A-League Season Preview: Perth Glory – time to deliver
Columnist By Mike Tuckerman, 3 Oct 2012 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
Roar players celebrate following the A-League season 7 grand final between the Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
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Perth Glory bucked years of underachievement with a Grand Final appearance last season and should be aiming to repeat the feat this time around.
The Recap – Perth Glory
2011/12
13 wins
4 draws
10 losses
Playoffs: Beat Melbourne Heart 3-0, beat Wellington Phoenix 3-2, lost 5-3 (pens) to Brisbane Roar
Perth Glory went into last season’s Grand Final as underdogs yet came within a whisker of being crowned A-League champions.
They were clearly second-best to the all-conquering Roar but will be hoping to change that given a shift in A-League dynamics over the off-season.
The Western Australian side has recruited well for the upcoming campaign. Former Socceroos defender Michael Thwaite will help improve an already powerful defence, while Scott Jamieson and Nick Ward likewise offer plenty of experience.
Adrian Zahra and Chris Harold have also had promising starts to their A-League careers and both offer versatility, while the Glory have surprised many by bringing in Cerezo Osaka striker Ryo Nagai on loan.
Nagai is far from a big name in Japan, in part because he’s made his way through the ranks of a Cerezo side which has seen the likes of Shinji Kagawa, Hiroshi Kiyotake and Takashi Inui all move on to bigger and better things.
But his arrival could mark a watershed for the A-League, with Nagai looking to use his time in Australia to improve as an all-round player before returning to Japan.
Nagai will add another dimension to an attack which relies heavily on New Zealand international Shane Smeltz, particularly with Billy Mehmet proving more of a hold-up man than a goal scorer last season.
But having retained the services of the scheming Liam Miller – who enjoyed an excellent maiden campaign in Australia – and with the likes of Travis Dodd and Steven McGarry also likely to chime in with goals, Perth should have enough firepower to trouble most sides in the league.
And with such a solid spine down the middle, including goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, versatile Dutch defender Bas van den Brink, a rejuvenated Steve Pantelidis and midfield hard man Jacob Burns, it’s hard to see why Perth shouldn’t be considered one of the favourites to win the league.
Yet the caveat to that statement is surely coach Ian Ferguson.
The former Rangers midfielder has always rubbed certain folks the wrong way in Australia and he’s unlikely to become a media darling any time soon.
But after watching Perth set out their stall to simply contain Brisbane in last season’s Grand Final, one wonders whether Ferguson will ever break the shackles and employ a more adventurous brand of football.
For when it came to the big games last season, the Glory lost far too many of them, particularly to Brisbane and premiers Central Coast.
And trying to rely on Smeltz to consistently nick a goal could prove a dangerous tactic in a league which has seen an influx of creative talent arrive during the off-season.
Nevertheless, with plenty of experience and some shrewd acquisitions to call upon, Perth owner Tony Sage should rightly expect his side to challenge for a place in the Grand Final once again this season.
They won’t be helped by ongoing renovation works at their NIB Stadium home, which will operate with a significantly reduced capacity this season.
That has incensed Sage, who has repeatedly clashed with authorities over Perth’s tenancy and appears determined to walk away from the venue.
The unwanted distraction aside, Glory fans should expect nothing less than a run to the finals following their unexpected success last season.
They won’t be able to fly in under the radar this time around, but with such a solid squad behind them, anything less than a top-four finish will constitute a significant failure.
Prediction: Playoffs
In: Adrian Zahra (Melbourne Heart), Michael Thwaite (Gold Coast United), Scott Jamieson (Sydney FC), Chris Harold (Gold Coast United), Nick Ward (Wellington Phoenix), Brandon O’Neill, Ndumba Makeche (promoted from youth league)
Out: Trent McClenahan (Sydney FC), Josh Mitchell, Adam Taggart, Scott Neville (Newcastle Jets), Andrezinho (released), Todd Howarth, Viktor Sikora, Chris Coyne (retired)
Mike Tuckerman is a Sydney-born journalist and lifelong football fan. After lengthy stints watching the beautiful game in Germany and Japan, he has settled in Brisbane and has been a Roar columnist since December 2008. Follow Mike on twitter @Mike_Tuckerman
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The Crowd Says (24) | Page 1 of Comments
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- A-League, football, Football Federation Australia, Perth Glory, Tony Sage
October 3rd 2012 @ 10:04am
Nathan of Perth said | October 3rd 2012 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Nagai looks like he might already have what Andrezinho never could develop – a 90 minute tank. Combined with the strengths of last year’s crowd pleaser, he could do some damage.
Definitely hoping for big things this year – I think we have as good a shot as we ever had of going all the way this year.
October 3rd 2012 @ 10:45am
Michael said | October 3rd 2012 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Hello Mike, Nice article. Here is hoping they get a good crowd at Subi on Sunday to get the season started. One thing you missed that they beat CCM in the prelim in Gosford to make the GF.
October 3rd 2012 @ 12:52pm
Mike Tuckerman said | October 3rd 2012 @ 12:52pm | Report comment
That they did Michael, but overall they struggled for results against the ‘top two’ in the league last season. Are you going along to the game on Sunday? It will be an interesting spectacle with the field moved towards one stand and the crowd capped at 21,000.
October 3rd 2012 @ 1:05pm
Nathan of Perth said | October 3rd 2012 @ 1:05pm | Report comment
Yeah, we had a nasty 0:4 loss to Brisbane away, but we did nearly shock them when we went 2:0 up in the first half, though the game ended up a 3:3 draw. We did manage to knock CCM over in one game and were doing alright against CCM in the earlier home game but got hammered 1:3 after that.
I remember that particular night well, was a very, very bad mood in the Shed. “You really f…ed it up this time, and it’s your job on the line, didn’t you, Fergie?” to Little Lion Man was one of the nicer chants coming out as the scoreboard ticked over…
Was increasing signs of promise towards the end though; here’s hoping we can take the next step.
October 3rd 2012 @ 5:54pm
Michael said | October 3rd 2012 @ 5:54pm | Report comment
Yes Mike got my tickets yesterday. I am really looking forward to the A-League this season.
October 3rd 2012 @ 11:12am
langou said | October 3rd 2012 @ 11:12am | Report comment
Hey Roarers
I feel like a kid who has no one to play with.
I am struggling to find anyone to do A-League tipping with this year.
I thought I would set up a comp under the name The Roar and see if anyone is interested.
Here is the link
http://www.footytips.com.au/comps/The_Roar
It is for nothing more than bragging rights.
Cheers
Langou
October 3rd 2012 @ 12:54pm
Mike Tuckerman said | October 3rd 2012 @ 12:54pm | Report comment
G’day langou. Don’t forget The Roar also has its own footy tipping competition. http://www.theroar.com.au/a-league-tipping/
October 3rd 2012 @ 2:44pm
langou said | October 3rd 2012 @ 2:44pm | Report comment
Thanks Mike
I didn’t realise we had a tipping comp. That will do me fine, no need for my comp.
Cheers
October 3rd 2012 @ 1:56pm
Jake said | October 3rd 2012 @ 1:56pm | Report comment
You said in the playoffs we lost 5-3 to brisbane on penaltys?
October 3rd 2012 @ 4:18pm
Ian said | October 3rd 2012 @ 4:18pm | Report comment
was 5-3 the score in the penalty shootout with central coast in the preliminary final? then it should have read beat CCM 5-3 on penalties (1-1), lost 2-1 in the GF.
October 3rd 2012 @ 2:10pm
fadida said | October 3rd 2012 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
Always loved Glory in the NSL but I don’t share the optimism. I thought they overachieved last season and just don’t rate Ferguson, despite making the final.. I doubt he’ll ever lose the British mentality toward the game ie physical players, competing for second balls. The game here has move on.
I rate Thwaite and haven’t seen the young Japanese, but Harold, Ward , Jamieson etc are limited players. They have a fairly old list too (the oldest?) and when you consider most of the contenders will play a high tempo pressing game I just think they’ll struggle mobility wise, and tactically, despite that extra experience.
October 3rd 2012 @ 5:05pm
Dave said | October 3rd 2012 @ 5:05pm | Report comment
Have to agree on all points. I’m just not convinced Ferguson can compete with many of the coaches in the league now, despite last years run to the final. In a season where it looks like nearly all teams have recruited very well, its the coaching which will make the difference.
October 3rd 2012 @ 5:11pm
Midfielder said | October 3rd 2012 @ 5:11pm | Report comment
Love to see the Glory Boys shine in WA …. as for those saying Fergie can’t coach…. HHHHHMMMmmmmmm IMO he had PG playing quite well in the last third of last season… he is no fool and to under rate a player of his ability in terms of technical understanding of football is to say the least foolish…
Fergie suffers from being Scottish and what I think seems to be almost a anti ANGLO thinking by many in football…plus starting his trade in Australia…. for mercy sake his side took the Roar all the way last year give the guy some credit and he seems to have chosen his new players with great care…
October 3rd 2012 @ 5:28pm
Realfootball said | October 3rd 2012 @ 5:28pm | Report comment
His team failed to muster one single shot on the Roar’s goal in 90 minutes. It was the most abject display we have seen from an A-League Grand Final side, apart from Adelaide and Archie’s 5 goals.
I thought Perth were very, very poor in the final. Certainly didn’t take Brisbane all the way, not by any stretch of the imagination. 0 shots on goal.
Fergie doesn’t suffer from being Scottish. He suffers from the kind of football his side have played more often than not. This is his chance to prove he has something else in his locker.
October 3rd 2012 @ 5:34pm
Nathan of Perth said | October 3rd 2012 @ 5:34pm | Report comment
You do all of your football analysis from a stats book?
Shots didn’t matter, we scored, we held, we looked for the one-hit kill at the edge of the box but didn’t want to expose ourselves on the counter.
0 shots on goal = doesn’t matter.
But if you’re unconvinced, let’s hold this discussion sunday evening, bet you’ll be singing a different tune.
Football is back and Glory is back – grr!
October 3rd 2012 @ 5:43pm
Realfootball said | October 3rd 2012 @ 5:43pm | Report comment
Pardon me? Shots didn’t matter? Ahem, just how do you win a football match? What is the aim of the game?
And you didn’t score – Brisbane had to do it for you!
But it makes for great rivalry. The A-League needs stuff like this. Hope you get a good crowd in – the ground doesn’t look like much of a venue.
October 3rd 2012 @ 6:19pm
Nathan of Perth said | October 3rd 2012 @ 6:19pm | Report comment
If you recall correctly, it was our kick that just happened to deflect in, despite the angle it was still goal-bound, but Champion Data decided to not consider it a shot. The ball didn’t end up on the goal line by accident, you know!
Now if we had no goal AND no shots, you’d have a point.
And yes, Subiaco is a complete Above Ground Hole. Went to the Wallabies game and overheard many a Saffa decrying it as the worst ground they have ever seen. The city is desperate for the new stadium to be built.
October 3rd 2012 @ 7:21pm
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | October 3rd 2012 @ 7:21pm | Report comment
Its called a smash and grab and its done week in week out in the world of football,no shame in it,unfortunatley Glory didn’t quite pull it off.
October 3rd 2012 @ 5:42pm
Dave said | October 3rd 2012 @ 5:42pm | Report comment
Exactly. I don’t care where he is from. All I can say is that when I’ve watched Perth (which I’ll admit isn’t a lot, maybe 6 or 7 games?) I’ve never been very convinced when you compare them to the leading teams.
I’m neutral towards Perth. No real love or hate. I saw Ferguson on the world game talking about playing out from the back etc. just like everyone else this year. But so far all I’ve ever seen from his teams involves a lot of long balls. But hey I’d be happy to be proved wrong! Hopefully he evolves to keep up!
October 3rd 2012 @ 8:31pm
fadida said | October 3rd 2012 @ 8:31pm | Report comment
@Midfielder “under rate a player of his ability”? Playing pedigree has nothing to do with coaching. See Maradona, Bryan Robson, Gullit, Roy Keane etc.
They did improve over the last part of the season, but they needed to. Tactically he still played 442, long balls to Mehmet, relying on Smeltz goals. Results were better late in the season but they needed to be. Still the very ugly sister of the league.
I’m from British parents, so no bias. I prefer football with style and technique though. Perth are Stoke City.
If they make the finals I’ll eat one of Fergie’s sweaty shirts, and change my son’s name to Second Ball, and my daughter’s name to Knock Down
October 3rd 2012 @ 10:12pm
Nathan of Perth said | October 3rd 2012 @ 10:12pm | Report comment
No, no, no, that isn’t an accurate take.
He played 4-2-3-1 through the 2011 pre-season, but picked up Mehmet late and tried a 4-4-2 to accommodate him. Naturally it didn’t work – it wasn’t what we trained for and practiced with and didn’t suit our list. Defensive injuries led to clumsier work from the back line too.
When we returned to 4-2-3-1 thing clicked and we saw much better play and better results.
I’ll hold you to that finals boast, too! If nothing else, the strength in defence this year will make us so hard to score against I can’t see us missing finals
October 3rd 2012 @ 6:17pm
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | October 3rd 2012 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
Glory will be better this season,the inclusion of Thwaite will give us one of if not the most solid defences in the league.Theres been some real pace injected with Zahra,Harold and Nagai which was lacking last season.Im confident we’ll finish in the top four.Sunday can’t come soon enough,i have a feeling we might give the Roar a nice touch up.
October 3rd 2012 @ 6:21pm
Nathan of Perth said | October 3rd 2012 @ 6:21pm | Report comment
Lot of speedy players and youngsters in, people who look like they will get a lot of game time. But hey, if people want to continue to think of us as 09/10′s team, well, I just hope their managers make the same mistake.
October 3rd 2012 @ 6:59pm
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | October 3rd 2012 @ 6:59pm | Report comment
Yes this perception we’re some hoof ball side does make me laugh.There has been so many coaching changes in the last few years there just hasn’t been any stability and its shown in our on field performance.Credit to Tony Sage for keeping the faith when i’ll admit i wanted Fergies head,he finally got the team to gel and play the way he wanted and the Glory were one of if not the best performing sides in the back half of last season.I don’t think the rest of the comp is going to have the luxury of the Glory not starting till after christmas this year.