Daniel Arzani and Dario Vidosic may not make the plane to Russia, but they could still have a major say in the destination of the Premiers’ Plate.

Arzani is the best young player we’ve had in the A-League for ages, and barely a handful of games into his career, it’s clear the teenager is destined for big things.

But will he and his agent make the sort of decisions that put him in contention for Socceroos selection? Perhaps they should have a chat with one-time Melbourne Victory wunderkind Sebastian Pasquali.

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Or better yet, talk to Dario Vidosic. At age 30, he’s now at his eleventh different club – and fifth in the A-League.

Has Vidosic truly lived up to his potential? Probably not.

But he and Arzani could yet prove a pair of aces for Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce, judging by their display in yesterday’s 5-0 drubbing of Adelaide United.

What was most impressive about the thrashing was not the scoreline, but the way it was constructed.

And Arzani was at the heart of everything early on, before the experienced Vidosic took centre stage at the death.

Vidosic had already clipped the crossbar from long range before he launched a goal of the season contender, controlling a high ball with his chest before lashing home an unstoppable half-volley into the top corner.



He then slotted home another expertly-taken goal soon after, before substitute Ross McCormack smashed an exocet missile into the top corner to round things out.

It was no less than a dominant City deserved, and it came on the back of youngster Nathaniel Atkinson suffering what looked like a serious ankle injury.

The question is whether Melbourne City possess the quality to provide a genuine title challenge to Sydney FC.

Or, it’s worth asking, whether Sydney FC might otherwise sink themselves.

Is Graham Arnold’s mind fully on the job? Or could continually being linked to the vacant Socceroos job prove somewhat of a distraction?

And is it worth asking some questions about the way Arnold sets up his teams?

Why, for example, did he wait until the 85th minute to make his first substitution in Sydney FC’s tired-looking 1-1 draw with the Central Coast Mariners on Saturday?



Why do youngsters like Charles Lokolingoy and Aaron Calver struggle to get any significant game time?

And what does it say about Arnold’s man management when a club stalwart like Sebastian Ryall chooses to quit the sport altogether midway through the season?

It may just be that Sydney FC’s continual ability to win – or at least avoid defeat – has limited opportunities for players outside their core starting eleven.

But their upcoming AFC Champions League campaign will test Sydney FC’s depth like never before – not least because none of Kashima Antlers, Shanghai Shenhua or a third team, likely to be Matt Jurman’s Suwon Bluewings, will be overly concerned by the prospect of facing the Sky Blues.

The ACL is a huge step up in class, and if Sydney FC aim to mount a serious challenge, they may need to sacrifice some exertion in the A-League.

That could leave the door open for teams like Melbourne City.

And with clubs like Brisbane Roar making strides off their pitch – their new Academy program officially kicks off today – the idea that Sydney FC might dominate the A-League for years to come may not be entirely realistic.

The Roar’s Academy program is a seriously impressive initiative, and it’s overseen by a seriously impressive director in former Southampton academy coach Drew Sherman.



Sherman is as sharp as a tack, and in overseeing a custom-designed Academy program, the Roar will soon provide a clear pathway to professional football for some of Queensland’s most talented young footballers.

The ultimate aim is to produce plenty more players with the talent of Daniel Arzani.

That kid is a superstar in the making.

But first, he’ll be looking to make Sydney FC look over their shoulders in the race for the Premiers’ Plate.