Western Sydney coach Carl Robinson hopes this weekend’s trip to face Melbourne City will allow the Wanderers to press reset on their bumpy start to the A-League Men season.
Robinson had come under increasing pressure prior to Christmas with the Wanderers picking up just one win from five to start the campaign.
Successive defeats to Macarthur FC and Central Coast led to Robinson’s long-term future being called into question but since the loss to the Mariners, COVID-19 has forced the cancellation of three A-League games.
The Wanderers return to action on Sunday, and Robinson said he was hoping the three-week interruption would allow his side to get back on track.
“We’ve been able to sort out a few bits and pieces and we’ve got a few players back which has helped the intensity,” he said.
“We started decently and had two really difficult games where we didn’t perform at our levels. We own that and have to admit that.
“Sometimes a break can do you good. We’ve got to use that (break) as a positive; we’ve got 20 games to go.”
Since that loss to the Mariners, Robinson estimates that he has had his full squad on the training ground just twice due to injury and COVID-19 infections.
Two names he will have available for Sunday are Englishman Jack Rodwell and Keanu Baccus, who hasn’t featured for the club this season due to injury.
In that same period, Robinson has added Garry van Egmond as an assistant and the Wanderers coach said now was the time for his team to start turning their half-chances into goals.
“We’ve got into some really good areas but our final actions weren’t there,” Robinson said.
“Numbers in the box, people said we didn’t get enough bodies in the box. That’s not true because statistically, we do.
“We have a lot of the ball and it’s the areas we have the ball in that we want to increase but we’ve got to make sure we’re not caught on transitions. Because in both games we’ve lost we got caught with sucker punches.
“Good teams don’t do that. The boys score goals for fun at training and it’s about trying to replicate it on a matchday.
“When you go through a bit of adversity, you find out who wants to stand up and be counted.”
