Sydney FC part with Butcher

Sydney are in absolute disarray at the moment. Players are unhappy, crowds are down, everyone disappointed with the board situation. Interesting to see if they can turn it around for the ACL. I doubt it though.

Branko Culina is the early favourite for the job.

Yeah, I'm one of the disgruntled ones. As for Butcher, I do feel sorry for him because he's really been hamstrung by the club's abysmal management and a pretty unfortunate run with injuries. However I'm glad to see him go - clearly he'd lost the dressing room, the team's style of play was boring, on and off-field discipline had fallen apart and none of the players (with the possible exception of Zadkovich) look like they have actually improved as footballers.

We're not looking good for the ACL but we were always going to struggle against Urawa and Shenhua.

They need to get the coaching appointment right, and I'd definitely opt for a local coach. Culina is the favourite for the short-term at least. The rumours are that they want van Egmond, but I think he'd be crazy to walk away from what he's building up at Newcastle.

GVE is very close to securing a new deal i believe. I don't think he'd leave for Sydney even for an extra $50k a year.

I'll prob come down for the ACL game against Urawa. A chance to see one of the best supporter groups in the world is too good to pass up

Culina has the job through the ACL group stages, but the club aren't committing beyond that.

Sydney have also announced a 21 man squad for the ACL group stages. Absent are Petrovski who is joining Central Coast as well as Ceccoli - I don't know what's happening there, maybe he'll follow Littbarski and Crook to Japan. Wade Oostendorp, who never played is also out. They've added Adam Casey(NZ Knights), Luka Glavas (Perth), Noel Spencer (Central Coast), Dean Bouzanis (who is on loan from Liverpool FC - he's too young to join up with the Reds) and Nikolas Tsattalios (NSWInstitute of Sport)

Sydney FC's AFC Champions League squad: Clint Bolton, Jeremy BROCKIE, Alex BROSQUE, Dean BOUZANIS, Adam CASEY, David CARNEY, Steve CORICA, Iain FYFE, Luka GLAVAS, Terry McFLYNN, Robbie MIDDLEBY, Mark MILLIGAN, Justin PASFIELD, Noel SPENCER, Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY, Mark RUDAN, Ufuk TALAY, Jacob TIMPANO, Nikolas TSATTALIOS, Ruben ZADKOVIC, David ZDRILIC.