I accept that I am tempting fate by writing this. This is, after all, the Wacky Races of A-league seasons and Sydney's form has been as wacky as anybody's.
But... this one goes out to the self-proclaimed enemies of Sydney FC.
Not Melbourne Victory; this is Sydney after all and you basically need to throw computer parts at us to get us to notice anything that happens in Melbourne (the Dick Dasterdly to our Peter Perfect)...
No - this one goes out to a number of the locals:
(a) the "my way or the highway" sorts that have pursued pointless campaigns in favour of "their mate wot was sacked by those bastards at Sydney FC";
(b) the "it was better in them olden days sorts" that have pursued pointless campaigns in favour of "their mate wot was never hired by those bastards at Sydney FC"; and
(c) the general contrarians who have set their stall out to get stuck into the current Sydney FC club and team because they are disingenuous, mendacious, uncreative or simply lack the intellectual capacity to accept that Sydney FC is now being run in the best interests of Sydney FC and that is probably fair enough.
The message is a relatively simple one, best told in numbers:
05/06: P 21 W 10 D 6 L 5 - 36 (2nd)
06/07: P 21 W 8 D 8 L 5 - 29 (4th)* *3 points deducted
07/08: P 21 W 8 D 8 L 5 - 32 (3rd)
08/09: P 21 W 7 D 5 L 9 - 26 (5th)
09/10: P 19 W 10 D 2 L 7 - 32 (2nd).
For those that fall into category (c) above, I'll explain this in simple bullet points:
* If Sydney can do the Christmas double over Central Coast and Adelaide, they will be pound-for-pound the best Sydney FC team ever put together, with 38 points from 21 games.
* A win and a draw over Christmas will see them equal the excellent 05/06 team powered by Dwight, Litti and an accompanying host of past, current and future Socceroos (yep, even Zdrilla had 30 caps).
* Any sort of points against either team will see them a very creditable second to the 05/06 championship team.
* If none of the above, then they are still significantly better than last year's rabble.
For a team that doesn't hold itself out to be the finished article, it will be a remarkable achievement - particularly if they can take all 6 points.
Whilst for the club's staff, members and regular fans it will be a happy moment of vindication before the real work of winning trophies starts, for the part-time, disaffected or lapsed fans and angry football industry sorts, this should be a clarion call: Sydney FC has proven that this season, it has a good team, that deserves your support. A team in the truest sense - probably short of superstars, but with a clear sense of desire and purpose. And importantly, even though nobody at the club will claim it, one that is 2 consecutive wins from being a great Sydney team. It's time that this Sydney team was properly acknowledged.
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Speaking of great teams, what a fantastic come from behind victory by the Sydney FC W-league team, to claim the Championship as well as the Premiership. It was exciting and stylish stuff indeed.
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... and with that I bid you Merry Christmas Sydneysiders, and may Santa bring us all 6 points.
