A-League 2014-15 preview: Melbourne City, Brisbane Roar, Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory eager to showcase new stars
The 10th edition of the A-League promises to excite fans more than ever, with a host of new striker signings ready to tear up defences in the latest season of domestic football.
The Brisbane Roar will be keen to make it four titles in five years, but the men in orange will have to cope without the controversial talents of Besart Berisha.
The emergence of Melbourne City could shake up Australian football, with former Barcelona striker David Villa arriving on a guest stint and ready to terrorise the league's centre-backs.
Baying for the Roar's title will be Sydney FC - led by coach Graham Arnold - who have spruced up their attacking talents with the likes of Shane Smeltz, Bernie Ibini and Marco Janko, while the Melbourne Victory will be hoping Berisha can now power them back to the top of the pile.
The Western Sydney Wanderers remain a contender with the brand of clever, compact football, while Adelaide United and Perth Glory will be desperate to improve on last season's disappointments.
It could be doom and gloom for the likes of the Central Coast Mariners, Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle Jets, however, who risk being left behind as the rest of the league snaps up some frightening talent.
Adelaide United
Adelaide United's inability to grind out games in a closely contested league saw the club produce very inconsistent results last season.
Popular coach Josep Gombau's desire to inject flair and creativity into his side saw the Reds produce some of the league's best football last year, but Adelaide may need to curtail some of its elaborate play when the situation requires.
Should the Reds be able to rein themselves in when closing out results, they could emerge as genuine premiership contenders this year, even with the loss of forward Jeronimo Neumann.
Jeronimo's departure is a big loss for the club, which will be hoping new striker Pablo Sanchez Alberto slots in seamlessly up front.
Sanchez Alberto possesses an unerring finish and ability to get on the end of intricate team moves, which makes him perfectly suited to Adelaide.
His background in Spanish football should also see him rapidly develop understandings with the likes of Sergio Cirio, Marcelo Carrusca and Isaias Sanchez as they continue to produce some of the more eye-catching football in Australia.
One player who desperately needs to break out of his shell is Bruce Djite, who scored just five goals in 17 A-League appearances last time out. Hopes of another Socceroos call-up seem beyond fanciful, but Jeronimo's exit should provide another opportunity to shine.
At the back, three-time A-League goalkeeper of the year Eugene Galekovic adds stability behind his backline. He is set to make his 200th career A-League appearance when the season gets underway.
Premier's Plate prediction: 5th*
Brisbane Roar
The all-conquering Brisbane Roar - having won three A-League championships in the past four seasons - will look to defend another title shorn of two of its star performers.
Besart Berisha - the passionate, sparky and at times controversial Albanian striker - now dons the navy blue of Melbourne Victory, while Socceroos full-back Ivan Franjic departed for Russia.
Their departures will cost the Roar stability at the back and the lethal finish and presence up front that Berisha specialised in, but if there is one A-League club that thrives with a target on its back, it's Brisbane.
Mike Mulvey's champions have brought in Socceroos midfielder Adam Sarota and Albanian striker Mensur Kurtishi to plug in the gaps as the Roar looks to add Asian silverwear to its domestic dominance.
With the carrot of a Socceroos spot for the Asian Cup up for grabs, Sarota will be keen to showcase his versatility in midfield, while he can also fill in at full-back when required.
Kurtishi will have the unenviable task of filling Berisha's shoes up front, but in many respects he is a like-for-like replacement. He is a powerful forward with great upper-body strength and a penchant for the spectacular, with a portfolio of cracking goals from outside the box in Europe.
Led by the slick talents of Thomas Broich, the Roar remain a highly intelligent outfit that can adapt to any opponent. But can Broich develop as explosive a partnership with Kurtishi as the one he enjoyed with Berisha?
Another question mark at the back is the wrist injury to goalkeeper Michael Theo - he will miss at least eight weeks, and Matthew Acton, who was due to leave for Myanmar will be Brisbane's custodian on an injury replacement contract.
Added to their workload in the final months of the regular season will be Asian Champions League fixtures. The ambition to become a continental powerhouse runs strong through the club, and those final months will test the Roar's player management.
Brisbane should make the finals again this year, but going further will require Kurtishi to develop plenty of attacking chemistry with Broich.
Premier's Plate prediction: 2nd*
Central Coast Mariners
The Central Coast Mariners enjoyed a surprisingly good season under promoted assistant coach Phil Moss last term in the wake of Graham Arnold's departure.
The Mariners remain a solid outfit, but recruiting has been underwhelming this year with former star Bernie Ibini joining Sydney FC, while stalwarts Mile Sterjovski, Mike McGlinchey and Marcos Flores all departing.
The Mariners will be desperate for Kim Seung-Yong to fire after a season of struggle last year, and forward Mitchell Duke will be relied upon for the brunt of the goalscoring burden.
The future of the club looks shaky in the short-term with the talent pool in the Mariners' National Youth League team seemingly dried up, with Moss adamant the recruitment and youth development needs a serious overhaul.
But it is not all doom and gloom for the Gosford club as it remains defensively resolute as ever.
The Mariners remain hard to break down with Edy Bosnar, Josh Rose and Storm Roux forming a mean backline in front of the reliable Liam Reddy in goal.
The biggest challenge this year will be matching last season's third-place finish. With its rivals strengthening, the Mariners could drop out of the finals places this year.
Premier's Plate prediction: 8th*
Melbourne City
The artist formerly known as Melbourne Heart, the souped-up Melbourne City has cash to burn and could run away with the league lead in the first 10 games, if David Villa has anything to say about it.
Backed by Manchester City's riches, Melbourne City wasted no time following the overhaul of the club in recruiting Villa on a 10 game guest stint, and in the Spain striker, City has arguably the best player in the A-League.
For the 10 games Villa is Down Under, City must ensure it makes hay while the sun shines as it will need his goals - backed by the more permanent arrivals of Damien Duff and Robert Koren - to overcome its glaring defensive frailties.
Former West Bromwich Albion playmaker Koren and Duff - an alumni of Chelsea, Blackburn and Fulham - will ensure Villa will have plenty of service from out wide as the they look to rejig the creative engine room which has underwhelmed in previous seasons.
David Williams and Mate Dugandzic also provide strength in depth up front, while the arrivals of Aaron Mooy and former Brisbane Roar favourite Erik Paartalu will add presence in the middle.
Defensively, new captain and veteran Socceroos defender Patrick Kisnorbo will need to solidify the team at the back, with the memory of deflating winless runs still fresh in the club's collective mind.
Expect an explosive start from the league's new glamour club, but its problems at the back could see its opponents hit the brakes on any title charge.
Premier's Plate prediction: 6th*
Melbourne Victory
While City have procured the most spectacular signings of the off-season, Melbourne Victory have arguably captured the most effective arrivals.
Kevin Muscat, who replaced Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou at the Victory's helm early last season, has arguably made the domestic signing of the season in Besart Berisha - the livewire forward that propelled the Roar to two championships in three years in Brisbane.
The scorer of 48 A-League goals in 76 appearances will more than make up for the departures of James Troisi and Tom Rogic, who both saw their loan spells end last season.
With a full preseason under his belt, Muscat can follow up last season's impressive run to the semi-finals with a more concerted push on the A-League premiership this year.
There was no mystery to what ailed the Victory last season, with the defence leaking too many goals - 43 in total, the second worst in the A-League - ultimately costing them a second-placed finish.
Carl Valeri has also been brought in from Italy's Serie B to add a better transition between defence and midfield, while former Stuttgart captain Matthieu Delpierre will be relied on to add better solidity at centre-back.
Delpierre in particular could prove to be one of the more astute signings this season, having enjoyed stints at Lille, Stuttgart and Hoffenheim.
If Delpierre succeeds in shoring up the holes in the Victory's defence, the premiership could well be theirs.
Victory's experienced campaigner Leigh Broxham said all the newcomers have fitted in nicely at the club.
"The players that have come in have gelled really well and that's a compliment to the players that are already there, and a compliment to the players Kev has brought in," Broxham said.
Premier's Plate prediction: 1st*
Newcastle Jets
Upheavals have continued at the Newcastle Jets with former Adelaide United assistant boss Phil Stubbins coming in as the club's new coach, hoping to imprint the same style that catapulted Adelaide to the Asian Champions League final under Aurelio Vidmar in 2008.
Last season's A-League golden boot Adam Taggart has departed for Fulham in the wake of the World Cup, while Emile Heskey has been released.
In their place step Jeronimo Neumann and Marcos Flores. While Neumann should prove an excellent forward for the Jets, question marks still remain over whether Marcos Flores can return to his golden form after his knee reconstruction.
Much will depend on how Neumann, Flores and another new arrival in Edson Montano gel up front, while the team really needs to find a way to concede less after losing defenders Connor Chapman and Josh Mitchell.
The quest for a tighter defence will be helped by a tough-as-nails midfield, with Billy Celeski, Ben Kantarovski, Jonny Steele and Jacob Pepper able to support Flores in the number 10 role.
The club remains on the market with Nathan Tinkler's Hunter Sports Group putting the Jets up for sale. How this impacts their quest to end a four-year wait for finals football remains to be seen.
Premier's Plate prediction: 9th*
Perth Glory
It is a new dawn for Perth Glory as they look to put last season's struggles behind them, having gradually pruned the ageing elements from its squad.
The retirements of Jacob Burns and release of William Gallas and Travis Dodd have seen exciting recruitments made in their place, with Irish striker Andy Keogh brought in to a club desperate to score more goals.
Supporting the former Wolves and Millwall striker will be Youssouf Hersi - once of Western Sydney Wanderers fame - as well as Ruben Zadkovich, Mitch Nichols and Diogo Ferreira.
While consistency may remain an issue for the former giants of the NSL, the Glory has at least restored some excitement to its midfield.
More importantly, coach Kenny Lowe looks to have the support of the club's heirarchy as well as the players after Alistair Edwards was given the sack following dressing-room unrest last season.
Long-distance travel remains an exclusive pain for Perth, but the Glory only have one trip to Wellington and Brisbane this season.
Getting wins on the road will be the first step to improving on last season's eighth-placed finish, while ensuring it stays strong at home against travel-weary opponents.
Premier's Plate prediction: 7th*
Sydney FC
Under pressure from Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, Sydney FC looks determined to show why it is the A-League's glamour club with an array of canny striker signings in the off-season.
New coach Graham Arnold returns to the A-League after an unsuccessful stint in China following his 2013 championship win with the Mariners, and with him come four strikers who could potentially light up the A-League en route to a championship tilt.
New Zealand star Shane Smeltz arrives from Perth Glory, while former Mariners forward Bernie Ibini also joins the ranks alongside Socceroos schemer Alex Brosque and Austria captain Marc Janko.
Their arrivals should ease the loss of star marquee Alessandro Del Piero, who ended his A-League journey at the end of last season to take up a contract in the new Indian Super League.
The new striking foursome could prove awesome as Sydney looks to regain the ascendancy after spending long years in the shadows of Brisbane, the Mariners and new rivals the Wanderers.
In midfield the Sky Blues look strong with Terry Antonis, Nick Carle and Milos Dimitrijevic forming a potent parternship in the middle, while Sasa Ognenovski, Nikola Petkovic and Matthew Jurman make for a sturdy defence.
But problems remain in the full-back positions where Sydney finds itself light, meaning some defenders may be forced into unfamiliar utility roles for the time being.
Nevertheless, Arnold and his shiny new signings should see the club once again push for a premiership challenge, and they will be the club to avoid come the finals.
Premier's Plate prediction: 3rd*
Wellington Phoenix
The Phoenix have improved in the off-season but questions remain over whether that will be enough to avoid the wooden spoon this time round.
Wellington will be looking to build on last season's mid-term surge which saw them dispatch the Victory 5-0 as well as secure big wins over Sydney FC and the Wanderers.
Coach Ernie Merrick has added pace, guile and flair to the side, but major concerns remain over the club's defensive nous after conceding a whopping 51 goals last season.
The overhaul of the club has seen the likes of Paul Ifill, Leo Bertos, Stein Huysegems and Carlos Hernandez leave the team, but worryingly, Merrick has signed just one defender since then in left-back Tom Doyle.
The Phoenix have finally procured Michael McGlinchey from the Mariners, and the midfielder should make a difference with his experience and eye for a pass.
Nathan Burns also steps in, returning from South Korea after starring for Newcastle, and he will be expected to start in an advanced position in midfield.
Premier's Plate prediction: 10th*
Western Sydney Wanderers
Denied miracle championship wins for two seasons running, the Western Sydney Wanderers' run to the Asian Champions League final proves they will remain a threat for the biggest prizes again this season.
The youngest club in the A-League continues to surprise with its street-smart brand of football backed by a vociferous and boisterous fanbase, and in Tony Popovic the Wanderers have one of Australia's best and brightest coaches.
The club does need to discover its shooting boots, but Tomi Juric has shown signs of further development, especially during the Asian Champions League run. The likes of Brendon Santalab and Mark Bridge will also need to contribute more in front of goal.
The loss of Youssouf Hersi and Aaron Mooy (to Perth Glory and Melbourne City respectively), as well as Shinji Ono's departure, means the midfield perhaps lacks its usual spark, but the club's game-plan of pouncing on opposition mistakes while keeping it clean at the back means they retain the same threat as last season.
The Wanderers's strength has always lain in its defence, coached to miserly perfection by Popovic.
But Jerome Polenz and Michael Beauchamp's departures, plus the retirement of Adam D'Apuzzo, means the coaching staff will have extra work on their hands to ensure the new arrivals can slot in seamlessly.
Nevertheless, the club's Asian Champions League sojourn has shown there are plenty of things right with the club's set-up, and they will remain in the mix for the premiership.
The only worry will be when the Champions League kicks in again in February, with the club already enduring a gruelling preseason en route to the continental competition's 2014 final.
Premier's Plate prediction: 4th*