--
-------------------Malcolm-------------------
--------------Miller-----McKay---------------
--Henrique-----------------------------Oar--
-------------------van Dijk--------------------
Moore and DeVere are the best defensive pairing in the League. I have opted for Oar ahead of Zullo on the left wing, I am sure Zullo will start there (unless his shoulder injury doesn’t come up in time) but I think Oar is a special talent and I am tipping him to push Zullo aside this year.
Miller, if he can stay fit (which to be honest is unlikely), is a better choice than the talented Nicols. His ability to drift into the box is unmatched in the league and as we saw last season, even half fit he is a danger. McKay picks himself in that box to box role and newcomer Malcolm provides some quality in the shielding role.
Up front Van Dijk will play the lone striker and I would be expecting him to score a bucket load this year. As his second half demonstrated last season, if he gets into a rhythm he is just about unstoppable.
Watch out for : Clean sheets galore, Brisbane are going to be a tough team to score against let alone beat this year.
2nd – Melbourne Victory
Last years Premiers and Champions haven’t lost much over the break but nor have the recruited much either. It seems almost as if the re-signing of Carlos Hernandez was the priority and nothing else mattered.
---------------------Moss------------------
-Kemp----Muscat-----Vargas----Sukha-
-------------------Celeski------------------
---Ward----------------------Pondeljak--
------------------Hernandez--------------
-----------Thompson----Allsopp---------
Kemp will switch to right back with the loss of Ryall and new signing Sukha will slot into left. I would expect Moss to win the battle of the keepers as Langerak still appears to need a year or two. Celeski is still recovering from a hip operation but I expect him to be the starter of choice in the DM role once fully fit.
Beyond that though the team seems very settled. They have good coverage in nearly all positions except the defence. Muscat is in his twilight years now and an injury to himself or Vargas will expose a lack of coverage here. Likewise for right back, where an injury to Kemp would most likely force Ernie to use Broxham to fill the gap there.
Thompson and Allsopp have had a preseason free of injury, which is the first time in three years, that has both of them fully fit heading into the opening round. With their hard running, defences across the league are going to have problems containing them. Add Fabiano coming off the bench and Victory have one of the best attacks in the League.
But in the end Victory’s success this year will hinge on the performance of Hernandez. In full flight he is virtually unstoppable. If injured or down on form however Victory’s counter attacking game falls apart. He has looked good though in the preseason and I see no reason why Victory wouldn’t be right up there again.
Watch out for : Hernandez is the best player in tight spaces in the A-league. His ability to control the ball, beat opponents and provide that killer pass is exquisite. Melbourne will once again score the majority of their goals on the counter as teams again fail to learn that pushing up on them is a recipe for disaster.
1st – Gold Coast United
Clive Palmer is nothing if not large and his new A-league team is set to follow his lead. With Miron Beilberg spruiking the club, they have dominated headlines throughout the preseason and will look to take the form in the new season.
---------------------Vanstrattan-----------------------
-Griffiths----Thwaite----Van den Brink----Tarore--
-----------------------Robson--------------------------
------Minniecon------------------------Griffiths------
-----------------------Culina---------------------------
---------------Smeltz--------Porter--------------------
Its hard to put together a starting 11 for Gold Coast as there are so many unknowns at this stage. How good are Milson and Anderson, will Traore push Poirkowski out at left back. Is Caravella a better option than Griffths.
The one thing pre-season has shown for Gold Coast is that they have the depth. Their recruiting has been fantastic and they won’t overly rely on the imports for success. I am expecting Smeltz, Porter and Culina to get a bagful of goals and their defence is solid. They won’t go through the season undefeated but I still think they will win it.
How good their defence is will be the question though, Thwaite was less than convincing last year at Victory and they are relying a lot on him to stand up.
Watch out for : Everyone is tipping Smeltz to get a bagful but people seem to be forgetting about Porter. In my opinion Porter will outshine Smeltz, but either way they represent a very dangerous attacking pair.
So my ladder prediction
- Gold Coast United
- Melbourne Victory
- Brisbane Roar
- Sydney FC
- Perth Glory
- Adelaide United
- Newcastle Jets
- Wellington Phoenix
- North Queensland Fury
- Central Coast Mariners
2 Days to Season V
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