‘It’s dogs***’: Babbel’s angry response to claims of Wanderers unrest

Under-fire Markus Babbel has fiercely denied claims of an internal rift with assistant coach Jean-Paul de Marigny and insisted his out-of-sorts Western Sydney Wanderers can turn their season around.

The Wanderers are enduring a tumultuous period with the pressure building on everyone at the club after five straight defeats.

Compounding matters this week have been reports that assistant de Marigny had tried to ‘white ant’ Babbel and was disrespectful towards the club’s young players.

Another report in the Sydney Morning Herald claimed a former player – who wanted to remain anonymous – nearly quit the game over the coaching styles of both Babbel and de Marigny.

It prompted an angry response from Babbel who called the reports ‘dogs***’ and demanded to know the source of the claims.

“This is just not the truth. I wish that you as a journalist if you are talking to me that you would believe me more, than ‘I heard something’,” Babbel fumed on Wednesday.

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“This is for me not good journalism. Now you need a story and this is a perfect story.

“This is not a good journalism in my eyes. Tell me first who is saying it, say who it is, then it’s a different story.

“Be careful what you hear, don’t trust people,” Babbel added.

The German was adamant there was no issue between himself and de Marigny, denying his no.2 was causing disharmony at the club.

“For me, it is important who I work with and JP [de Marigny] knows he has 100% [support] from my side. And he has 100% support on my side,” the German said.

“We are a big club and we expect to be under scrutiny. These whispers aren’t there a month ago, they aren’t here in the pre-season so of course they come out when things are tough.

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“We only can stop all this bulls*** with results on the pitch. [Critics] are not coming out when we won three games in a row, they didn’t say a word, now they are coming out.

“We have no time anymore, it’s a great opportunity on Friday [against Western United FC].”

Babbel added: “The belief is still very good. If they do not believe then they wouldn’t be playing a better style of football.

“You can’t dominate Perth away from home [without belief]. But that belief needs to turn into goals because at the beginning of the season it was a great effort in front of the goal.”

Babbel declared the only way his side will turn things around is by staying united.

“I talked to boys [on Tuesday] and we are sticking together and that is the most important thing we have to do,” he said.

“We know what we want to do. We are in the same boat and have to row in the same direction. I am very optimistic that the boys understand what I mean.

“[Western United] are a very good side and have much experience. They have excellent individual players who can hurt you.

“But if we do what we know we can do and bring our game then I am very optimistic we can get all the points.”

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