Sydney FC: struggling A-League Men club arrives at crossroads

Certain points in the history of the A-League Men can be seen as seminal moments that have forever altered the competition’s young landscape. Brisbane Roar turning to a manager whose most recent gig had resulted in relegation from the Victorian Premier League is one example. The bitter congress wars of the late 2010s and resulting independence of the leagues from Football Australia is another.

The decision by Sydney FC in 2014 to appoint Graham Arnold as their manager is yet another. For all the notoriety gained from Alessandro Del Piero’s two-year stint at Moore Park, the double-winning campaign of 2009-10 was a fading memory – Sydney had not recorded a single finals win in the four seasons since. Exacerbating matters, Western Sydney Wanderers were increasingly ascendant; the crosstown rivals had made back-to-back grand final appearances and were widely credited with supercharging the competition.

Yet Arnold’s bombastic arrival augured a shift in the balance of power. The city of Sydney subtly shifted from red and black, back to sky blue.

Sydney FC established a dynasty in the years that followed, winning three championships, three premierships, and an FFA Cup. They became a team of killbots, mercilessly grinding down teams and taking points from games they had no right to. Arnold’s departure to take over the Socceroos prior to the 2018–19 season resulted in nary a speed bump as Steve Corica, well-versed in the ways of Arnieball, continued in his mentor’s stead.

But all good things must come to an end. All empires eventually fall.

On Monday evening, Corica watched on as Yokohama F. Marinos put three past his side, dealing a hefty blow to their hopes of progression to the Asian Champions League’s knockout stages. When