Fowler targets his old friend Babbel
FOOTBALL: It’s nothing personal but Brisbane coach Robbie Fowler is desperate to secure a win over Markus Babbel’s Western Sydney.
The former Liverpool teammates go headto-head for the first time as A-League coaches at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney today.
Fowler and Babbel were only together at Anfield for just over a season but secured a treble in 2001, winning the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and English League Cup.
The pair remain good friends but Fowler insists his motivation for today’s match is no different than any other.
“Regardless of who I’m up against, regardless of whether they be a good friend or not, I still want to have the joy of seeing our team win the three points,” Fowler said. “We have history as teammates. We were good teammates and part of a successful team.
“Where we are now is totally different to where we’ve been and we both want to get three points for our respective teams.”
While Babbel’s Wanderers sit top of the league after a perfect three wins from three starts, the Roar have a last-gasp draw and a 1-0 defeat from their two matches.
Missed opportunities proved costly last weekend as Melbourne Victory stole a win at Suncorp Stadium with lone striker Roy O’Donovan particularly guilty of wasting chances. The introduction of Aaron AmadiHolloway in both of the Roar’s fixtures has changed the game but Fowler wouldn’t be drawn on whether he would be altering his system against the Wanderers.
“It depends how the game’s going,” he said.