Many eyebrows were raised this summer when Sydney FC signed Adam Le Fondre. The striker, who was released by Bolton Wanderers, is the archetypal journeyman who has played for eight different clubs throughout his 13-year spell in the English game.
However, the Stockport-born frontman has hit the ground running and has netted four times in as many appearances for the Sky Blues. His firepower is likely to be key to Sydney FC’s title defence this season and the club have made an excellent start to the new A-League campaign.
Le Fondre is Aiming High
Sydney FC relied heavily on Bobo last season, with the Brazilian striker netting 27 times in the A-League and managing to secure the Golden Boot in the process but the 33-year old left in the summer, signing for Turkish Super Lig side Alanyaspor. With 42 goals in 57 appearances for the club, he left some big boots to fill and Sky Blues fans were understandably concerned by his departure.
Despite arriving at the club with very little fanfare, Le Fondre has quickly become a fan favourite for his all-action displays and he has backed himself to outshine his predecessor. He told reporters that he wants “to better” Bobo’s recent goalscoring record and admitted that his goalscoring record at the club “didn’t faze him”.
He’s made a promising start and has netted several times in both the FFA Cup and the A-League. He’s even been wearing the number nine shirt which was vacated by the outgoing Brazilian this summer and plenty of similarities have been made between the pair.
Le Fondre explained to the media that “…it is my job to score goals” is the latest in a long line of successful imports for the club and, although it’s still early days in the A-League season, he appears absolutely determined to continue firing on a regular basis for his new club.
2018-19 A League Season
Sydney FC remain unbeaten after four games and they sit second in the table. Head coach Steve Corica was disappointed with his side’s inability to finish off the Newcastle Jets on November 10th but the Sky Blues are likely to have enough firepower to help them secure back-to-back A-League titles.
They began as the favourites last season and managed to finish 14 points clear at the summit and they’ll be aiming to replicate that success this year. According to Aussiefreebet.com.au‘s website, the majority of online betting sites have them chalked up as the favourites once again with top sportsbooks such as Bet365 offering 4.33 for them to finish top of the pile in 2019. Early season pace-setters Perth Glory are listed as fourth favourites at 6.00 whilst the Central Coast Mariners, who failed to secure a deal for Usain Bolt this summer are the outsiders at 67.00. Despite finishing top of the table, Sydney FC were eliminated from the Grand Finals by eventual champions Melbourne Victory, whose end-of-season success was overshadowed by a VAR error. They will be aiming for a clean sweep this time around and after holding on to the majority of their squad from the 2017-18 campaign, it’s unsurprising that they’ve started in typically solid fashion.
Summer Signings for Sydney FC
Adam Le Fondre wasn’t the only addition to the club this summer, with marquee signing Siem De Jong joining the Sky Blues on a season-long loan from Ajax. After winning four Eredivisie titles, De Jong was expected to make an instant impact down under but he hasn’t been able to play in recent weeks due to a hamstring injury. The Dutch international has a poor fitness record and the club will be monitoring the situation carefully.
His injury record hasn’t enabled him to progress his career and he’s hoping a season-long switch to the A-League will allow him to get a run of games under his belt. The versatile forward will be hoping that a return to form can thrust him back into the spotlight and he will be hoping to get off the mark during his first couple of months at the club. Like fellow summer signing Adam Le Fondre, De Jong has had experience in England but his time at Newcastle was far from successful, playing just 22 times for the Magpies.
Sydney FC remain unbeaten after four A-League games and Adam Le Fondre has played a significant part in their stellar start. The striker will be a key member of the squad this season and he must keep up his excellent goalscoring record over the next couple of months in order for the Sky Blues to replicate last season’s heroics.