Head Coach Alen Stajcic believes that the presence of a sizeable travelling contingent of Glory Members and fans will lift his charges as they look to get the better of Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Sunday (kick-off at 1pm WST, watch live and FREE on 10Bold).
View his full pre-match media conference HERE.
Upwards of 100 Glory supporters are expected to fill the away bay for what is this year’s Glory Shed Supporters Club Tour of Duty game.
And Stajcic feels that their backing will make a difference as Glory look to secure a second victory of the season over the reigning Premiers.
“It’s amazing that people have that much care and love for the club,” he said.
“Just to attach football as their meaning to get away, that’s what football is really all about.
“All around the world people attach their lives to their football club, whether that’s home or away.
“To have that many who are travelling and using all their extra time and resources and holiday pay and all that stuff to follow the club around and make a weekend of it is amazing.
“It just shows what kind of support we do have in the A-League.
“We want that support to be bigger and better, but it’s amazing that we have that amount coming to support us this weekend.
“Hopefully the boys will feel that love from the grandstand.
“It’s a great place to watch football, one of the best stadiums in the country and… hopefully they’ll be loud and proud.”
The Head Coach went on to stress that in addition to a desire to reward their travelling supporters, his side will have a number of other factors driving them on this Sunday.
“There’s a lot of pride at stake and a lot to play for regardless of where you are on the ladder,” he said.
“But I think that is an extra motivation, to try and get off the bottom.
“The club’s been down the bottom for a few years now and it’s going to be hard work to lift this ship off the bottom… we’ve been working hard and we’ve been in every game and been very close.
“So in one respect we’re not far away, but in another respect we are.
“We’ve been close in every game without being good enough throughout the whole season.
“So there’s a lot of hard work to do to bridge that little gap.”
Melbourne City will come into the game four points outside the top six having struggled for consistency this term, but Stajcic is still understandably wary of the threat Aurelio Vidmar’s star-studded side will pose.
“They’re obviously a quality team,” he said.
“The other day they had [Marco] Tilio, [Jamie] Maclaren and [Matthew] Leckie on the bench, probably three of the best players in our country… and that just shows the calibre of player they have in their squad and the depth they have throughout their club.
“They’ve been a big club over the last five or six years and obviously have a lot of pride having been in Grand Finals and Finals, so I’m, sure they’ll be highly motivated to win.
“But it doesn’t come down to that because both teams will be highly motivated and it will come down to which team is better on the day.
“We’ve had two games against them already, two good games.
“We won one and were a little bit unlucky in the other one, to be honest.
“They’re definitely a good opponent with such an amazing player roster, so it’s a tough game away from home, but I’ve got confidence from the two games we played against them earlier on in the year.
“If we keep up that level, we’re definitely a chance this week.”
In a season of dramatic contrasts, Sunday’s opponents have recorded an 8-1 win and a 5-1 defeat against Brisbane Roar, while also losing 6-0 to Adelaide United and hammering Western Sydney Wanderers 7-0.
Among their more consistent performers have been German midfielder Tolgay Arslan who has scored nine goals and added six assists in an impressive maiden A-League campaign, Terry Antonis, who has found the net on five occasions and veteran goalkeeper Jamie Young who has kept eight clean sheets while starting every game of the season.
Glory have fared well in this fixture over the years, winning seven times to City’s six and the last six overall meetings between the two sides have yielded an aggregate of 25 goals at an average of 4.16 per game.
Match Details
Isuzu UTE 2023-24 Season Round 24
Melbourne City v Perth Glory
AAMI Park
Sunday 14 April 2024
Kick-off: 1pm WST (3pm Local Time)
Referee: Tim Danaskos
Melbourne City squad: 1. Jamie YOUNG (GK), 4. Nuno REIS, 6. Steven UGARKOVIC, 7. Mathew LECKIE, 8. James JEGGO, 9. Jamie MACLAREN (C), 10. Tolgay ARSLAN, 11. Leo NATEL, 14. Vicente FERNÁNDEZ, 17. Terry ANTONIS, 18. Jordon HALL, 21. Alessandro LOPANE, 22. Curtis GOOD, 26. Samuel SOUPRAYEN, 35. Zane SCHREIBER, 37. Max CAPUTO, 38. Harry POLITIDIS, 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN, 44. Marin JAKOLIS, 53. Harry SHILLINGTON
Ins: 4. Nuno REIS (returns from injury), 35. Zane SCHREIBER (promoted), 40. James NIEUWENHUIZEN (promoted), 53. Harry SHILLINGTON (promoted)
Outs: 25. Callum TALBOT (Olyroos duty), 33. Patrick BEACH (Olyroos duty)
Unavailable: 2. Scott GALLOWAY (knee), 15. Andrew NABBOUT (achilles), 23. Marco TILIO (quad), 25. Callum TALBOT (international duty), 33. Patrick BEACH (international duty), 46. Ben MAZZEO (ankle).
Perth Glory Squad: 1.Oli SAIL (gk), 2.Johnny KOUTROUMBIS, 3.Jacob MUIR, 7.Stefan COLAKOVSKI, 8.Mustafa AMINI, 9.David WILLIAMS, 14.Riley WARLAND, 15.Aleksandar SUSNJAR, 16.Josh RAWLINS, 17.Jarrod CARLUCCIO, 19.Trent OSTLER, 20.Giordano COLLI, 22.Adam TAGGART (co-c), 23.Daniel BENNIE, 27.Jayden GORMAN, 28.Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI, 29.Darryl LACHMAN, 30.Robert COOK (gk), 31.Joel ANASMO, 77.Bruce KAMAU
One to be omitted
Ins: 7.Stefan COLAKOVSKI, 27.Jayden GORMAN, 30.Robert COOK (gk)
Outs: 13.Cameron COOK (Olyroos duty)
Unavailable: 5.Mark BEEVERS (injured), 11.Adam ZIMARINO (injured), 13.Cameron COOK (Olyroos duty), 21.Antonis MARTIS (injured)
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