Western Sydney Wanderers skipper Rhys Williams is our special guest on this week’s Official A-Leagues Podcast, joining Amy Chapman, Robbie Cornthwaite and Daniel Garb. Listen below, or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Here are some of the headlines.
Josh Nisbet is the archetypal Central Coast Mariner
Nisbet’s unique skillset can ‘scare’ slow-moving defenders
Standing at 160cm, you would think Mariners forward Josh Nisbet would struggle to contend with big-bodied central defenders throughout the Isuzu UTE A-League.
But Cornthwaite, a former Adelaide United and Wanderers centre-back, thinks the opposite – it’s Nisbet’s low centre of gravity, combined with his tenacity and inventiveness, that makes him a genuine threat to defenders – and helped the 22-year-old play a key role in the Mariners’ 2-1 F3 Derby win over the Jets.
Central Coast head coach Nick Montgomery utilised Nisbet as part of an attacking pair with Marco Ureña from the start of the Round 1 fixture at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday, November 21.
Lacking the aerial prowess and big presence usually brought to the Mariners attack by the absent Matt Simon, Nisbet was asked to fill in the gap. It is a different role to what Simon would be asked to play; the club legend is more of a battering ram, who forces loose balls and helps his side maintain possession higher up the pitch.
In the first half Nisbet’s impact was minimal, but that all turned in the second stanza as he beat Jets defender Jordan Elsey to a through ball played into the box to dispatch his maiden Isuzu UTE A-League strike into the back of Jack Duncan’s net.
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“I thought Nisbet came out in the second half and was a star,” Chapman added. “He was everywhere. You can see how easy it is for him to get around players, centre backs who are usually big, strong and don’t turn quite as quickly.
“He really stood out for me in the second half.”
Cornthwaite, who knows just how tricky it can be to contain the attacking attributes of a diminutive striker, said “it can (scare a defender) because his centre of gravity is so low.
“Most of the time centre halves are going to be quite tall, and let’s face it not as quick, not as sharp.
“The most important thing for me would be to keep his back to goal, don’t let him run through. If Elsey had his time again, and this was a big, big thing for (Cornthwaite’s former head coach) Tony Popovic – why would you let him run through?
“You can see he’s going to make that run. If he’s quicker than you don’t just run next to him, as he runs make him change the line of his run. Run across him shoulder to shoulder, block his run. That’s the most important thing.
“When you see him running forward, don’t just give him a clear run because most of the time he’s going to beat you for pace. Make him go around you one way or another. I’m not saying knock him over, make him run around you.”
Wanderers skipper tips Najjarine to turn heads
He’s played for Melbourne City and Newcastle Jets, but returning home to Western Sydney has allowed Wanderers recruit Ramy Najjarine to start anew, and take a significant step forward in his encouragement development.
Through his first pre-season in Wanderland, the 21-year-old has been turning heads.
Joining Garb, Chapman and Cornthwaite on Episode 2 of the Official A-Leagues Podcast was Najjarine’s captain Rhys Williams, another of head coach Carl Robinson’s off-season recruits.
Williams says Najjarine’s quality in training has been clear for all to see, and his place in Robinson’s first starting XI of the season – ahead of a number of attacking options – was an indicator of the esteem he’s held in at Wanderland.
“The one that has caught my eye is Ramy Najjarine,” Williams said. “Some of the stuff Ramy does in training is unbelievable. To start in that side in front of (Japanese import Keijiro Ogawa) shows how highly-regarded he is.
“For me he’s one that can change a game with his ability, his attitude… that’s my pick moving forward to surprise people, you might say.”
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Williams captained the red and black through Saturday night’s Sydney Derby played in front of a packed house at CommBank Stadium. A goalless draw ensued, but despite failing to claim three points Williams believes the performance – and most notably a clean sheet – leaves his side with plenty of positives to take into Round 2.
“I loved the whole experience, being at the stadium with our fans,” he said. “What better moment to make your debut than in the Sydney Derby?
“Everyone knows it was cagey. No one wants to lose the first game, but to keep a clean sheet against such a good side, we look forward to the next one now.
“I needed that big performance on my debut just to show (the fans) I do care, I do want to be here and succeed here,” Williams added.
“I love this club already… it is a big club, it’s got a big club feel, the best training ground, the best stadium, the best fans, so ‘why is it not a big club?’ Is what I’m trying to portray to people.
“I’m also trying to bridge the gap between the fans and the club which I’ve heard has been a bit missing in the last few years. We’re all pulling in the same direction, and I mean everyone: the fans, the media team, the players, the physios, if we’re not all pulling in the same direction then we’re not going to get to where we want to be.”
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Five more minutes and City were in trouble
It seemed as though Melbourne City would romp to an emphatic opening-round win over Brisbane Roar as the reigning Champions took a 2-0 lead into half-time of the first game of the Isuzu UTE A-League season on Friday night.
But, despite flying into Melbourne on game day, missing key players in attack and defence in Juan Lescano and captain Tom Aldred, and with the heavily favourited City purring through the first 45 minutes of play, a young Roar outfit inspired by head coach Warren Moon’s second-half changes launched a ferocious assault on the points which unsettled the hosts and turned the season’s curtain-raiser into an entertaining battle.
21-year-old Luke Ivanovic emerged from Brisbane’s bench to ruffle City’s feathers in the second half, pegging a goal back and causing problems for the home side’s defence with his direct running and desperation to make a splash on debut for his new club.
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Momentum swung in favour of the visitors and soon enough the Roar had drawn level – or so they thought, as Kai Trewin put the ball in the back of the net after Jay O’Shea’s expert delivery to the back post from a dead ball.
The linesman flagged for a marginal offside call, and the celebrations were cut short. But Brisbane pushed on to the final whistle, giving a very encouraging account of themselves considering the backs to the wall job which presented Moon’s side in the first half.
“I think for Brisbane away in Melbourne to City in Round 1 is a tough ask,” Chapman said. “Yeah, they didn’t come away with any points but certainly with that second half performance, if that game had gone for another five minutes, I genuinely saw Brisbane running over the top of them.
“They did score, it was Kai Trewin who managed to get his first A-League goal but that was pulled back (for offside). Look, Brisbane bias here but that was super harsh. It was very difficult to tell.
“Ivanovic, Garby you called that early, you said he’s one to watch and I thought he was a game-changer for Brisbane. He did bring that spark and X-Factor, he also scored on debut for Brisbane.”
Cornthwaite responded: “I think the most pleasing thing for Brisbane was the way they responded to going two down five minutes before half-time.
“It would have been pretty easy for them to go ‘well, this game is pretty much dead and buried now, we’re going to try and minimise the scoreline, keep it to two or three and not cop a hammering in Round 1’.
“But they came out and showed some really good signs, they were probably the better team in the second half and I thought they were unlucky not to get something from the game. Positive signs for them going forward I think.”
