With some six weeks left before the start of the 2024/25 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign, we sat down with Glory Head Coach David Zdrilic for an in-depth catch.
He covered a lot of ground, from the squad’s reaction to last week’s Australia Cup exit, to the latest on the injury and recruitment fronts, the challenges he’s faced during the first two months of his tenure and surviving multiple trips to IKEA.
You can listen to the full interview HERE or check it out in written form below.
Perth Glory Media: David, how have the playing group responded to last week’s exit from the Australia Cup?
David Zdrilic: For us it obviously wasn’t the result we wanted, but in terms of our training and the way we’re trying to approach this rebuild, the way the players have responded has been fantastic.
It’s not easy to exit the way we did and it was a very winnable game.
It was a tie we thought we should have progressed through, there’s no getting away from that, but in the end, the result wasn’t in our favour and that’s football.
We have a lot of work to do and that would have been the case whether we’d won or lost.
The whole pre-season, for a large part, has been very positive.
To come in and try and change a style with a lot of new players and staff and ownership, the immediate impact was there to be seen in a couple of very good performances in the Cup and some of the practice matches and internal games we had.
It was very positive.
This game [v Moreton City Excelsior] was disappointing because we had everything in the game to win it and started well.
I wouldn’t say it was the same feeling and energy we had in the games against Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City, but we still went 2-0 up.
There was an element of not being able to manage the game, especially when we were in the lead.
We had some good chances in the second half… but we weren’t able to manage the game in the way we would have liked and that’s why we went out.
But the group are aware of that now, there’s plenty to work on and that’s definitely been the focus.
Perth Glory Media: What are the priorities between now and that Round 1 clash with Macarthur FC on 20th October?
David Zdrilic: The main focus for us is a) to continue bedding in this philosophy so that it becomes part of our DNA and b) that the players we haven’t had out on the training field so far in pre-season, we integrate them as quickly as possible.
We have quite a large number that I haven’t even seen on the training field… so that’s obviously something we want to try and rectify and have players come on and start training as soon as possible.
But there’s a process and a time-frame and we’re not going to fast-track anyone.
Perth Glory Media: As you mentioned, there are a number of players who haven’t featured as yet in pre-season due to injury – the likes of Nikola Mileusnic, Mustafa Amini, Nicholas Pennington and Anas Hamzaoui – how are they tracking in terms of potentially being available for selection come Round 1?
David Zdrilic: I’m very optimistic that the majority of them will be fit for the start of the season, but it’s really going to come down to when they start training and how they respond to that training.
We have to manage their loads because they’re coming into a structure now that is very intense.
But I’m excited, hopeful and optimistic that those players will play some part in that first game.
Perth Glory Media: There are still a couple of players to be added to the squad – what is the time-frame in terms of those signings?
David Zdrilic: Hopefully in the next couple of weeks everything will work out and we’ll be able to bring a couple of guys over [from overseas] to strengthen our squad.
We’ve got a very exciting squad, but there are a couple more pieces that we need to ensure that we’re competitive in all games.
Then together with the guys that haven’t even started training yet, we’ve got a very solid squad.
Perth Glory Media: At a personal level, you’ve been in the role for approximately two months – how have you found it and has it been what you expected?
David Zdrilic: It’s been very enjoyable.
I’m very aware that every club is different, every country is different.
I have obviously spent most of my life in Australia and I know the landscape, I know where the game is at and the different levels.
In this scenario with Perth Glory, the very exciting thing is that we have new ownership, a new direction and we’ve created a new identity.
There is no illusion that there is a lot of work that goes in behind that, but that’s something that I really enjoy.
There have been some very exciting first steps, but it was also evident in our last Cup game that we have a lot of work to continue to do and that’s going to go on through the season as well.
The framework and the foundation is there, but now we need to make sure we do the proper work to take the next steps and start the season well.
Perth Glory Media: Off the pitch, your family are here in Perth with you now, so how are you settling in?
I really enjoy living in Perth.
It’s a very comfortable lifestyle and it’s been great for my wife and daughter.
It hasn’t always been easy for them travelling around the world.
Even in Sydney, which is my home town, it was quite difficult managing that year because of the housing situation and traffic and all that kind of stuff.
From a family point of view, I’m really enjoying living here and the environment around the club and the city, it’s a really good vibe.
I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to be here.
It just spurs me on to make sure that we get this right and do really well.
#ONEGlory
