The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

How long until Popovic outgrows Western Sydney?

30th September, 2014
Advertisement
Even Tony P doesn't know where the Wanderers' mojo is gone. (photo: Peter McAlpine)
Expert
30th September, 2014
54
1601 Reads

In just three years, he’s guided a freshly assembled motley crew of the unwanted, the unknown and the unproven to a premiership, two grand finals and now to the brink of Asian Champions League history.

He’s been chased for the national team job, knocked back offers from rival clubs and deflected interest from foreign suitors.

There’s no denying that someday, Tony Popovic will leave Western Sydney for greener pastures. And should the Wanderers edge past FC Seoul in Wednesday night’s semi-final second leg at Parramatta Stadium, that scenario might eventuate sooner rather than later.

When I corresponded with three Korean football fans two weeks ago, they were quick to praise Popovic’s role in Western Sydney’s rise through Asia.

“Popovic is fantastic with his strategy and tactics,” one of them lauded. “Not many in Korea know about Western Sydney as a team, but we know of Popovic’s reputation as a coach.”

It’s a reputation that continues to grow with each passing game. It would be no stretch of the truth to claim that the majority of the Australian footballing public is in agreement that Popovic is one of the country’s finest managers.

When you consider that Western Sydney is his first permanent head-coach position, it’s an endorsement that is all the more impressive.

And the fact that he was being rigorously considered to take charge of the Socceroos at the World Cup in Brazil, after only three years of coaching, speaks for itself.

Advertisement

But not everyone is waving the Popovic banner.

FC Seoul coach Choi Yong-soo was diplomatic at best this week with his description of Popovic’s tactics as “a little defensive”.

“Western Sydney is the kind of team that if it needs one goal to win, it won’t try to hard to score more than two,” he said.

And perhaps he’s right. The bookies definitely agree – although the Wanderers are favourites to win tonight’s game, FC Seoul is being touted to advance to the final nonetheless.

By now we’re all well accustomed to the brand of football that Popovic has the Wanderers playing. It’s a brand based on attrition and reaction, rather than gung-ho ruthlessness. Organisation and discipline is valued over flair and intricate ball-work.

Though it’s worth noting that, bar the semi-final first-leg in Seoul, the Wanderers have managed to find the net in every single Champions League fixture thus far.

Popovic has been able to identify a style that is conducive to success in Asia. It does help when this style is inherent to the way the Wanderers play, but Popovic has shown an ability to tweak and twist his framework to good effect.

Advertisement

Yet there are plenty of those who still feel that the Wanderers boss is too formulaic and austere in the way he approaches games.

Though it can be argued that all of the world’s best managers are characterised by a particular philosophy or style. Even closer to home, we have Josep Gombau with his possession-based model and Ange Postecoglou favouring build-up from deep.

The challenge is of course appropriating that philosophy from game to game, opposition to opposition. There’s more than one way to skin a cat and even more ways to win a football game.

It will certainly be interesting to see if, when Popovic does take charge of a different team, with different genetics, whether or not he’ll persist with the model that has brought him success at the Wanderers.

But for the time being, Popovic is unmoving about his commitment to the West.

With a very winnable fixture in front of an A-League starved Parramatta crowd, Popovic will be confident of moving one step closer to a most unlikely Asian triumph – which, unfortunately for Wanderers fans, will put the boss front and centre of the shop window.

close