Two games in, two losses, eight goals conceded, and just one goal scored.
This is far from the start David Zdrilic and everyone connected to Perth Glory had envisioned. The frustration among fans has been palpable and, arguably, justified, especially given the pre-season optimism. But as the dust settles, the pressing question becomes: how can the team regroup and turn things around? What specific areas need to be addressed to improve how we play?
In this piece, we’ll take a closer look at the tactical and statistical elements at play – exploring what aspects of our style of play have shown promise and where critical adjustments are needed to bring about better results moving forward.
When analysing the Glory’s defensive approach, it’s clear that David Zdrilic wants his players pressing high up the pitch, closing spaces, and putting the opposition under pressure to create turnovers and potential scoring opportunities. But has the “Red Bull” style of pressing been effective so far? In short, yes and no.
On the plus side, Perth Glory currently rank second in the league for possession won in the final third per match, increasing from last season’s 4.7 to 9 per game—a significant improvement. Both the Macarthur and Wellington games saw several turnovers generated by this approach.
However, two main issues have emerged. First, the Glory have struggled to capitalise on these turnovers, often unable to turn regained possession into genuine goal-scoring opportunities. Second, when the press hasn’t worked, the team has failed to prevent the opposition from exploiting big gaps left in the defence.
Petar Petrov, an A-League analyst who has experience with Football Radar and Georgian club FC Dinamo Tbilisi, pointed out a key flaw in the press:
One line could do well, but when the timing and spacing aren’t right across the whole board you can easily get punished. That’s basically the nature of pressing.
In simpler terms, fans may have noticed that the press can break down when players either miss or fluff their cues to press, leading to exposed spaces that opponents like Macarthur and Wellington have exploited.
Improvement in this area will require time, as elite pressing systems are not built overnight. While some fans might expect a refined press given the length of pre-season, there are signs it’s on the right track. Still, tightening up the players’ timing and collective cohesion must be a top priority for Zdrilic over the coming weeks if the press is to truly become an asset.
Perhaps the most glaring issue with the Glory’s performance over the first two games has been their defending in and around the box. A few key concerns stand out. Notably, there’s been a noticeable lack of intensity in defensive duels, with the Glory struggling to prevent their opponents from taking high-value shots. Many of these attempts have come with relative ease, either from the edge of the penalty box or, as highlighted by Wellington’s second goal, at the back post.
The statistics reflect this defensive frailty. Excluding Adelaide, Perth Glory have the highest percentage of shots on target against them (51.7%), with the next worst being Newcastle at 35.5%. This has led to an xG against of 4.6, second only to Newcastle’s 5.1.
These numbers point to one simple conclusion: the Glory’s organisation in the defensive third hasn’t been good enough. A lack of application and attention to detail has resulted in several preventable goals, evident in both the Macarthur and Wellington games. Adding to this problem, these teams significantly overperformed their xG against Glory (4.06 and 0.53), highlighting how vulnerable the defence has been.
Ultimately, this is a collective issue that requires critical attention, as the Glory will be facing even tougher challenges against teams with higher-calibre attacks, who will likely exploit these gaps even further.
Turning to the attack, the performance has been surprising, though unfortunately, not for the right reasons. The Glory’s attacking threat has been lacklustre, ranking in the bottom two for shots (7.5) and shots on target per game (2.5), with an xG of just 0.6 – second only to Brisbane’s 0.4.
These statistics reveal that the Glory have struggled to generate enough creative and offensive output to capitalise on any momentum gained throughout the match. The numbers around xG from open play paint a similarly grim picture: 0.26 against Macarthur and 0.18 against Wellington. This suggests that the Glory pose virtually no threat in open play when they have possession.
The absence of a single “Big Chance” created further highlights the lack of quality in service to players like Adam Taggart. Either the delivery hasn’t been up to par, or the shots have come from positions unlikely to result in goals.
Looking ahead, David Zdrilic’s priorities are clear: refine details of the press, tighten defensive efforts in and around the box, and, crucially, enhance the team’s chance creation. While these improvements may take time to implement fully, signs of progress in these areas could go a long way toward reversing the current trend.
All images courtesy of Tom McCarthy.
