Sydney FC fans, the 1500 or so lucky enough to get tickets, will taunt the Western Sydney Wanderers about entering March with one win under their belt. No matter how many times you say it, write it or think it, it's a tally that doesn't seem real.

And that statistic is made all the more ethereal by what happened this week in Ibaraki. The Wanderers, keeping five players at home to concentrate on the derby, went to Japan and shocked Kashima Antlers, one of the nation's biggest clubs, on home soil. The 3-1 scoreline suggests it was emphatic; perhaps not, but undeniably deserved.

Who would have thought that such a setting would be the catalyst for a turnaround. Of course, it's not complete yet, and nor will it be unless they shock the Sky Blues. At least now there is hope. But it begs the question: why are Tony Popovic's men so good in Asia and so lost in the A-League?

Veteran coach Branko Culina – the man who gave a young Popovic the captain's armband permanently at Sydney United 21 years ago – says winning in Asia and winning in Australia are two very different things.

"Firstly, it's two totally different styles of play. What is clear is that what worked last year in the A-League may not work again this year or the next," he said. "In Asia, the tempo is much slower. That allows the Wanderers to sit back, draw the opponent up the pitch and hit them on the break. You could see them do exactly that against Kashima on Wednesday night.

"We also know that Asian teams genuinely do not like playing against Australian teams. We have bigger players, faster players, stronger players and that affects their mindset. The Wanderers have used [that] to their advantage. Tony nearly always picks his more physical players for ACL matches. So far, it's worked. But in the A-League, each year the tempo quickens right up."

The domestic season, however, has been a disaster. Culina sees a mix of recruiting woes and complacency all culminating in a campaign that sees the Wanderers on track to be the first club to fall from grand finalist to wooden-spooner.

"Think of the players they haven't replaced: Shinji Ono, Youssouf Hersi, Jerome Polenz and others did a great job and worked perfectly in that formation," Culina said. "Ono was especially perfect in their system but if you don't have a  No. 10 of his calibre, why keep using it? Tony needs to be bolder, to take a risk, to try new things.

"Two years ago, that whole squad was full of players who weren't wanted elsewhere. They were so desperate for a chance they were prepared to do whatever the coach wanted. Now they've proven themselves and had some success, that application and desire may not be what it was."

While the Wanderers' perfected the 4-2-3-1 in the first two years, it's now proving as much a hindrance, with fans and critics all crying out for change.

"Tony is a good coach, and he's going to get even better, but it does seem as though he needs to try something beyond the 4-2-3-1. You know every single week exactly what they're going to do from a strategic standpoint," Culina said. "Everyone in the A-League is aware of it, and they easily adjust for it, but there doesn't seem to be an alternative style of playing.

"They're already a very defensively minded team, so why play with two holders? I'd move one of those defensive midfielders forward and play with two eights in a 4-3-3 [used by Ange Postecoglou at the Asian Cup]. Positionally, it's not that much different, it's a related system, but it could enable them to attack more efficiently and score more goals."

However, Culina doesn't want Popovic to completely overhaul everything he's done – rather tweak it, just enough, so that he realises the full potential of the team.

"Josep Gombau had a similar problem at Adelaide. He was so determined to have his team play a certain way that it was costing them points as they struggled to adjust to possession-based football," Culina said. "So he mixed it up. Sometimes they'd play long balls, which allowed them to press higher up the pitch and play a higher line. He learned to adapt to what he had.

"Another example is Brendan Rogers. Liverpool had a nightmare start. They tried 4-3-3 and it wasn't working at all with the players they had. But as soon as they changed to a 3-4-3, they've found a system that suits the players. They've started winning games and climbing the ladder. Sometimes, you just have to think outside the square."