These are the key talking points from Round 20 in the Isuzu UTE A-League, including a boilover in Western Sydney, an Original Rivalry and a new league leader.
Chiefy’s response to his footballing vision: ‘That’s a really good question’
Giancarlo Italiano’s press conferences are always insightful and Saturday night was no different, even in the aftermath of a defeat.
The result snapped Wellington’s 10-match unbeaten streak.
Afterwards, Italiano – nicknamed Chiefy and in the midst of his first season as a head coach in the A-Leagues, was asked what kind of coach he saw himself as in the future.
“That’s a really good question,” he replied. “The coach that I like to think I am, is that I’m very adaptable to the conditions presented.
“My experience over 15 years of coaching, I’ve seen a lot of different things and I’ve had to adapt to almost every type of environment.
“Is it the football I want to play over a long period of time? I have my idea of how I like to play but sometimes I think it’s unrealistic with the group of players that I have at the moment because it takes time to evolve and give confidences to the players.
“I feel sitting back on the counter-attacking and defending a bit lower suits this team. I think we have the characteristics – players like Ben Old and Kosta (Barbarouses), even BK (Bozhidar Kraev), that can bring us in the game and can be very damaging when they sit lower.
“In an ideal world, I’d like to play like a (Roberto) De Zerbi at Brighton (in the Premier League) but it takes a long time to get that playing model and a maturity within the group.
“I’d like to get there one day. This is my first year coaching and I’m also learning about myself – what I can and can’t do. I think the group has been really open to learning and being flexible. I’ve been really happy with that.
“… I’d like to think I’m also constantly learning which is very important. My ideas and philosophy change, not fundamentally but just how I do things – training and how I deal with people.”
‘We’ve almost gone away from who we are’
Western Sydney Wanderers are trending in the wrong direction and Marko Rudan is determined to get the bottom of it.
Western Sydney hit the front before conceding three goals 12 minutes to suffer back-to-back losses, while the Wanderers have only won one of their past six games (L4 D2) to sit just two points inside the top six.
“We’ve almost gone away from who we are,” Rudan said in a post-game press conference.
“… It’s our job to protect them and not worry about the externals, as hard as it is, it’s our job.
“We can’t control how they then go out there and perform. I thought we were pretty lethargic today. That’s what disappointed me. Physically we haven’t looked ourselves for a few weeks now. I have to find a solution to that and question and challenge that situation as well.
“You can’t have a team come away from home whose left-back has been out a for a long time, yet he is getting up and down for fun. There is a lot of different factors there as far as I’m concerned.”
Daniel Penha was the architect behind Western United’s second straight win.
Penha scored and set up another two as the club extended their unbeaten run to three matches to climb within a point of second-bottom Adelaide United and three adrift of ninth-placed Perth Glory.
“Penha, we knew it would take him a while to get to the level that we believe he can get to because of the long-term injury he had,” Western United boss John Aloisi told reporters.
“Now, he’s getting to the level. He was outstanding again today.”
Aloisi added: “He is hard to stop in full flight because of that final ball he has.
“He’s only set up a few goals this season because we’ve missed so many. Or else he would be double figures for assists. Every game he is setting up one-on-ones. We’ve seen it.
“Whether we start him out wide on the right, or allow him to drift inside or whether he’s starting inside, he just finds space. Then when he’s facing forward, we know we have to have forward runs.”
Mariners’ collective effort on show in Campbelltown
Central Coast Mariners are top of the table for the first time since Round 1 in 2021-22, November 21, 2021 to be exact.
Central Coast, who are also gearing up for the second leg of their AFC Cup Inter Zonal Semi-Final, have now had 15 different goalscorers in the A-Leagues this season.
“Yeah it certainly is (pretty impressive),” said head coach Mark Jackson. “Particularly at the start of the season when we couldn’t score.
“So for us to develop that side of our game is credit to the players, credit to those attacking players as well.
“Yes we have new additions to the team but Jing (Reec) and Alou (Kuol), they’ve contributed to goals as well. Everyone is stepping up at the minute.”
The Mariners have lost just one of their past 22 matches across all competitions as they challenge on all fronts.
Integral to their title aspirations has been the form of fan favourite Nisbet, who continues to stake his claim for a maiden Socceroos call-up.
Nisbet has now scored in back-to-back games, while the midfielder has a league-high seven assists in 2023-24.
“I think the system really suits him,” said Jackson. “We’ve found that position for him higher up.
“I’ve said before he can play a lot of positions. He can drop down as a six for us or he can play in that 10 position as well. Just he’s understanding of what we want to achieve has helped him get this form.
“But it’s all down to him, his mentality, his willingness to learn and accept things and action them on the pitch. We’re delighted for him.”
City boss explains Maclaren decision and form of youngster
There was a glaring omission from Melbourne City’s starting line-up for the showdown with high-flying Wellington Phoenix – Jamie Maclaren.
The Isuzu UTE A-League’s all-time leading goalscorer has dominated the competition over the years but he was on the bench over the weekend, having struggled for form in 2023-24.
Maclaren has scored seven goals in 20 league matches, though he hasn’t found the back of the net since bagging a hat-trick in the 8-1 rout of Brisbane Roar in December.
It led to his first game on the bench in the A-Leagues since May 2021… against the same opposition after playing the final 13 minutes on Saturday.
Asked if Maclaren was dropped, City boss Aurelio Vidmar replied: “I don’t like to use that word.
“We’re in constant dialogue and we spoke a couple of weeks ago about taking a bit of pressure of him and starting on the bench and coming on. But I decided against it. Now I thought it was the right time.
“He’s had a pretty big period of being on top of his game and unfortunately he is not. It’s not through a lack of trying. When you’re trying to bang your head against a wall, the wall isn’t going to break down. That’s where he is right now.
“He came on and gave us some energy in the second half. Slowly, slowly he should be able to get some confidence.”
Starting in Maclaren’s place was 18-year-old forward Max Caputo as City ended their five-match winless streak.
“He has just improved since I got here in November,” Vidmar said. “He is a great finisher. He works hard.
“He is still young and learning the game. He still gas a long way to go but I just couldn’t overlook him at this point. Over the last two months, he’s just turned turned up – okay he’s had a couple of moments in training where the day is crap, but he just gets on with it.
“He’s been super consistent for the last couple of months. If anyone deserved a run it was him.”
The one area Veart wants to address in Adelaide
Adelaide United are stuck in a rut at the moment following a result that “sums our season up”.
Nestory Irankunda did cancel out Bruno Fornaroli’s opener before the latter restored Victory’s lead with a second penalty.
Adelaide are in freefall after four consecutive defeats and seven games without a win to sit second from bottom.
Carl Veart’s side lost star captain and 2022-23 Johnny Warren Medallist Craig Goodwin before the start of the season, as well as Louis D’Arrigo while Joe Gauci, Alexandar Popovic and Bernardo all departed in January.
Asked if he was concerned Adelaide’s form would continue into next season, Veart told reporters: “No, not at all. That’s a long way away yet.
“We have to have a look at how we’ve gone about with the squad this season. Yes, we’ve had some late outs and transfers that have disrupted the squad but it’s something we have to get right moving forward.”
With two goals on Saturday night, Fornaroli rose back to the top of the Golden Boot leaderboard, adding goals 14 and 15 to his tally for the season.
The 13 scored prior to Round 20 came in Fornaroli’s first 10 appearances of the season before jetting off to Qatar with the Socceroos for the Asian Cup.
Fornaroli fractured his left hand in his comeback appearance against Macarthur and has been battling back from the injury ever since.
“He was happy,” said Victory head coach Tony Popovic. “But if you knew Bruno, he has a team-first approach and he wants the team to play well and we’ve really focused on improving our performance which will give Bruno more opportunities.”
‘He is the best striker in the league’
There is one player that leads the way in the Isuzu UTE A-League, according to Perth Glory head coach Alen Stajcic following Saturday night’s wild 2-2 draw against Newcastle Jets.
Taggart has been touted for the Socceroos, having scored 14 goals this season which is his best return since winning the Golden Boot in South Korea with 20 goals for Suwon Bluewings in 2019.
“Amazing goalscoring prowess and that’s what he is one of the top strikers in the league, if not the best one,” Stajcic said of the 16-time Australia international.
“Sounds a bit harsh but we sort of expect it from him, he’s that good. In and around the box he’s just lethal.
“Created a couple of chances as well. Even in the first half, the little through ball for (Stefan) Colakovski.
“Just makes him one of the most dangerous players in the league and we’re very happy to have him.”
Taggart starred in front of Socceroos boss Graham Arnold, who was watching on at HBF Park ahead of the upcoming 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifiers against Lebanon in Canberra and Sydney.
Perth’s talisman has not played for the Socceroos since September 2022 but he is banging the door down with 14 goals, which is just one shy of the Golden Boot lead.
“There’s obviously a lot of strikers battling for that competition. Overseas based and Tags as well. For sure he is the best striker in the league at the moment,” Stajcic said.
“If it’s based on the cohort here in Australia, for me he is the best one.
“Depends what Arnie wants and what he is looking for moving forward. Is it younger players to bring in? Depends what you’re big-term picture is.”
Meanwhile, Newcastle counterpart Rob Stanton was far from pleased with his youthful Jets, who gave up another lead.
The 10th-placed Jets were 2-0 up on the road in Perth but surrendered the two-goal cushion as their winless streak extended to seven matches.
It was also the fifth consecutive game between Perth and Newcastle that not only ended 2-2 but featured a 90th-minute equaliser.
“I’m disappointed. It’s a lesson I hope we would’ve learned but we’re still not learning that lesson,” he said.
“I have to take part of it but I think it’s time the players own it as well. There’s a few there I’m going to remind and they might get punished for it because it’s not good enough. They’ve had enough free ride to get away with because they’re young and inexperienced.
“But I think they’ve had enough experiences to say they’ve ‘I’ve cost us or I’ve made mistakes and haven’t listened’. We will see what happens in the next week.”
Why Talay had to pull Sydney ‘back’
Much has been made of Sydney FC’s resurgence under Ufuk Talay and their high-pressing style but it was far from straight forward for the in-form Sky Blues on Sunday.
Sky Blues sensation Jake Girdwood-Reich was sent off in the 25th minute following a VAR review but the hosts still managed to open the scoring through Robert Mak in the 64th minute.
Brisbane did equalise via Henry Hore three minutes later at Allianz Stadium, where in-form Sydney are now in the midst of their best undefeated streak since a 13-game stretch from November 2019 to February 2020 (W12 D1).
“It was actually hard to do because the boys wanted to go,” Talay said with a smile when asked if it was a backs-to-the-wall mentality for Sydney in the second half.
“We told them at half-time to stay compact and we’d press them in certain areas when the ball went out wide to win the ball.
“But it’s one of those ones where we’re trying to pull them back because they want to step out and go every single time.
“Brisbane Roar are a good time and can play through the lines and I think we would’ve got caught out if we did that. “They were quite compact. We won the ball at times and transitioned quite well.”
As for the Roar, they are just two points outside of the top six following an impressive performance that saw Brisbane wreak havoc.
Brisbane played through Sydney’s press and were unfortunate not to be leading in the first half.
“I was super proud of how we played in the first 25-30 minutes until the red card,” Brisbane coach Ruben Zadkovich said. “I thought we were clearly the better team in every facet to be honest.
“There has been a lot of talk about their press and the first 30 minutes was really enjoyable to watch. It kind of shows what the group is capable of.”
