Grading the 11 Hyundai A-League club’s off-season recruitment
The season is drawing ever closer so it’s time to take one last look back on the business each Hyundai A-League team has done over the off-season.
While some clubs have undertaken top-to-bottom overhauls in an attempt to kick-start their 2019/20 campaigns, others have fine-tuned their rosters in a bid to achieve consistency and back up strong seasons.
Before a single game has been played, there is only so much we can read into how transformative a team’s closed-season dealings will prove to be.
So, reflecting on the each club’s endeavours in 2018/19, a-league.com.au hands out grades to the off-field progress made by the division's 11 competitors.
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Adelaide United
Losing the club captain, Isaias, and top goalscorer, Craig Goodwin, means new coach Gertjan Verbeek will need to reshape the core of the team from the off this season.
Full-back Scott Galloway also departs having played all 29 games last season.
The additions of Riley McGree and James Troisi bring quality and Hyundai A-League pedigree to the Reds midfield.
South Australian fans will hope Norwegian forward Kristian Opseth delivers more than the departed Baba Diawara, while Curaçao international Michaël Maria is an unknown quantity.
Promoted scholar Al Hassan Toure has shown signs he could prove to be an unearthed gem.
a-league.com.au Grade: B+
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Brisbane Roar
New head coach Robbie Fowler has hit the reset button with sixteen departures and thirteen fresh faces in Queensland.
Roy O’Donovan, Aiden O’Neill and Jake McGing arrive with proven Hyundai A-League calibre.
Imports Tom Aldred, Aaron Amadi-Holloway, Macaulay Gillesphey, Jay O’Shea and Aussie Brad Inman all have strong English football experience.
Matt McKay and Henrique are club legends but it could be argued none of the departed players will be missed.
Fowler’s biggest challenge will be figuring out his best partnerships and finding the team’s rhythm early on.
a-league.com.au Grade: A–
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Central Coast Mariners
Hopes will rest on midfielders Kim Eun-sun and Milan Duric to provide a spark as Alen Stajcic begins his reconstruction of the Mariners roster.
Dylan Fox should bring a stable presence to the heart of Central Coast’s defence and Scottish import Ziggy Gordon can make an impact at full-back or centrally.
A handful of other arrivals - Giancarlo Gallifuoco, Daniel De Silva, Abraham Majok and Ruon Tongyik - have shown flashes of quality in the Hyundai A-League.
Aiden O’Neill will be the most sorely missed of the Mariners departures, although a fit-again Tommy Oar will feel like a new signing.
Goalscoring concerns have not been addressed with Matt Simon and Jordan Murray, who scored ten between them last season, again set to lead the line.
a-league.com.au Grade: C+
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Melbourne City
Craig Noone has high-level experience in England and has the ability to be one of the Hyundai A-League's breakout players.
Uruguayan imports Javier Cabrera and Adrian Luna can add the creativity City lacked last season and make up for the departure of Riley McGree.
Josh Brillante is a solid replacement for Luke Brattan and promoted youngster Connor Metcalfe is set to make the leap into the City midfield.
Scott Galloway was an ever-present for Adelaide in 2018/19, while fellow defender Richard Windbichler has an impressive international resume.
Bart Schenkeveld and Ritchie de Laet are losses but Erick Mombearts’ team have more than compensated. Jamie Maclaren should have no shortage of service in attack.
a-league.com.au Grade: B+
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Melbourne Victory
The departures of international stars Keisuke Honda and Kosta Barbarouses and the arrivals of Robbie Kruse and Andrew Nabbout headline the wholesale changes at Victory.
How well the Caltex Socceroos duo link up in support of new captain Ola Toivonen could go a long way towards determining Victory’s success in 2019/20.
There are new faces throughout the midfield following Carl Valeri’s retirement and Raul Baena’s contract expiring. Import signings Jakob Poulsen, Kristijan Dobras and Migjen Basha will need to quickly strike up an understanding.
The returning Adama Traore should bring attacking thrust from left-back while German utility Tim Hoogland will add competition at centre-back.
The volume of the turnover has high risk, high reward potential for new coach Marco Kurz.
a-league.com.au Grade: A–
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Newcastle Jets
The capture of Irish play-maker Wes Hoolahan seemed like an inspired move but an injury ruling him out until January has dented Ernie Merrick’s plans.
Much of the Jets’ creative responsibility will once again fall to Dimitri Petratos, who should see more attacking quality from Panamanian striker Abdiel Arroyo than Brazilian Jair offered last season.
Nick Fitzgerald should claim a role in the front line with the departure of Ronald Vargas, while Matt Millar proved his talent across the F3 divide in Gosford last season.
Versatile teenage loan signing from Hearts in Scotland, Bobby Burns, should land a starting place but Merrick will also need to see his rising stars step up in 2019/20.
The likes of Johnny Koutroumbis, Angus Thurgate, and Patrick Langlois will need to make a contribution when Newcastle hand opportunities to their youngsters.
a-league.com.au Grade: B–
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Perth Glory
Tony Popovic has taken an evolution not revolution approach to the new campaign and who can blame him following the Premiers’ performances in 2018/19?
Fans favourite Andy Keogh is out the door, but incoming striker Bruno Fornaroli is an upgrade.
Jason Davidson’s move to Ulsan Hyundai is a blow, however, Caltex Socceroo James Meredith is an able replacement on the left of the backline.
The arrivals of towering Swiss centre-back Gregory Wüthrich and experienced Korea Republic utility Kim Soo-beom improve the defensive unit.
Veteran Osama Malik and youngsters Dane Ingham, Nick D’Agostino and Jacob Tratt add options, making Popovic’s squad even more complete than last year.
a-league.com.au Grade: A–
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Sydney FC
The Sky Blues dropped some earth-shattering news in the off-season with the recruitment of two players from their fierce rivals in Kosta Barbarouses and Alex Baumjohann.
The duo will improve an already potent attack which is driven by Milos Ninkovic’s vision and Adam Le Fondre’s instincts.
Luke Brattan will switch places with the departed Josh Brillante in the heart of midfield and Ryan McGowan is a street-wise defender to step in for Aaron Calver.
That makes four outs from the Grand Final-winning XI in Calver, Brillante, Siem de Jong and Alex Brosque, and you can argue Barbarouses, Baumjohann, Brattan and McGowan are the stronger quartet.
The departures of a collection of fringe players means Sydney FC’s young guns will provide most of the depth, which could test the Sky Blues if injuries hit.
a-league.com.au Grade: A
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Wellington Phoenix
The Nix squad that made an dazzling run to the Hyundai A-League Finals Series was gutted over the off-season but the New Zealanders have retained some key pieces in captain Steven Taylor, Louis Fenton and Liberato Cacace.
Among the 12 departures, 30-goal forward pair Roy Krishna and David Williams will be the toughest to replace but English striker David Ball and Mexican creator Ulises Davila can form an exciting partnership.
Kiwi number one Stefan Marinovic and veteran centre-back Luke DeVere step in for outgoing Western United keeper Filip Kurto and defender Andrew Durante, and German import Matti Steinmann will add steel to Wellington’s spine.
New coach Ukuf Talay has pledged to give youth a chance and the progress of prospects like Rene Piscopo and Callum McCowatt could be crucial for the club's chances.
Talay must now knit together what has been impressive quick-fire rebuild and inspire the squad to match last season’s heroics.
a-league.com.au Grade: C+
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Western Sydney Wanderers
Head coach Markus Babbel has rung the changes after evaluating his Wanderers squad during his first season in charge.
Hyundai A-League veterans like Brendan Hamill, Josh Risdon, Oriol Riera, Roly Bonevacia, Raul Llorente and Nick Fitzgerald are gone as Babbel aims to usher in a new era in Western Sydney.
Wanderers' recruits come with strong pedigree. Midfield general Pirmin Schwegler is potentially the best of the group, Daniel Lopar is a major upgrade between the posts, while Aussie pick-ups Dylan McGowan and Matt Jurman will improve last season’s leaky defence.
Radoslaw Majewski’s injury is a hammer blow, and leaves Babbel relying on the trio of Kwame Yeboah, captain Mitchell Duke and new forward recruit Alexander Meier to cause problems for opponents.
Even without Majewski, Babbel’s starting line-up is strong but depth could become a big concern if the squad becomes stretched.
a-league.com.au Grade: B+
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Western United
The Hyundai A-League’s newest club started with a blank canvas and have fashioned together a fascinating roster for Mark Rudan to utilise.
Italian attacker Alessandro Diamanti is likely to be the Victorians' key weapon if they are to make their debut season a memorable one, while Josh Risdon can be a difference-maker from fullback.
Greek marquee man Panagiotis Kone and Connor Chapman should provide a platform in midfield, while the likes of Andrew Durante and Ersan Gülüm bring leadership to the backline.
The big question mark is whether veteran forwards Scott McDonald and Besart Berisha can stay sharp for a whole season to rack up the goals, or whether the likes of Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Valentino Yuel or Connor Pain can deliver a breakthrough season.
Rudan showed his ability to form a group stronger than the sum of their parts in Wellington and he arguably has more even talent to work with at Western United.
a-league.com.au Grade: A+
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