Wanderers coach under pressure as drought continues

With their A-League finals spot now hanging in a perilous position, Western Sydney Wanderers coach Carl Robinson has admitted the pressure on him and his team is “100 per cent fair” and that sorting his team’s form out is a matter of urgency.

The Wanderers’ 2-1 defeat to Brisbane on Friday evening at home takes the Roar to within just two points of Western Sydney’s finals spot but with three games in hand.

After five straight games without a win, the Wanderers’ finals destiny is now not necessarily in their hands and with a squad to rival any in the A-League combined with the measures taken to acquire Robinson’s coaching services from Newcastle, finals was the bare minimum expectation.

With only eight league games to go and their rivals possessing games in hand, the need to turn things around is urgent.

“Very urgent, that’s fair. We need to try and find it out sooner rather than later, we can’t keep waiting and waiting and waiting. That’s my job so very soon, yeh,” Robinson said.

If a top-six spot doesn’t eventuate in Robinson’s first season with a deep and talented squad that possesses a range of young talents, several internationals and proven A-League performers will be deemed a failure.

Fan unrest over the side’s predicament already exists and that pressure is warranted, according to the coach.

It just wasn’t the Wanderers’ night on Friday.Source:Getty Images

“One hundred per cent that’s fair. I didn’t come into the job with my eyes closed I came into it with them open. It’s not going to happen overnight, we know that,” he said.

“Maybe I thought we were further ahead than what we actually are and I’ve got to look at that and analyse that and I will but that’s the target. We still believe we’re in with a chance and we will be. We’ve just got to address a few things,” he continued.

In contrast, the victory has boosted the top six hopes of a burgeoning Brisbane side who went ahead thanks to a debut A-League goal for 28 year old right back Josh Brindell-South.

It’s his second stint in Australia’s top flight and comes some seven years after his first game in the competition for the Wellington Phoenix.

“I’ve known Josh since he was seventeen. He’s been an excellent young player in the Queensland ranks, he went to Wellington and probably wasn’t ready based on his personality for an environment like that,” Roar coach Warren Moon said.

“I’ve always said to him when he gets the opportunity again he’ll be ready and I think tonight showed that he belongs at this level,” he continued.

The only concern for the Roar is a hamstring injury to star centre-back and captain Tom Aldred that forced him from the field in the first half. He’ll require a scan to determine the full severity.

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