The wait is nearly over. It’s been 167 days since the Glory ended their first season under David Zdrilic in Wellington against the Phoenix. Now, they face the same opposition, this time in Perth, to kick off his second campaign.
The heat is on and rightly so. The recruitment from Stan Lazaridis has been much improved; proven talented defenders Scott Wootton and Brian Kaltak have arrived to shore up the defence, along with Sam Sutton.
Midfield depth is quite impressive thanks to the signings of Callum Timmins and Rhys Bozinovski, and up front the nabbing of Jaiden Kucharski from Western United & the highly touted Welsh international Tom Lawrence are set to improve the attack.
Preseason results haven’t been great, but what happens from here on out is what matters most. As always before a ball is kicked, there are plenty of questions which need answering.
Who comes in for Sutton?
Ask anyone who has watched the Glory in pre-season action and they will tell you the star performer in most games has been Sam Sutton.
The Kiwi full-back has delighted fans with his attacking output from the left. Pinpoint crosses, great set-piece deliveries and superb stamina to run up and down the pitch for 90 minutes.
An injury sustained in the final pre-season hitout against the Wanderers has ruled him out of action for the first few weeks of the season. It is an early blow for the manager to deal with.
Who will be the one to replace him? The two defensively minded options are Zach Lisolajski and Charbel Shamoon. However, the former has also been ruled out with an injury and the latter hasn’t been named in the squad for Round 1.
In my mind, there are three potential attacking picks to choose from. Khoa Ngo and Joel Anasmo have been tried at wing-back in preseason, although both are definitely more suited to playing higher up the pitch.
The third option is Trent Ostler, a utility more suited to the right side of the pitch but who can do a stint on the opposite side if needed.
Out of the three, Ostler is the most experienced and probably the best suited. How Zdrilic navigates this situation will be fascinating; a test to see how adaptable he & his system are in the real matches.
And speaking of…
Does Zdrilic stick with three/five at the back?
Aside from the new personnel, one of the big changes we’re going to see on the field from the Glory this season is the formation.
With a plethora of defenders to choose from, David Zdrilic made the switch from a back four to a back three/five after the Australia Cup defeat and Milan drubbing in July.
It’s in this role where Sam Sutton has thrived, as too has Lachie Wales, who has played on the opposite side as the right wing-back.
Sutton’s absence and that of some of the other defenders could lead to the back four being used again. Don’t be surprised to see the lineup & formation interchange depending on the opposition.
For this fixture, I suspect the three/five will be used. The Phoenix were quite comfortable sitting back in the Australia Cup match when the back four was used.
Using the new formation should cause a few extra problems for the Wellington defence. It’s a more attack-minded approach, which is the mindset David Zdrilic should be entering this game with; expecting to win against a team who are very beatable.
Has the forward play improved?
The stats speak for themselves. 26 games played, 22 goals scored. 10 of those goals coming from one source, the ever reliable Adam Taggart.
The numbers from last season paint a horrible picture. Watching it live was even worse. As much as I believe defence is the first point of call to fix and the most crucial element to success, scoring goals is a must in a league like ours where they are more frequent than most others.
On paper, this should improve. Adam Taggart hasn’t lost a step, and he’s been given extra help with Lawrence and Kucharski entering the fray.
Add the wide players into the mix and there is definitely enough to find the back of the net at a much better rate.
Pre-season isn’t everything, but the lack of goals in the recent friendlies does make me anxious. None against Victory, one apiece against Sydney and Western Sydney.
How the Glory boys move the ball in attack will be under the spotlight. As much as the fans want wins, they also want attractive football. In 24/25 it was a one; I want to see at least six or seven at HBF Park today.
Predicted lineup
Taggart – Kucharski
Ostler – Timmins – Pennington – Bozinovski – Wales
Kaltak – Wootton – Majekodunmi
Cook
All images courtesy of Tom McCarthy.
