Scott Jamieson of the Glory scores a goal from a free kick during the match between Perth Glory and Western Sydney Wanderers at NIB Stadium on Saturday. Source: Getty Images
IT’S not a sight any football fan expected to see six weeks into the season — Asian champions and successive A-League grand finalists Western Sydney are bottom of the table without a point.
Even allowing for their recent murderous travelling and playing schedule, the Wanderers are a club that has shown in their short 2½-year history they are capable of rising above hurdles.
Yet coach Tony Popovic’s men are now in uncharted waters, a 2-1 loss to Perth Glory at NIB Stadium on Saturday night consigning them to a fourth straight defeat and leaving the Sydneysiders 15 points behind the top-of-the-table Glory.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. With two games in hand and a stretch of four straight games — three in the next seven days — at home, the Wanderers are more than capable of turning it around.
Popovic made no apologies for going with a weakened, largely inexperienced side against a Glory side setting the pace this season.
In a bid to ease the heavy burden on his players, Popovic made eight changes to the side that was beaten by Wellington last week.
In the process, he fielded an XI that included Alusine Fofanah (16), Daniel Alessi (17) and Joshua Sotiro (19).
“There isn’t much you can do,” Popovic said. “I have to be mindful of the load on the players.
“You have to understand we had a number of players last week (against Wellington) who were playing their first games since May and June and we had a lot of players who were fatigued from all the travelling.
“We’ve got three games in seven days so we had to juggle it around a bit and a lot of young boys got a chance tonight and they did very well.
“There were many reasons but in no way are they excuses,” he added.
“Last week we had many players and it was their first game since May or June and we had a lot of fatigued players from the trip to Wellington as well.
“The chances we had could have changed the game. Even at 0-0, we had a couple of fantastic opportunities. We didn’t take them.
“The good thing is the boys didn’t give up so I can’t be disappointed about the effort, but in the end we fell short.”
Popovic is expected to make wholesale changes for Wednesday’s catch-up game against Central Coast at Pirtek Stadium with goalkeeper Ante Covic, defender Matthew Spiranovic, Iacopo La Rocca, Seyi Adeleke, Romeo Castelen and Tomi Juric all expected to play in what is looming as a crucial game.
Glory coach Kenny Lowe was trying to put a lid on the fanfare over the club’s rise to the top following several disappointing seasons.
“I am happy to be where we are, but one part of me says let’s not get carried away after six or seven games,” Lowe said. “The season is 27 games, plus finals.
“The guys in that dressing room deserve all the plaudits they are getting at the moment. They have worked really hard and they have a certain mindset and they want to carry that through.
“You saw that in the last 15 minutes tonight when we were very tired after our heavy schedule. The guys just dug deep and weren’t going to give the game away.”
source: theaustralian.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 