Josep Gombau was a charismatic and popular coach who won fans over with his infectious enthusiasm and attractive football, but can he be a success at the Western Sydney Wanderers?
To answer that question, it is worth revisiting the key characteristics of the Adelaide United team of 2013-15, who played arguably the best football in the A-League during that time and won the inaugural FFA Cup.
This laid the foundations of ‘Barcelaide’ that Guillermo Amor would maintain (but also tweak slightly) in the season following Gombau’s departure, where they won the Premiership and Championship after going without a victory in the opening eight rounds.
‘Barcelaide’, a nickname inspired by Gombau’s Barcelona influence, were obsessed with possession. Right from the start, Gombau instructed the team to retain the ball for long periods, trying to break teams down with long, patient passages of passing.
