Opinion
In what shapes as one of the biggest decisions in recent A-League history, the appointment of the permanent Western Sydney Wanderers coach at the end of the current season will have a significant impact on football as a whole in this country.
Mark Rudan will be in the box seat, since he has been given the remainder of the season to plead his case.
Rudan had a tough time at Western United but club insiders there and at Wellington Phoenix, his first club, all speak highly of him.
Strategically, he is excellent. The former centre-back’s combative nature can rub up players the wrong way, though, as he found out at Western United. Whether he learns from that experience and improves at Wanderland is the great unknown.
Rudan understands western Sydney football and the fans in the area. He made it clear in his first press conference he wants the club to regain their connection to the fans.
This is an important thing. If the Wanderers do well and bring in fans, it’s good for the A-League.
(Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
There is definitely a correlation between the struggles faced by the A-League Men as a whole and the fall from grace by arguably the biggest club in the land.
When the A-League was thriving, and signed the $346 million TV deal in 2016, it was on the back of the Wanderers making three grand finals in four years, and winning the Asian Champions League in 2014.
The red and black have arguably the most emotive and passionate fan-base in the country. While Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC have a strong following, no club or group or fans did it quite like the Wanderers. The RBB managed to get the whole stadium rocking when the Wanderers were playing. Results were good and the fans had a deep connection to the club.
However, as the Wanderers slid down the ladder after Tony Popovic left, things turned pear-shaped for the A-League.
Popovic was a western Sydney boy, he embodied what the club meant to the fans. When he left, the club lost its identity and never found a new one.
There are other reasons why the A-League faltered: over-policing of fans, expensive ticket prices, loss of marquee players and a stale competition all contributed. But the lack of success for the Wanderers was a major issue too.
This means the next appointment as head coach has to be correct. The A-League needs it. A return to the good old days when Wanderland was rocking will revitalise the league. Melbourne Victory and their dedicated fan group have done their part this season. But crowd and broadcast numbers are well down.
There are several names that are being bandied about who may come on board if Rudan doesn’t make it. Alen Stajcic, Ross Aloisi, Luke Wilkshire and Hayden Foxe are all prominent names. Ufuk Talay is another prospect, though it’s a bit of a risk for the Wanderers to undercut another club again after what happened with Carl Robinson.
Stajcic needs no introduction. He is a proven winner. Aloisi is a name who may stir fans, but he is an experienced coach who is highly regarded by those in the industry, including other prominent coaches.
Wilkshire has had success at NPL level with Wollongong Wolves, but probably needs time as an assistant at A-League level. He has been strongly linked to the vacant Olyroos job, though.
Foxe is interesting. He got the temporary job after Popovic left in 2017-18, but was overlooked for the permanent gig when Josep Gombau arrived.
Foxe left and went on to Perth Glory and is now at Western United, where he is highly respected. He is also a western Sydney boy who understands the club and region.
Former Wanderers fan favourite Labinot Haliti is highly regarded as an assistant coach, and despite the rumblings around him, has always maintained his credibility. Whether he is ready to step up to the role is another story. He has only been an assistant for two years so probably needs more time.
Gary van Egmond is expected to take up the temporary role as head coach until a full-time coach is found. Whether he gets the permanent gig remains to be seen. Van Egmond has not coached at the A-League Men level for eight years. He won a championship with the Jets in 2007-08 in the first of his two stints there and is regarded as a good football brain.
The next man to take on the Wanderers role will have more than a club with a demanding fan-base to contend with – the whole of the A-League will be depending on him to reinvigorate a struggling competition.
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