Outside90’s series of team previews continues with a look at Perth Glory.
Offseason transfers
Replacing the departed stars was always going to be impossible. However, Perth have done their best to find adequate replacements and while they will not be as strong this year, they will still be hard to beat. Former West Sydney goalkeepers Ante Covic and Jerrad Tyson were brought in to fill the hole left by Vukovic, while another ex-Wanderer, Anthony Golec, will slot in at left-back. WA-born defender Alex Grant has returned home after three years in England and former Sydney FC players Marc Warren and Hagi Gligor were signed for depth. The three most intriguing signings were foreigners, all with credible overseas careers. Gyorgy Sandor has shown his class in preseason and looms as a key figure in Perth’s midfield, while Diego Castro has enjoyed a solid career in Spain and his cutting edge could prove vital. Guyon Fernandez has spent the bulk of his career in the Dutch Eredivise and will be charged with replacing Keogh’s presence and goals up front, no easy feat.
Last season
Billed as strugglers in preseason, Perth Glory surprised nearly everyone by racing to the top of the ladder. Losing just one of their opening 13 games, they were firing on all cylinders, also making the FFA Cup final, where they lost to Adelaide. Featuring a miserly defence and the goalscoring prowess of Andy Keogh and Jamie Maclaren, Perth were almost unstoppable.
And then, it all came crashing down.
Weeks out from the finals, the FFA announced the club had rorted the salray cap by roughly $500,000 over the past three seasons, stripping the club of their third place finish and banning them from the finals. CEO Jason Brewer resigned; the fans took their anger out on club owner Tony Sage and star players Danny Vukovic, Scott Jamieson, Rostyn Griffiths, Daniel De Silva, Maclaren and Keogh all departed. A season that promised so much, ended as the darkest chapter in the once-proud club’s history.
The Coach
Kenny Lowe is a journalist’s dream; quotable, likeable and willing to be blunt. After an uninspiring start to life as interim coach in the 2013-14 season, the 53-year-old turned it around last term, turning Perth into one of the best teams in the league. Lowe made some savvy offseason purchases last year; the likes of Dino Djulbic and the now-departed Keogh were starters all season long, while Ruben Zadkovic and new skipper Richie Garcia both featured regularly.
Given his past experience as head honcho of the WA National Training Centre side, many expected Lowe to install a possession-based, passing game at the Glory. Instead, the team has been built on a sturdy defence and holding midfielder (played with aplomb last season by Griffiths) winning the ball in their back third, before quickly finding the target man or wingers on the counter-attack. The main feature of Lowe’s Perth has been their tenacity. Away from home, they conceded just 11 goals and lost once last season. Lowe has installed a fighting spirit in his charges, evidenced by their (at time of press) four extra time victories in the FFA Cup.
Strengths
The defence was one of the best last year, and looks set to again be the backbone of Perth’s season. Covic was the Asian Champions League MVP in goals for West Sydney last year, while Thwaite and Djulbic are one of the best defensive partnerships in the league. To their right, Josh Risdon has quietly become the competition’s best right-back, defensively sound while also dangerous going forward. The Glory are dangerous from set pieces, with Nebojsa Marinkovic establishing himself as one of the best free kick takers in the league. The Serbian had seven assists last season, many which came from free kicks and corners.
Weaknesses
The aforementioned departures were all starters and their absence means a large loss of experience and quality. Question marks over Golec’s quality at left-back have been raised, while the loss of last season’s two top scorers (Keogh and Maclaren) means the pressure will be on Fernandez, Chris Harold and Sidnei Sciola to supply the goals. Given neither Harold or Sciola are natural strikers, the Glory may be in trouble if Fernandez is injured for a long period of time. At times last season, Perth became too predictable in attack and struggled if teams were able to shut down their wingers or the service to the striker.
Best XI
(4-3-3): Covic (GK); Risdon, Djulbic, Thwaite, Golec; Zadkovic, Sandor, Marinkovic; Garcia (C), Fernandez, Castro.
Key Player
Michael Thwaite has endured some bad luck over the past few years. He was captain at Gold Coast United when Clive Palmer’s attempts to run a football club backfired spectacularly. Seeking a clean slate in Perth, he was again captain last season, only to see his hard work go up in smoke thanks to more off-field drama. He voiced his anger and frustration with the club behind closed doors in the offseason and was quietly (and perhaps unfairly) stripped of the captaincy. Rumours abounded Thwaite wanted to leave, so it is both a surprise and good news he will be lining up for the Glory again come week one. Strong, experienced and composed on the ball, Thwaite has been one of Perth’s most consistent performers since he joined the club. If Perth are to make the finals, a lot of it depends on Thwaite and Djulbic’s partnership at the back.
Prediction
It will be a tough ask for Perth to replicate their success from last season. In the wake of another tumultuous season for the club’s administration, the fans have lost patience. With a raft of important players gone from last season, it could well be a difficult season for the Glory. However, they still boast a strong lineup with enough quality to worry most teams and if the imports fire, it would be no surprise to see Perth make an appearance in the finals.
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