Wayward Krpic Kills Wanderers

[mack]

Western United hosted the Western Sydney Wanderers in a match overshadowed by the Melbourne Victory fan invasion that took place the night before at the same ground in the Melbourne Derby, with Sulejman Krpic and poor defence to blame for the Wanderers succumbing to a 1-0 loss while playing the bottom feeding Western United into form.

You'd be forgiven for failing to remember that the reigning A-League champions were the home side, what with their last placed current position having only won a solitary match out of their seven thus far, the Wanderers on the other hand massively impressive start to the season with 4 wins, 2 draws and their single loss putting them in outright second, and a chance, pending a potential forfeit win for Melbourne City.

Wanderers marquee Milos Ninkovic missed the match through a hamstring injury, with Oliver Bozanic making his first start as a Wanderer & Ramy Najjarine dropping to the bench. Romain Amalfitano took over in the central attacking midfield role behind Bozanic & Calem Nieuwenhof.

Western United took advantage of some poor defensive structure to open the lead inside 5 minutes. The left flank attack worked the ball to the byline for a run from former Wanderer James Troisi, and he fired across the 6 yard box, with no-one marking Aleksandar Prijovic at the far post he was able to chest the ball into an open net to make it 1-0.

Sulejman Krpic should have equalised in the 25th minute. Tomislav Mrcela launched a long ball over the United defence, with Imai completely misplaying the bouncing ball, he allowed Krpic a free run on goal. With keeper Jamie Young well out of position, Krpic's legs stopped working until his uncoordinated shot went into the second tier of AAMI Park. Minutes later he had another brilliant chance, a free header from 7 yards that missed by a mile. Yeni Ngbakoto fired a shot straight at Young that had power but that lack of direction made it an easy grab. Mrcela picked up the first yellow card for a stupid challenge in the middle of the pitch against Troisi, it was late and hammered Troisi in the back for no reason.

In the last minutes of the half Lawrence Thomas pulled out a great save after Nicolas Milanovic took advantage of lazy play in the defensive third, running in to steal the ball from what should have been a routine clearance before an ambitious first time effort from a long way out. Thomas was taken by surprised but dove to his right, turning it away for a corner. The first half ended with the Wanderers dominated, and lucky to only be one goal behind. They created almost nothing in attack and the one golden chance was spurned by Krpic. As a whole the team looked disinterested, slow and were out enthused by the team on the bottom of the table.

Amalfitano had to come off at half-time after taking a dizzying knock to the head right before the break. He was replaced by Daniel Wilmering. Krpic wasted his second glorious chance of the game, getting past Imai and having the ball one on one with Young from 6 yards out that he couldn't get past the keeper. Shortly after the hour Aidan Simmons came on for his A-League debut in place of Bozanic, with Brandon Borrello making way for Alessandro Lopane. Western United responded with in the 75th minute with their experienced talisman Alessandro Diamanti and 20 year old Noah Botic.

Nieuwenhof drew a wonderful save out of Young with a 20 yard left footed strike, the keeper jumping straight up to turn it away for a corner that the Wanderers did little with but managed to win another corner at the protest of the Western United players calling for a handball. Rudan threw on Ramy Najjarine, and in the 87th, Marcelo appeared to be injured as he left the field to be replaced by Ruon Tongyik. Gabriel Cleur compounded his poor game with a blatant yellow card as he dragged down Pain having fallen himself. Jacob Tratt could have sealed the match from a set piece, he was totally unmarked despite just the two attackers being outnumbered by 6 defenders, but his header sliced wide.

WSW created absolutely nothing in the dying minutes, the game summed up when Mrcela managed to miscontrol the ball after it was slowly rolled to him by Thomas. Following their draw with 9th placed Wellington, adding a loss to last placed Western United bodes poorly heading into Christmas and the New Year period, but even with the poor performance overall it could have been rewarded with three points if Krpic had taken his chances like a high paid foreign striker should have.

The Wanderers next match is against the Brisbane Roar on Friday the 23rd of December in Redcliffe Queensland with kick off at 7:45pm Sydney time.

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[nmh94]

The last point is a good one. As rubbish as we were in attack, ultimately we still had two sitters, and Krpic ****ed em both.

[ZachMercer]

Coming off the events of yesterday, what a pathetic and lethargic display from the entire team. I ain't gonna put it on Krpic alone. Our transition is slower than a zimmer frame. No energy or enthusiasim.

[Keithie]

We need a decent striker if we are to entertain thoughts of finishing in the top 6 let’s not forget Western United were last leading into this game  , happy with most of the other players but the other issue is we have no depth so injuries could be our biggest threat.

[Upthehill]

We are dreadful. Just like seasons gone, don't let our position on the table trick you. ******* hopeless.

Krpic was terrible but what on earth is Rudan doing with changes? None of them make sense.

Lopane at DM. Wilmering at LW. Ngbakoto at 9/false 9. Simmons, almost entirely a left sided player, playing on the right. 

 

[Wanderboy]

Quote @SmoggyWhat an instantly forgettable weekend. 
 

I do stuff Sunday afternoons and gave it up for this shite ppffttt.

 

................................................................................

 

I just spent the last 30 minutes of the game with the tv on mute, watching the game while I was talking to my 90 year old mum and 88 year old dementia ridden and blind dad, about our family Christmas gathering yesterday and what a great day it was.

The phone call was far more exciting and happier than what I was watching on the tele.

Seriously disappointed in that performance.

A fun work Christmas party on Friday night and the family one yesterday have been highlights of my weekend and at least I have something to smile about this weekend.

Last night at AAMI and today at AAMI have absolutely neutered those positive vibes. 

[pseudonym]

WSW Season 22/23

 

[Zelinsky]

Crap. We rejoined the race to the bottom. 

[Upthehill]

4 minutes ago, Zelinsky said:

Crap. We rejoined the race to the bottom. 

And we have the momentum baby!

[Davo]

We’ve won 1 of our last 4 and 2 of our last 6. Those two wins were against 10th and 8th. Just lost to last.

[Upthehill]

13 minutes ago, Davo said:

We’ve won 1 of our last 4 and 2 of our last 6. Those two wins were against 10th and 8th. Just lost to last.

@Davoif I wanted to make myself depressed further I'd go look at my pitiful attempt at an investment portfolio.

I did not consent to this...

[Davo]

26 minutes ago, Upthehill said:

@Davoif I wanted to make myself depressed further I'd go look at my pitiful attempt at an investment portfolio.

I did not consent to this...

If you didn’t sell your BCF shares when the Socceroos got knocked out of the World Cup that’s on you.

[sonar]

43 minutes ago, Davo said:

We’ve won 1 of our last 4 and 2 of our last 6. Those two wins were against 10th and 8th. Just lost to last.

Tbh we can defend.

The problems are upfront. We can't score goals which is the main aim of the game. 

Krpic isn't the answer. He proved that today.

Until our go forward is resolved we're going to struggle big time.

The Roar will be hard to break down so another draw or loss incoming you would think.

 

[WanderingToqui]

Welcome to Blacktown Luís Suárez! 

[StringerBellend]

19 minutes ago, sonar said:

Tbh we can defend.

 

 

Not for the first goal we couldn't stood around like training cones 

[Edinburgh]

8 minutes ago, StringerBellend said:

Not for the first goal we couldn't stood around like training cones 

First goal? Did I miss something, was there more? 

I think I stayed awake during the whole match.

Edited December 18, 2022 by Edinburgh

[JustWandering]

I don't think the heavy touch that a lot of our team suffer from is condusive to fast ball movement. Under the press we struggle to keep possession let alone getting the ball forward.

[GE942150]

Post match presser

Rudan doesn't believe that they were better than us.

Said that we started too slow and pointed out the obvious that Krpic's 2 missed one on one chances were the difference.

However, is not concerned by the lack goals......

Also, the journo thought that we had only scored 1 goal in the last 4 games and Rudan quickly corrected him 😄 

 

[Legionista]

Maybe we can snag Ronny?

[mack]

16 minutes ago, GE942150 said:

Also, the journo thought that we had only scored 1 goal in the last 4 games and Rudan quickly corrected him

Very weird statement, I don't think any club in the entire league matched it. I think he might have meant that WSW have only got at most 1 goal in the last four games, which would be accurate.

[Edinburgh]

Well at least we came up with a new chant today. 

We can't hear anyone sing, 

We can't hear anyone sing, 

We can't hear anyone sing, we'll sing on our own, 

We wanna go home, 

This is the worst trip we've ever been on  ......

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by Edinburgh

[Hughesy]

I’ve missed our last 2 games cause of Christmas parties… haven’t had a chance to watch last weeks replay and sounds like I wouldn’t be missing this weeks either…

[StringerBellend]

18 minutes ago, hughsey said:

I’ve missed our last 2 games cause of Christmas parties… haven’t had a chance to watch last weeks replay and sounds like I wouldn’t be missing this weeks either…

Missing less than Kripic 

[Sithslayer1991]

performance was as flat as I felt this whole weekend... Plus the sitters caps off what a terrible week it has been

[nmh94]

38 minutes ago, hughsey said:

I’ve missed our last 2 games cause of Christmas parties… haven’t had a chance to watch last weeks replay and sounds like I wouldn’t be missing this weeks either…

Don't do it. Really, don't. Today was a crime against football.

[Smoggy]

46 minutes ago, hughsey said:

I’ve missed our last 2 games cause of Christmas parties… haven’t had a chance to watch last weeks replay and sounds like I wouldn’t be missing this weeks either…

Would still rather have gone through this weekend and last, as bad as it has been, than attend Christmas parties. All that festive frivolity would be utterly depressing.

Edited December 18, 2022 by Smoggy

[WSWJACK]

Cant be arsed to watch World Cup final in the morning, it's eeriely all gone flat 

[mack]

1 hour ago, WSWJACK said:

Cant be arsed to watch World Cup final in the morning, it's eeriely all gone flat 

It's not often you can get to watch a match that will crown someone as the GOAT of their sport.

I remember thinking that when I was watching the Superbowl from last year with Brady as the once and future greatest in that sport, and this is what is on the line for Messi.

[WSWJACK]

11 hours ago, mack said:

It's not often you can get to watch a match that will crown someone as the GOAT of their sport.

I remember thinking that when I was watching the Superbowl from last year with Brady as the once and future greatest in that sport, and this is what is on the line for Messi.

Get your point of view Mack, but for me it will always be Pele 

[SBW]

It was like Carl Robinson has come back to coach us again.

Krpic, he does good things off the ball but he’s not A-League level striker, to me he’s more of an NPL1 standard striker where the tempo is a bit slower which suits Krpic.

I don’t know what’s the story with Yengi but if he’s fit, he needs to start against the Roar on Friday night.

Also, we looked very lethargic, the players looked completely gassed by halftime, watching RBTV last night, one of the boys mentioned that during the WC Break, the players had intense training and would explain why players are getting niggling injuries and are completely gassed.