Western Sydney Wanderers sealed their fourth win in six games following a comfortable 3-0 win over Melbourne City on Saturday night.
The run is a drastic turn considering Markus Babbel’s side had gone 10 games without a win prior to this hot streak.
Indeed, much credit should in fact go to Babbel for recruiting well in the January transfer window with the likes of Mitchell Duke and Kwame Yeboah, plus the faith he has shown in Western Sydney’s Academy products.
Duke and Yeboah bringing spark to Western Sydney
Duke arrived home with much fanfare and it’s fair to say he has more than delivered.
The 28-year-old has scored four goals in seven matches but, perhaps more importantly, has added pace and skill to a Wanderers forward line that has at times appeared to lack composure.
Duke offers a different type of outlet up front, relieving Oriol Riera of some of the attacking responsibility.
Yeboah, meanwhile, has two goals in his nine appearances.
And, just like Duke, the former Brisbane Roar prodigy has added flare to a frontline which looked wanting for goals throughout the 2018/19 Season.
Both are astute signings by Babbel and have helped turn the Wanderers’ season around.
Western Sydney’s fountain of youth
Keanu Baccus has led the youthful charge for Western Sydney this campaign, though his dominance has typified Babbel’s trust in youth.
Players such as Tate Russell, Tass Mourdoukoutas, Kosta Grozos, Nicholas Suman, Marc Tokich and Abraham Majok, along with Baccus, are all 20-years-old or younger, amassing more than 50 appearances during the season.
With an average of more than 10 games per player, the future is bright for the Wanderers.
So while Finals football may be unlikely for 2019, a solid foundation has been set for Season 2019/20.
