Change, soul searching on the cards for Western United

WESTERN United will run a fine-tooth comb through what went wrong in their disastrous A-League Men title defence as they attempt to quickly bounce back from missing the finals.

United sit eighth, three points outside the top six after Saturday night’s 3-1 defeat to Melbourne City, with their poor goal difference of minus-14 realistically ending their play-off hopes.

Coach John Aloisi was confident there were still the foundations for a quick recovery, with squad rejuvenation likely over the coming months.

Both Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Alessandro Diamanti are retiring while Leo Lacroix is yet to confirm his future and seemingly headed for the exit.

“There will be changes, of course, because there are a few players that are off-contract and that are retiring or have mentioned that they are thinking about it,” Aloisi said.

“There will be some players that end up leaving and there will be players coming in.

“[Attacker] Ramy Najjarine, once we get him right that’s a new signing for us because he’s only played 15 minutes. There will be a few different players that we will bring in.

“The core base of the squad is good. Look at our back four, I know that Nikolai Topor-Stanley is retiring but the other three are still here. And then we’ll see with the rest, but they’ve been good.”

United’s campaign proved difficult from the opening game as they struggled with a lack of continuity, especially due to injuries in defence.

“Definitely everyone’s down because we know that we’ve got a team and a squad that should be in finals, but a lot of things went against us this year,” Aloisi said.

“There’s something that we have to review at the end of the season, after the Perth game, that we’ve had so many injuries from start to finish.

“We have to have a look why and try and improve that side.”

Aloisi also said United’s woes had started with a pre-season that wasn’t up to scratch.

“Get pre-season right, we’ll have a good year. Our pre-season, for whatever reasons, didn’t go exactly the way we would have liked it to go,” he said.

“Then the season starts very slow. We only had one point from our first five games and then you’re always playing catch-up.

“Then the confidence can drop a little bit. That might have something to do with the amount of players that have been injured.

“We’ll make sure in the off-season that we review that and we look forward to having a good pre-season.”

United’s championship defence effectively ends in a whimper with the loss to Melbourne City.

City striker Jamie Maclaren bagged a hattrick to take A-League Men goals record in Saturday nights clash at AAMI Park.

Maclaren equalled then broke Besart Berisha’s league record, scoring his 143rd goal as he led Melbourne City to a 3-1 win over Western United at AAMI Park that realistically ends their rivals’ finals hopes.

Maclaren bundled home his first goal in the 13th minute before Dylan Pierias responded in the 38th.

The striker’s second goal, his 142nd in the league across 201 appearances across three teams, arrived in the 66th before tapped home goal number 143 eight minutes later to surpass former Brisbane, Victory and United striker Berisha’s mark and seal victory for premiers City.

Aloisi’s charges are only three points outside the top six but their poor goal difference of minus 14 has put paid to hopes of leapfrogging either Sydney FC or Wellington.

– BY ANNA HARRINGTON/ AAP