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  • Popovic Abandons WSW On Brink Of Season

    mack

    By mack

    Tony Popovic has dramatically exited the Western Sydney Wanderers a mere week out from the opening of the 2017/18 A-League Season

    Reports have indicated that Popovic received & accepted a shock offer from Turkish side Karabukspor, a  inconsistent, occasionally relegated side who have gone through coach after coach in the past 5 years. His tenure at the Wanderers resulted in the club becoming the first ever Australian winners of the Asian Champions League, while domestically his output was less than expected after he failed to add to the single A-League Premiership the club won in their inaugural season. 

    After rejecting multiple offers from clubs in England & China after winning the Asian Champions league, he has finally accepted what appears to be a quite mediocre club for his first major opportunity overseas. The awful timing sees the Wanderers scrambling to find a replacement manager to take charge of the Round 1 fixture against Perth Glory. 

    One minor benefit for whoever the new coach will be is that unlike previous seasons, the Wanderers recruited well & early, putting together a strong squad with all 5 foreign spots filled early into pre-season. The benefits have shown as the Wanderers have made their way into the FFA Cup semi-finals and have been touted as a top 4, if not top 2, squad in the A-League.

    It is likely that Wanderers chairman Paul Lederer & CEO John Tsatsimas has already potentially scouted new staff as Popovic's contract was expiring at the end of the season, and the obvious targets include Ante Milicic, currently an assist with the Australian National Team, Josep Gombau, who is in charge of the Australian U23/Olympic team. Should the club want to look to promote coach from the NPL they could seek out the services of Mark Rudan, Chris Taylor from South Melbourne, or Mark Crittenden from Blacktown City. Ian Crook will run the club in a caretaker fashion until an appointment is made.

    Ultimately the club will need to move forward quickly from the "Popovic Era", find a coach that can bring quick success to a club that has not won a title for the past 3 seasons. Popovic's style was highly authoritarian, and said to be total control over the football side of the club. It will be an adjustment for the players & staff regardless of who takes over the role, and whoever wins the job will have high expectations from day one.

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    Neverbloom

    i know getting a coach is not about personality as such, many would say popa didnt have a great personality but with ange even before he was a coach for the brisbane roar, there was always something i just didnt like about him, cant quite put my finger on it though

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    Prydzopolis

    With Ange, one thing you can’t argue is his pedigree. The only way I’d see him coming here is if we lost the qualifiers against Syria.... scratch that, can’t see him coming here even then, has said he has aspirations to coach overseas. If he did, it would be for one season, rather bring in someone for the long term.

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    JayZko

    Rofl i reckon it’s actually for the best not speaking for this season yet but the recruiting Has been piss poor and I bet the assistant coach has been doing it so that’s who should be left to fall on the sword 😁

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    lloydy136

    gombau will not work imo. we don't have the players to play tiki-taka and our fanbase doesn't have the capacity to be patient while he implements it (remember adelaide's struggles while they adapted).

    our success last season in the second half of the year came when popa adapted to what he had and dropped the defensive line back (which suited corny & aspro) and played more direct (which suited baccus and santa) - to play the way gombau wants you can't do either of these things. its just not going to work.

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    JayZko

    Maybe it’s the drugs alcohol or sleeping tablets images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ4YxnBVkd1uhMuopXrgL0 

    we need somebody this caliber as success is crucial 

     the poor mans been flogging a dead horse with China lol

    Edited by JayZko
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    Smoggy

    Who else is outta work these days.....hmmmm Aitor Karanka Boros old gaffer lol If you want someone with zero personality, zero carisma and a legendary stubborness and a inability to accept any responsibility for things going wrong then he is your man.....he will even throw in a training ground bust up with players and not turn up for a match......he is a no brainer, cant think why he hasnt been snapped up already.

     

    He is Spanish anyway so thats a positive right?

    Edited by WSWBoro
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    Wobblies
    45 minutes ago, WSWBoro said:

    Who else is outta work these days.....hmmmm Aitor Karanka Boros old gaffer lol If you want someone with zero personality, zero carisma and a legendary stubborness and a inability to accept any responsibility for things going wrong then he is your man.....he will even throw in a training ground bust up with players and not turn up for a match......he is a no brainer, cant think why he hasnt been snapped up already.

     

    He is Spanish anyway so thats a positive right?

    Des Hasler. I think he speaks another language,  well he did anytime I heard him speak.

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    JayZko

    I don’t want to be Adelaide utd

    (enough Spanish influence please only one Spanish coach Josip)  That’s it!!!!!!!!! 

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    mack
    55 minutes ago, beatsurrender said:

    Anyone but Crook though. 

    Crook won't be getting it. Firstly he wouldn't apply for it, Secondly no sane Chairman/CEO would appoint him after he bottled it at SFC.

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    Smoggy
    14 minutes ago, mack said:

    Crook won't be getting it. Firstly he wouldn't apply for it, Secondly no sane Chairman/CEO would appoint him after he bottled it at SFC.

    Decent enough guy but always best working in an assistant type role or making the half time drinks, never head coach material and as you say I doubt he would ever be seriously considered for the top job, even if he did ok in a caretaker type role. 

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    Neverbloom

    on Rudan or Gombau personality wise what are they like as a coach? i worry that Gombau will accuse every player who is a father of having a **** goalkeeper son but otherwise i think he is good personality wise, i pretty much know nothing about Rudan and they are the 2 i see most likely

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    EmMac
    13 hours ago, GoatyMcGoatFace said:

    i know getting a coach is not about personality as such, many would say popa didnt have a great personality but with ange even before he was a coach for the brisbane roar, there was always something i just didnt like about him, cant quite put my finger on it though

    I know what you mean - he's a miserable chunt

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    StringerBellend
    43 minutes ago, mack said:

    Crook won't be getting it. Firstly he wouldn't apply for it, Secondly no sane Chairman/CEO would appoint him after he bottled it at SFC.

    I'm not by any means #crookin but he got badly shafted by sydney. Was setting his team up to play a high tempo game, they dump a 40 year old media circus act on him that doesn't want to track back...

    I think it will be Rudan, or Josip. I dig the idea of the Blacktown city guy they play sexual football for a NPL team 

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    Paul01
    35 minutes ago, StringerBellend said:

    I'm not by any means #crookin but he got badly shafted by sydney. Was setting his team up to play a high tempo game, they dump a 40 year old media circus act on him that doesn't want to track back...

    I think it will be Rudan, or Josip. I dig the idea of the Blacktown city guy they play sexual football for a NPL team 

    How about Gombau with Foxe (if he stays) and Papas or Crittenden plus Covic as GK coach.

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    mintoff
    14 hours ago, beatsurrender said:

    Josip in. Bye bye Sotirio and Jumpy

    Sotirio was one of the best players in Josip latest international games.

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    WestSyd

    At this stage it would be best if Gombau took over as he is best positioned. He has watched many of our games, knows the Spanish language (obvious advantage), has worked with a few of our younger players already, knows the A-league well and his enthusiasm and passion would be good for the club. Also would be liked amongst the support base. I personally think Rudan would be a mistake, but who knows?

    I also think a new manager might actually get a few players who were getting comfortable under Popa to lift their game. Players always have to prove themselves under a new manager, and I just feel like we have some players who should be attempting to raise their level if we are to progress this year. They would probably learn a lot under Gombau as well. The Blacktown City coach as assistant to learn his apprenticeship.

    Edited by WestSyd
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    Paul01
    1 minute ago, WestSyd said:

    At this stage it would be best if Gombau took over as he is best positioned. He has watched many of our games, knows the Spanish language (obvious advantage), has worked with a few of our younger players already, knows the A-league well, and his enthusiasm and passion would be good for the club. Also would be liked amongst the support base. I personally think Rudan would be a mistake, but who knows?

    I also think a new manager might actually get a few players who were getting comfortable under Popa to lift their game. Players always have to prove themselves under a new manager, and I just feel like we have some players who should be attempting to raise their level if we are to progress this year. Thy would probably learn a lot under Gombau as well. The Blacktown City coach as assistant to learn his apprenticeship.

    Plus Gombau would help with the academy as he was there too.

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    Jukes01

    I still haven't lost hope on keeping Carrasco and slotting him into the top job. We still don't know if all the assistant coaches and backroom staff are going with Popovic. If you were an aspiring coach with a young settled family in Western Sydney would it appeal to you to uproot the family again and move them to Turkey. He might go to Turkey he might not but if the club offers him the role, I reckon he stays. 

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    ZachMercer

    I wouldn't rule out a lot of OS coaching interest. There'd be quite a few that would want our club on the resume, but do think it will go to a known.

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