Just a Mata of time: Stajcic and Wanderers in midst of ugly marquee stoush over star recruit

Western Sydney Wanderers slumped to a fourth successive Sydney Derby defeat on the weekend as rivals Sydney prevailed 4-2, but for coach Alen Stajcic it was arguably uglier off the pitch than on it.

Marquee man Juan Mata’s minutes, or rather lack thereof, for Western Sydney has already become a sizeable problem for the former Matildas boss, as his press conference showed signs of the wheels falling off a bandwagon that has barely started rolling.

Stajcic called Mata’s agent “cowardly” in his Sydney Derby press conference, in response to sensational comments made by the former Victory star about his client’s lack of playing time. Mata’s agent Fahid Ben Khalfallah dubbed the Spaniard’s lack of minutes as “disgusting” in the lead-up to the derby, and unsurprisingly the Wanderers boss wasn’t having a bar of it.

“Obviously, I don’t need to talk to agents when their players aren’t playing. To be honest, I think his comments were out of order [...] They were cowardly, and they were cowardly for a number of reasons.”

Each mention of Mata was met by increasing incredulity from Stajcic, who seemed far more interested, and rightly so, in the performance of his side who have not enjoyed a positive start to the season. They slumped again in a derby. The Spaniard was benched again, following a poor 45-minute showing prior to the international break, and a six-minute stint against the Newcastle Jets.

There is an overwhelming sense that Mata is not a player Stajcic wanted at the Wanderers, and likely had very little say in. It’s hard to shake this notion, with the World Cup-winning #10 playing limited minutes, consistently outside his usual playmaker role, and instead shoehorned into several different positions in a system that clearly was not made for him.

In fairness to Stajcic, his call is probably the right one. Mata is on a one-year deal, is 36 years old, has barely played football in the last 12 months, and arrived just weeks out from the season’s beginning. Plans have most definitely been thrown out the window with his arrival, and in Stajcic’s first pre-season in charge.

Mata showed his quality during his 30-minute cameo in the Sydney Derby, helping spark a short-lived comeback which included an excellent assist for Marcus Antonsson, but it wasn’t enough. As the full-time whistle blew, Mata could be seen on the broadcast in some frank-looking discussions with both his own teammates and opposition players, which seemed to only feed into an atmosphere of discontent.

This does not look to be a viable situation for any party, and Khalfallah’s comments have certainly exacerbated the uncertainty. Who’s shocked at a player agent causing unnecessary fuss in today’s football culture?

The unfortunate question right now for fans is who jumps first - marquee man Mata, or already embattled coach Stajcic? It’s clear for punters that something is amiss within the camp, and without a doubt, outside voices such as agent Fahid Ben Khalfallah have not helped the equation.

Stajcic already appears to have lost much of the good faith of the Wanderers’ support. Five rounds in, they’ve already lost two Sydney Derbies, won just one game, and conceded 12 goals – albeit while scoring a league-high of 11 goals. Peruse social media and you’ll see plenty of sentiment for him to be sacked already.

For veterans of A-League Men marquee mania, this sorry saga has shades of the last World Cup-winning star to hit our shores: Alessandro Del Piero and the Ian Crook-led Sydney FC basket case of 2012/13.

Both signings were undoubtedly sizeable coups with real potential, but both also coincided with the star-man being uncomfortably shoved into a side which clearly had not prepared in pre-season for their arrival and how they’d fit into a system.

In Crook’s case, he resigned after just five games following a turgid series of displays and whispers of discomfort within the camp – and perhaps even with those higher up and behind the recruitment. He was then replaced by someone who was given clear instructions to make the marquee their focal point.

This feels like it could be a premonition of things to come at Wanderland.

What goes very much in Stajcic’s favour (unlike Crook) is he’s a highly-experienced coach who has managed high-profile stars before, like the Matildas golden generation which included Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Lisa De Vanna and more.

What is going against him is if you’re playing poorly without your star recruit, it’s not a shock people are getting restless to see what he can offer and how he could be a solution.

It doesn’t take a tactical genius either to see how Mata just does not fit Stajcic’s system. The ongoing question is, do you rework your entire squad to give a World Cup-winner a chance to shine, or do you create an actual team and identity? Both are going to take a lot of time, and the process for the latter began back in pre-season before Mata’s arrival.

Stajcic has clearly already given his verdict on it, and it’s hard to see how much longer this situation can play out before somebody finds their way out the exit at Wanderers’ Rooty Hill headquarters.

For neutrals, this is a shame, but it’s hard not to respect and back the manager’s decision to hold strong and remain loyal to his principles and beliefs. Come January, however, you would most certainly not bet against a mutual termination from either party - even if it’s not quite as mutual as they say.