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The novelty is wearing off and the A-League’s newest franchise is starting to struggle.
They say a week is a long time in football and after three of them, the Western Sydney Wanderers sit bottom of the table.
Yet to taste victory, the Wanderers have picked up one point from their first three outings and are still chasing that elusive first goal in the A-League.
But the slow start was to be expected.
Rushed recruiting, finances and administration was the agenda after the franchise was officially announced just six months before the season.
The club announced its marquee signing, Shinji Ono, two weeks out from kick-off. He is still finding his feet, which was again expected.
Ono’s creativity has been seen in glimpses but the link between the midfield and forward line still needs improvement.
Defensively, the red and black look very sound, with Beauchamp and the boys conceding only one goal from general play this season.
The only other goal came from a Del Piero penalty, which sealed the points for Sydney FC in last week’s derby.
Wanderers midfielder Aaron Mooy has looked very good, but points are still a problem. Western Sydney needs goals.
The Wanderers still have an element of surprise on their side, with teams not having the luxury of watching tapes from previous seasons.
But, as the season progresses, opposition teams will nullify their defensive patterns and more goals will be conceded.
Off-field, the red and black bloc is buzzing.
The Western Sydney fan-base has helped the A-League smash its average attendances and television ratings from this time last year.
But A-League teams are results-driven corporation seeking success in all facets of business.
The club’s honeymoon period will surely be eradicated if the Wanderers are still cellar-dwellers halfway through the season.
This view may be incredibly short sighted.
But based on the first three on-field performances something has to change while the systems are still fresh and original.
If the Wanderers wait too long, it will be a dour campaign for the A-League’s new boys.
The Parramatta-based puzzle is frazzled but will begin to fit together as players mesh and combinations develop.
Western Sydney’s start to the season fulfilled expectations with competitive matches in all three fixtures as well as scratchy form, courtesy of a lack of cohesion with the newly-formed playing group.
The ‘West Side Story’ is just beginning and the first three pages may define the novel.
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