Clinical has been the buzzword for Adam Griffiths going into tonight’s unofficial Long Distance Derby against top-of-the-table Auckland FC.
The feeling from the manager post the 1-0 defeat to the Wanderers was their inability to put away early chances cost them when the momentum shifted to the home side later on in the game.
While there is some truth to the sentiment of missed opportunities coming back to bite the Glory, James Renton was spot on identifying the crux of the issue. Generating better and more scoring opportunities is what the Glory require to find the back of the net with more regularity.
There won’t be a better test of the attacking capabilities than tonight. Auckland’s defence might not be as strong compared to their debut season, but their back four and midfield pairing are very talented. It’s part of the reason why they are sitting first.
When the teams met in Perth last January, it took a Jaylan Pearman wonder strike to give Glory a 1-0 win. Something similar tonight would be nice, but as spoken about previously, the volume of good chances created will be more telling in the long run.
Who can take the load off Tom Lawrence?
It’s no secret when Glory are looking for a moment of magic or a spark in the attacking third, the man they inevitably turn to is Tom Lawrence.
Whether it be a set-piece delivery, a long range strike from distance, neat footwork and control or a decisive pass, the Welshman is the player with the highest possibility of producing it.
Against the Mariners, he was afforded time and space on the ball, conducting the attack in a manner not seen for a long time. Better teams haven’t allowed him the same freedoms, and it has killed a lot of the Glory’s creativity.
This is where others should be upping their levels to ease the load on Lawrence. Sam Sutton out wide hasn’t reached the levels we saw from him in pre-season. Nicholas Pennington and Trent Ostler didn’t do enough in the last game.
Lachie Wales and Luke Amos have missed a lot of football, but when they return to the side, there will be pressure on them to perform right out of the gate.
There’s enough talent beside Lawrence capable of hurting most A-League defences. In the last month or two, there’s been little evidence to show it, and it has to come soon.
Will Griffiths experiment?
On the latest edition of The Far Post Perth Podcast, the point was made that the timing of the Western Sydney substitutes and the changing of their shape turned the game in their favour.
Adam Griffiths made switches of his own, but unlike Gary van Egmond, all his substitutes were like-for-like replacements.
The shape of the lineup has not changed since Griffiths came into the role, playing a 4-4-2 with Lawrence as a second striker.
With the Glory lacking a real edge in the final third, it might be worth playing around with the system, even if it is just in the second half.
The plethora of midfielders makes a midfield three a viable option, or even a midfield diamond with Lawrence at the head playing as a true no.10.
Versatility is a bonus to have at your disposal. Griffiths has enough coverage to mix it around a little bit. It may just unlock the Glory’s attacking weaponry in a way we haven’t seen from his side yet.
Predicted lineup
Lawrence – Taggart
Despotovski – Pennington – Bozinovski – Colakovski
Sutton – Wootton – Kaltak – Shamoon
Sutton
All images courtesy of Tom McCarthy.
