Leading by example: Alex Brosque says Graham Arnold has vowed to set exacting standards for him as skipper. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Having gone through the entire A-League season losing just one game, setting a plethora of new benchmarks on their way to winning the domestic double last season, the target on the backs of Sydney's players has never been greater. Arnold's intensity at training acknowledges as much. He's pushed them not to rest on their laurels but to continue to remain the pace-setters in their title defence.

And that's why much of Arnold's harsh drive has been directed at the man who sets the standards within the dressing room.



"He said he was going to ride me this year, he was going to stay on top of me and from my point of view, he's going to make sure I don't let anything slip away," Brosque said.

At 33, Brosque is enjoying the rare luxury of a near uninterrupted pre-season with a minor ankle injury late in his preparations being the only blemish. He will likely enter round one away to Melbourne Victory in a better condition than he's ever started a season following a lengthy and tough pre-season where his role was defined as one that relays the coach's expectations to ensure the Sky Blues quickly forget their recent success.

"From my point of view, I need to be the same to the players. Whatever worked well last year, I need to do the same this year and make sure the players don't rest on what we did. We have to maintain that standard and, if anything, we have to improve it," Brosque said. "You can see that the attitude and commitment has been great in pre-season and that's the same now."