The red and black almost missed on a round of 16 berth in the FFA Cup three weeks ago when they needed a last minute winner from Roly Bonevacia to clinch a 4-3 win over unfancied NT side, Hellenic Athletic .

It was Markus Babbel's first competitive match with the Wanderers and he was unimpressed with the performance on the field.

"We did make mistakes and we got in trouble even against a team who is not the best in the world" admitted Babbel about their near-miss in Darwin. "But we were struggling.

"We started well but then we got sloppy. We did not win the challenges."

But with three more weeks of pre-season training under the squad's belt and his new German attacking midfielder - with a CV including stints at Bayern Munich, Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach - Babbel is much more confident ahead of their clash with Bonnyrigg White Eagles on Wednesday.

"We are stupid if we are not learning from these games," said Babbel today. "We have three more weeks in our legs now and we've got Josh Risdon back and Patrick Ziegler hasn't played in this team yet.

"We have more quality now. Alex is a very creative player and I hope he he can show his talent on Wednesday because if he's if he's playing well then he makes the difference.

"It's easier for the striker and wingers because he has the idea to to play the right balls in the right situation – then we will create many chances and hope we can score these chances."

He admitted he had not yet finalised his squad for the new season – but conceded it was tricky finding the right players.

"We are having a look on the market but it is difficult as every team is looking for good players as well as us," he said. "I can't tell you now if something will happen.

"But if not, I am happy with this squad. We have we have a good mix between young players and experienced players.

"I like my team – they are working really good in training and they have good motivation... and that's the most important thing for me."

He added: "The most important thing for me is I have a team who wants to work.

"This is a great enjoyment for me to stay everyday on the pitch and work with them and then also see the improvement.

"When we started we made many mistakes so now it's getting better and I hope we can show it on Wednesday."