Trying to get more goalscorers and stopping opposing sides from scoring off setpiece second phase are problems occupying the mind of Western Sydney Wanderers coach Markus Babbel.
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The Wanderers had more attempts in their 2-0 A-League home loss to Newcastle on Friday.
But their failure to clear a setpeice led to Newcastle's first goal and they conceded a second in the dying moments, after they pushed numbers forward in search of an equaliser and the Jets counter-attacked in clinical fashion.
"If you see the first goal, the second phase after a setpiece, we're talking a lot about this, because we've big problems," Babbel said.
"This is now the third or fourth goal we've conceded after a second phase."
Spanish striker Oriol Riera has scored three times this season, but no other Wanderer has more than one.
"This is a bigger problem for us. Not many players can score a goal, so we have to work on this again," Babbel said.
He was heartened by the danger posed by 20-year-old winger Abraham Majok, who got into good positions but missed some chances.
Despite his side's shortcomings, Babbel was convinced his game style works.
"If I see where we started (the season) to now, a big improvement, but we have to keep going," he said
"Because all the time if we stay in our structure and we do what we say, this is a really good style of football.
"The team from Newcastle was physically much stronger than us but with our style of football had big problems with us.
"We have to work on this a bit longer, because we have always a period we are not so active in the game and all the time in this period the opposition is dangerous."
Babbel refused to use the criticised Spotless Stadium surface as an excuse, with the former German international joking he had played on some "horrible" pitches.
He got some sympathy from Jets counterpart Ernie Merrick, who pointed out the German coach hadn't had much luck in his first season in charge.
"I really feel for for Markus Babbel," Merrick said.
"He's come over here, he's had to suffer the VAR decision (and) a red card (against Sydney FC) and then he's he's had to play on a pitch like that, it's pretty tough for him."
Wanderers' midfielder Roly Bonevacia is expected to be out for three to four games after suffering a hamstring injury earlier this week.
Babbel hoped German defender Patrick Ziegeler would return from injury to make his A-League debut either next week or the week after.
Australian Associated Press
