Sydney didn't have a fantastic start to the season, did they?!
No, we didn't, but we tried to remain positive. There's still a lot of people writing us off and that's fine. The more people who think we can't do it adds fuel to the fire that we need to keep our run going.

Is the loss of Bolton, Corica and Aloisi the reason it's taken the team this long to find form?
No. We started well in pre-season. The guys we brought in gelled well with the rest of Sydney. They're younger and bring a lot to the team. Bruno Cazarine has been excellent so far. Jamo [Scott Jamieson] gives us a left-sided option that we didn't have before. We have a better squad this season than we've ever had in previous years.

Is there a reason why Sydney struggled in the first few weeks?
It's hard to put a finger on why we were traveling so badly, especially in a league where the bottom side can beat the top side on their day. We went 10 rounds without a win. I don't know why that was. I look around the park and think that we definitely have a good enough squad to win the championship. We know we started poorly, but we know that we can make amends and go on to win it.

You've been through a lot since signing for Sydney FC in 2006. What's been the toughest challenge over the past four years?
The settling-in period was tough. The first year I played here was difficult because I was used to playing up front and the coach drifted me onto the left midfield position. As a team, we didn't perform as well as we could have. It was a turbulent season and a very turbulent time in my career.

Will Alex Brosque be remembered as the next Steve Corica?
'Bimbi' [Steve Corica] has become a club legend. He was a foundation member and a great bloke to have around the club. I don't think I'll be remembered anywhere near as well as him. I do want to be here and stay here. It'll be amazing if I'm remembered anywhere near the same level that Steve Corica is.

Do you feel your combination with strike partner Bruno Cazarine has been effective this season?
Bruno has scored a fair few and I've scored a few myself too, so we've combined pretty well, but it's not just Bruno and I. The four-man combination that we have with Hiro Moriyasu on the right, Mark Bridge in behind, Bruno Cazarine up front and me on the left has been effective. It's been tough, we've had different personnel up front every few weeks because of the injuries that have been hitting so many members of our squad. Even though we could be scoring more goals, we're happy with how it's going.

Are you more comfortable with Cazarine or Mark Bridge by your side?
The systems we play are different. I'm more comfortable playing two up front beside Mark Bridge. When we play with Bruno, I play as a left winger tucking in to support him. They're both great players and I'm happy playing with either of them.

How have you grown as a player since Lavicka came in? Has he changed anything in particular about your game?
He's given me a lot more confidence. It's very important for coaches to bring out the best in their players. Lavicka has done that by supporting me. He plays me in positions that I enjoy. He's created a good team, which has helped. It has all part of what Vitezslav Lavicka brings to Sydney FC.

How do you compare Holger Osieck to Pim Verbeek? Can you compare them?
You can compare their styles straight off. Pim played a target man system; Holger likes the traditional 4-4-2. Under Pim, chances seemed hard to come by and it could have been down to the formation we were playing. Holger has shown he likes to go forward and attack, which can only be good for the fans who come to watch the Socceroos score goals!

This article appeared in the February 2011 issue of Australian FourFourTwo magazine. To buy back copies of this issue call 03-8317-8121 with a credit card to hand.