A-League Culture Wars: Robinson tasked with fixing Wanderers woes

Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas denies that the club made the wrong call in placing John Paul de Marigny as permanent head coach for this season, but their new appointment Carl Robinson has been tasked with more than just on-field objectives.

The former assistant to Markus Babbel, de Marigny was turfed out only three months into his tenure before pre-season had started.

It was a decision Tsatsimas says was made due to the re-scheduling and re-jigging of the seasons after COVID-19, despite giving him the reigns for the entirety of next season.

"The incumbent at the time was not a long term appointment, the COVID hit, then there was a restart of the season," he said.

"The following season was to recommence in October, that was the scheduled time, we sat down with Paul [Lederer] and the board and said we need to make a call whether he was going to remain in the interim."

The sudden departure of de Marigny epitomises the problems that have plagued the Wanderers for some time. They are soul-searching after finishing outside the top six in the last three seasons as well as giving the walking papers to Josep Gombau, Babbel and de Marigny in that time.

An independent review into the football department was touted earlier this year. Robinson is now in charge of not only turning around an underacheiving football team, but setting straight the culture of the club. As he was flanked by his Chairman and CEO, Robinson says it's not only the players that need to be on the same page.

"We do that stage by stage, obviously it's not just the playing group," said Robinson.

"It's the support staff and people in the office, we are one, we have to become one. If I'm going to be successful at this football club I need every single person running in the right direction.

"That's my job, to build relationships collectively not just with players but with staff. We all have to be on the same page, we'll do that.

"I create a learning environment which as a player I want the manager to be."

Lederer made it clear he believes his judgement is better than in years past saying he feels more confident about his new head coach than when the club announced Markus Babbel.

The Wanderers are yet to dip into the transfer market to replace some of their stars with four youth academy products being promoted to the first team.

Robinson is tasked with fixing up the spine of the Wanderers team with key players Mitch Duke, Pirmin Schwegler and Mat Jurman all departing.