Season Preview – Perth Glory
No one saw it coming. 13 games in, with just one loss to their name (alongside a run to the FFA Cup Final), Perth Glory sat on top of the table. Many predicted them to struggle to even make the finals in pre-season, but there they were, leading the league and not looking like relinquishing it.
Of course, we all know what happened next. It came to light in December the FFA were investigating Perth for a potential salary cap breach, and it was all downhill from there. Their form suffered after the Asian Cup break, as they found themselves overtaken by Melbourne Victory and Sydney, but the real damage came off the field. As the finals loomed, the FFA announced they had discovered breaches of over $500, 000, and disqualified them from the finals race. The revelations cost CEO Jason Brewer his job and saw many Glory faithful, sick and tired of the club’s under-achieving under owner Tony Sage, walk away from the club. With a vastly different starting eleven and the loss of several key players, can Perth restore faith in the team.
ARRIVALS
After the loss of so many starters, Coach Kenny Lowe moved quickly to replace them. Whilst the new signings won’t completely offset the loss of their stars, they should ensure Perth will remain a finals contender. They reacted quickly to sign Asian Champions League MVP Ante Covic after he was released by Western Sydney Wanderers, and the custodian is joined by his former back up, Jerrad Tyson. The left back spot will come under scrutiny, as both new signings Antony Golec and Marc Warren failed to convince there at their previous teams. Hagi Gligor came across from Sydney to provide depth in the middle of the park, where he’ll be joined by Hungarian Gyorgy Sandor, who has already proved a classy pickup in pre-season. Up front, Diego Castro boasts a reasonable scoring record in La Liga and could be a superb pickup if he finds his feet. Guyson Fernandez, who has enjoyed a modest career in the Dutch Eredivise, will step into the target man role vacated by Andy Keogh.
DEPARTURES
In the bible of Perth Glory, this past offseason will go down as Exodus. Nine players bid their farewells to nib Stadium, and the majority of them were starters. Some, like Danny Vukovic and Scott Jamieson, left out of disgust at the club’s salary cap rort. Others, like wonderkid Daniel De Silva, midfield maestro Rostyn Griffiths and backup goalkeeper Jack Duncan, left to pursue opportunities in Europe. Keogh and Youssouf Hersi were let go as the clubs cut down their wages in the wake of the cap breach. Meanwhile, Jamie McLaren and Riley Woodcock, left due to limited opportunities out west, and quickly found new homes with Brisbane and Sydney respectively.
THE COACH
After failing to impress as interim coach in 2013/14, Kenny Lowe had a crowd of doubters to win over last year. After a strong off-season recruitment drive, he shocked everyone by guiding Glory to top spot at the halfway point of the season, losing just one of their opening 13 games. Whilst he’s not as tactically astute as some of his fellow coaches, he makes up for it with his motivational skills; Lowe made the Glory very hard to beat last season by installing a fighting spirit in his charges. Whilst past Glory sides rolled over away from home, under Lowe they lost just once and only conceded eleven times outside of Western Australia. Even with the loss of so many first team players from last season, Lowe will make sure Perth battle hard.
SEASON EXPECTATIONS
Given the excellent recruitment of the two Melbourne sides and the strength of Sydney and Adelaide, a title run may be beyond the Glory. However, with three quarters of last year’s defence returning and what looks to be some classy overseas signings, there is no reason to suggest a finals berth is out of reach. If the imports gel, Catsro and Fernandez supply goals and the defence remains stoic, Perth should make the finals. But fans have reason to be pessimistic, given Glory’s recent history of looking good in pre-season, only to flatter to deceive when it matters.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Since his arrival in Perth in 2013, Michael Thwaite has been one of Perth Glory’s best players. At 32, he remains one of the league’s better centre backs and a key part of Perth’s defence. A natural leader, he was surprisingly stripped of the captaincy in the off-season, after clashing with the club behind closed doors over their involvement in the salary cap scandal. Rumours swirled Thwaite was on his way out after losing the armband, but in a pleasing sign for fans, he will line up for Perth on the opening day for the season. Calm, strong and comfortable on the ball, if his partnership with Dino Djulbic is as good as it was last year, expect to see Perth come finals time.
THREE KEY GAMES
Melbourne Victory HOME, November 8th
Just five rounds in, Perth will have an early chance to show what they’re made of, hosting one of the title favourites, Melbourne Victory. Victory’s attacking nous will test Glory’s defensive steel, and a strong performance in front of their home fans against the reigning champions could give both the players and fans confidence ahead of the rest of the season.
Melbourne City HOME, January 16th
Another big home game against a Melbourne side predicted to vie for the title, except this time it’s the Victory’s noisy neighbours visiting. This game is the second game in a row at nib Stadium just after the New Year. It was at this stage last season Perth fell away and the chasing pack caught them. A win here would set the team up nicely for the second half of the season, presuming they’re still in the race for a finals berth at this point.
Wellington Phoenix AWAY, March 20th
A late season trip ‘across the dutch’ could have major implications for Perth’s season. I’m expecting Perth and Wellington to be engaged in the race for the last couple of finals spots by this stage of the season. It’s a tricky task to walk away with a point at ‘The Cake Tin’ at the best of times; with a potential finals spot up for grabs, it’s imperative the Glory get a result here.
EXTRA TIME
They say it’s always darkest before the dawn, but Perth Glory have a lot of work to do to win back the fans. The term ‘make-or-break’ gets thrown around a lot, but it is vital they make the finals. There are many once-passionate fans in Western Australia who have thrown in the towel after years of failure and off-field drama. This season almost feels like a reclamation project; an effort to salvage as much as possible from the disastrous end to last season. A return to the finals wouldn’t win back all the departed fans, but it would be a good start.
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