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The Sydney Derby always produces and did so again on Saturday night. Yet putting Sydney FC’s triumph to the side, it was a tense post-match altercation between Sky Blues goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne and Wanderers’ Spanish import Juan Mata that is most likely to play out further as a potentially massive A-League story.
Their discussion in the moments following the final whistle at Allianz Stadium could well be the next phase in a very dramatic story and a subsequent walkout by the former EPL star.
Lip reading is a handy skill and some do it better than others. Yet with even a relatively poor level of ability, Mata could clearly be seen repeatedly using the word ‘respect’ in his argument with Redmayne.
Of course, the Sydney shot-stopper is intimidated by nothing and well aware of where he sits in terms of the elite players keeping goals all around the world. However, he is also a man who will attempt to ruffle the feathers of opposition players and in this case, one of the biggest fish to come to Australia for some time.
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Mata appears to be of the belief that his pedigree demands something different than the treatment that he received against Sydney FC on Saturday. I’d argue he deserves very little based on what he’s produced thus far.
Sydney coach Ufuk Talay, a hard football man who is there to win and not pay lip service or respect to opposition players that would hamper the collective ruthlessness he needs to see in his dressing room, would have no doubt called for action.
Mata has very little football under his belt over the last 18 months, has looked well off A-League pace in the games where he has made an appearance thus far this season and Sydney would undoubtedly have intended to exploit that where possible. Closing the Spaniard down quickly and exposing the lack of sharpness he has, as well as an obvious fitness deficit, would all have been discussed in the blue dressing room.
Even more so because a flash touch here and there have already reminded those watching of the potential Mata has to lift the Wanderers to great places in 2024/25.
Yet, at the moment, he looks more like heading to the airport, disinterested, feeling disrespected and out of place in what he will probably be thinking is something of a farmer’s league at this early stage.
Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic has clearly insulted the World Cup winner and is currently far from his favourite person in football. Sydney and Redmayne have now done the same and the rather embarrassing attack from Mata’s manager last week, where he called out Stajcic and the utter disrespect his player was receiving by not being used more extensively early in the campaign, suggest the former Manchester United player is simply not fitting in.
Many a marquee has come and gone with sad tales to tell of their time in Australia. Thankfully, a significant number have also stayed for many years. Men like Thomas Broich, Besart Berisha, and Jay O’Shea and Zinedine Machach in the current era have embraced the competition. They will also have managed to convince others to make the trip and ignore some of the rumour and rubbish that bitter men who never blended into the competition have sprouted.
Right now, Mata does look bitter and unconvinced of Stajcic’s ability to manage a professional team at the top level, despite his successes in just about every place where he has plied his trade.
Juan Mata. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Mata will now apply himself as diligently as expected at training; quality players like him do not get to the top without working hard and putting many sooks and lazier men to shame by their standards. However, if Stajcic remains convinced that Mata is well off the pace and far from being a regular starter, the A-League could be headed for one of the most dramatic walk-outs.
Perhaps the Australian psyche and a penchant for niggle has gotten under the skin of a Spanish icon that expected to walk into the country and be adored from day one. Maybe he assumed his place in the eleven would be gifted no matter the form he was showing.
Could it be that Mata just doesn’t rate what he sees in the league, from a playing and coaching standpoint and is regretting the decision to come to Sydney?
Whatever his feeling, it is urgent that Stajcic and Mata smoke the peace pipe, the player gets supremely fit and the Wanderers begin playing like a fluent unit. If not, yet another Western Sydney season could be down the drain before it really ever got started.