The Roar's A-League Men tips and predictions: Round 26 - the jostle for finals positions is on in earnest
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
Opinion
The biggest risk Carl Robinson can take this Tuesday is fielding an understrength Wanderers against APIA Leichhardt.
The temptation to omit its star players will be high, as Western Sydney wont be fully rested, having won their A-League match against Wellington last Friday.
Recently, Melbourne Victory nearly fell into a similar FFA Cup trap. Last week, coach Tony Popovic rolled the dice against Adelaide City, permitting his inexperienced recruits to struggle against the National Premier League side, who made quadruple the amount of shots.
However, Popovic somehow managed gain an unconvincing win at the last minute. Victory’s player depth was tested. A few days later, and after receiving a red card, Melbourne was thrashed by Perth Glory in an A-League game.
By the grace of the football Gods, if Robinson’s lads are reduced to only ten men, then APIA will pounce. A similar situation happened during Round of 32, when Cooma Tigers bravely challenged APIA, with only nine men on the field. The tired Tigers lost 3-0.
Fans of the FFA Cup will also acknowledge the magical serendipity, which binds the smaller clubs to Leichhardt Oval.
The year was 2018, and Victory’s coach Kevin Muscat had taken his champion team to Sydney’s Inner West. Having excluded Japanese superstar Keisuke Honda from the line-up, Victory were convincingly beaten by APIA on a cold August night.
Kevin Muscat hung onto his job until the end of the season, whereby quitting after 14 years with the famous club.
Other managers who lose against semi-professional teams aren’t as fortunate. Green Gully whipped Central Coast in 2016, and coach Tony Walmsley was quickly given his marching orders.
For some time now, it feels as if the vultures have been circling Carl Robinson.
On paper, the Wanderers arguably have the A-League’s strongest group, however, their results have never been secure. Their recent goals have been questionable, occurring after scuffles or last-minute flukes, caused by miscommunication.
The Wanderers might enter the match as hot favourites, but for APIA, luck always seems to be on their side.