Jets Tear Wanderers To Shreds

[Edinburgh]

I've seen and heard it stated several times that Popa told the players from day 1 that winning the title was the target, despite that public comment.

 

[wendybr]

Could well be. It's what any sports person aims to do.

[wendybr]

10 minutes ago, Edinburgh said:

I've seen and heard it stated several times that Popa told the players from day 1 that winning the title was the target, despite that public comment.

 

LOL-  I remember going to the first few games, and despite the results, I remember thinking - "Well yes! Good on him! He's pulled off the 'being competitive' goal."

Ahhhh memories!  

[1988banana]

1 hour ago, FCB said:

Why are football clubs world wide changing managers during the season all the time then???

Gombau knew a few of the players from the U23, knew quite a few more from his previous stint in the HAL, was present for most of the first games this season, and knew what he applied for when he put up his hand for the job.  Or at least he should have known.

The club supported him by providing him with assistant he wanted.

What is going on now is happening on his watch. Blaming Lederer, the CEO, Popovic - none of it cuts it. It's his responsibility, he knows it, and he accepts it.

You got bayern as you're display pic and you're username is fcb , so i wont listen to what you say too serious 

[Zelinsky]

2 minutes ago, 1988banana said:

You got bayern as you're display pic and you're username is fcb , so i wont listen to what you say too serious 

Hahaha. Good one.

Have you ever heard the joke about the Ostrich sticking his head in the sand? 

[wendybr]

Hey Banana

Another member of the RBB mentioned that some of you guys talked to Llorente after the game, but told other players to **** off.

Did Josep venture over to the Active supporters, and if so, what reception did he get??

[EmMac]

5 hours ago, wendybr said:

Yes- he has actually looked like a deer in the headlights, compared to when he was on his feet and always so animated with Adelaide.

I think there has been something amiss from the start. 

He hasn't looked like he's owned the job, somehow.

Maybe that something was the awkwardness of having Foxe stay on.  That rarely works well... if the person staying on had wanted the job and was overlooked.

Resentment is almost always inevitable from the one who stays on.

And insecurity develops on the part of the one coming in. 

Yes, its been awkward from the get go. Perhaps the difference in approach and demeanor was too big a gap? Ie going from quite a disciplined approach to a more philasophical approach? Although i would have hoped professionalism on both sides (players and manager) would have meant that you put your head down and get on with it. 

Tbh, i have no idea what's gone on. If Gombau has lots the respect of the boys and other coaching staff i can't see how it can work. On the other hand if its internal forces disabling his attempts, well that's rotten.

We're in turmoil. No doubt about it. We need good decision making, good judgement to turn this around. Not sure we have that. 

[Horus]

We've never had a coach with a plan B have we?

[Edinburgh]

1 minute ago, wendybr said:

Hey Banana

Another member of the RBB mentioned that some of you guys talked to Llorente after the game, but told other players to **** off.

Did Josep venture over the Active supporters, and if so, what reception did he get??

Josep did not come anywhere near the away support. Several players came over and clapped us. Gombau gave the players a sort of sympathetic clap on the back as they made their way back to the tunnel. Roly was the first player to come over and I think between clapping us he was signalling us not to clap him? Thwaite gave his shirt to  a fan/the fans and it was thrown back then Thwaite came back and the shirt was then kept by the fan(s). The fans called for Gombau to come over but he didn't oblige.

[wendybr]

2 minutes ago, Edinburgh said:

Josep did not come anywhere near the away support. Several players came over and clapped us. Gombau gave the players a sort of sympathetic clap on the back as they made their way back to the tunnel. Roly was the first player to come over and I think between clapping us he was signalling us not to clap him? Thwaite gave his shirt to  a fan/the fans and it was thrown back then Thwaite came back and the shirt was then kept by the fan(s). The fans called for Gombau to come over but he didn't oblige.

OK!

Thanks Ed.

 

[NotVaughan]

7 hours ago, StringerBellend said:

tell the grandkids about, "I was there when we got done 5-0 for the second time in a season" infront of the smallest away crowd we have taken..

Won't be smaller than the Allianz derby in 2012-13, but that was probably before most jumped on the bandwagon

[NotVaughan]

7 hours ago, ManfredSchaefer said:

Oh, and can we please forego any fan led screaming for a forum to debate with the club suits over how the team should be coached. Let's not forget how farcical it looked when the smurfs got their knickers in a knot over Farina. Let's not descend to their level FFS

Too late for that, or did you miss all the #PopaOut hyperventilating? Anyone who wants to laugh at WSW has plenty of material. Best to stop obsessing over the endless comparisons and look to the future.

[StringerBellend]

5 minutes ago, NotVaughan said:

Won't be smaller than the Allianz derby in 2012-13, but that was probably before most jumped on the bandwagon

I suppose not, although another couple of hammerings and who knows 

[BoyFromTheWest]

I don't know about the undermining Gombau etc - there isn't any real evidence one way or the other.  For me, whether he is bringing in a new philosophy or not gaining respect to be the leader and building a team are fundamental.  It isn't only the players that this club is about - its the fans and the wider A League.  A pathetic WSW is bad for everyone - especially given our current homelessness from Parra.  I'm all for him building a new philosophy but does involve opening the backline and conceding bucket loads of goals?  I understand not scoring too many as the front end develops but conceding like my team when under 8's is pathetic.  The players look confused and unwilling to take risks - is Gombau threatening them if they don't do exactly what he says???  Too many questions.  If he can't manage what he has then maybe he isn't up to the job.  This is Western Sydney not Adelaide and he has to hold far more factors together then back there - not least are the fans and he will know what he is in for if things don't improve soon.  All we want is to be competitive whilst he does whatever it is he is doing.
One more thing I don't get - how far away from Popa's passing out from the back, possession-based game is Gombau leading the team.  Is it really a different philosophy or is it an evolution?  If the latter, why all the current crap?

[Davo]

When Popa left, the club would have had a vision for the club's future and looked for a manager to fit that vision. I find it very hard to believe that Gombau came in and said he'd get results immediately. He would have talked about taking his time to get his process in place (and if he didn't I'd find it hard to believe that the club wouldn't have seen right through that story knowing his history). Blaming Gombau for doing what he has done in the past and was obviously going to do in the future is weird.

The above thought process also means the club signed him knowing that this season was probably going to be a write off and I can understand why they would do that. Once Popa left we were extremely unlikely to win any silverware this season.

Our first option is to make minimal changes, hope to scrape into the finals (maybe top 4 if everything goes our way) having a season much like last season and push the start of the style revolution back to pre-season next year.

Our second option is to accept that we aren't going to win a trophy this year either way and we can't get relegated so we get a head start on the revolution now with a target of winning everything next season. I know a lot of fans will disagree with me but I'd rather put up with a bad season now and win trophies next season than throw time and effort after a lost season in the hope of living a Perth Glory style existence of mid-table mediocrity every season.

As for the players, I can understand why some of the older guys would be unhappy with this decision as they don't have a lot of time left in their careers and were hoping to be joining the finished article, not a construction site (stadium aside). However that's no excuse for giving up or causing trouble. In any other job people deal with decisions from higher up the org chart that they disagree with. They just show some professionalism and got on with the job, not chuck a tantrum. If any player doesn't want to be here then go in January.

I'm not willing to give up on Gombau after six weeks and I'm certainly against any protests or Gomabau Out signs at games. We're not ESFC and the club doesn't need a message on a bed sheet to know the fans aren't happy with the last few results. All it does it make things worse.

If Gombau gets his players in, has time to actually implement something and is still failing then he'll have some questions to answer. But calling for a manager to be sacked 6 weeks in to "save" this season? Really?

[StringerBellend]

1 hour ago, wendybr said:

You know what?

In the first interview with Popa i can recall, as he was assembling his team before the first season, I remember him saying he "just wanted to be competitve."

It's a very modest ambition, and maybe sets the bar far too low for some here. But given we are not far off halfway through the season, and given the current turmoil, I wont mind if we don't go rocketing to the top of the ladder, which I don't think is realistic.

If the coach digs us out of the widening hole we're in, starts to build a team than can be proudly carried from one season to the next, and we start to become competitive, I won't be unhappy.

I've hated the revolving door philosophy. Build a team that's gelling and will stick together for a few seasons, and I'll value that more than getting into the finals, and then seeing half the team shoved out the door - yet again.

We have the highest (or near to it) player wages in the comp, second biggest crowds.. it ain’t season 1 anymore. Any manager who comes to us should be aiming to win it, we ain’t the central coast 

[Wobblies]

I can accept (under the present circumstances) the opposition laughing at us, however, I will not be amused when they start to feel sorry for us.

[Zelinsky]

@Davo

Gombau was Plan C at best. He was signed to win games. 

[mack]

It's not "plan C" when Plans A & B were never going to be cheap enough for the board & owners to hire. It's like someone with 50k for a car saying their Plan A is a Maserati & Plan B is a Koenigsegg but Plan C is a Ford Falcon.

[wendybr]

39 minutes ago, NotVaughan said:

Best to stop obsessing over the endless comparisons and look to the future.

Ohhhh! Yes!       

[Wanderboy]

I'm not a football head but I do know enough about the game to be able to comment on this website.

I've refrained till now to comment on last night's game. Let me just say that we were appalling and showed a serious lack of hunger to win 50/50 balls and once again, we provided nothing for our men up front to find juicy and put away. Again. It was probably the worst performance I've seen from the Wanderers since our inception. Even worse than the 0-5 loss 2 weeks ago against the pricks from the East.

My question though (as a football brain novice) is...........(and this will be a bit long winded)

I keep hearing that Gombau has brought his own style in, and the players are having trouble either adapting to this style, or refusing to implement it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but to me, the style of football we are trying to implement isn't that far removed from what Popovic had us playing. IE. A possession based game, playing out from the back and creating chances (lol) with creative play into the front third and into the box. Dare I say it -  a Barca style of football, if that's what it's called.

If I'm wrong in that summation, I'll accept it. But if I'm not, the question needs to be asked -  WHY is it so hard for the players to adjust to Josep's game plan mentality? Also, I wonder why, considering the players we have are all professional footballer's and it is what they all do for a living, they have trouble adjusting to a different style of football? I just don't get it. Surely it can't be that hard, considering as I said previously, the style isn't that much different to what we were playing previously.

I'd like to be educated as to why the excuse of a new playing style and player discontent is the reason for such poor performances.

 

[Davo]

16 minutes ago, FCB said:

@Davo

Gombau was Plan C at best. He was signed to win games. 

Plan C or otherwise, the club knew exactly what they were getting when they signed him.

Also I suspect they signed him to win trophies, not "games". If we win the league next season with the lowest number of wins a premier has ever received I'd be very happy. We'd win exactly as many trophies for it as the smurfs won last year for their "almost invincible" (lol) season. If getting a head start on the process and not winning games now is the difference between winning that title and just missing out I can live with that.

[wendybr]

39 minutes ago, BoyFromTheWest said:

 This is Western Sydney not Adelaide and he has to hold far more factors together then back there - not least are the fans and he will know what he is in for if things don't improve soon.  All we want is to be competitive whilst he does whatever it is he is doing.

No-one's actually mentioned that before - but it's a very good point you make there.

The pressure on our players and coach (and coaching staff)  must be of a far higher level of intensity than almost any other A League team. Throw that into the turmoil, and ....yeah...

[Wanderboy]

3 minutes ago, Davo said:

Plan C or otherwise, the club knew exactly what they were getting when they signed him.

 

Did they though? Do our management and Board really think along those lines? Do they have that football knowledge? 

Just a question. Not challenging you.

[wendybr]

45 minutes ago, Davo said:

When Popa left, the club would have had a vision for the club's future and looked for a manager to fit that vision. I find it very hard to believe that Gombau came in and said he'd get results immediately. He would have talked about taking his time to get his process in place (and if he didn't I'd find it hard to believe that the club wouldn't have seen right through that story knowing his history). Blaming Gombau for doing what he has done in the past and was obviously going to do in the future is weird.

The above thought process also means the club signed him knowing that this season was probably going to be a write off and I can understand why they would do that. Once Popa left we were extremely unlikely to win any silverware this season.

Our first option is to make minimal changes, hope to scrape into the finals (maybe top 4 if everything goes our way) having a season much like last season and push the start of the style revolution back to pre-season next year.

Our second option is to accept that we aren't going to win a trophy this year either way and we can't get relegated so we get a head start on the revolution now with a target of winning everything next season. I know a lot of fans will disagree with me but I'd rather put up with a bad season now and win trophies next season than throw time and effort after a lost season in the hope of living a Perth Glory style existence of mid-table mediocrity every season.

As for the players, I can understand why some of the older guys would be unhappy with this decision as they don't have a lot of time left in their careers and were hoping to be joining the finished article, not a construction site (stadium aside). However that's no excuse for giving up or causing trouble. In any other job people deal with decisions from higher up the org chart that they disagree with. They just show some professionalism and got on with the job, not chuck a tantrum. If any player doesn't want to be here then go in January.

I'm not willing to give up on Gombau after six weeks and I'm certainly against any protests or Gomabau Out signs at games. We're not ESFC and the club doesn't need a message on a bed sheet to know the fans aren't happy with the last few results. All it does it make things worse.

If Gombau gets his players in, has time to actually implement something and is still failing then he'll have some questions to answer. But calling for a manager to be sacked 6 weeks in to "save" this season? Really?

Brilliant post Davo! 

Can I ask - how realistic is it that the club will shell out on players Gombau wants (as well as on an assistant coach etc?)  How does the money side of it all work in the Jan transfer window.

Does it depend on other teams being keen to buy our players??

[ptwsw]

Why are we all trying to make excuses. Trying to make excuses for our team and our coach. If they play like crap, are coached like crap, look like crap, they smell like crap, yes, they are crap.

We have players playing with no heart, ball watchers. We have players that many other teams would only use to clean their boots. Our recruitment has been diabolical and absolute shite. We are a joke in the recruitment stakes.

We have Gombau telling us about his "philosophy and style. A load of crap again.

A good coach is one that takes the players he's been given and gets this team to play with gonads, pride and get the ultimate prize, WINS! 

I rightly demand a winning attitude, playing to win and trying to absolutely tear teams apart. If we play with heart, passion and commitment I would never, ever slag my team if we lost, but there was no evidence last night just insipidness.

Last night, was an embarrassment that will linger for a long time with Gombau and the team. They will need a miracle of miracles to win me over this season. 

Our supporters and our Western Sydney heartland should never be disrespected and insulted but last night, Gombau and the majority of the team that wore our colours not only slapped us in the face but kneed us in the gonads.

PS. Yep in on NYD x 6, I love punishment.

[StringerBellend]

Oh well let’s see what happens in jan at least it won’t be dull 

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/12/23/gombau-wanderers-stay-says-ceo-tsatsimas

[wendybr]

47 minutes ago, StringerBellend said:

We have the highest (or near to it) player wages in the comp, second biggest crowds.. it ain’t season 1 anymore. Any manager who comes to us should be aiming to win it, we ain’t the central coast 

Fair enough.

I wasn't suggesting that we happily sit on the bottom of the table and not win games. I guess what I was trying to say is that I want to see us play decent football and then do what Davo said when he posted

'" Our second option is to accept that we aren't going to win a trophy this year either way and we can't get relegated so we get a head start on the revolution now with a target of winning everything next season. I know a lot of fans will disagree with me but I'd rather put up with a bad season now and win trophies next season than throw time and effort after a lost season in the hope of living a Perth Glory style existence of mid-table mediocrity every season."

[1988banana]

Sorry but im not a gossip queen , who ever was there last night , knows what was said to the players , end of story 

 

IN GOMBAU I TRUST ✋😎

@fcb , please man stfu you follow a team who wins it every year and they still sack their manager lol , let me guess you follow Barcelona in spain , man city in the epl , juve in the Italian league , psg in france etc etc 

[Davo]

4 minutes ago, Wanderboy said:

Did they though? Do our management and Board really think along those lines? Do they have that football knowledge? 

Just a question. Not challenging you.

It's a fair question, especially when you consider some of the decisions the club have made in the past.

I believe that the club has at least a basic knowledge of the history of the A-League. Even a google search would bring up enough articles about Gombau to know what he's about. I'd like to think the club's due diligence would be more extensive. Even if it wasn't I doubt Gombau would want to put himself in a position where his employers are expecting one thing and he's planning to deliver something else. He would have been clear with what his plans were.