We’re just over five weeks away from the opening game of the new A-League Men’s season and a lot has happened in the Glory camp in the last four months.
There’s a lot to unpack both on and off the field in terms of recruitment, new training facilities and stadium drama. Let’s start with what’s been occurring on the pitch.
After a 4-1 win over Perth SC at Dorrien Gardens last month, the Glory took on Inglewood United on Thursday night and were held to a scoreless draw.
Image via Perth Glory on Facebook
The squad has been completely transformed by Ruben Zadkovich and Head of Recruitment Andy Keogh as they continue preparation for their first full season in their respective roles.
Six of last night’s starting side have been brought in for the new campaign, with Aaron McEneff making his debut in a midfield three alongside Mustafa Amini and Giordano Colli.
Amini and McEneff bring much needed experience and steel to the midfield following the departures of Brandon O’Neill and Callum Timmins to the Newcastle Jets.
Up front, Bruno Fornaroli started in the middle with new signings Ryan Williams on the left and Stefan Colakovski on the right.
With Inglewood sat deep, there wasn’t much room for the wide players to run in behind or for the ball to be played to Bruno’s feet. Most of the possession was recycled through the midfielders and the defenders as they tried to make the key pass to unlock the Inglewood defence.
Even though it is preseason, and results shouldn’t be taken too seriously, the struggle to create chances in the first half does reinforce the desire for a no. 10. The Glory were so close to securing the services of Italian Marco Mancosu, until his hometown club Cagliari came in with an offer too good to refuse.
If that doesn’t follow through, I still have faith in our capabilities going forward. Colakovski was underutilised at Melbourne City, coming over to the Glory with a winner’s mentality and the ability to take defenders on which we didn’t have much of last season. He’ll add a different dimension to this side and more importantly take some of the pressure away from Bruno Fornaroli.
Another one of those who adds a new dimension to the attack is big Ben Azubel, who made his first appearance for the club off the bench, coming on for Fornaroli at half time. An audacious bicycle kick attempt was the highlight of his night, struggling to get involved in the play. Still too early to tell how he will fare in the purple this season.
The defence was the standout of last season, and it’s gotten even better. The combination of Mark Beevers and Darryl Lachman will be a formidable one for the rest of the competition. Beevers provides more invaluable experience and last night showcased some impressive long-range passing, switching the ball perfectly across on multiple occasions. On the rare occasion Inglewood were able to break with speed, both central defenders were able to quell the threat and keep the ball well.
The starting XI were all subbed out by the hour mark, allowing some of the younger players to get a run out. It was great to see Carlo Armiento back on the pitch, and he nearly marked it off with a goal, narrowly missing the best chance of the game in the 73rd minute.
The best of the bunch in the second half was Matt Hatch, another new face who’s come across from the Central Coast and will be a great addition. His goal per minute ratio was spectacular last season and he was definitely the player who looked most likely to score last night. His explosiveness will make him a handful for defences; I think he could be one of our best signings.
Image via Perth Glory on Facebook
There’s a lot to be excited about, but we can’t take too much away from friendly fixtures. We’re still a month out with more signings hopefully to come and more time for the new players to find their feet and gel with the squad. The result wasn’t ideal, but the preparation seems to be going well at the new headquarters in Fremantle and more focus will be placed on improving performance than the outcome of games.
Onto what’s occurring off field, and the main drama surrounding the club: the stadium. Delays to the renovations of HBF Park mean at least nine of the 13 home games will have to be played at a different stadium. Discussions continue and unfortunately there isn’t a perfectly suitable replacement venue in WA.
HBF Arena in Joondalup will host four of the nine matches, but it doesn’t have the lighting required for the night fixtures slated for January and February. All the other rectangular stadiums, mainly the National Premier League (NPL) grounds, have the same issue.
I would love to see games at Optus Stadium, but that has its own problems. A mostly empty oval stadium won’t be a great look for broadcasters, but the facilities are incredible. The pitch may also cause issues with the heavy cricket schedule during those two months. I do believe though if fans are incentivised to attend, the club will be able to benefit more from games there than at any other venue.
Many questions are yet to be answered which will be crucial in determining how the Glory’s season plays out. Home fixtures being moved outside of the state would be a disaster, and more additions to the squad could make a major difference, especially in the no. 10 role. No matter what happens, the excitement remains. I can’t wait for the season to get underway.
About the Author
