JANUARY
Consecutive losses by F3 rivals saw Tony Popovic out of the job as Glory’s struggles worsened. Tony Sage opted to pull the trigger in the hope of saving their dying season. Aleksandr Stanojevic later being named as Popa’s replacement.

Newcastle Jets made a huge statement by beating Wellington away in a top of the table clash as they took pole position. Though Western United turned a two-horse race into three as only a result separated the leading pack at the end of the month.

Wanderers showed more promise throughout January, including an impressive three points in Wellington. Whilst a Big Blue defeat forced Victory’s management to shockingly show Carlos Salvachua the exit door, even though his side were in the battle for top-six football.

FEBRUARY


The biggest shock so far was the replacement the Big V appointed. After a disastrous stint as Wanderers head coach and constant complaining to German media about the state of Australian football, Markus Babbel left his homeland at the first opportunity to return, snapping up the job in Victoria.

Maybe he covered his Wanderers tattoo with navy blue ink? 

The managerial fiasco continued as Robbie Fowler was given the boot in mid-February by Brisbane Roar. The Liverpool legend struggled in his return to head coaching, being replaced by Socceroos hero Tony Vidmar.

Phoenix’s slump continued as losses to Western United and Melbourne City opened the door for the latter to join the race for the Premiership. Newcastle Jets though kept the good times rolling as they sat pretty in first by the end of the month.

But Western Sydney continued to creep up the table, remaining unbeaten since the turn of the year. Ernie Merrick had collected 17 from a possible 21 points to catapult his side from last to fifth in only two months.