Adelaide United coach John Kosmina has implored his players to forget their home worries and treat their Asian Champions League (ACL) opener as a fresh start.
Kosmina said composure would be a key factor when the Reds meet Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor in Tashkent on Tuesday night.
United departed for Tashkent with their A-League season in tatters, anchored in ninth spot with just five wins.
But Kosmina said the ACL offered a chance for his club to salvage something.
“I think they (the players) have just got to stay composed, not get too carried away with the occasion,” Kosmina said on Monday.
“The effort will always be there. It will just be a matter of how we go on the night.
“I guess the beauty is Bunyodkor are still in pre-season, so to speak. They’re not match hardened, whereas we are.
“And that could be a key aspect of how the game pans out.
“There is no point beating around the bush – our A-League results haven’t gone all that well.
“So the ACL is a way of getting a fresh start.
“It’s something different, something new that can hopefully give the players a little bit of incentive and motivation.”
Kosmina forecast a defensively-minded approach from Adelaide and relying on counter-attacks to trouble Bunyodkor – tactics foreign to United’s A-League tactics.
“We think they (Bunyodkor) are probably susceptible on the break (but) it’s not our natural game,” he said.
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