The Sky Blues played their poorest game of the season so far, yet were able to get the job done on their cross-town rivals.
The match’s atmosphere lifted a notch. The Cove, as usual, were loud. The sidelines also got in on the act, something of a rarity. As kick-off approached, AC/DC’s Hell’s Bells were ditched in favour of The Cove-led chant, We Are Sydney. It was deafening as the entire stadium raised their scarves high and sung as one. It has been a long learning curve trying to get the sidelines involved but they are slowly starting to get the idea, it seems.
Graham Arnold had set up the team in his Plan B formation, a 4-4-2. It was obviously a tactical adjustment to the Wanderers setup; however it was an approach that mostly backfired.
The early part of the match was a cagey affair. Sydney had the early possession but midway through the first half, possession began to swing the Wanderers’ way. Sydney’s back four was tested several times but held firm throughout.
The second half was more one-sided than the first, with the Wanderers dominating possession. That said, Sydney were still able to carve out chances and for the most part, the Sky Blue chances were much better than those created by the team in red and black.
But this was the type of game where statistics do not matter.
Brandon O’Neill, with only minutes remaining on the clock, played Milos Ninkovic with a perfectly weighted through ball. Ninkovic took the speed off the ball and then snapped his shot across the face of the goal. The ball whipped passed Wanderers gloveman Andrew Redmayne before nestling inside the far post. It was 1-0 to the Sky Blues and that is how it ended.
The key talking point for Sydney fans, however, should again be the attacking patterns. In particular, the discussion should focus around the impact Shane Smeltz is having up front.
For long parts of the derby, Sydney were crying out for a goalscorer. This has been the story of their season so far. Smeltz wanted to be the starting striker but he has failed to deliver thus far.
There is no doubting Smeltz’s work rate this season. He has run his lungs out for the team but unfortunately, it is his scoring that has severely let him down. His form can be perfectly summed up by his chip attempt in last week’s game against Newcastle. Against the Wanderers, it is difficult to remember a single situation in which Smeltz was in a goalscoring position.
Questions now need to be asked of Smeltz’s impact as a starter. It is time for Arnold to entertain the thought of benching him. His failure to score in the opening three fixtures put his starting selection at risk and moreover, his failure to get himself into scoring positions more often than not also threaten his starting spot.
Matt Simon had limited game time on Saturday night. But in that time, Simon showed some of the things that Smeltz is missing. Simon is a more aggressive striker, pursuing his opponents more doggedly. He also found himself creating opportunities for others with his movement, as well as almost scoring with a header.
Simon’s, along with Andrew Hoole’s introduction, put some attacking momentum back in favour of Sydney. Their impact on the game helped create some confusion among the defence of the Wanderers and in part, could potentially be credited for allowing Ninkovic the space to score.
Most fans will tend to agree that Smeltz’s best impact comes from the bench. Last season he was a much more valuable player coming off the bench. So far this season, Smeltz’s form is pointing to the fact that his starting days may well be over.
So the question is: who do you replace Smeltz with?
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Smeltz is the only recognised striker in the team, with Simon as his understudy. At this point in their careers, neither is a regular contributor to the goals, while young upstart George Blackwood is not quite ready to start.
With Arnold wanting to play a front three that interchanges constantly, the answer may lie with starting Filip Holosko as the striker, with Hoole and Chris Naumoff on either flank. While the three players are not noted for being regular goalscorers themselves, the three provide the input that Arnold is looking for in wanting to play an interchanging front three.
An interchanging front three can cause chaos, as Spain exhibited at Euro 2012. Sydney also demonstrated its cause and effect in round one against Melbourne City which directly led to Holosko scoring.
It is a delicate balance to get right and not always as straightforward as it seems. But after three rounds, the need to get the attack clicking is increasing.
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