Football Season Guide

Wanderers are glad to have the dramas from the beginning of last season behind them, emblematic coach Popovic resigned a week before the start of the 2017/18 campaign to move to Europe, and the appointment of Markus Babbel in charge this summer was welcomed very well by everyone at the club. The German, ex-Champions League winner with both Bayern Munchen and Liverpool, brings fresh tactical ideas with him and it seems that Wanderers will be using the fluid 4-3-3 formation a lot this season. The first thing Babbel did since taking charge was to transfer Bonevacia from the heart of the midfield to the left wing and based on the excellent personal contributions from the Dutchman in pre-season this will be a winning formula. Wanderers allowed several aging players and a few others that struggled to fit in Babbel’s possession-based style of play to leave this summer and the only departure that the gaffer was against was that of the wide Spanish midfielder Cejudo. That said it was because of him leaving that Bonevacia was moved to the left wing and it seems that this is already forgotten. Babbel brought two of his countryman to the squad, Ziegler is solid centre-back that seems to struggle with injuries too often, while Baumjohann is vastly experienced playmaker that comes from Brazil’s top flight and he shouldn’t have problems with the weather conditions in Australia as he has already adapted to hot and humid weather. Last season Riera was Wanderers’ top goalscorer without receiving very good service, with the Spanish striker expected to be even more effective this term in his second year in the A-League. To improve the quality of the crosses towards the very dangerous in the air striker Babbel not only moved Bonevacia out wide, but he also signed wingers Kamau and Fitzgerald, with another newcomer O’Doherty also capable to play out wide. Stretching the pitch and using overlapping runs from their full-backs already emerges as a pattern for Wanderers this season, but they also have Baumjohann making constant solo runs through the middle and in general the forward actions under Babbel are expected to be very fluid. The main concern is the defence where Wanderers are short on centre-backs and if Ziegler struggles with injuries Red and Blacks might have to improvise. Elrich joined the squad as a versatile full-back, he can play both left and right of the defence, but the experienced player might be used as a centre-back as well if needs must.