Head Coach Richard Garcia feels that his Glory players are closing in on a top-notch display which he believes could come in Sunday’s ISUZU UTE A-League clash with Western United at Launceston’s UTAS Stadium (kick-off at 3.45pm WST).
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The men in purple were unable to build upon last weekend’s win over Brisbane Roar as they were edged out by Macarthur FC in midweek.
But while admitting that the performance against the Bulls was somewhat underwhelming, Garcia is backing his charges to bounce back in style against the surprise league leaders this weekend.
“We’re looking at things that the players are more than capable of and I feel that we’re not far off putting in a fantastic performance,” he said.
“It’s just about the players coming on board with that mentality and making sure that every pass and every movement they do is where it needs to be.
“We’ve had a lot of games that have come about and fatigue plays a part in that, but it’s about doing it under fatigue as well.
“We’ve got a heavy schedule coming up for the rest of the season and it’s about the players adapting to that and giving their best even when they’re fatigued.”
Western United will make the short hop across the Tasman full of confidence having lost just one of their last seven games and Garcia is under no illusions about the challenge John Aloisi’s side will present.
“They were a tough opponent last time we played them,” he said.
“They’re well organised, they have great momentum and they had a good start to the season with a lot of home games.
“That kind of put them in a good position and they are the kings of 1-0, but it doesn’t really matter what you win [by] as long as you win.
“I thought we did really well against them last time we played and I think we match up well against them.
“It’s about us being at our best and tidying up on the things we need to tidy up on and that’s about us evolving and getting better as a team.
“The first step is on Sunday.”
In terms of early team news, meanwhile, Garcia confirmed that Daniel Sturridge is unfortunately facing a number of weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a groin injury against Macarthur, but that the rest of the squad is travelling well.
“He [Daniel] feels like it’s still pretty sore,” he said.
“He felt a bit of a pull and once a player says that, I think you’re always going to be missing for a few weeks.
“It’s about him getting fit again… and I think we have time for that.
“We’re always planning ahead and trying to make sure that we keep as many bodies ready to play as possible.
“There’s a full squad to pick from, which is fantastic.”
Glory will searching for just a second ever win in this fixture, with the Victorians having claimed the spoils on three occasions, including the remarkable 5-4 victory at GMHBA Stadium in January of last year.
Midfielder Steven Lustica and Serbian import Aleksandar Prijovic are their joint-top-scorers this term with four apiece, while Lachlan Wales has contributed three assists.
Aloisi’s side have conceded 11 goals in their 13 games, keeping a league-high seven clean sheets.
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