We caught up with Head Coach Tony Popovic in the wake of Tuesday’s friendly win over Perth SC to get his thoughts on pre-season so far and what lies ahead:
Promising Youngsters
“The training is quite demanding, so we have to understand that once they’ve had a period of a few weeks with the first team, they do hit a flat spot and do get heavy-legged and fatigued.
“But we’re pleased with what they’re showing.
“Tonight there were glimpses of the young boys doing a few good things, some good actions. They might not be able to sustain it or do it repetitively, but that comes with time and training and physically when they evolve.”
Looking Ahead
“There is a lot of work to do.
“The goal is to be ready for Round One [of the Hyundai A-League season].
“We’ll be as best prepared as we can be for the FFA Cup, but we have to remember that Round One is always the goal.
“Some players are still injured, some have just come back from an extended break and we’ve got Juande who has gone back to Spain for the birth of his child.
“All these things need to come together and the players need some continuity and time together on the park.
“I’m sure that we’ll have all of that ready by Round One, but for the FFA Cup, the players are working hard and the group that we saw out there this evening will make up the majority of the players that we’ll have for that game.
“They’ll be as fit as they can be at that stage and I’m sure they’ll put on a good performance that night.”
#OneGlory
