Betting tips / Andy Morris / 07 January 2012 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Andy Morris is reminded of some words of wisdom from the great Oscar Wilde when he considers where Sydney FC currently sit in the A-league...

To paraphrase Wilde, 'to ship four goals in one game is misfortune, to lose two must be regarded as carelessness'.

And such is the situation Sydney FC find themselves in right now.

The latest defeat, 4-2 in Wellington, will give fans little hope that coach Vitezslav Lavicka's promises of hard work and improvement will be enough.

The visit of table-toppers Central Coast to the SFS will provide potentially the clearest sign yet of whether a change at the top is needed.

Big Wednesday was a major reminder that Sydney's glory days are no longer enough to sustain them. Even the coach has admitted as much, signalling that players will be dropped for the visit of the Mariners.

The Sky Blues have conceded 10 goals in their last three games, and are woeful in defence and on the wings.

Lavicka promised "personnel changes" but stressed that "defensive work is not just about defenders."

He's right about that, but whether there's any real prospect of stopping the Mariners is another question.

All the onus is on Sydney to show some spirit, because if they can't stop the rot then Lavicka might be heading home with his family, who are visiting from the Czech Republic right now.

Don't expect miracles, but they should be -- no, they must -- be better this time.

Sydney are 3.4 in match odds betting, while the Mariners are 2.24.