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They’re no strangers to creating history but Western Sydney will have to make more if they’re to just reach the A-League finals this season, let alone claim any silverware.
In nine previous seasons no club has ever made the finals after starting their campaign with three consecutive defeats like the Wanderers have done this year.
This means the news is even worse for Brisbane who have begun their championship defence with four losses on the trot.
From the dizzying heights of being crowned champions of Asia last week, the Wanderers were sent tumbling back to earth with a 1-0 loss to Wellington on Friday, compounding their 3-2 defeat to Sydney and their 4-1 thumping by Melbourne Victory.
Sitting in ninth spot above the Roar on a ladder that looks upside down compared to last season, Wanderers winger Shannon Cole is adamant his side’s focus is well and truly back on domestic matters.
“To be honest, for a day or two after the Asian Champions League (ACL) final it really felt like `how am I ever going to focus on another game again?’,” he told AAP on Monday.
“But very quickly you start to get that itch and you can’t wait to get back on the pitch again and prove what you can do.
“We’ve got that tag forever that we’re Champions League winners. Now we have to live up to it here at home.”
Having overcome what seemed insurmountable hurdles to conquer Asia, Cole is confident despite their horror start will prove no barrier to success.
“That stat isn’t something that I was aware. But now that I know it, it’s actually even more of a driving force to overcome that,” he said.
“I guess all great comebacks start with failure at the beginning. So it’s just another challenge and it’s up to us to turn that around.
“This club sets very high ambitions. So regardless of this start, we all know where we want to end up this season.
“Watch this space.”
Already faced with a backlog of matches, the Wanderers’ schedule is about to get even more complicated with the Club World Cup in Morocco next month before their ACL title defence begins in February.
Cole admits the travel and gruelling schedule will test his side this season but says they must maintain their impressive A-League record.
“Of course it will be a huge challenge but we just have to accept that because we wouldn’t want it any other way,” he said.
“We just have to make the most of it in both those other tournaments and at the same time we have to show our professionalism in the A-League because getting to these other tournaments only stems from us doing well in the A-League.”
The Wanderers face three games in a week starting with surprise league leaders Perth on Saturday.
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