Crook goes crook at Sydney FC fans

Sydney FC coach Ian Crook was disappointed with some Sydney FC fans jeering skipper Terry McFlynn in Saturday loss to the Newcastle Jets.

McFlynn was greeted with sarcastic cheers by some Sky Blues supporters when he was substituted out of the game in the second half of the 3-2 defeat at Allianz Stadium.

The Northern Irishman is the only player to have figured in every A-League season for the club and led the side to their most recent title in 2010.

While the Sky Blues have been well below their best in the opening two weeks of the season, it seems McFlynn is the one who is bearing most of the criticism from the Sydney fans.

“Every supporter has a right to say what they want to say but for me if you’re a supporter of Sydney FC, you support Sydney FC,” Crook told reporters on Monday.

“That’s lock, stock and barrel.

“It’s disappointing to see the reaction that there was but Terry’s played a long time now and knows that’s part of the game.

“It’s not something we want to hear every week that’s for certain.”

With Paul Reid, youngster Terry Antonis, Ali Abbas and the recently-signed Jason Culina all vying for spots in the centre of midfield, the pressure could be on for McFlynn to retain his position in the starting line-up.

Crook wouldn’t be drawn on the future of his skipper but is confident his side isn’t far away from getting their season off the ground.

“We had enough chances on the weekend to get something out of the game,” the Sydney coach said.

“It’s just a couple of breaks at the moment where things tend to go against us.

“Adam (Griffiths) pulling his hamstring and not being able to stay with (Craig) Goodwin on their third goal hurt us.

“But we’ve got to stay positive and the second half performance was a good one.”

Asked about the feeling in the squad ahead of this weekend’s inaugural derby with the Western Sydney Wanderers, Crook said: “It’s another massive game and they’re the games you want to play in.

“You would rather play in front of a packed house where there’s a bit of pressure than in front of 2000.

“That’s what football is all about. The players are excited and looking forward to it.

“We can’t hide from the fact we haven’t won in two but we can take a lot of positives out of the weekend and take them into the next game.”