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Western Sydney are determined to stay positive and are desperate to help their battling A-League coach Markus Babbel.
Western Sydney defender Patrick Ziegler admits it's hard for the Wanderers to say positive through all the A-League club's setbacks they've had, but says the players are desperate to do well for coach Markus Babbel.
After winning their first three games, Wanderers have triumphed in just one of their next nine, losing six of their last eight.
Increasing their angst is the spate of contentious decisions that have gone against the side .
That trend continued into 2020, with Wanderers not awarded a penalty when the ball clearly made contact with the hand of Brisbane captain Tom Aldred in the Roar's 2-1 win at Bankwest Stadium on New Year's Day.
Asked if it was hard to stay positive, Ziegler said: "It's pretty hard because I think in the last five games we've got four penalties (decisions) against us and the one clear penalty in Newcastle, we didn't get.
"We had really good games especially against Melbourne City and Western United. We played very well and we deserved a lot more, but sometimes you have these periods you have to go through."
Babbel has frequently expressed his bemusement and anger at some of the decisions and fellow German Ziegler stressed the players accepted some of the responsibility for the club's slump.
"Me and some of the German boys, we try everything because he brought us here and we have a responsibility for him," Ziegler said.
"If you ask the boys, everyone likes him and we have a good relationship together, you are desperate for him, you want to do everything for him
"But I think the main point is we want to win. It's a shit feeling to go through the week negative and you feel it immediately."
Ziegler had more right to be frustrated than anyone on Wednesday, as he was off the field getting treatment for a cut lip when Brisbane scored their winner.
"The referee said to me if I got treated on the pitch I can stay, suddenly our physio was out there," Ziegler said.
"And he (the referee) said. 'Ah you shirt is red (with blood),' but I said 'no-one sees this, our shirt is red, so please let me stay.'
"(The referee said) No no no and I went outside (off the field) and the fourth official said it's still dripping, so I had to stay.
"Then exactly in this moment the ball goes into my area where I normally defend the goal and (we) concede the goal."
