Western Sydney Wanderers forward Brandon Borrello believes the club has taken the first steps towards rebuilding its identity ahead of the 2026/27 season, revealing the squad confronted the disappointments of last season with an honest “look in the mirror” conversation during preseason.
The Red & Black take centre stage on Tuesday night when they face Premier League giants Chelsea FC in the opening match of the Sydney Super Cup at Accor Stadium.
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The clash marks the first-ever meeting between the two clubs and presents another important opportunity for Ufuk Talay’s side to continue building momentum ahead of the upcoming Isuzu UTE A-League Men campaign, while testing themselves against one of world football’s biggest names.
For Borrello, however, the significance of the occasion extends beyond the calibre of the opposition.
After a disappointing 2025/26 campaign, the experienced attacker says the playing group has spent pre-season confronting the standards expected of representing the Red & Black. Rather than looking for excuses, the squad has focused on taking ownership of last season and building the habits they believe will shape the future of the football club.
“The club’s making changes from within. The right ones, I think,” said Borrello.
“You kind of want to forget about it, but winning’s a habit and losing’s a habit.
“The biggest thing for us as players is identifying what went wrong last year and our behaviours, and rectifying that this year.”
Rather than leaving those conversations to the club’s leadership group, Borrello said every player was challenged to reflect on their own performances and contribution.
“We went through it not just with the leadership group, but with everyone,” he said.
“We all sat down and had that sort of ‘look at yourself in the mirror’ talk because it wasn’t good enough across the board for all the players.”
Those conversations have become the foundation of the Wanderers’ pre-season. Honest self-reflection, accountability and raising the standards has been central themes as the squad looks to build a culture of capable of delivering sustained success.
With a number of players returning form last season, Borrello says there is a clear understanding of the responsibility that comes with the wearing the Wanderers badge and representing the people of Western Sydney.
“There’s still a few boys left over from last year, and we all understand what this club means, what our club means to the community of Western Sydney.”
For a club built on the passion and pride of its region, Borrello believes that responsibility starts long before the opening whistle. It’s about earning the trust of Members and supporters every day through hard work, honesty and the standards set within the four walls of the football club.
Borrello believes those conversations have already begun to shape a different environment throughout the club, with the squad determined to establish a stronger culture and identity heading into the new campaign.
“We need to make a big change, and we’ve seen that in drips and drabs,” she said.
“We’re slowly trying to change our identity, our culture from within the club, and it’s been a very positive start to the pre-season.”
Tuesday night’s showdown with Chelsea now provides the Wanderers with another opportunity to continue that progress.
With thousands expected to fill Accor Stadium for the opening match of the Sydney Super Cup, the first-ever meeting between the Wanderers and the Premier League giants promises to be one of the biggest occasions of the club’s pre-season.
GET 25% OFF TICKETS TO THE MATCH HERE
It offers Ufuk Talay’s side another valuable test against world-class opposition as preparations continue for the 2026/27 Isuzu UTE A-League Men campaign.
For Borrello and his teammates, however, the focus extends beyond the occasion itself.
The work began long before Chelsea arrived in Sydney. Tuesday night is another opportunity for the Wanderers to show that the identity they’re building isn’t defined by words or opponents…but by the standards they set every time they represent Western Sydney.
