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How much longer can Tony Popovic hold on to his job? The sense of malaise around the Wanderers surely matches the mood on offer after a ho-hum round of action.
Popovic has already hosed down speculation linking him with Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua, who according to Fairfax Media have already twice made approaches for the Wanderers coach.
He may need to reconsider if yesterday’s performance against the Mariners is anything to go by, with the Wanderers turning in another insipid display at their unloved home away from home, Spotless Stadium.
Take nothing away from Central Coast, who fully deserved their third win on the trot, but surely Wanderers fans deserve some answers over their side’s dismal campaign?
They could start by asking about the sort of recruitment that sees Mitch Nichols play as a striker, and perhaps touch on why the Wanderers have gone from the best-supported club in the league to one that now plays in front of funeral atmospheres.
How much is Popovic personally responsible? His recruitment and retention has been questionable, but then juggling squads is a difficult business in a salary-capped league. Just ask Adelaide United.
Meanwhile, there’s not a lot the Wanderers could do about having to move while Parramatta Stadium is rebuilt, even if it has now become abundantly clear that many of their once-loyal supporters have no intention of trekking out to the Olympic precinct.
Yet for all Western Sydney’s success – and an AFC Champions League trophy and three A-League grand finals is nothing to sniff at – there’s a growing perception that Popovic is on borrowed time.
His gruff demeanour and tendency to deflect questions from the media has won him few fans, and there’s a sense next weekend’s Sydney derby could be make-or-break for the former Socceroo.
There’s not quite the same sense of urgency around the rest of the league, which perhaps explains why Round 19 was one of the most forgettable of the season.
The most interesting match of the round was undoubtedly Melbourne City’s clash with Brisbane Roar, with a depleted City fighting back from nine absentees and a dodgy penalty decision to draw 2-2 with the visitors in an absorbing contest.
The match was notable for the impressive return in goal of ex-Danish international Thomas Sorensen and the fact that referee Alan Milliner awarded two questionable spot-kicks.
Both were converted – with some suggesting Nicolas Colazo’s 61st-minute penalty was a square-up – as City showed plenty of mental fortitude to equalise from two goals down.
However, the game was watched by just 8,414 fans at AAMI Park. Or 7,914 fans if you believe the A-League website, which posted a different figure to the one reported by exactly 500 fewer supporters.
We can argue all we want about how crowd figures don’t influence the football on the pitch, but the fact is empty stands don’t make for good metrics – and there were plenty of bad metrics around this weekend.
At least the W-League final drew a record attendance of 4,591, and it yielded a double celebration for Melbourne City, who downed Perth Glory 2-0 to record their second title win in succession.
It was a deserved triumph for the visitors at nib Stadium, who had much-travelled Welsh star Jess Fishlock leading them around the park in a player of the match performance.
Fantastic as it was to watch an entertaining W-League final live on Fox Sports, it’s hard to escape the feeling that the women’s league has largely been left to struggle on in the shadows, while the AFLW has exploded into public consciousness.
And while the A-League has been more solid than spectacular of late, it could probably do with some positive headlines too.
Maybe they’ll come from the Hunter tonight, where the Newcastle Jets host Melbourne Victory in their rearranged fixture.
Here’s hoping. Because with eight rounds left to play, it feels like we’re just going through the motions.