The upcoming January transfer window is undeniably a pivotal moment for Perth Glory.
After a disappointing start to the season, compounded by ambitious promises from the club’s leadership, fans are understandably demanding swift and decisive action to reverse the team’s fortunes.
A large portion of these ambitious claims and promises have come from Football Director, Stan Lazaridis.
Lazaridis’ tenure has drawn mixed reactions from fans. Some were no doubt thrilled to see the former Socceroo re-engage with football in Western Australia after a lengthy hiatus. Others, however, remain increasingly skeptical of his ability to effectively manage the club’s football operations.
Personally, I find that I lean toward the latter perspective.
While I initially praised Lazaridis’ recruitment efforts, a deeper assessment of the squad’s current state and its performance in the A-League reveals significant shortcomings. Despite being one of the most active clubs in player recruitment ahead of this season, glaring gaps remain in the team. These issues raise serious questions about the appropriateness of certain signings and the overall strategy behind the squad’s construction.
When evaluating Stan Lazaridis’ tenure at Perth Glory, a useful point of comparison can be found in discussing the tenure of former Melbourne Victory Director of Football, Francis Awaritefe.
Awaritefe’s appointment raised eyebrows, including those of Fox Sports analyst Robbie Slater, who described the decision as “completely perplexing.” Prior to his appointment, Awaritefe was a TV analyst at SBS, with no prior experience in football management. His credibility was further questioned when he began discussing the Victory’s new football philosophy, where he drew comparisons to clubs like Barcelona.
While La Masia’s player development and stylistic methods are globally renowned, Awaritefe’s lack of expertise made his claims about implementing similar philosophies at Melbourne Victory appear overambitious. Both he and then-head coach Mehmet Durakovic spoke of introducing a fluid, pass-and-move style of play, emphasising technique and skill over physicality and directness. They cited Barcelona and Arsenal as their inspirations.
However, by Round 7 of the 2011/12 A-League season, Victory had managed just one win, five draws, and one loss. This poor start ultimately led to Awaritefe’s dismissal in November 2011.
In an article done on the official A-League website following Awaritefe’s departure, one point resonated with me quite clearly.
…Perhaps most importantly, the person appointed to the role needs to have the right skill sets. Too often in our eagerness to look after a retiring player, we create a role for a person who is patently unqualified to do the job. If a guy has never seen a set of A-League/FIFA rules or regulations or put a spreadsheet together in his life, you can pretty much guarantee a poor result… I think a role for a Football Director does exist in the A-League, but getting it right is easier said than done and requires careful planning – not knee-jerk political appointments, or jobs for the boys.
Sound familiar?
Shortly after his appointment, Stan Lazaridis expressed his vision for the team in an interview with Roger Sleeman. He told CEO Anthony Radich and then-head coach Alen Stajcic that he wanted the Glory to emulate the style of football Sydney FC had displayed the previous season.
It’s hard to fault Lazaridis for wanting a defined and ambitious playing style. Sydney FC’s aggressive, daring, and ruthless approach is indeed an ideal template for the Glory to follow. In a subsequent interview with Peter Vlahos, Lazaridis expanded on his vision, emphasising the importance of speed, steel, goals, and excitement in the team’s play.
Now, for the Glory, who had drastically underperformed in several key areas, both on and off the pitch, the question was how quickly would it be, from a realistic standpoint, to see the Glory, who had no visible identity on the pitch prior to this season emulate a brand of football that was highly detailed and advanced from the get-go while also competing for a spot in the finals.
Well in theory, if you get your head coach and player recruitment correct then the answer should be fairly quickly. After all, in the 2018/19 season, while new head coach Tony Popovic didn’t implement a system that was as globally recognised as the Red Bull football model, his style of play along with the players recruited and those he inherited allowed for an incredibly successful season.
Instead, what’s been witnessed this season has been a disastrous recruitment strategy under Stan Lazaridis, which has resulted in one of the weakest squads in the league. In hindsight, this outcome should have been anticipated, given Lazaridis’ prolonged absence from the game and the lack of transparency regarding his qualifications or prior experience for such a critical role within the club.
Young players have been hung out to dry due to the lack of experience and quality around them, while the visa players have also come under serious scrutiny, particularly in recent weeks.
Take yesterday’s 2-0 loss to Melbourne Victory, a match that accentuated for many fans, not just those of Perth Glory, the glaring lack of quality within the team. A key point of frustration was the minimal contribution from the club’s visa signings, with only one of the four, Luis Cangá, featuring in the game.
Anas Hamzaoui reportedly missed the match due to a minor injury sustained during the lead-up. Meanwhile, Cristian Caicedo, touted as a particularly impressive “wow signing” expected to “put bums on seats,” was omitted for both attitude and tactical reasons. Hiroaki Aoyama, for the second consecutive game, was completely absent from the squad, further fuelling concerns over the club’s recruitment strategy.
The upcoming transfer window is a critical juncture, not just for Stan Lazaridis but for the Pelligra Group as a whole. There can be no excuses this time. The narrative of the owners supposedly working tirelessly on great things behind the scenes, away from public scrutiny, no longer holds weight with fans. Transparency and tangible progress are now non-negotiable.
Perth Glory faces the very real prospect of equaling a league record for consecutive games without a win if they fail to beat either Newcastle Jets or Brisbane Roar in the next two weeks. The pressure is mounting, and decisive action is required to prevent the club from spiralling further into crisis.
