It has happened just about every year since they joined the A-League, but this season’s loss of form by the Macarthur FC Bulls has been gobsmacking.
Last year – while flying high in the a-League – they allowed a bunch of incredibly talented youngsters to leave the club and head to greener pastures in Europe and elsewhere.
Their season fell apart and they failed to make the finals.
But this season has been derailed despite the squad staying together.
More than that, some good judges believed this was the best Bulls side since their debut season in 2020-21.
Why it happened is the $60,000 question, I guess.
The Bulls were in the top three on the ladder for at least half this season, and doing well in ACL 2.
Then everything fell apart almost at the same time: they stopped winning in the A-League and had a shocker in the knockout round of the ACL, unable to even win at home and being eliminated.
So here we are now, five games left in the A-League season and the Bulls sitting outside the top six.
Somehow, they are just two points behind from the team running sixth, so if they can turn their season around and start winning, they may yet get to play finals football.
The best the Bulls can realistically hope for is sixth, the last finals spot, because they are seven points behind the team running fifth.
They will still need to win all five of their remaining games to have any hope, I reckon.
Last week they were belted 4-1 by Melbourne Victory, and a few days earlier suffered a 3-1 loss to the Mariners.
So hopefully they will focus on their defence, which has had the wobbles for close to 10 weeks.
Their draw for the final five games is pretty tough, but if they’re good enough they will get there.
Tomorrow (Saturday) the Bulls head across the ditch to take on second placed Auckland FC, 1pm kick off.
Things don’t get any easier after that.
After the New Zealand trip, the Bulls will host current competition leaders Newcastle at Campbelltown Stadium.
Then they’re away to second last placed Perth Glory and Adelaide United (fifth), before hosting Wellington Phoenix (third last currently) at home on Friday, April 24 in the last round of the competition.