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.
