Perth’s players are determined to reverse their indifferent start to the new campaign and will be in an attacking mood in their first home game of the season according to star midfielder Adriano Pellegrino.
Perth-s players are determined to reverse their indifferent start to the new campaign and will be in an attacking mood in their first home game of the season according to star midfielder Adriano Pellegrino.
The Glory tackle Newcastle at ME Bank Stadium on Sunday and Pellegrino says the team has made significant progress after only coming together as a full squad just prior to the new season starting.
“It was always going to take some time for us to know how each other plays and we are becoming more and more familiar every training session and every game,” Pellegrino said.
“We are continually getting better as a squad. Our best isn-t far away and we-re confident things will keep getting better this week.”
Pellegrino himself has endured a tough start to the season with a groin strain limiting his impact in the opening round while a bout of tonsillitis threatened to keep him out of the club-s round two encounter. He did however make the trip to Wellington and was a crucial component for Perth after slotting into the unfamiliar role of right back following a forced reshuffle early in the opening half.
“It isn-t somewhere I-ve played often but I-m happy to do my bit for the team wherever that might be,” Pellegrino said.
“Fortunately it still gave me some opportunities to get forward and set-up attacks which is part of my normal game.”
The hardworking midfielder acknowledged the club-s start to the season has not lived up to expectations, both internally and externally, however the next two games at home was the perfect springboard from which to push their way up the ladder.
“There is always pressure at the start of the season with expectations and stuff like that,” Pellegrino said.
“You have to look at it as 27 rounds in the league and we did come home strong last year. However we can-t let teams get too far ahead of us and we will be looking to pick up some points in the first half a dozen games for sure.
“There’s always pressure there but at the end of the day we just have to concentrate on what Mitch (coach Dave Mitchell) and Kenny (Assistant Coach Kenny Lowe) say and work from there.
“There are a lot of positives from the two games we-ve played and that gives us confidence for the rest of the season ahead.”
