Head Coach Ruben Zadkovich has hailed the sense of togetherness within the club ahead of Glory’s home clash with Brisbane Roar on Tuesday evening (kick-off at 7.30pm, tickets HERE).
View his pre-match media conference in full HERE.
The men in purple will be looking to extend an three-game unbeaten run at Macedonia Park knowing that three points would lift them to within touching distance of the top six in what remains a very congested A-League table.
And while keen to point out that there is still a long way to go, Zadkovich believes that an internal sense of unity is helping drive the club forward.
“The thing I’m most proud of with this group at the moment is that they’ve embraced the hardships and we’re still confronting them with this quick turnaround of games,” he said.
“It takes a real togetherness and that’s something we’ve got at this club at the moment from the top down.
“Right through from the chairman to the admin staff, the new staff that we’ve brought in in the admin and football departments, to the playing group.
“It’s still a work in progress, but there’s a real appetite from everyone to want to get better and push the club back to where it needs to be.”
Zadkovich went on to emphasise that while quietly confident his charges can snag all three points on Tuesday, he expects Brisbane to provide a very stern test.
“We face a Brisbane Roar team unbeaten in eight games; they’re probably the form team in the competition,” he said.
“They’ve had four away games, won two and drawn two, so I think this will be one of our toughest tests at home, especially with the quick turnaround.
“They face the same issue [a qshort turnaround], obviously, so that’ll be a bit of a leveller and I think we’ll need to be at our best.
“We just have to make sure we get the balance of our team right first and foremost and that’s difficult to do at the moment because we’re not exactly sure who’s going to be fit and available.
“But whoever we put out, when we’re here in Perth, we want to make sure that our Members and fans are represented properly and make this place, not just Macedonia Park, but Perth in general, a real fortress which it has been in the past.
“We want to play a style of football which allows us to get on top and make it difficult for teams.”
In terms of early team news, the Head Coach confirmed that a number of players will face late fitness tests.
“There are a few sore bodies and we’ve spent a lot of time going through our recovery protocols.
“There are a few guys who are going to have to pass fitness tests tomorrow to see if they’re available.
“People that were missing the other day, like [Mark] Beevers and Ryan Williams, they’re both back on deck, but still need to pass fitness tests tomorrow.
“Salim Khelifi is unavailable and there are a few other sore bodies, so we’re going to have a little injury clinic in the morning and see where we’re at.
“But like I always say, if those guys are out, there’ll be other guys that will step up and through this period, especially with the cards we’ve been dealt in terms of these games being so close together, it’s really important that everyone is focused and available.
“Performance-wise on the pitch… it’s going to take everyone and everyone needs to be at their best.
“If we continue in that mindset and continue working hard for each other, then I’m sure we can pick up more points.”
Brisbane are the draw specialists of the A-League thus far this term having shared the spoils in six of their ten games.
Their three wins have come against Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and most recently, Melbourne Victory.
Former Glory man Carlo Armiento is their leading scorer with three goals, while Irish midfielder Jay O’Shea has bagged two and also claimed one assist.
In their 25 previous visits to WA, the men in orange have claimed 10 wins, but the last eight overall meetings between the two side have produced an even split of three wins apiece and two draws.
Match Details
ISUZU UTE A-League 2022/23 Season Round 6
Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar
Tuesday 10 January 2023
Macedonia Park
Kick-off: 7.30pm
Perth Glory squad: 33. Liam REDDY (gk), 2. John KOUTROUMBIS, 3. Jacob DOWSE, 4. Luke BODNAR, 8. Mustafa AMINI (c), 12. Luke IVANOVIC, 13. Cameron COOK (gk), 14.Jack CLISBY, 16. Keegan JELACIC, 18. David WILLIAMS, 19. Zach DUNCAN, 20. Giordano COLLI, 23. Mitch OXBORROW, 25. Matt HATCH, 28. Trent OSTLER, 29. Darryl LACHMAN, 31. Chris DONNELL, 36. Joseph FORDE, 37. Jacob MUIR, 43. Adam ZIMARINO
Ins: 23. Mitch OXBORROW, 28. Trent OSTLER, 31. Chris DONNELL
Outs: 10. Salim KHELIFI
Unavailable: 1. Brad JONES (gk) (injured), 5. Mark BEEVERS (injured), 6. Aaron MCENEFF (injured), 7. Ryan WILLIAMS (injured), 10. Salim KHELIFI (injured), 21. Anthony BURKE-GILROY (injured), 22. Adrian SARDINERO (injured)
Brisbane Roar squad: 1. Macklin FREKE (gk), 2. Scott NEVILLE, 3. Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS, 4. Anton MLINARIC, 6. Connor CHAPMAN, 7. Rahmat AKBARI, 8. Riku DANZAKI, 10. Nikola MILEUSNIC, 11. Jez LOFTHOUSE, 13. Henry HORE, 16. Joshua BRINDELL-SOUTH, 17. Carlo ARMIENTO, 19. Jack HINGERT, 23.Jordan HOLMES, 26. James O’SHEA, 27. Kai TREWIN, 28. Joseph KNOWLES, 32. James NIKOLOVSKI, 35. Louis ZABALA, 37. Thomas WADDINGHAM
Ins: 37. Thomas WADDINGHAM
Outs: 29. Cyrus DEHMIE
Unavailable: 5. Thomas ALDRED
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