Western Sydney Wanderers

[Ghost]

Popovic to replace Gombau must be quite likely.

[Interloper]

Would love him to coach the Socceroos but I doubt he will.

The inability to work with the squad he's got would be a big mark against him for coaching a national team, where there is no "bringing in your own players", about to participate in a world cup with no competitive games to adjust to the style between now and then.

[bpowell454]

Popovic is getting the axe after 8 straight losses according to Fox.

If Arnold gets the socceroo gig (shudder) and then Popovic gets the vacant SFC gig.... it might make the Sydney derbies a bit more spicy.

[EdDog]

Popovic is getting the axe after 8 straight losses according to Fox.

If Arnold gets the socceroo gig (shudder) and then Popovic gets the vacant SFC gig.... it might make the Sydney derbies a bit more spicy.

As much as I don't rate Popovic as a coach he's had a pretty tumultuous time over there.

If I were Sydney I would poach Gomby and let Popa return to WSW.

[EdDog]

WSW have noticed Adelaide theyre interested in signing 4 of our uncontacted players. Specifically mentuoned were Elrich and Elsey. Apparently some players have clauses in their contracts allowing them to leave if Gomby returns to coaching in the A-League.

Not fussed losing Elrich but Elsey or Marrone or god forbid, Isa and the club will be in a world of pain.

Must do everything we can do to keep the services of Isa, Elsey and Marrone.

[mcjules]

A lot of heat on Gombau now. I still think he's a good coach but I think he's gone about it wrong here and I don't see the similarities to our first season with him. We were competitive and played an attractive style and were let down mostly by defensive lapses. I don't think things are just going to "click" like they did with us and go on a run of wins. Not this season anyway, maybe with a preseason and a clean out of some players who haven't bought in.

[Ghost]

I think the biggest difference is here the players wanted to play for Gombau and were prepared to go through the short term problems to be able to put Gombau's vision in place while at the Wanderers the players don't want to play for him.

Hayden Foxe has walked, resigning last night following the game.

I guess Gombau can try sacking half the team in January and replacing them but it is going to be extremely difficult for him.

[EdDog]

Gomby had a whole preseason with us and was able to sign a couple great players in Cirio and Isa.

At WSW he's inherited a team that already plays a certain style with no option to bring people in.

If I were WSW I would stick with him as he is a gun coach imo. Needs time.

[mcjules]

They definitely should stick with him but in this situation I may have never actually signed him. I don't think what he's doing right now is doing anything good for the Wanderers.

I feel like I'm sounding like Valko

[Ghost]

They definitely should stick with him but in this situation I may have never actually signed him. I don't think what he's doing right now is doing anything good for the Wanderers.

I feel like I'm sounding like Valko

It is almost like they appointed Gombau without realising he was going to implement his own style, it smells very strongly to incompetence from those who made the decision to appoint him.

[otto62]

I have no doubt they were accepting of short term pain of poor results for maybe half a dozen games, but I don't think anyone (including Gombau) was expecting to be belted and uncompetitive and ship 13 goals in 4 losses in 6 games.

I was really impressed at the time by the way the Adelaide players were willing to virtually start from scratch and were very humble in interviews, saying they were working hard to try and implement Gombau's vision but it was taking them time to get used to it. I don't hear any of that from WSW players - just "that result isn't good enough". There are some big egos in the WSW team and I don't think they're taking kindly to having to learn a new way of playing.

Santalab and Bridge are two that immediately spring to mind. Neither play in a Gombau sort of way. Both want quick early balls behind the defence to run onto and that's just not the Gombau way (especially not in the early stages of implementation). Wide players in a front 3 playing a focused defensive role for weeks before the play develops to the point that they can roam further forward? Not at WSW.

[EdDog]

Yeah and this is a salary capped league. WSW have a reaonable squad on paper so should be able to compete. Even in our first 9 games or so when we only had 1 win, you could see we were competitive and a chance of winning them.

[mcjules]

I was really impressed at the time by the way the Adelaide players were willing to virtually start from scratch and were very humble in interviews, saying they were working hard to try and implement Gombau's vision but it was taking them time to get used to it. I don't hear any of that from WSW players - just "that result isn't good enough". There are some big egos in the WSW team and I don't think they're taking kindly to having to learn a new way of playing.

To be fair, you have to compare the time that Gombau came in at the two clubs. Even though we made the finals, we were a basket case with players threatening to walk out on the place and no real identity. Gombau came in at the start of a preseason, bringing in Pau and some spanish players and with the existing players eager for a new direction.

He's come into a WSW team mid-season with a squad that on paper is filled with experienced A-league talent and some foreigners with decent pedigree. They expected to be challenging this season but have now been told to throw it all away this season. In my opinion, WSW already had an identity of sorts and should have gone with a coach that was to go along those lines. Evolution not revolution which is Gombau's way.

[shinAUFC]

They definitely should stick with him but in this situation I may have never actually signed him. I don't think what he's doing right now is doing anything good for the Wanderers.

I feel like I'm sounding like Valko

It is almost like they appointed Gombau without realising he was going to implement his own style, it smells very strongly to incompetence from those who made the decision to appoint him.

Agree

Gombau has been employed to play a certain style above all else.

Popavic has a high turnover of players every year and got it wrong as often as he got it right. His best teams were defensive and worked on the counter.

Gombau is the exact opposite! Im not sure what wsw board were expecting , i think it was maybe the wrong career move for gombau. Much better suited to have taken a team in the offseason

[bpowell454]

Cornthwaite released and he's off to Malaysia.

It'll be interesting to see how he replaces these players he keeps releasing. Has Gombau signed anyone other than Chelo?