I NORMALLY struggle for blog titles, but this week’s was simple – it’s a clear way to describe almost every single Sydney FC player that stepped foot on to the turf at Bluetongue Stadium last Saturday night.

I’m not one to normally get stuck into my side’s players too much. I’m aware of their deficiencies, and know what to expect even on the bad days.

But the last few days have had me thinking that enough really is enough. What has been dished out by SFC in recent weeks is unacceptable given the club’s current state.

In eleven players from Saturday I can only find three who I can say did everything they could. As for the rest of them...

CLINT BOLTON... Is an enigma. For a man fighting for his place, he sure didn’t show why he should’ve won it back only recently. Possibly the A-League’s most inconsistent player, Bolton’s constant failure to command his area or deal with the high ball is humiliating. With no senior defenders in front of him, it was up to Bolton to take control. Instead Sydney fans were treated to as shaky performance as any, with Bolton lucky not to be responsible for two goals.

IAIN FYFE and BEAU BUSCH... Are not good enough. Credit to Iain, he stepped up last week vs Newcastle with a MOTM performance, but together with Busch this past week, he was dire. A horrible pass completion rate from both, poor decision making, and total lack of leadership from the back meant SFC were on shaky ground all game.

ROBBIE MIDDLEBY... Is past it. It’s that simple. Fantastic workrate, commitment can’t be faulted, but Robbie fits into the “not good enough” category these days. His attacking runs down the line are predictable, and defensively, Robbie is a plain liability.

STUART MUSIALIK... Is one of the most gifted players in the A-League. Strong in the tackle, a crisp passer of the ball, he’s extremely effective as a midfield shield. But rather than putting in dominating midfield performances in the hopes of catching the eye of overseas scouts, Disco Stu has now been reduced to walking around midfield putting in half-hearted challenges at whim. He’s more than good enough, but he’s backing down from the fight.

BOBBY PETTA... Is old, slow, and has a horrible predictability in his game. Rather than even consider beating his man on the outside, Bobby takes every opportunity to cut inside and let Middleby run the line. The problem? When you try it every single time, the opposition tends to catch on. It’s embarrassing that a failed Bradford City and Adelaide United player can be playing for us.

MARK BRIDGE... Is in the same boat as Musialik. So talented, and possibly not played correctly (I still think he needs to be leading the line), but realistically he’s been anonymous for a few weeks now. Much like Disco Stu – the lack of heart in his game is what worries me.

JOHN ALOISI... Has actually been a better player in recent weeks, but is still not good at all for SFC. The problem with Aloisi is no longer his workrate, it’s no longer his heart, and it’s no longer his ability on the ball. At day’s end, the problem with Aloisi is that he’s detrimental to ALL of our other attacking players. Playing Aloisi means that Bridge can’t lead the line like he should, Brosque plays in midfield like he shouldn’t, and Steve Corica has no-one who will actually run on to through balls ahead of him. No matter how much Aloisi improves, his simply being there is detrimental to three of the A-League’s best weapons (all of whom looked quite tidy in the opening rounds), and it’s a hindrance we just can’t afford to have.

The dross that was served up against the Mariners was unacceptable. When the only players on the pitch who look like they care are a 20yr old in his second A-League game, a State Leaguer with 10 games under his belt, and your best forward who’s been unfairly shunted onto the wing (and lost all his potency from it), it’s hard to keep getting excited about what’s coming next.

All of this on a day where an undermanned SFC Youth side (missing five key players) walked over a CCM Youth side (including four first-team players) with a score of 3-1. I’m willing to bet that through heart and effort alone, our Youth side would’ve come away with at least a point from the main game on Saturday night, which alone should be cause for concern.

Sydney FC has two things to fix.

The first is the quality of players. Not much can be done now, but this year we saw half of a re-building phase, and we’ll see the next half in the off-season. As the player turnover stretches over one-third of the squad, we will see improvement. The Buschs and Middlebys of the squad will be gone.

But the second, which can be changed right now, is the heart and will of the players to win. Kossie now needs to re-motivate those players and get them working hard on the pitch again, and continue to foster the work ethic of the youth team players coming through.

Sydney FC next year needs to work ten times as hard as they have this season, and show a proper commitment to the cause. No matter how skilful we are, we will be nothing until we match it with effort that has been missing for months.

It’s time for the players to show why they should be playing for the best club in the league.