Simon Hill sits down with Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Markus Babbel

Simon Hill has a chat with Wanderers boss Markus Babbel.
Simon Hill has a chat with Wanderers boss Markus Babbel.Source: News Corp Australia
Simon Hill from Fox Sports

IN the latest of his one-on-one interviews with the ten A-League coaches that will be vying for A-League glory this coming season, Fox Sports commentator, Simon Hill, sits down with Western Sydney Wanderers coach, Markus Babbel, who offers some pretty frank assessments of his new clubs chances.

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Markus Babbel gestures as Grozos leaves the field with an injury during the FFA Cup.Source: Getty Images

SH: Markus, are you enjoying your time in Australia so far?

MB: Top, top! It is exactly what I was looking for - I found a fantastic club, very professional, a team that wants to work. It is not the quality of Germany or England we know, but you can work with the lads, and this is the target for me - perhaps to bring someone to Europe. This is the biggest dream for a player, and I want to help them come through. I am very happy to be here.

SH: Had you been to Australia before?

MB: I had never been - if you only have three or four weeks holiday, the distance is too far. For me it was always clear - if I go there, I have to work there, because I prefer to live somewhere, then I can learn the mentality of the people, how they live. You can’t feel it if you’re only on holiday. The country is so big, and there are so many top places - you can’t do that in two or three weeks, you have to spend time here.

SH: You coached Tomi Juric in your most recent job with Luzern in Switzerland - did he help sell the dream of Australia, and the Wanderers?

MB: Not really - there were many players from Australia that I played with. Lucas Neill, Brett Emerton, and I coached both Olly Bozanic and Tomi Juric. I played against Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Tim Cahill - they were fantastic, top professionals. I knew if I came here that the players would be professional, and the clubs too. Of course there are a couple of things I have to do, but this is the target. If everything was perfect I wouldn’t be here - so this is the reason. Now we have to make sure the club has success.

SH: You reached the semi-finals of the FFA Cup, but is it fair to say the pre-season has been a bit of a struggle in terms of obtaining results and performances?

MB: When you look at those games, you have to look at what we did in the build-up to those matches. We were training very hard. One of the biggest problems at the club is the mentality. We are trying to instil in the players the ability to fight against the pain when things are not going right. The preparation wasn’t always good - the kick off times were difficult, the heat (in Darwin against Hellenic). But, you are there - so you have to play, and this is their biggest problem. The mentality. They have talent, they can play football. But mentally you cannot choose and say....oh, in this game it is not easy because my legs are heavy, or my head is not fresh. So? Do we just give the game away? This is the reason why we do this sort of preparation, and for me the result was not so important because we are preparing this team. We know it is difficult - but if we stick together, then we have a bigger chance of success. At the moment, there is a lot of work to do.

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Babbel watches on as Alan Shearer heads the ball towards goal in 2000.Source: AP

SH: Is that why you brought in the two Germans - Patrick Ziegler and Alexander Baumjohann - for that little bit of European know-how?

MB: Of course, they know what top football means. I also know the German league much better than the Spanish league for example - I know these players. I have a good network in Germany, so I could speak with a few people who know them much better than me. They told me what I would get - their strengths and weaknesses. We believe they will help us and make us better.

SH: Baumjohann in particular - despite a lot of injury problems throughout his career - looks to have the capability of being a very special player in this competition?

MB: If he is fully fit, then he can play a fantastic role, but it is up to him. He had problems in Germany so he moved to Brazil. But you see even there, he is a special player - because Europe to Brazil is not easy. I have told him it doesn’t matter how old he is, or what happened before - this is his big chance now. I believe in him, I trust him, I will work with him - but it is up to him to take the opportunity. He wants to be 100% fit - and if he is 100% fit, he can make the difference for us.

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Babbel slides in against Thierry Henry in 2003.Source: Getty Images

SH: The club has also brought in a raft of Australian youngsters - Bruce Kamau, Jordan O’Doherty, Ruon Tongyik and others. How much potential do the local boys have?

MB: There is potential there, and we have many of these younger players. Perhaps too many. This is what we have to handle - if half your team is under 22, then for me that is a lot. But we welcome it - it is our future, we have to work with them. But not everyone can play, so we have to find a way to give them a chance, and to play well. Most of the time if you have an experienced player next to you, then it becomes easier for you to perform. If all of them are playing from the start, then maybe they don’t perform at their best. In the Youth League they have no problems because they are better than the others, but now they play against men, experienced players.

SH: One interesting tactical switch you have made is to move Roly Bonevacia from the centre of the park to the wing - why did you make that change?

MB: Because Roly is sloppy - he is a sloppy player. He brings everything, he runs, he is quick, he is good physically, technically good. But his passes are sometimes awful - he can do so much better. If you play a number ten who can’t play a key pass, then it makes no sense for me to put him in there. What I do know though - Roly can score goals. As a winger, if he misses the pass, or a cross, then it’s not so dangerous for us than when he loses the ball in the centre. If he learns to concentrate and is not so sloppy in his passing, then he can be an outstanding player.

Babbel was appointed head coach of the Wanderers on May 19.Source: AAP

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SH: That’s a very honest appraisal - and you are renowned in Germany for speaking your mind. In your experience, do players prefer that approach?

MB: I always talk honestly - with Roly too. He can play in Europe easily, no problems. I think his target is to go back to Europe, and I want to help him. But you also have to handle the pressure, and it’s not a big pressure here compared to Europe. I tell the players - hey, if you don’t perform, then the next one (player) is coming. Here if you do well, the chance to play is quite big, because we only have 23 players in the squad. Take out three goalkeepers, and it is only 20 outfield players - half of them are under 22, so its very easy to play. The challenge is not there. I think it is also the same for Australian football as a whole - they don’t have to fight for their places. Some players are 22 years old, and they have had three or four clubs, and you have only ten teams in the league! The pressure in Europe is much higher, and I want to prepare Roly and the other players for that. Show it in every single game - don’t play one game unbelievably, then the next one very bad. He also has to read this in the papers you know, and realise that this is what is going on - and that he needs to work on it.

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Babbel celebrates scoring against Everton in the Merseyside derby.Source: Getty Images

SH: We now have two German coaches in the A-League with Marco Kurz at Adelaide - what is it that Australia seems to like about German coaches do you think?

MB: Well, Marco Kurz is very different to me. Don’t forget Holger Osieck who was here too. I had him as my Under 17 national team coach. A very nice fella and a good coach. I think perhaps our mentality is similar to Australians? I never had a problem with the Aussie guys I played with - I always had a good relationship with them. Maybe we are more professional in some ways, but the players here learn quickly. However, it’s a difficult one to answer - you will have to ask (Wanderers CEO) John Tsatsimas!

SH: On a similar theme - the first German coach in the A-League was Pierre Littbarski, who won the championship in his first season with Sydney FC. Can you emulate that?

MB: No - I came here to work with what I have. I have only brought in Alex (Baumjohann) and Patrick (Ziegler). But I like this team very much, they have great character. If we do what we can, then it will be difficult to beat us. If we don’t, then as shown in pre-season, we will lose games. In this league, there is not one team like PSG, Bayern Munich, Barcelona - it is very close, so the chance is there. It is up to us - and our boys have talent. But if we have key players injured, then we could be in trouble, because the squad doesn’t have a lot of depth. That’s why we have to bring the young players to the point where they are ready to perform. If two players are the same level, then the young one will play - but they have to be ready, mentally and physically. If we are not ready to fight for ninety minutes, then we will have the same season as last year.

SH: Finally, you played in a few derbies during your playing career with Bayern Munich and Liverpool particularly - how much are you looking forward to the rivalry with Sydney FC?

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Markus Babbel in action for Liverpool.Source: Getty Images