Adelaide United v Western Sydney Wanderers clash offers taste of greatness Message received: Adelaide have learnt to play the Josep Gombau way. It is a stretch to claim Pep Guardiola will be squaring off against Jose Mourinho at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday, but their philosophies certainly will be. True, they're two world-class managers with access to world class players, aided by phenomenal transfer budgets and training facilities from a different planet. But if you could suspend reality for just a moment, and imagine that Guardiola and Mourinho had privately prepared two coaches to undertake A-League missionary work, they might end up resembling Josep Gombau and Tony Popovic. Early success: Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic. In the modern game, where the ideas of the best coaches are broadcast instantaneously around the world, it is no surprise to see managers everywhere trying to emulate those at the peak of their craft. Gombau has, of course, enjoyed direct contact with Guardiola's mission, which falls under Barcelona's umbrella vision, providing the same education for both. Transporting the tiki-taka style is easier said than done, however, and generally comes with a painful gestation. Ange Postecoglou found that out the hard way at Brisbane Roar and, to a lesser extent, at Melbourne Victory. Gombau is now jumping the same hurdles at Adelaide, teaching the players from scratch about holding the ball and the dual arts of thinking about the pass while moving on instinct - not to mention pressing when defending. Their early season troubles have given way to a five-match unbeaten streak, highlighted by last week's win over Brisbane, themselves proclaimed as the new kings of possession. The message is sinking in. If that clash highlighted two possession-inspired teams going at it, this Sunday has a different twist. When Popovic first began to seriously think about coaching, at the end of his five-year spell with Crystal Palace, one man was rewriting the rules of management. Just a few kilometres from Selhurst Park, Mourinho was trashing the Manchester United-Arsenal establishment, the 4-4-2 and every other rule of the English game - and winning. Mourinho created a team that would die for him. All despite rotating players as he saw fit, signing players on his own perceptions - purchases of Didier Drogba and Petr Cech were questioned - and generally ignoring whatever anyone thought. Even Roman Abramovich. He popularised the "Makelele role," arguably so effective it helped to show the Anglo-inspired world the value of holding midfielders. Much of the Wanderers success can be traced to the tireless screening of the underrated Mateo Poljak, joined by the defensively sound Iacopo La Rocca or the more attack-minded Aaron Mooy. Similarly, just as Mourinho exploited the very British ideal of playing to win, with patient defending and blistering counter-attacks, Popovic has done the same. Sit deep, draw the opposition forward and then hit the space like rabid dogs. Though Popovic has created a loyal following from his players, getting to Mourinho's level - a cult-like worship - won't be easy. Still, the professionalism and discipline of the Wanderers hasn't been seen in Australian football before. It's not Pep versus Jose just yet, but for a taste of both, this game offers more than an entree of what's happening at the peak of the round-ball game.