Rudan given keys to the castle, but can he unlock Wanderers glory days?

At the time, it certainly didn’t strike anyone as the statement of a caretaker. If anything, the response Mark Rudan gave following Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 defeat to Newcastle Jets on February 23 was more a campaign speech. Perhaps, given it was delivered to three journalists on a Zoom call at almost eleven o’clock at night, it was even a statement of intent.

“It’s a big club. It’s a proud club. And I know exactly what needs to be done moving forward,” Rudan said emphatically. “I’ve said it before: I don’t care about names. You either shape up or ship out. It’s as simple as that.”

Flash forward a fortnight, to news Rudan has had the ‘interim coach’ label removed from his title and been awarded a contract until the end of the 2023/24 season, and his words take on a new level of prescience. Whatever masterplan the 46-year-old was concocting was apparently compelling enough to induce Wanderers owner Paul Lederer into entrusting him to helm of their men’s team.

Rudan may have won just two games from six before the announcement but from a tactical and technical perspective, it’s a good appointment. After earning a shot at the top through his work at NSW NPL level with Rockdale Ilinden and Sydney United, Rudan oversaw rises at Wellington Phoenix (2018-19) and Western United (2019-21). His knowledge of the game and ability to adapt his style separates him from a number of ALM coaches. His willingness to give once-overlooked players a shot - Max Burgess at Wellington and Tomislav Uskok at Western, for example - is another.

Based on what he has previously shown, Rudan is the most capable coach Wanderers have had since their inaugural boss, his friend Tony Popovic (the pair came up together through the ranks of Sydney