Mark Rudan or Tony Popovic? Sydney FC Loyalty?

So Mark Rudan is off to join former Sydney FC Coach Pierre Littbarski in Japan on a "lucrative" two year deal.

And I'm left wondering about Sydney FC, loyalty and the wage packet of Tony Popovic.

Sydney FC letting Rudan go is a massive loss for Sydney, the A-League and fans across the country.

Yeah good move Sydney. Replace your Captain with a Captain, only an older and slower one.

And serves you right if Poppa is injured or sent-off between now and the Grand Final. Who are you going to call on then?

The A-League has built some personality. Kevin Muscat, Matt Mackay, Ange Costanzo are just three who spring to mind.

All have been here from the start, all play passionately for their clubs. Just what we, the fans, need.

For Sydney, Mark Rudan has been my stand-out.

Left out by Littbarski early on. Returned, dignified, to become the face of Sydney FC.

Who can forget the goal he scored in the semi-final against Adelaide in season one.
Or the run only last week in the final minute to win the game for Sydney. Or his performances in the Asian Champions League.

Club Captain. A true blue. A Sydney boy.

And then Sydney buy returning Socceroo, albeit belatedly, Tony Popovic. Who after struggling for weeks is starting to look okay.

He's a lot older than Rudan. And he's shown little commitment to the cause, before his contracts across the World ran out.

Now he's Sydney through and through and Captain as well. At the expense of Rudan.

And so Rudan, who's contract runs out this year is off, to Japan on a two year deal.

Will Poppa still be playing in two years? How slow will he be? Is he so much better than Rudan? Not in the A-League, not yet, he isn't.

Loyalty from fans for a new league. Loyalty from players. Loyalty from the clubs. Everyone wants and expects loyalty.

Everyone except Sydney FC.

Rudan's contract presumably was an ordinary one given the salary cap, and probably not increased for the coming seasons.

Do you think Poppa is on less than Rudan?

Rudan should have been offered a contract for two further years, increaing his current deal, and Poppa should never have been signed.

Will Poppa play two more seasons? Unlikely, not without injuries and further enforced rests due to send-offs. Most of which will be due to his ageing legs.

I have no problem with Poppa personally. Of course, merely Sydney FC.

You let Dwight Yorke go. Littbarski. And Topor-Stanley and now Rudan.

Building loyalty takes awhile. Rudan was one who gave to the Sydney cause in bucket loads. It takes time.

The Roar away at the end of last season, Shanghai away, A-League Grand Final, were some of Rudan's great fighting performances.

His reward? Stripped of the Captaincy for Johnny Come Lately, and forced to go and play second division in Japan for two years.

Come on Sydney, for the good of the game. Lift yours.