After making a slow start to their A-League campaign, yielding just a solitary goal after two games, the Reds’ goalscoring concerns were further compounded when news emerged another striker has succumbed to injury.
An unconvincing start to the 2015-16 season has meant Adelaide United will already have to prove the doubters wrong if the South Australians are to be considered a genuine title contender. Consecutive 0-0 and 1-1 draws against Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers respectively are a testimony of this. United have thus far been fruitless in an attacking sense this term, with the team mustering a mere goal coming courtesy of Andreu’s own goal in the match against the Wanderers. In fact, despite recording one goal, the real worry causing apprehension among fans is the sheer lack of creativity and fluidity currently apparent in the final third.
At the same time last season, Adelaide had scored three goals and the year before netted five after two matches, both under then boss Josep Gombau’s tutelage. Guillermo Amor, who is still searching for his first league win, now has the arduous task of figuring out where the goals will come from without Eli Babalj and potentially Bruce Djite for the clash against Perth Glory this weekend. The former sustained a foot injury, forcing the on-loan forward to miss six weeks of action, while the latter will continue to have his fitness evaluated following a groin complaint and remains a chance of featuring in some capacity on Sunday.
However, the timing of the injuries could not come at a worse moment for the Reds, who are seemingly still adjusting to the subtleties in Amor’s philosophy. But perhaps instead of persisting with the present approach employed by the Spaniard at the expense of dropping more points and playing catch-up, a change in strategy could be the answer. Using the first two games of the season and to a certain extent the 3-1 defeat to Melbourne Victory in the FFA Cup quarter-final as an example, one underlying trend continuously surfaces – a notable lack of shots on target.
In the three matches combined, the Reds managed to produce a meagre six shots on target. While the goalscoring woes in its own right is a major concern for Amor, arguably a more pressing issue is the lack of opportunities created. The current problem is not a case of the proverbial saying ‘the goals will eventually come’, because that is only an appropriate justification when the squad is creating an abundance of chances. A far cry from what has transpired this campaign as Adelaide have been lacklustre and their often excessive passing in around the 18-yard box before deciding to pull the trigger is attributed to an absence of threatening shots and of course goals.
Indeed, not too dissimilarly to this recent predicament, the Coopers Stadium outfit has a track record of struggling to convert the plethora of chances it has fashioned. Last campaign, the Reds grew notorious for inviting teams back into the game, indicative of their inability to kill teams off and win rather comfortably.
As alluded to earlier, for the meeting with Perth, a different approach will need to be implemented. With Babalj a definite omission and Djite still a doubt, Pablo Sanchez should get the nod of leading the line. For a peculiar reason the 32-year-old is yet to start a match this season and for a player who possesses a decent goalscoring record it would be wise to thrust him into the starting XI versus the Glory. However, just like his fellow strikers he too will have a minimal influence on proceedings if he is isolated and starved of quality service in the box.
Ironically, although Gombau was synonymous with possession football, his side had an inclination to concede a lot of goals. Amor has since got the Reds looking resolute defensively, but has inadvertently weakened United’s attacking potency. Hence the former Barcelona icon must find the right balance to finally ignite Adelaide’s stuttering season and ensure the team realises its full attacking capability.
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