Western Sydney Wanderers boss Marko Rudan has lit the fuse for his side’s encounter with Newcastle by questioning the effectiveness of the tactics employed by Jets coach Arthur Papas.
The Wanderers manager, whose side can strengthen their Isuzu UTE A-League finals push with a win away to Newcastle on Sunday, also took exception to what he views as the media hype surrounding Papas’ approach.
Papas has been unwavering in his commitment to playing a progressive, possession-based brand of football, even if it means his side – which is still jointly owned by three rival A-League Men’s clubs, including the Wanderers – collect some bruises along the way.
Rudan said he could not understand why pundits were so keen to fawn over a Jets team who had just one win from their last six games.
“I question some of the commentary about certain teams, because they (the Jets) are a team that have less than 50 per cent possession,” he said.
“I didn’t see them playing through Western United (last week), there was a lot of long-ball stuff and clearing the lines to (Trent) Buhagiar.
“It’s really interesting how people portray certain teams, maybe it’s (because) a spokesman for a club continues to explain what their philosophy is.
“Ultimately, this game is about results. If you want to coach at this level, you need to get points – that’s most important.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and everybody looks at things their own way, but if you ask any of your own club’s fans and members, they would want to be successful.”
Rudan is looking to get his side back on track after failing to follow up their promising early season form since the World Cup break.
Following the resumption of the competition, the Wanderers have picked up just six points from a possible 18.
While they have been solid at the back, they have lacked the creative spark of playmaker Milos Ninkovic, who is rated a “60 per cent” chance of being passed fit for Sunday’s game.
“It’s part of our DNA to be a hard team to beat,” Rudan said.
“We want to be seen to be fighters. I praised the players last week for their fight and discipline.”
