Alen Stajcic Discussion

[StringerBellend]

4 minutes ago, matty said:

You'd look good in Chers outfit mate

Thanks you. 

I will take that into consideration 

Maybe I can start an OnlyFans site 

 

[William]

2 hours ago, matty said:

I looked, there was little to no #stajout, mostly just concern.

You must have looked in the wrong thread stringer had a cut a paste process working but he has seen the light even though it may only be temporary depending what has happened at 9:45pm tomorrow night 

Edited Friday at 01:45 AM by William

[Zelinsky]

13 hours ago, mack said:

Staj flew very close to the sun at Christmas/January after coming in with a dismal previous season at Perth. After 14 games the team was equal 9th (with the Nix in 10th by goal difference) with 1 more loss than win and a barely positive goal difference.

That awful midweek match vs Perth that the team scraped through 2-1, losing to the Mariners then Auckland before barely getting over the line vs the time wasting Roar, it wasn't looking great.

But the defence got more solid after the 3-3 with the Smurfs and the attack began to fire and now there's a long unbeaten streak and we will see just how much Stajcic had worked on the 'mentality' in the Finals.

The results by midseason, after 13 rounds, were not much different to those of 12/13. The key difference between then and now: Popa played with six imports, predominantly as starting players, Stajcic just with one (Kraev), with a bit of Mata and Antonsson off the bench. It just took the youngens a bit longer than the seasoned pros of 12/13 to fire.

While football is results driven, there has been far more at stake here since June 2024. In the past, Lederer and JT rejected certain managers as they considered them as "good, but not that good", and since Popa's departure the club was not able to sign a manager who was able to stabilize the club. There was an aura of "trains planes and automobiles" when considering the tenures and departures of Gombau, Babbel, JP (twice), CR and Rudan. There can be now doubt that the brand WSW had taken a hit.

And so it took a palace revolution to crank the windows open for the stench of Rudan to disappear. As good a recruiter Bosnar was, he needed to go if significant change was meant to happen. It was a high risk move (or perhaps even a gamble) for Cheng and the other board members to force Lederer's hand. As the new chairman believed in Stajcic, the previous season at Perth was irrelevant. At lot was at stake, and looking at the table, they will feel vindicated already. 

It is no secret that the board considers youth development (which goes hand in hand with the often mocked training facilities) as the club's crown jewel. Successive managers have been unable and/or unwilling to promote youth players. Stajcic has done the opposite. It speaks volumes that both Scicluna and Priestman kept (and keep) Mata on the bench, that Zapsford does the same with Antonsson, that Taekwondo is not missed at all, and that Laws (despite his experience in Switzerland) has not been able to clinch the spot of Bonetig and Panta .

Stajcic's performance has been remarkable. The politics have settled, the team is performing and getting results, the club feels rejuvenated, and Stajcic has done the seemingly impossible: he built a squad with young players at the core. Irrespective of the result tomorrow, if he signs a long term contract extension then I'll be very happy. We might even be able to dust off the old "pride power west" slogan. He certainly put the West back into WSW.

[matty]

2 hours ago, William said:

You must have looked in the wrong thread stringer had a cut a paste process working but he has seen the light even though it may only be temporary depending what has happened at 9:45pm tomorrow night 

Seen the light? You're sounding like a fundamentalist... 

[Carns]

#StajOut

[mack]

four more years for staj 

[StringerBellend]

I give him a B maybe a B+.

I don't mean that to be bad. He's largely made going to the game fun again. We play some good footy.

I'm still on the StajIn camp. Young players having a good go, and playing with a bit of pride that's a good thing.

We have had a good run. 

I might hold off on the tatoo

Edited Saturday at 01:44 PM by StringerBellend

[SBW]

He gets a pass for this season. 

How he prepares for next season to build on from this season will be crucial for him.

[Smoggy]

Yeah...he should be here next season...he gets another go.

He blotted his report card last night though and is no longer sexy.

Expectations are also high for next season.

Edited Saturday at 09:29 PM by Smoggy

[PedroPony]

8 hours ago, SBW said:

He gets a pass for this season. 

How he prepares for next season to build on from this season will be crucial for him.

Yes definitely a pass. He is outstanding in terms of building a positive culture, prioritising youth development, and it looks like we have finally shaken off the toxicity at the club on and off the field. 

The big difference between this season and Rudans good season is that this feels like something we can build on. Rudan was very reliant on star foreign players who then left and gutted the squad. 

Where Staj falls short is he can get outcoached. There is no question that our players tried hard last night, but once we let a goal in we didn't know what to do next. And then in the second half victory just managed the game out. A bit more ruthlessness in the planning going into this game would have been good and is what Staj needs to take from this 

I would offer Staj another year and then go from there.

[matty]

19 minutes ago, PedroPony said:

Yes definitely a pass. He is outstanding in terms of building a positive culture, prioritising youth development, and it looks like we have finally shaken off the toxicity at the club on and off the field. 

The big difference between this season and Rudans good season is that this feels like something we can build on. Rudan was very reliant on star foreign players who then left and gutted the squad. 

Where Staj falls short is he can get outcoached. There is no question that our players tried hard last night, but once we let a goal in we didn't know what to do next. And then in the second half victory just managed the game out. A bit more ruthlessness in the planning going into this game would have been good and is what Staj needs to take from this 

I would offer Staj another year and then go from there.

I would offer Staj an assistant with tactical aptitude.

[immortalshogun]

He gets a pass mark for the season and at minimum should get another year, although i think club will opt for two years for some stability. There are players that clearly want to play for Staj and enjoy the system he uses but its just the big game mentality that we’re lacking in. 

Looking forward to see how we go in the cup!

[VedranRozic]

I am starting an epic poem. Contributions welcome…

 

The Wanderers’ lament

 

His name is Alen Stajcic

And some people think he is magic

But he will never win us anything 

Because his coaching is really tragic

 

Another Wanderers super-coach

Who promised us elation

But the truth is we are really lucky

This league has no relegation

 

Give him time they say

He will come good

But I reckon we would be better off

With a coaching dummy made of wood

 

At the start of every season

They feed our dreams  and hopes

But come the finals series

We all end up feeling like dopes

 

Cos we give em our hard-earned

With promises of superiority

But all they end up giving us back

Is mid-table mediocrity

 

[GE942150]

I doubt he would accept a one year deal after getting us to finals. For this season it was fair as he was coming from Perth who finished dead last. 2 years is fair based on this seasons results and for stability.

Edited yesterday at 12:49 AM by GE942150

[Smoggy]

34 minutes ago, VedranRozic said:

I am starting an epic poem. Contributions welcome…

 

 

The Wanderers’ lament

 

His name is Alen Stajcic

And some people think he is magic

But he will never win us anything 

Because his coaching is really tragic

 

Another Wanderers super-coach

Who promised us elation

But the truth is we are really lucky

This league has no relegation

 

Give him time they say

He will come good

But I reckon we would be better off

With a coaching dummy made of wood

 

At the start of every season

They feed our dreams  and hopes

But come the finals series

We all end up feeling like dopes

 

Cos we give em our hard-earned

With promises of superiority

But all they end up giving us back

Is mid-table mediocrity

 

 In fields of green with passion bright,

There stands Staj, a guiding light. 

With tactics keen and vision wide,

He leads the team with heart and pride. 

 

Each player knows their role to play,

Under his watch, they find their way. 

Through wins and losses, he stands tall,

A football manager, inspiring all.

[VedranRozic]

1 minute ago, Smoggy said:

 In fields of green with passion bright,

There stands Staj, a guiding light. 

With tactics keen and vision wide,

He leads the team with heart and pride. 

 

Each player knows their role to play,

Under his watch, they find their way. 

Through wins and losses, he stands tall,

A football manager, inspiring all.

I said epic poem, not fantasy…

[marron]

The off season looms

and fans waste their time writing

bad poetry. ****.

Edited yesterday at 01:10 AM by marron

[Smoggy]

9 minutes ago, marron said:

The off season looms

and fans waste their time writing

bad poetry. ****.

Don't blame me..blame AI...

[VedranRozic]

5 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Don't blame me..blame AI...

I thought it was too good to be true. 
 

I did mine old school. Have to get the bile out somehow.

[VedranRozic]

19 minutes ago, marron said:

The off season looms

and fans waste their time writing

bad poetry. ****.

It’s a response to watching bad football

[Smoggy]

33 minutes ago, marron said:

The off season looms

and fans waste their time writing

bad poetry. ****.

And anyway..yes..it is off-season time...So thinking..who would win a fight between a gorilla and 30 average men? It's been on my mind.  Only 5 months to go.

[VedranRozic]

12 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

And anyway..yes..it is off-season time...So thinking..who would win a fight between a gorilla and 30 average men? It's been on my mind.  Only 5 months to go.

Depends which side is being coached by Staj.

[Sithslayer1991]

Staj extension please. Core of the team is already retained. Just need Saps to sign on. And then we can just get stronger

[Zelinsky]

I am struggling to understand what it is that Stajcic has been doing so terribly wrong. If anything, I see a break with tradition when it comes to incoming managers. 

Gombau takes over an expensive squad that was put together to challenge for the title - no finals football.

Babbel takes over the rest of Popa’s squad, plus Baumjohann etc - no finals football.

JP takes over from Babbel - no finals football.

CR comes late, cobbles something together - no finals football.

Rudan comes mid season, takes over another expensive squad - no finals football.

Stajic comes very late, takes over Rudan’s squad, then loses the captain, adds Kraev and a few squaddies, backs young local players instead of AL journeymen or overrated imports - finals football.

What exactly is the bit that I am supposed to get upset about? That he hasn’t won a title yet? His last season at Perth? That he is Serb not Croat? That he doesn’t have a booming voice like Rudan? That he didn’t field Mata more often? 

 

 

[mack]

Very late?

Stajcic came in 4 months before round 1. 

Robinson was a month and a half. Gombau & Rudan were ~6 rounds after the season started, JP ~15 rounds in. Babbel got 5 months as he was appointed a month after the previous season ended. Popovic also had 5 months time before the first round.

As for what he did wrong, he was completely outcoached by a rookie, took 20 rounds to sort out his squad & get them playing alright, and didn't stop the same old problem of WSW teams who show no intensity until they go behind.

[Zelinsky]

27 minutes ago, mack said:

Stajcic came in 4 months before round 1. 

Oh, come on, Mack. You know very well that all quality domestic players are off the market early in the year. There was little Stajcic could add to the squad until the transfer window opened again in Jan. That’s what I meant with “late”, that’s why the uncertainty around Rudan and Bosnar a year ago was so problematic.

As for your second paragraph: if only it was so simple “to sort out a squad” - Gombau etc sure weren’t able to do the very thing. What actually was your expectation? That they would play like a well oiled machine right from the word go? You don’t think that it is an achievement that they played well, had an unbeaten run, and came fourth?

Over the years, much has been said about the “spine” of a team. This year ours  consisted of players in their early 20ies who in the second half the season at least held their own against seasoned pros. That didn’t come from nowhere, had to develop. It is to the credit of the coaching and playing groups that they got to this point. 

Suit yourself if you want to scrub all of this because of last night. I will do the opposite. 

[mack]

We're in a season where a team that didn't exist were able to win the league by a mile. Victory went from last place in 20/21 to 2nd placed in 21/22 & won the Australia Cup that year. A good coach doesn't need a waiting period.

I don't care if our team is filled with 15 or 35 year olds. I care about winning trophies and I expect a good coach should be capable of winning at least one, or at minimum, finishing in the top 4 and making at least one of the Australia Cup or Grand Finals. This was another failed season.

[VedranRozic]

Rudan in his first full season got us to the  finals. In fact this season’s result was exactly the same as Rudan’s first full season: came fourth, knocked out 2-1 in the semi-final where, like last night, we shat the bed.

I am not an advocate for Rudan. It just tells us where we are heading with Staj.  Last night he was out-thought by an academy coach. Not the first time this has happened this season. I remember looking at the dugout in the second half. He was slumped back in his seat. Clear he had run out of ideas. And then to bring on Carluccio….

Sure he has brought on some younger players but that has been by necessity not choice. And all that means is he should run our academy not our first team.

I have never been convinced by him. But last night I was desperate for him to prove me wrong. Instead we got a limp capitulation. And it’s not just one game. Occasions that last night seperate the good coaches from the also-rans. And like what happened with Rudan in 22/23 Staj was found out.

[Del12]

Staj has a very underpowered squad who overachieved, he copped criticism the whole time whilst giving us entertaining football. Since we put that bloody star on our crest we have been abysmal as a club. Victory were always a good team but under performed anyone can see that looking at our teams on paper. Some of our superstar attackers didn't step up when we needed them to for more than bits and pieces of the match. Overall, from what this team looked like at the end of last season to now is chalk and cheese. Dont campare Rudans first year finals team which was stacked to this team, give that team to Staj and we would see a different outcome. Our club has been broken for a long time and it needed a massive reset to build a proper foundation on, not just base it on one man like we did with Popa. We saw how that ended when he left. Management to players the culture became horrific. The culture now and what was achieved is something to build on for next year which we have not had in a long time and its such a positive for us to look forward to. How have we not enjoyed the roller coaster of the undbeaten streak since Jan? 58 goals in the season? Entertaining games? Comebacks which we would never have even considered possible in the past? Yeah we bombed out and it sucks but far out, we should be looking forward to seeing what he has got in store next instead of bagging the guy. 

[StringerBellend]

This we over achieved is bollocks.

With that squad we didn't over achieve or under achieve we achieved. Ok it was un balanced, but it's a better squad than Adelaide, the bulls etc.