Perth's Wayne Shroj (22) and Sydney's Beau Busch go for the ball during Round 16 of the Hyundai A-League between Sydney FC and Perth Glory in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008. Perth won 4-1. AAP Image/Jenny Evans
Mark my words, Perth Glory will miss the A-League finals if they keep playing the way they are. And it seems big-spending owner Tony Sage knows it too, after threatening to walk out on the club if they missed the top six, but he needs to take more decisive action to arrest the slump.
It seems obvious to many football fans in this country something must change at ME Bank Stadium if the Glory are to achieve their goals this season.
And Glory coach Dave Mitchell is the man feeling the heat right now, and rightfully so, after his impressive squad could only manage one win in their last eight matches.
There’s no doubt at the start of the season Mitchell appeared to have done brilliantly by assembling a squad of excellent quality at Perth.
But the Scottish-born boss has failed to find the right formula to get the most out of those players, much to the frustration of Glory fans who’ve been heard chanting ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ from The Shed at times this season.
Nevertheless, there’s been a strong argument that to remove Mitchell mid-season would cause more problems than it would solve, despite his obvious underachievement.
Indeed, Sage has regularly offered support to Mitchell, stating his brief is to see Perth Glory reach the finals and if he failed to do so, the club would assess the coaching situation at the end of the campaign.
But after one win in eight, if Glory keep dishing more of the same, then surely Sage needs to take matters into his own hands, especially considering the money he’s spent.
What is damning for Mitchell is the lack of cohesion Glory has shown throughout matches this season.
Last weekend’s 1-0 loss at North Queensland may have been the best example, with Perth’s midfield woefully inept at retaining possession. There was a clear lack of patience and as a result Glory barely created a chance all game (with the long-ball to Jamie Harnwell their best bet).
Experienced skipper Jacob Burns too often fails to keep it simple and makes the wrong decisions, while Wayne Srhoj seems plain lazy and needs a coach to give him a rocket up the you-know-where.
This problem is something which the coach must take responsibility for, especially 17 rounds into the season. And to be honest, getting a midfield to function and complete passes really is the bare minimum ask of a coach.
The weekend prior to the trip to Townsville, Perth entertained Brisbane, who opted to sit back and try to catch the Glory on the counter.
The Glory dominated possession but were simply blunt. This is a side lacking imagination, creativity, a killer edge and ultimately ideas. Again, this is the coach’s department and he was found wanting, yet again.
It wasn’t until lump-it-long Harnwell came on that Glory scored.
Perth, though, have a decent record at home this season, which has in some ways been Mitchell’s saving grace.
But perhaps the Brisbane game will be a good example for sides in the future to not fear the Glory in the west. Instead, they should take the game up to them and test their unconvincing midfield.
Still, though, after last night’s result went their way Glory remain in the top six and if it remains this way at the end of the round it’s foreseeable that nothing will change at Perth, even if they dish up another ordinary performance on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
And this is one of the pitfalls of the A-League’s top six finals system, where teams are rewarded for mid-table mediocrity.
Indeed, Sage has got it all wrong if he thinks the best way to measure his investment in the Glory is if they are not one of the worst four teams in the A-League.
Rather than focusing on the side’s ladder position, Sage must focus on his side’s performance and right now they are grossly under-achieving much to the frustration of the loyal fans.
Even despite the short notice, surely there’s someone else out there who can get the Glory doing the basics right.
And if the performances remain the same, realistically Sage must take action sooner rather than later.
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