The Wanderers secured a ‘hang tough’ win on the road last weekend but there isn’t time to rest as the focus turns to the annual frenzy of the Christmas/New Year season for the A-League.
Between December 23 and New Year’s Day the Wanderers will have suited up an incredible three times.
Every year the A-League makes the most of the holiday season by scheduling games almost every day from December 20 until January 1.
This scheduling quirk means nine points are up for grabs in little over a week.
The good news for the Wanderers is, believe it or not, they have one of the more manageable draws over the crazy season – their matches are relatively evenly spaced and two of them are at home. That should help the team settle.
While we are talking about professionals it’s only natural at this time of year for focus to be divided between family, training, buying presents, playing games and staying focused on the A-League prize.
The Wanderers have the luxury of juggling those demands from home for the most part rather than being on the road with wandering minds.
First cab off the rank for the Wanderers is the Central Coast Mariners visiting Pirtek Stadium on December 23.
That match looks fairly simple for those who saw last week’s action. The Mariners are coming off a 4-0 flogging at the hands of lowly Adelaide United. But the Mariners are the defending champions. Their form has been a little suspect in recent weeks, but with names like Daniel McBride, Mitchell Duke, Michael McGlinchey and Marcos Flores in the side that won’t last forever.
The Wanderers have to hope that form isn’t reversed before this week.
One of the key features of the game will be tempo. The Mariners have often sought to slow the game down and rely on their shorter passing to open up teams in the middle of the pitch and the final third.
They haven’t scored a rash of goals but McBride and Duke don’t require many opportunities to make the opposition pay, this has led to a number of low scoring wins or draws this year.
Ideally, the Wanderers like the game to move at a quicker speed, with longer passes and more running because they are at their best on the counter attack, as the goal against Newcastle proved.
The ball was moved swiftly to a flank and flicked in early by Ono before a headed pass saw Bridge open on the post to nod the ball home. It was all over in the blink of an eye.
Because of those traits this game may well be decided by which team can force its will on the match.
The Wanderers will need their screening midfielders – Aaron Mooy and Mateo Poljak – to be at their busy, disruptive best to put the Mariners off their tempo for a second straight week. That should free the likes of Shinji Ono – who always finds ways to affect a game, regardless of the tight marking he receives – Youssouf Hersi and Labinot Haliti to break quickly and terrorise the Mariners’ exposed back line.
Once the Wanderers have negotiated that tougher-than-it-sounds Mariners match they need to be ready to go again, twice in quick succession.
The other summer holiday matches include a trip to Melbourne Victory on December 28 and then back home for Wellington Phoenix on New Year’s Day.
Tony Popovic will be telling his troops that this is a great opportunity to quickly take nine competition points.
All of these matches are winnable and two wins with a draw should be the minimum expected outcome.
Strap yourselves in because it’s going to be a big couple of weeks in the A-League.
See you in 2014.
