It's that time of the year ....

It's been an interesting time with the transfer window. 

I would like to have signed a defender, but it's not so easy to find one at this time and there's not a lot of flexibility within the Sydney FC roster. Many players are also naturally wary about signing for a short period. 

But the good news is the signing of Joel Griffiths. He's a great acquisition for Sydney FC and I am sure my friends around the coaching fraternity of the other A-League clubs will have a few headaches thinking about how they play us with Joel as part of the team compared with now, without him. It's really unfortunate that he can't start until after the 15th January when his contract expired on the 1st. It means his first match will be against Wellington Phoenix on Saturday week - something which we're all looking forward to.

The next two games are crucial for us. They're both at home, against an in-form Melbourne Heart and an out-of-form Wellington Phoenix. Melbourne Heart will be looking to consolidate their recent leap up the table, and Ricki Herbert will be keen to reverse their two losses on the trot.

We know we have to play at the very top of our game to get away from being the 'cellar dwellers' of the A-League - but we also know we've got one really big plus: the fans of Sydney FC. 

I've said it many times before but a big, vibrant, passionate crowd can make a huge difference to the boys on the park. When you're a professional footballer, you play for the love of it at any time; but when you have a crowd on your side, who have your back for every minute of the game, it is a big lift. 

When you're with a club for a few years, the relationship between player and fans becomes something which is abiding. There's no better illustration of this than the fans who follow me on Twitter from Club Brugge. It's been 22 years since I played there, but I remember my time at Brugge with as much affection as the fans do. Thank you for remembering me, as it's truly humbling. As one tweeter, Veronique, said today: "once a Bruges boy, always a Bruges boy".

So to the fans and people of Sydney FC - this is your club! I hope we see a sea of Sydney Sky Blue at Allianz Stadium on Sunday, whether you're part of The Cove, regular members and supporters or just coming along to see what all the fuss of the A-League is all about.

Frank