Western Sydney Wanderers - Debut Season, Debut Championship?

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Tough double away fixture against the Phoenix, always hard to get a win in NZ. Shannon Cole and Appiah-Kubi should be good super subs for you. How long is Appiah out for?
 
Tough double away fixture against the Phoenix, always hard to get a win in NZ. Shannon Cole and Appiah-Kubi should be good super subs for you. How long is Appiah out for?

Appiah is out for 2-4 weeks with a groin strain, this was automatic when i started the save. So that's unfortunate, but it gives him enough time to get fit for the start of the season.

It appears we are going on camp to New Caledonia.. Also, Perth signed Harry Kewell! News story on that coming up soon!
 
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In a shocking opening few days in the transfer window, Perth Glory have managed to snap up Australian International, Harry Kewell. Harry, who previously played for the Melbourne Victory in the same league, left the club. He now joins Perth Glory in an attempt to gain more playing time so he can be available for Socceroo's selection once again. Harry has stated his intention to help the Glory win some silverware! Fox Sports has also learned, according to Wanderers boss, Nick Majurovski, that the Wanderers will not be doing anymore business in the window before the season begins. Majurovski says he is pleased with the squad the backroom staff came up with in the months prior to his appointment.

With the season starting in two months, Western Sydney will want to gain some momentum throughout all the friendlies, we will keep you updated with the majority of their pre-season as our major focus during this period. Stay tuned to Fox Sports News as we preview the upcoming NRL finals after the break!

Harry Kewell to Perth Glory: ​Free Transfer

BREAKING NEWS

Mark Bridge has been injured in training a few days before Western Sydney's opening friendly against Sydney Olympic. He will be reportedly out for 2-3 weeks! He will miss a few friendlies, but it's nothing major for the new boys.​
 
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The Western Sydney Wanderers have opened their friendlies campaign away to Sydney Olympic on a good note, but Majurovski has alot to think about heading into the next friendly game. They defeated Sydney Olympic by 5 goals to 3, but it really was a little shaky, and not exactly as easy as it shouldv'e been. A goal by Matthew Mayora gave Olympic the lead, which was a shocker albeit the A-League club is new, they were still heavy favourites. But, moments later, the Wanderers found the net to level the scores at 1-1. A Giannaros own goal gave them that goal, so really, they didn't virtually find the net, Olympic did. As it stood, it looked like the Wanderers were going to go away with it at this point.. but..

Minutes later, Olympic had a player sent off for violent conduct. Mitchell Johnson was given his marching orders, and really put Olympic under the pump. But, in a shocking turn of events, it was Olympic who snatched the second goal. Phillip Markys netted this one to take the lead. But, 8 minutes later, the Wanderers were once again level, this time thanks to Aaron Mooy's tidy finish. Into the second half, Majurovski made multiple changes, and they helped. It was Topor Stanley's header coming off a class corner taken by Shinji Ono to give the Wanderers the lead. Then, after 71 minutes the Wanderers took a two goal advantage thanks a goal by Ono himself, and it really looked like the tactical changes at the half made a huge difference.

But, again, Olympic would not back down, as they pulled one back to make it 4-3 thanks to a David Gullo goal in the 88th minute. But, it just wasn't to be for the Sydney siders, as Western Sydney sealed the win in injury time thanks to a Labinot Haliti volley, that struck the goalkeepers hand and went in. The Wanderers taking all the pride out of this one, but Majurovski wasn't too happy about his sides defensive performance post match.

FoxSportsNews: "Nick, that was a solid opening victory, are you pleased with that performance?"

Majurovski: "To be honest with you, im a little dissapointed with the performance itself, mainly in the defensive department. I am not happy with the communication at the back, we really shouldn't be conceding goals when we are a man up. But, again, it's the first real game these boys have had since training, so there's something to think about for the future."

FoxSportsNews: "Will you now be focusing alot more on the defensive end of things during pre-season? or are you going to have faith in the two centre halves to work things out?"

Majurovski: "After that defensive display, there will be much more training in that department. It's not that the boys can't perform well, we know they have the potential to be two of the best centre halves in the competition, but altogether, since they haven't played alongside each other, a bit more training in that department will help them fix things up."

FoxSportsNews: "The attacking side of things, are you pleased with that?"

Majurovski: "I was, but again, there are things that can be improved. We may have scored five goals, but they weren't overly crisp, other than Topor's header. But, the play in the final third pleased me, but i feel we need more control in the midfield, so we can create even more chances. For me, there just wasn't enough movement in the midfield, to support Youssouf, Rocky and Dino."

FoxSportsNews: "Thankyou for your time Nick, good luck agains't Balmaine".

Majurovski: "As always, my pleasure."


 
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After a dissapointing defensive display at Sydney Olympic, the Western Sydney Wanderers have come out firing in this second friendly, taking it 4-1 away to Balmain FC. Here is the match report from the friendly game.

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Goals from Shannon Cole, Aaron Mooy, Haliti and Topor Stanley give them a comfortable 4-1 victory. Bosnar managed to grab a late goal to make it 3-1, but that wasn't enough. a much better display defensively by the Wanderers back line, and Majurovski was very pleased the added training showed in the sides easy victory.

FoxSportsNews: "A good win out there, and surely you must be pleased with the back line this time?"

Majurovski: "Much better, not only was our defensive improved, but every player put in a big effort. From Shannon's cracker to Topor's penalty, they all put in a decent shift this afternoon."

FoxSportsNews: "Was there a change in tactics? or do you think it was soley down to the added training in the defensive department?"

Majurovski: "It's a tough one really. We did tweak things like playing a little more direct, and that helped, the ball went forward quicker, and we counter attacked really well. But, the added training also made the back line more comfortable, and you could tell that Nik and Mike were much more composed on the ball than the Olympic game."

FoxSportsNews: "Shannon Cole as you mentioned scored a cracker, but he also had a good overall performance. Is he in your future plans for the season?"

Majurovski: "We are building a solid rotation system here in Western Sydney. I am willing to give all form players a go when needed, and when i must. Shannon was terrific today, and if he keeps this form up, he will get more playing time. Again, players will rotate to benefit the team in the long run."

FoxSportsNews: "Finally, Mark Bridge came on a substitute, obviously his injury wasn't a long one in the end, just the short week, rather than the expect 2-4, what did you make of his performance?"

Majurovski: "Yes, he came back a little earlier than expected. I didn't give him too much game time, but enough to get some fitness in. He trained on Wednesday and Friday in full sessions with the boys, and had a good fitness session earlier this morning to prepare for 20 minutes of game time. He came up well and showed his worth for those twenty odd minutes."

FoxSportsNews: "Thanks again for your time Nick."


Keep checking back to FoxSportsNews for updates throughout the A-League pre-season as we take a stronger look into the new boys, the Western Sydney Wanderers. Also, before we leave you, here are some of the other friendly results which involved fellow A-League clubs.

White Eagles 2-2 Central Coast Mariners
Boorondara Eagles 0-3 Melbourne Victory
Lions FC 0-2 Brisbane Roar
Mandurah City 0-2 Perth Glory
Sutherland Sharks 1-3 Sydney FC
Toronto Awaba FC 0-6 Newcastle Jets

 
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Kwabena Appiah-Kubi has resumed training with the Western Sydney Wanderers. After signing with the new club, Kwabena still had to wait for his injury from last season to heal. Kwabena says he wont be fit and ready for the clubs third trial game against the APIA Tigers, but he says he will get some pre-season fixtures under his belt before the seasons start, as long as the Manager puts some faith in him. Here is what Kwabena had to say to us earlier this morning during the daily Wanderers training session.

FoxSportsNews: "Kwabena, you have resumed full training as of today, how is the knee feeling?"

Kubi: "The knee is fully healed, but i still have to be careful for the next week or so whilst training, so i am still sticking to light training as i prepare for the fourth friendly game."

FoxSportsNews: "Nick has stated that he will be bringing in a positive rotation system to the club, does this make you feel happy considering you may have been considered a bench player?"

Kubi: "Well, firstly it was good just to get the call up from youth to the senior squad. So instead of having to play my first season with the club as a youth player, i was promoted to what i had hoped for, and i believe the boss has faith in me 100%. I will be prepared to show him what iv'e got, and to justify my position in this team. Of course im happy that he has brought in this rotation policy, it just shows the depth of the squad aswell."

We then spoke to to Majurovski about Appiah

FoxSportsNews: "Nick, Appiah resumed full training today, how big of a positive is this as we edge closer to the season opener?"

Majurovski: "This is a huge plus. He is very talented, and we were worried a little that he would miss more of the pre-season, but he has recovered well and done everything the doctors asked him to do. He will help with this rotation system as we progress throughout the season."

FoxSportsNews: "How will Appiah fit into the side, which positions, what role?"

Majurovski: "He is a right sided player. He likes getting forward and even helping out in the midfield and perhaps slightly deeper too. So, primarily an attacking winger, so he can rotate with Youssouf and even Bridge out on the left flank if need be."

FoxSportsNews: Thankyou for your time once again Nick."


Final Update until the end of the pre-season, will have a major one reviewing all major transfers, pre-season results and much more after they are complete!

 
Looking forward to the next update, definitely one to follow and follow I will
 
Thanks for the feedback guys, have one friendly left, so i can get that done now, and hopefully get my update in time as i will be away for the rest of the day. Stay tuned!
 
END OF PRE-SEASON UPDATE

Welcome to the end of the pre-season update. In this update, i will give you spot on screenshots of all our friendly results, with the results themselves, and the other showing our goalscorers. I will also show you our October fixtures in the A-League, which are quite tough and review some major transfers. Let's begin with the results of the friendlies, some of which you already know.

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So, i have to be honest, this is quite a horrible pre-season. We started things off with a lucky win over Sydney Olympic. We were a man up and still conceded 3 goals which was utterly disappointing. But we managed 5 goals, which was a plus. Then in a much better display, we took on Balmain SC and defeated them by 4 goals to 1, comfortably. Then i had what might have been the most boring draw in history, no highlights at all on the 'key' match setting, meaning no chances were created, and the game ending 0-0. This did make me happy in a way, knowing my defensive training was helping in not letting the opposition make any chances, but on the front end, we were poor.

Then we had a 2-2 draw against Bonnyrigg. This was unacceptable, teams like this we should be beating, so it's a worry in my opinion. Albeit beating Balmain 4-1, i feel that the 2-0 win away to Blacktown City was the best result of the pre-season, as we took a 2-0 lead in the first half, and no highlights were shown in the second, meaning the boys went in and maintained and controlled the half, not letting Blacktown come close to pulling one back.

Here are the goalscorers for our friendlies;

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The final game, i will get into detail later in a 'media' like update. But before that, let's preview the fixtures ahead, which is the start of the league campaign!

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So we kick the season off against the team who always performs well in the league, the Central Coast Mariners. In front of what i hope will be a strong 10+k crowd for the opener, we should do well, barring a collapse. Would be nice to pick up three points, but gee that will be tough against them. If we do pick all 3 up, i will be very happy! Then we move away to Adelaide in our first competitive fixture away from Wanderland. Our away form is going to be key in the league this season, as in the A-League, away form is always crucial to getting you higher up the ladder. Adelaide won't be easy beats, but if we can get a result i will be pleased.

Then, the first Sydney Derby! this will be huge!! I can't wait to see how the game reflects a derby. In real life, during these derbies, the RBB and The Cove always tend to throw a flare or two, i know the game has flared, will this derby count? i hope so! The game itself will be a tough one, albeit it being at home. I will for sure be looking for the three points, and this would be a huge confidence booster, that's for sure! Finally to end October, we take on the Brisbane Roar over there at Suncorp Stadium. The two time champions, and defending champions will be tough to beat, another result will be good over there, any kind to be honest.

For the month of October, 12 points are up for grabs. My realistic goal is 8 points, with two draws away from home, two wins at home. I feel that is achievable, any more than that i will be over the moon. Minimum 5 points is what i want for the month.

Now, onto transfers in the off-season. There were plenty, all FREE transfers, but i have highlighted only a few.

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Some of you may know this guy, some might not. He played for Sydney FC last season, but was released. He was quite effective up front, and now brings his talents to the Central Coast Mariners. That's some more firepower for us to worry about come day 1 of the season.

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David Carney, Socceroo, talented player. With Ivan Franjic already the right wing back for the Roar, Carney as left wing back will cause teams heaps of problems. Both men play the same way, and Franjic tears it up! Can you imagine both of them in the same time, on opposite flanks running at both sides of your defence? Great pickup by Brisbane!

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I'm sure alot of you know Harry Kewell. The Socceroo, the former Leeds and Liverpool star. He has joined the Perth Glory after a season with the Melbourne Victory. Harry is a good pickup. Perth are already a tough team to face, as with Wellington, they are one of the hardest away trips, as they are all the way in the West side of Australia, now with Harry, it's even harder!

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Ljubo, Ljubo, Ljubo. A-League fans, you will know this fella quite well. Formerly playing for the Newcastle Jets, until he moved on to Croatian Club, Hanjguk Split. He now will apply his trade for the Central Coast Mariners. He is a central defender, and i bet the Newcastle Jets boys cant wait to try and take him on!

I now leave you to the Fox Sports News crew with their sum up of the pre-season we had!

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Well it's been a tough pre-season for the new boys, the Western Sydney Wanderers. With two early wins, came multiple draws, another win and a horrible defeat. That defeat, at home to the Marconi Stallions has Majurovski wondering what to do come crunch time. It is the worst time to be defeated by that many goals (3-0). Losing like that must be putting some headaches in Majurovski's head, as the season is set to kickoff this weekend. He must have had tactics in mind, but now, he had a decision to make, stick with the same one that failed? or change things up in a risk that they could fail aswell?. Who knows, but we did speak to Majurovski following the match to see what he thought of the selection dilemma.


FoxSportsNews: "Nick, it's been a tough pre-season, and it just ended today. What are your thoughts on the entire pre-season?"

Majurovski: "I am not happy at all with how our pre-season went. The boys trained well, they were focused and committed, and we felt we had some strong tactics in place heading into the pre-season. The matches on the other hand were poor. Even when we won, we were poor, other than the Blacktown City match. Things need fixing, but it will take some time, as well know the squad only just came together months ago."

FoxSportsNews: "The Mariners, they will be tough Round 1 opponents, are the boys ready?"

Majurovski: "The boys will head into training tomorrow with a good attitude. They are a little down after the performance today, but im sure they will get there heads up and perform."

FoxSportsNews: "Tactics wise, will things be changing?"

Majurovski: "I will reveal that i did rest some players i had planned to start against the Mariners, as the fixtures in pre-season have been coming thick and fast. I do have a opening tactic in mind, but things might change come game day. When the team sheet is released, you will know what's happening."

FoxSportsNews: "Thankyou Nick."


Well with the pre-season complete, the season itself begins! I will go through the month of October, and i will return with a monthly update, just like this one, maybe a little more or a little less, depending on the situation. I don't know if you guys want media articles during the month, i can do that, but it will ruin the monthly surprise. Let me know! and Thanks again for the support!



 
New update coming soon, two games to go in the first month!

Loving the game at the moment, way better than 12!
 
how did you get the player names in the boxes with those pictures like this one, did you make them, if so how:
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Also do media articles about things not directly relating to the Wanderers for example if there is a very high-scoring game etc.
 
My save totally fked up, god damnit, auto deleted itself, for some ridiculous reason! Might re-do the story again in the future, but it has totally screwed everything up!

To your question, i used photoshop. In the background layer, i made a inner glow, RED to make that border thing.

I used the rulers/guides so all the player faces fit in that box. Forwards text is simple, a grey stroke with red and black gradient. The player names, i did with two text layers. The Top one smaller, and the bottom larger.

Looks more professional with the first name smaller and the last name larger. They are all placed freely, but i couldv'e done alot better, they were rushed in.
 
Great start to this save, unlucky about it deleting. You might have persuaded me into starting with an A.League team not sure who though!
 
It's a fun league to play in, very tough though.

Iv'e started a new Wanderers save, coming 9th with 6 games to go, can still sneak into finals, but ill be lucky to do so. it's very hard if you use a lesser club, Wanderers, Jets, Heart, Glory, Nix.
 
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