Five things we learned from A-League Round 6

Tensions were at an all-time high this past weekend as round six of the A-League offered physicality and frustration in abundance.

Mark Rudan (L), Marco Kurz, John Aloisi and Markus Babbel (R) Source: Getty Images, AAP

The rabbit and the snake

Western Sydney Wanderers coach Markus Babbel has blurred the line between motivation and malice this season.

After labelling his side “the worst team in the league” prior to round two’s Sydney derby defeat, Babbel reduced them further following Saturday night’s 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Melbourne Victory.

“We had too much fear for them,” Babbel said. “It was like a rabbit in front of a snake.

“I (saw the fear) after one minute.”

In truth, the German’s rather snaked attempts to distance himself from every sub-standard Wanderers performance have proven far from beneficial this season.

With the Wanderers eighth through six games, perhaps the finger should instead be pointed at Babbel himself for poor preparation, formation and execution.

Successive defeats with identical personnel should warrant change, but the 46-year-old still refused to entertain a reshuffle ahead of Friday’s match-up with the Central Coast Mariners.

“This is the team,” he said. “I’m happy with them. I like the boys.”

Judging the pattern established at the club this season; should the Wanderers fall yet again, expect the players to cop the brunt of the blame once more.

Fight night

The Entertainment Centre wasn’t the only venue witnessing combat in Adelaide this past weekend as Coopers Stadium hosted a fight night of its own.

Two red cards and one chaotic knockout blow to Stefan Mauk headlined Adelaide United’s 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar in a match that even had both coaches caught in a heated exchange.

“He’s knocked out and then I see their players pulling him up and then they’re yelling as if it was our fault,” Roar coach Aloisi said.

The 42-year-old had a brief ill-tempered talk with United coach Marco Kurz at the time of the incident, telling the German: “don’t wave your hand at me again, you f***ing idiot.”

Aloisi’s remarks sent waves around the league, but Kurz, speaking after the match, was quick to cool the qualm.

“It’s a man’s sport, not a kids’ club and we fight both for points and after the game it’s a handshake and everything is fine,” Kurz told Fox Sports.

Mauk received his marching orders due to a studs-up challenge on Craig Goodwin but required attention after losing consciousness from the clash.

Goodwin had been toying with Roar’s defence for the most part and was provider for Ben Halloran’s opening goal minutes before half-time.

Gone too VAR

Mark Rudan echoed the thoughts of the masses on Sunday after a controversial VAR intervention prompted referee Adam Kersey to award Wellington Phoenix defender Ryan Lowry a straight red card during a 1-1 draw with Perth Glory.

The rather slow, innocuous tackle on Glory’s Chris Ikonomidis, and subsequent dismissal, led to the equaliser and forced the Phoenix faithful to rue what could have been a vital victory.

A seething Rudan was visibly at odds with the decision and made his frustrations known following the full-time whistle.

“He (Kersey) has completely killed the game, completely changed the game for us,” the Phoenix coach said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it… It was hilarious, a joke, an absolute joke. He’s cost us, he certainly has.”

Three points would have seen the Kiwi club bounce back into the top six for the first time since round three.

Instead, further officiating flaws have left them second from bottom and, once again, stressed the inconsistencies still painfully present in the game.

Same old, same old

A championship-winning coach, big-name signings, a bright start; the Central Coast Mariners had all the makings of a big 2018-19 season but, after six games, it’s been anything but.

The Mariners are yet to taste success this season and sit bottom of the league as a result.

Saturday’s 2-1 loss at home to Sydney FC was the coastal club’s fourth consecutive since the start of November and, according to Sydney coach Steve Corica, it could have been a lot worse.

“It was just a poor, poor performance… today, we didn’t play well,” Corica said of his side’s win.

The Sky Blues sealed the comeback victory courtesy of Brandon O’Neill’s long-range strike but Mariners coach Mike Mulvey believes there are still some positive signs despite his side’s visible struggles.

“We’re not far away, we must not lose belief,” Mulvey said.

At this stage last season the Mariners had triple their current total, but if last season yielded a dismal last-placed finish, belief regarding this term should be at an all-time low.

No bueno

Melbourne City brushed the Newcastle Jets aside at AAMI Park on Sunday but their fans were far from pleased.

Star striker Bruno Fornaroli was again left out of the City squad by coach Warren Joyce, with the club even preventing fans from seeing the Uruguayan on stadium screens.

In a move that will only heighten the call for his sacking, Joyce refused to speak on the issue following the match, instead opting to focus on the return of his squad's productivity.

Goals to Riley McGree, Luke Brattan and Lachlan Wales helped the home side to all three points on the night, their first since Fornaroli’s last appearance for the club.

As reported by The World Game, Fornaroli's relationship with Joyce turned sour after City denied his near-$3 million move to Sydney FC before the start of the season.

However, due to the nature of the predicament and the examples Joyce has set before him, Fornaroli's future may stay unclear for quite some time.