There are moments throughout any campaign where a win is simply paramount to save a season.
And while it’s only Round 12 in the Hyundai A-League, you get the sense that time has come for Western Sydney Wanderers.
The Wanderers host in-form Wellington on Tuesday night, knowing a defeat would drop them 10-points behind the sixth-placed Phoenix.
It’s a scenario coach Markus Babbel doesn’t want to encounter, expecting his side to begin their surge up the Hyundai A-League ladder.
“I still believe the turnaround is coming soon because this is not normally possible to create so many chances and you can’t score,” Babbel said.
“We need a bit of luck now but the bit of luck will come if you work hard and you don’t drop your performance.
“Then you need one goal, because if you go 1-0 in front, it changes the game. It’s always the same – if you are always 1-0 down then it is much more difficult to get a result.
“But if you can go 1-0 in front then maybe the confidence will come back and you score the goals you missed before and now the ball is going in.
“[Wellington] is a great chance for us to get three points. It’s a tough challenge but we’re prepared and we definitely want to win this game.”
While there hasn’t been a lot for the Wanderers to get excited about so far in the 2018/19 Season, they did beat the Phoenix 3-0 when the sides met earlier this season.
Babbel admits that result and performance can give his players confidence but knows it’s a far stronger Phoenix team they will face at ANZ Stadium.
“Wellington is now a little bit different, they are more confident because of their results and they press better as a team now,” the German said.
“It’s a tough game but we showed the boys how we can do it and if we do it well it’s a great chance for us to win this game.”
New recruit Kwame Yeboah has been included in the Wanderers squad and is likely to make his debut for the club.
