It has been a frustrating start to the 2015-16 A-League campaign for Perth Glory.
They have flirted with victory on several occasions and have shown glimpses of what they are really capable of, yet ultimately it has amounted to a one-win, three-loss record that sees Kenny Lowe’s men sitting above only Adelaide United, whom their sole victory has come against. Only to rub salt in the wounds, the Glory would have felt like they were experiencing déjà vu on Saturday night, as they left a second consecutive FFA Cup Final empty-handed.
The men from the West are seeking the much desirable trait of consistency.
It is one that the best sporting clubs are renowned for; the ability to replicate one success after another. There has to be a sense of urgency among the Glory camp now. One of the biggest obstacles in the way at the beginning of the season was the consequences of the dramatic player turnover in the offseason. The incoming names required the necessary time to become comfortable in their new environment, while developing an understanding of, and relationship with, their fellow teammates. There is no doubt that Kenny Lowe would have given his players the time for these processes to occur, and because of this; would have been somewhat naive to think instant success was on the cards.However, the Glory are now moving into a phase within the season where time is of the essence and if they do not rectify their early shortcomings, 2015-16 could slip away within the blink of an eye.
Kenny Lowe acquired the services of Diego Castro and Guyon Fernandez with the knowledge that their influence would be imperative to team success. So far, both of their individual performances have reflected that of their team’s – really good at times and average at others. A team can rarely rely purely on one or two players, but one gets the feeling that if these players can hit their straps sooner rather than later, it could act as barometer’s for the Glory’s overall success.
Look no further than the team that beat them on Saturday night to see this dynamic in play. Melbourne Victory have the depth and quality in their squad that most coaches would salivate over. However, they also have a special ingredient that is most often their barometer, and that comes in the form of Besart Berisha.
Sure, one could mount the argument that luck has not been on the Glory’s side so far this season, but relying only on luck means there might be something wrong in the first place. As the famous saying goes though, “luck favours the brave,” and the Glory will have to be more than just that over the next few weeks. They will have to be determined, desperate and adopt a never say die mentality. The positive is, they already have players within the side that adopt this style of play. In fact, it is seemingly second nature for them. Richard Garcia, Michael Thwaite, and Dino Djulbic, play with the type of grit and hardness that can inspire teams alone. They are competitive beasts and all leaders within their own right. Although what the Glory really needs is the class and finishing touch that the Castro, Fernandez and Nebosja Marinkovic types offer.
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Perth are past the stage where simply effort is enough. They need to turn that effort into results, and those of the winning variety. The immediate road ahead does not get any easier for the Glory. They take on the second placed Brisbane Roar on Sunday away from home, who appear reinvigorated under the new management of former Socceroo John Aloisi. The Westeners will undoubtedly need to produce a complete performance, where the effort is consistent throughout the 90 minutes. Put more simply; the Glory need to win.
It does not matter how…they need to win.
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