As he prepares for his first Sydney Derby as head coach, Western Sydney Wanderers caretaker Hayden Foxe has declared his side have the belief to take Sydney FC’s crown this season.
The two bitter rivals clash at what will be a packed Allianz Stadium on Saturday night as the Wanderers look to make it back-to-back Derby wins.
Western Sydney was the only team to beat the Sky Blues on their run to the Premiership-Championship double last season.
“They [Sydney FC] were a good side last year, they deservedly won the championship, there’s no doubt about that,” Foxe told reporters ahead of the match.
“But this is a new season now.
“We’ve got a fantastic squad of players, a real belief and a real resilience that we’re going to be a real force this year, challenging every single week.”
Both sides head into the round 3 clash unbeaten but also have a couple of key stars in doubt.
The Wanderers are hoping central defender Michael Thwaite will shrug off an injury concern to play, while Sydney FC’s Polish international winger Adrian Mierzejewski has a hamstring complaint.
But regardless of the personnel, Foxe is relishing his first Derby as the main man at the Wanderers.
“There’s always that extra little bit [in a derby],” Foxe said.
“That extra bit of passion, that extra bit of emotion, which is fantastic for everyone involved in the club, the fans, the community and Sydney in itself.
“We know we were below par last week, we spoke about it openly with each other from the performance the week before which was excellent.
“We’ve had to work hard this week, as we do every week in preparation of Sydney FC. Everyone is excited and looking forward to getting out and playing this game.”
