'I have four girls at home and every one can marry them' - Babbel demands Wanderers ditch nice-guy attitude

Markus Babbel has accused his Western Sydney Wanderers side of being ‘too nice’ to their Hyundai A-League opposition.

The German’s comments follow Western Sydney’s capitulation to Perth Glory last Sunday, in which the Wanderers surrendered a two-goal lead late to lose 4-3.

Lapses in concentration at both ends have plagued the Wanderers under Babbel to date, a weakness that has the club in danger of missing the top six for a second season running.

But the 46-year-old believes his charges are learning from their mistakes and commanded the Red and Black to be more ruthless on the pitch.

“What I was saying to the boys [is] we are too nice,” he told media on Wednesday.

“I have four girls at home and every one can marry them because they are all nice fellas but we have to change our mentality on the pitch.

“If the chance is there, take it. Because if we are not taking [chances] the other team is taking the chances.

“We are very nice people, very nice guys. But on the pitch, leave the nice guy in the changing room, and bring the dirty one on the pitch.

“This is what they have to learn, this is a process not going from one day to the other day, it’s not the first team to have these problems.

“But we’re working, and we’ll learn from these mistakes.”

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Western Sydney Wanderers boast the second most shots in the Hyundai A-League but have the second worst conversion rate.

Although the inconsistent Wanderers languish in eighth position on the Hyundai A-League ladder several positives have emerged of late – headlined by the arrival of Kwame Yeboah, who scored one and assisted two goals in Sunday’s Perth loss.

The club finished that affair with five academy graduates on the pitch and a recent focus on promoting youth is one that Babbel says will continue, starting with Friday’s match against Adelaide United.

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“We will see on Friday again many, many young players on the pitch because we have many injuries,” he said.

“I hope they learn quickly, because they’re still young, I hope they learn quicker than maybe the old ones.

“For me, again, it is important to see a performance because this is what the supporters can expect, to see the team is doing everything to win a game, and then if the moment is there we have to take it.”

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This article was originally published on the Hyundai A-League website.
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