Marko Rudan’s shifting of his midfielders and forwards led to a picture-perfect 4-0 victory at CommBank Stadium on New Year’s Day.
After being denied a win in their last few games, Western Sydney Wanderers have started off 2023 with an incredible victory against Macarthur FC.
The Wanderers dominated the goal area, with outstanding performances from Oliver Bozanic, Kusini Yengi and Brandon Borello leading to their four-goal win.
“[I’m very happy with the] performance result. It’s always good as a coach when you work on things, and they [pay] off tactically,” said Wanderers coach, Marko Rudan.
Rudan made some gambles in this week’s match, choosing to put his starting XI in a 4-4-1-1 formation rather than the usual 4-4-2 formation that Western Sydney have used throughout their 2022/23 campaign so far.
This new formation gave the Wanderers a boost to their offensive capabilities. Yengi and Borello stepped up as wingers, giving the needed support to the forwards.
Yengi assisted in two of the goals, breaking up the Bulls’ defence and sending skillful crosses to both Bozanic and Borello for their respective goals in the 18th and 70th minute.
Bozanic also demonstrated his versatility as a player, playing as a forward and securing a goal for the second week in a row.
Rudan had nothing but praise for the former Socceroo following the match.
“Oli has always been a midfielder,” the Wanderer’s manager said.
“But I feel as though he’s got a skillset that allows him to get into areas and positions to score goals.
“Oli can play higher and he’s shown again today [how smart of a footballer he is].”
The changes to the team may not stop there with the January transfer window fast approaching.
Rudan has revealed that he is looking to bring in fresh talent to continue improving his squad.
“We’re on the lookout [for new signings],” he confirmed.
“We’re very proactive, but irrespective of what window it is, we’re always looking to improve our squad.”
If Rudan’s changing tactics continue to produce performances like in this last match, the Wanderers will have a definite path to the finals series, and maybe even to the championship trophy.
In the meantime, the Wanderers will have to wait to see if the team can keep up the momentum in their next match against Perth Glory on Friday.
Featured Image Credit: Steve Christo
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