BoyFromTheWest

I actually disagree that the players are lazy.... Certainly last night! I have a quite different perspective on last night's game than I've read on here and other places. I thought that for a team low on confidence with some regulars out, no striker and one (at least) returning from injury we actually did pretty well against a top three team, reigning premiers and one of the best attacks of the A League. Forneroli has been one of the success stories of the A League - he's been a little slower getting going this year but still banging in some good goals and doesn't need much space. Castro is still one of the top couple of A League players and could get a start in any team. These two run rings around teams but were kept pretty quiet last night. Forneroli was reduced to diving, falling and living up to his moniker, Fakeroli. He was pathetic and sucked the ref in a few times. Castro ran backwards more often than not. McGowan/Elrich worked hard on Forneroli (except for one slip up and a soft goal). Zeigler and Schwegler kept Castro relatively quiet. Jurman kept Chianese under control. This was an adjustment in style and set up and it largely worked (except for a soft goal). Lopar hardly raised a sweat on a muggy night. We didn't have the class up front but moving to a front 2 with Duke and Yeboah looked much better. Duke and Muller had freedom to move around and Kamau (he frustrates the hell out of me normally) I thought was pretty good. He and Elrich kept Meredith relatively under control - he tore up Jets and has been pretty good. We also weren't overrun in the midfield. For me, the players do put in but are sometimes clueless about what to do - the much-vaunted lack of a plan (thought I saw one last night). I still reckon our problems come from not having the front man who can make the right runs and finish, so there is nowhere for the ball to go up front. Perth sat back and went into the old Popa style kick long and run - very different from how they've been playing and I suggest that at least part of this was we actually played alright. There have been a few games where we've played alright but without the right person up front to make the right run, get that last ball and finish, we have not had anywhere to go and have to retreat. I think we often assume introverted players who are not outwardly demonstrable are lazy, disinterested and don't want to be part of the team. Perhaps they are just internalizing their responses and trying make it work. Not everyone has the outward demonstrable stuff of Georgevski or Zeigler.

I am wondering about players and coaches form higher level leagues in A League. I am really trying to think about how many players from the very top leagues (and coaches) have actually made it here? Most of the players that have excelled have been from lower leagues where there is more grunt and less technical ability. It seems to me that players and coaches who are used to high levels of technical play (as opposed to physical and more kick and run that we see in A League - even last night where Reddy kicked as long as possible for them to run onto) don't get A League adn find it hard to come down to a different level of football - it is a big change to make. I kind of wonder whether Babbel still overrated his players - especially the locals - expecting them to be able to hold to a higher technical style, reading the game and responding, understanding a tactical strategy that is more technical than our lot are used to. I cannot believe that he has no clue about tactics. I wonder if it is more that he (like some of the players from higher leagues) aren't able to adjust to a very different and probably much lower technical style that is more physical and grunt?

Actually we went from Cox (unreleased by his club in pre-season) to Meier (via who knows who else) back to Cox who has now been released. Babbel said he was the target pre-season abut the club wouldn't let him go. He's now available, wanted to come then and eager now. I don't think this is knee-jerk reaction. Also said he can play 9 or 10 but wants to score. I guess we will see. He's certainly more mobile and a very different style to Meier, so there will be a difference...

To me sounds a bit like this but more that he brought Meier in (2nd, 3rd...choice) and really likes the guy, knows his quality and professionalism and was as disappointed for Meier as for himself that it didn't work out. Wendy, I agree that this is a different sounding Babbel from previous weeks. I thought his defence and protection of Meier's interests and personal issues was very commendable. I don't hear him being accusative but keeps speaking in positive ways about the players - they can do it. Seems that he needs a couple of bits to change and go right; needs the team to play together and for everyone to get on the same page for 90+ minutes. We will see. But he did sound relieved - relieved that he has the striker he originally wanted and relieved that Alex has been treated with respect and a good solution was found for everyone. He also sounded as if he is under no illusions that he is under pressure for the results and it is on his head. He understands the fans displeasure etc, so we will see...

Don't know about club but they 'hated' him in the National Team set up and wanted him gone. We took him and saved them a big problem. Maybe something happened to him after he was tossed by Adelaide? Maybe he didn't deal with that or discovered his famed 'philosophy' or whatever. Perhaps he was just the absolutely wrong person for that team at that point in time - a team in crisis after being brought together and prepared by Popa - including recruits who were talked into coming here by Popa and were looking for particular outcomes... It all turned to dust before the season started. Maybe Gombau didn't/couldn't read the mood, the need and couldn't work with where player's heads were? I have no idea and al just putting forward theories like most others on here - shooting crap out of the back end and seeing if some sticks, sound right... I have no real idea why Gumby was who he was in NT and WSW but he left neither with a good rep or much respect.

Not sure where the story that the players didn't want to play for Gombau actually comes from - at least not at the start. He was embraced and then went about dismantling everything, rejecting players without any reason or comment except 'I don't like you' and did his utmost best to get everyone off-side. Gombau had to work hard to become hated and impossible to work with and play for. If it wasn't for players like Santa who positively intervened in different occasions to help make the right decisions and broker some peace between player and coach it could have been much worse. Santa was scathing after the season. He didn't say much through it and just got on as best he could. He is that sort of guy. From most of our comments on here (on various people involved in the club and league) and the way we are intolerant of stupidity or poor decisions, I doubt there would be many of us (certainly not me) who would have put up with Gombau for more than 5 minutes. Santa is a rarity and legend and why we need him back in some significant capacity. But even he did not hold back at season end after Gumby was shown the door. Shafting him was the right decision and that has nothing to do with Babbel who will (and should be) judged on his own accomplishments or otherwise.

They hated him in the national set up and were glad we gave them a way out - to get rid of him. Don't know what it was in Adelaide but also took Amor half a season to set them on the right track and become a truly winning side .

It wasn't just pissy players, Mack. Gombau was a disaster and lost just about everyone. He was a very poor manager and disenfranchised everyone except the few young ones who he knew from Joeys. I know one former part of the club who absolutely hated his time with Gombau at the helm and subsequently left (he's doing very well with another club now). He said everything with Gombau was toxic and he did nothing for the youth. Where there's smoke there's probably fire - as people have quoted on hear often. The critics of Gombau, the manager, are not limited to a few but pretty universal. He didn't get sacked because he missed the finals (that may have been a part). He got sacked because he lost everybody and turned everyone off.

So how do you account for the difference between Wander women and everything about them this season and the A League Team?

Maybe its time to have a 'citizens coaching group'. We all work out a roster of availability for training sessions and gameday. Probably couldn't do much worse and we are the experts!!!

I think I'd like to distinguish between club and team. The Wander Women are brilliant and great to watch. I reckon if we had Lyn Williams out there heading the line we'd have scored a few. The A League team are now a disaster and sadly no improvement in the basic stuff. They were better in the 2nd half but I never really felt convinced that we would score. The defending against Cacaces goal was pretty poor.

I think you're right. They are lacking confidence and trying to hard, tensing up and everything looks really bad.

We really only need one player up front to be able to control the ball, run with the ball and kick the ball. No-one can! Yeboah seems to completely lack confidence. Where's the guy who put a brilliant goal past Leeds???? Where's the Adam of the FFA Cup v Perth????

The way Yeboah and Adam are dribbling and controlling the ball, they make Sotirio look very good! Yeboah finally has a ball at his feet in space and can't dribble.

Don't know if this is the best place for this but a great article on WSW Women's team and how the club have worked to make this happen, including recruitment and support of the coaching staff to get everything they want/need. It points to the positive side of the club and that, despite the boys not working, all is not bad in the club and we do get some things very right. Perhaps we are only able to get one team each season across the line with any sort of success - the youth have been impressive in previous seasons. We don't seem to be able to get all three teams on target at once! https://thewomensgame.com/news/why-we-got-every-player-we-wanted-doesnt-tell-the-whole-wanderers-story-536248