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Earlier this week I had a piece published on The Roar about Western Sydney Wanderers’ poor form in the A-League.
I suggested that coach Tony Popovic prepared for this to happen as a consequence of success in the Asian Champions League and subsequent appearance in the Club World Cup, but would have been surprised by his team’s inability to at least remain in touch with the top six.
Thanks to all those who read and commented on the piece, it was an interesting discussion.
When I was putting that article together there was another angle that I had originally covered but pulled back from, as it was never intended to be confrontational or critical of the Wanderers or Popovic in any way.
However, many of the comments touched on it, so I thought I would put it out there after all and see what others think about it.
The Wanderers’ initial success was built on a culture and connection that no other club in the A-League could match. Having come together in a short period of time there was a real sense of togetherness surrounding the club, everyone pulling in the same direction.
The fans got behind a team that they believed represented them and their values, and the intensity and passion on display was far beyond that of clubs that had an eight-year head start on them. For the first two years this bond was impenetrable, and spurred the team on to success on the pitch.
However, in the past few months there have been signs of tensions putting strain on that connection.
The issue of player payments at the Club World Cup was an example of this. When the Wanderers’ squad was initially assembled in 2012 I would say there were few players who joined because of the money. Aside from the imports, the squad was heavy on experienced A-League players who had either not quite fulfilled their potential, or at least needed a fresh start to reinvigorate their careers.
Mark Bridge and Shannon Cole had stagnated at Sydney FC after a title win in 2010. Nikolai Topor-Stanley was well respected at Newcastle, but wasn’t exactly pushing for Socceroos selection at the time. Labinot Haliti, Tarek Elrich and Michael Beauchamp all seemed to raise their game to a level not seen at their previous clubs.
It was as if the players were feeding off the culture that surrounded the club and its fans, built around values of honesty, hard work and togetherness. The dispute at the Club World Cup felt like something very different.
I don’t think anyone bears a grudge against players looking for a fair slice of the riches that are earned via on pitch success. Similarly, it is understandable that the club wanted to bank the type of pay-day that does not come around very often for A-League clubs. That the dispute got to the point where a boycott was even considered shook the foundation of that bond between everyone connected with the Wanderers.
The players felt like they had been let down by the club. Fans, while having sympathy for the players, were shocked to hear firstly that the men who represent them on the field would possibly give up the chance of playing against Real Madrid, and secondly that the club may not have been showing the players the respect they deserved.
The ACL win showed the bond at its strongest, with thousands welcoming players and staff upon their return to Sydney Airport. Recently, with domestic form not showing any signs of improvement, there have been signs of discontent among the supporters at Pirtek Stadium. Frustration has been audible during matches, as have jeers at the final whistle. Then there was the confrontation following the conclusion of the Mariners game on New Year’s Day.
Overall I think that not much should be made of these sort of things, it happens everywhere in any sport. What was surprising was that it happened to Western Sydney Wanderers, however, a club that from the outside looked to have this unbreakable connection between club and fan.
The overboard reactions of a few will generate the headlines, but should not be viewed as representative of a support group as a whole. However, it has been noticeable that the atmosphere at the last few Wanderers home games has been distinctly flat.
I can recall the Wanderers fans breaking out into a unified Poznan at the 80th minute mark in the last two derbies at Allianz Stadium, despite their team having just gone behind in the match. It’s because the Poznan has never been about winning a game, it’s about fans joining together as one to show who they support. Watching the Mariners match on TV on Thursday I can’t recall a Poznan, if there was one it was missing the usual intensity.
Neither did I hear that incredible response of ‘We sing for Wanderers’ when the question was asked, usually belted out with such velocity. I appreciate the game was incredibly dull – maybe I missed all this from losing interest in the match – but it felt so different to the previous two seasons.
All of the issues surrounding Western Sydney this season are nothing out of the ordinary, they happen to every other club at some stage. The only reason it is worthy of comment is that up until now Western Sydney Wanderers have been unlike any other club.
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