Bankstown City Lions searching for success

What’s going on at Bankstown City Lions?

A perennial contender for Premiership honours, the Jensen Park outfit have spiraled out of control and even this early in the season, face a serious battle to avoid relegation from the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Men’s competition.

The storm was brewing in the offseason following the departure of all but two of last year’s first grade squad, with Huseyin Jasli and Adem Kir staying loyal to a club that has in recent years been one of the league’s most dominant forces.

But losing the likes of former Socceroo Michael Beauchamp, the experienced Grant Lynch and sharpshooter Christopher Gomez ripped the heart and soul out of the club, making life very difficult for first-year coach John Caruana. 

After an ordinary preseason and a shocking 5-1 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers, Caruana parted ways with the club on the eve of the round 3 clash with North Shore Mariners, a match the Lions ultimately lost 4-1.

Bankstown moved fast to appoint former Lion Mile Todoroski as Caruana’s replacement.

But since then the side has slumped to two more defeats, the most recent being a 4-0 thumping to Bankstown Berries in a midweek catch-up game that condemned the Lions to the unfamiliar place of dead last on the table.

When asked if he was surprised by Caruana’s departure, Lions’ vice-captain Huseyin Jasli replied.

"Yes and no. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. No disrespect to John but (new coach) Mile (Todoroski) brings experience to the club. He has the older head and he’s definitely got the respect of the players. It’s his way or the highway. Admittedly, we may have had it too easy with Johnny (Caruana), but that’s not a criticism of him. It’s just that we need Mile and his methods at Bankstown right now, especially after the poor start we’ve had."

So why are the Lions struggling? Why the mass exodus from a club with such a rich history?

According to 27-year-old Jasli, the loss of respected coach Leo Carle was one of the major reasons for the mass exodus.

"I think if Leo had stayed on as coach, the core of the squad would have stayed," Jasli said.

"Leo is a quality coach as his results showed in the time he was here and when it comes to football knowledge and ability, he’s right up there with the best. Losing Leo was definitely one of the main reasons why so many players left."

Despite the dramas at Jensen Park, Bankstown City Lions recruited well in the offseason, with the likes of Fraser Park’s Davide Talone, Bruno Pivato from St George, and Hakoah Sydney City East duo Hussein Akil and Aaron D’Mello forming the nucleus of a number of quality signings.

But with so many newcomers, developing combinations has been slow, while injuries have also played their part in the club’s disappointing start to the season, with key players dropping like flies and disrupting the team’s ability to gel into a cohesive unit.

"It’s not easy having 15 or 16 new players and a new coach," Jasli said.

"We’ve also had a few injuries and we lost Talone (fractured ankle) who was the next best thing to Lynchy (Grant Lynch); and Huss Akil has hamstring and back issues. When you lose players like those two, it makes a big difference."

Despite that poor start and the Lions’ parlous position, Jasli hasn’t lost faith and not only believes the club can resurrect their season but he’s also adamant that steering clear of the relegation zone should be their number one priority.

"Our main target as a club is to start winning games – not just in first grade – and to get away from the relegation zone," Jasli said.

"Bankstown is a club with a very, very rich history and I don’t believe we belong where we are at the moment. After losing so many players we’re in a rebuilding stage, we have to make it our mission not to drop (out of PS4 NPL 2). That’s our main priority."   

-By Derek Royal, Football NSW Reporter