Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic brushed off suggestions his underperforming club is succumbing to pressure to kick-start its season ahead of a Sydney derby looming as a must-win for the struggling giants.
Pressure is mounting externally and from within the club for the Wanderers to make a late charge into the finals, having won just four of 19 games. While some of their eye-catching performances have gone unrewarded this season, Western Sydney enter Saturday night's clash with Sydney FC in seventh place on the ladder and 26 points adrift of the league leaders.
![Tough times: Tony Popovic challenging referee Kris Griffiths-Jones after the Wanderers' defeat to Central Coast.](/web/20170217001716im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/e/k/8/y/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gueg7k.png/1487227550728.jpg)
It's understood senior figures at the club, including the board, are growing impatient with the team's recent results and performances, while fans are voicing their frustration in the loudest manner possible by not attending matches.
Had their bumper round one derby against Sydney FC been played at their old home at Parramatta rather than ANZ Stadium, Western Sydney's attendances would be down by about 17 per cent this season. With crowds mirroring their on-field results, it's understood senior club officials aren't pleased with the season thus far after the Wanderers reached the grand final last year.
Sources informed The Herald Popovic's job is not under threat despite recent struggles, with the Wanderers understood to be standing by the coach that led them to a premiership, three grand final appearance and an Asian Champions League title in four seasons.
Even if the stress and fatigue is showing on the coach's face in recent weeks, his stoic resolution hasn't wavered.
"Depends what you regard as tough. I really don't know what the question implies because I love this job, I love working at this club, I love trying to make the players better every day," Popovic said. "At the moment the results haven't been consistent enough for us, we can't deny that, but Saturday could be the day that it all clicks and it all comes together."
Players came out publicly in support of the coach earlier in the week and Popovic says despite the weight of expectation, the squad isn't burdened by the pressure.
"No, well, there's pressure always, I think every week, to get the result and to perform. That doesn't change," he said. "We haven't seen anything this week that would suggest the players have lost any belief or that they don't have confidence. We know we're a good team, there's no doubt about that. We know we have good players, we haven't been consistent enough and that's why we find ourselves in this position."
Popovic says his team is still targeting another grand final appearance.
"The season's not over so there's still a lot to play for this season. We've got an ACL as well. Our focus is to finish up as high as we can on the table. If we do that then why can't we make another grand final?" he said.
The absence of captain Dimas Delgado through suspension will be a heavy loss for the Wanderers in the derby, according to Popovic. Uruguayan defensive midfielder Bruno Pinatares is the man most likely to fill the void against Sydney FC and the Wanderers coach challenged others to step up during a congested period of fixtures for the club.
"Yeah [Dimas] has been very good of late, he's been excellent for us. He seems to have really found that spring in his step again in the last three or four weeks so he'll be missed," Popovic said. "We've got a good enough squad, they're all fit and healthy."
0 comments
New User? Sign up