With names such as Bruno Fornaroli, Tim Cahill, Bruce Kamau, Fernando Brandan, Anthony Caceres, Nicolas Colazo and Nick Fitzgerald to pick from, John van’t Schip has plenty of attacking choices heading into the 2016-17 A-League campaign.
If there is such a thing as a good dilemma, then the Melbourne City manager certainly has that when selecting his lineups this season.
The key will be maintaining the fitness and health of stars like Fornaroli and Cahill, but out on the wings and behind the strikers, van’t Schip has plenty of attacking players ready to take their opportunity.
Fornaroli and Cahill will be the main targets up front for City and it appears as if Brandon will play on the left, with Kamau on the right.
Opposition teams will not only have their hands full with that front four, but will have Fitzgerald, attacking midfielder Caceres, Colazo on the left and even young attacker Steve Kuzmanovski to contend with.
In Wednesday’s FFA Cup match against Western Sydney Wanderers at AAMI Park, City played with the skill and pace that they are known for. The difference to last season was they attacked more regularly on both wings, rather than just the right where Harry Novillo played in past seasons.
Kamau showed how dangerous both his raw pace and crossing can be, creating numerous chances throughout the game. As most A-League fans saw when he was at Adelaide United, he can be a bit quiet at times with consistency being a problem, but as he continues to mature and grow as a player, he will only get better.
Despite a slow start, Brandan worked into the game well and the Argentine showed his ability in providing a quality ball into the final third, as well as working hard in defence – both with closing down and tracking opposition.
Brandan may not have the same pure pace that many wingers possess, but his touch and ability to read the play are promising signs for JVS.
With the 26-year-old coming into the squad , Fitzgerald may find himself being used as an impact substitute. For someone who finished the last season off as one of City’s most consistent players, he would have every right to feel a bit hard done by. He will still have a massive role in this side though, and if injuries occur to major players either in the midfield or attack, then he will be given plenty of opportunity.
The A-League has already witnessed what Fornaroli has to offer, but it will be interesting to see how he works when linking-up with Cahill.
Last Wednesday they seemed to connect quite well – highlighted by their goal celebrations with each other – and this will only improve as they get more training time together.
The midfield may struggle at times without Aaron Mooy, as JVS is hoping Caceres and Luke Brattan can fill that massive role lost with the Soccerro’s departure during the offseason.
However, if City can manage to get Brattan and Caceres involved, as well as improving on their defence, then they may be able to take those finals steps they have not been able to in the last couple of seasons.
Teams need to score goals to win, and City certainly have themselves the right attacking setup for that, with plenty of options both on the field and the sidelines.
Of course there is a long way to go, but with the transfers made by the club this year, John van’t Schip appears to have their best, most all-rounded attacking stocks yet.
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