Ignoring the result for a second, it was fantastic to see the Glory back in action and playing A-League Men’s football for the first time in six weeks.
Forty-two days without a game has forced the squad to regain their match fitness, and while it is a reasonable explanation for a rusty beginning and tired end to the match against Brisbane, some of the issues which were clear to see in the opening four games reappeared on Wednesday night.
Going forward, it was frustrating to watch. Andy Keogh, Bruno Fornaroli and Adrian Sardinero were all included in the starting XI and had minimal impact on the game.
Fornaroli did his usual thing of holding the ball up and drawing fouls but could only get one shot on target in the 67 minutes he played. It was also the only shot on target we had for the game.
I hardly remembered Sardinero’s name being mentioned by the commentators and I didn’t think Keogh played well either. On one occasion they combined in the second half and created an opening, but for some reason Keogh decided not to shoot and the chance went away.
Many fans will be glad Daniel Sturridge got game time, more than I was expecting actually. Came close with a free kick and showcased some silky footwork in a 1v1. If we can create chances for him, he will score and given he only trained with the squad once before the game, I’m confident his performance will keep improving the more he trains with the group.
I don’t want to harp on about it, but that’s been the glaring issue this season. We aren’t creating enough chances for our forwards. Most of our front line aren’t playmakers, they’re finishers who get on the end of chances.
Our ball movement from midfield to attack wasn’t the best against the Roar. Going forward, I’m not sure playing a back four is the way to go. Playing a back three with the wingbacks gives the two midfielders passing options out wide and allows the front three to play higher up, without having to come and receive the ball close to the halfway line like Fornaroli does.
It will be interesting to see what Garcia opts to go with against Sydney on Saturday. Do we continue playing a back four with Callum Timmins and Brandon O’Neill as the two recognised midfielders, or do we revert back to playing with three central defenders? We could also play 4-3-3, with Daniel Stynes as the more attacking of the three midfielders.
One area I can’t fault too much has been defence. Jonathan Aspropotamitis had a very good game, summed up by the clearing header on the goal line from Jay O’Shea’s chip. Darryl Lachman was solid again and went on a pretty cool run down the wing which was entertaining to watch.
I have loved Aaron Calver so far. I don’t know if it’s because I pay more attention to his work defensively, but he gets into good positions to clear the ball and block shots. He’s definitely merited his place in the starting team.
Cameron Cook was pretty solid once again. Yes, he made a bad mistake which nearly cost us a goal, but he was sharp early on when we needed him to be. I hope Garcia sticks with him for the time being because I don’t think he deserves to be put back on the bench after his performances thus far.
What we’re lacking is another clean sheet, and also a bit more focus toward the end of games. Our three losses have all been 1-0 and all of those goals have been conceded in the last 15 minutes of the match. This time a free header at the back post found its way to former Glory NPL player Henry Hore, who nodded home from very close range. With our aerial strength, we should not be conceding from set pieces. Simple as that.
Brisbane deserved their first victory of the season and had a few standouts. Jay O’Shea was superb for the Roar, coming close on a couple of occasions and was excellent on the ball. I also thought both full backs were impressive, Nicholas Olsen on the left and Louis Zabala on the right.
It was easy to tell which team had played three matches in a week and which one hadn’t played for six weeks. It wasn’t the restart we were hoping for, but we have to cut the team some slack since the match fitness isn’t there just yet.
The next task faces us on Saturday and getting some points in the upcoming games will be important. With the announcement that the WA border opening has been delayed, most likely meaning no home fixtures in the foreseeable future, Glory’s season isn’t getting any easier.
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