One of the best things about the A-League is how quickly teams can bounce back after a poor season.
The 2021-22 campaign for Perth Glory will be remembered for the ill-fated Daniel Sturridge experiment, scheduling chaos, playing several matches with a team full of teenagers, and ultimately finishing rock bottom.
However, after the usual off-season purge, there is room for optimism.
Kenny Keogh has taken a percentage stake in the club, which will alleviate some of the financial burden from long-time owner Tony Sage.
Keogh is a successful businessman, that has shown his acumen as the CEO of UON – where he oversees the commercial, financial, engineering and maintenance divisions.
Another Kenny, Lowe, has returned to the club as the head of the academy after being involved in the WA NPL as well as commentary on Glory home matches this past season.
Lowe has one of the sharpest minds when it comes to youth development in Australia and will be tasked with overhauling Perth’s underperforming youth setup.
Reuben Zadkovich has been confirmed as the new coach, while recently retired Glory legend Andy Keogh has taken over as head of recruitment.
Although Keough has no formal qualification in recruitment, he has already made multiple signings.
Stefan Colakovski has left the comforts of perennial title challengers Melbourne City to try his luck in the west.
With his family as day one City season ticket-holders, Colakovski climbed the ranks from a ball boy to youth team player and then first-team squad member.
Colakovski has been on the periphery of the starting 11 for the past few seasons, mainly coming on a substitute, but has been unable to get ahead of the regular three Socceroos that make up the star-studded forward line.
(Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
He has always been an undeniable talent, but due to a lack of minutes his progress has stalled.
At 22 years of age, a move interstate to partner veteran superstar Bruno Fornaroli is the right time to finally see the talent of Colakovski shine weekly.
Keegan Jelacic is a name many followers of the QNPL will be familiar with.
Much was expected of the talented midfielder, especially having played under Brisbane Roar coach Warren Moon at youth level, however with competition fierce in the young Roar squad and an injury-plagued campaign, Jelacic found himself surplus to requirements.
He has however been in blistering form with Olympic in the QNPL this season, scoring several goals as one of the best players in the competition. Perth pounced for his signature.
The energetic Matt Hatch is an underrated signing after a breakthrough season with the Central Coast – his ability to play multiple positions with a high-octane work rate will serve the Glory well.
Perth’s young engine room will be reinforced by the signing of former prodigy Mustafa Amini, who has returned to Australia after several injury-plagued seasons in Europe, playing in 17 matches for Sydney FC last season.
Although his time in the Harbour City was lukewarm, if the Glory can keep Amini fit they have another key addition.
Attacking options will be further strengthened with the return of Ryan Williams. It’s been over a decade since he left the city of his birth for a nomadic career through the divisions of England but at only 28, he has a lot of experience and knowledge.
While larger clubs are struggling to complete signings, the Glory did their business early, also tying down several talented, homegrown players to new contracts.
With key positions now filled in the back office, front office and playing group, Perth looks likely to go from pretender to contender in less than a season.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
travel is a much bigger issue for the outer-rim clubs than the multitude of clubs in the Sydney and Melbourne regions will ever know
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
also reading that Charlie Austin (QPR) rejected an offer from Glory, and some other League Championship clubs to sign for Roar. Awaiting announcement, but newspapers reporting he passed a medical in Manchester yesterday. He's been following Roar on Twitter for the past week, after he tweeted that it was time for him to roll the dice. Let's hope this all works out well.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“ One of the best things about the A-League is how quickly teams can bounce back after a poor season” Which is why we need relegation.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Glory have always been a let down, or cum middle of the season and they fold. Maybe COVID had a lot to do with it playing so many games away from home but Wellington also had the same issue yet just made the top 6 and just missing out the season before, yet Glory sat rock near bottom. New Coach and new players with some new management should get things rolling in a positive way for Perth and the only way is up.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I believe it's official now
Franko
Guest
And overnight they've signed a CB Andy used to play with at Millwall. This is more the type of signing I had expected (dreaded).
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Worth mentioning that Darryl Lachman has re-signed for another two years. Was THE stand out player in what was a pretty poor season, and I can't imagine how worse things would have been for the Glory if his experience and steadying force down back hadn't been present.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
what we dont need is to go down the same path as the backyard codes. We have enough of a fight on our hands with the media as it is, we dont need to be handing them ammunition to fire straight back at us.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
ya think!!!
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
This is great news. Nobody wants the Schumacher effect to be applied to any sport and least of those being the A-League. For a bit there, it seemed that we were tracking toward the league being the Sydney/Victory show. Well not any more. Western’s win in the GF was a cracking win, they played some great football to get there and it’s exactly when football needed a new contender. John Aloisi is, in my opinion, on a mission to prove he’s got what it takes to be a manager, and I hope he does. I would love to see him take the reins of the national team one day. Montgomery is doing an excellent job with the Mariners, Popa has Victory in good order, and my beloved Jets just signed Reno Piscopo. Couple him with Archie Goodwin, Mouragis, Mikeltadze, O’Neill, Sotirio and McGarry and the existing Newy lads, and hopefully we’re going to be right in the mix. Sad to see Daniel Penha go though, and at least it’s not to Sydney. Adelaide are progressing nicely, and I am sure they’ll fill the spots they have open with quality players (D’Arrigo played really well at the Asian Cup U23s). Wellington have nabbed Stevie Ugarkovic and Barbarouses, both great signings, City and Victory are strong sides even if they dont sign anyone, Macarthur have a new Gaffer that I reckon is going to shock the socks off a few people, he wouldnt be doing this if he didnt know his stuff. Sydney made one mistake, they resigned Corica. I reckon he has burnt his bridges, times up. This is what the league needs. The unpredicability, the open competition and everything that is not EPL. We dont want a “Big Six” and the also rans, we want a league that has 12 team going head to head every single week with everyone knocking everyone else over. Dont know about you blokes, but hey, the next season cant get here quick enough
Marcel
Guest
A bit of blow is pretty harmless compared to the abject misery that alcohol causes our society.......and yet we build a temple to alcohol on every second street corner
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
i funnily enough pre emptied the centreback signing yesterday, there is one signed that hasn't been announced yet by the club if it does turn out to be beevers, perth may well have the 'strongest' centreback pairing next year - im talking in terms of muscle, physicality, nastiness and old fashioned rough and tumble play beevers and lachman could give westerns lacroix and topor-stanley a run for there money now lol
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
saw a tweet that they had signed a defender from The Championship, Mark Beevers, Peterborough
Bendtner52
Roar Pro
Good summary of their pre-season so far. Amini could be their best midfielder since Kilkenny left, and could strike up a decent partnership with Timmins. But some better defenders to play next to Lachman, some full backs , a proper attacking midfielder and they could be in the top six
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Its the sad truth, Nicholls early on his career his timing and runs into the box were superb. That ability could have made him a goal scoring midfielder at any level. the older he got while his technique improved the runs into box dissapeared , then he became even lazier.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
They already have a solid centerback his name is Ota but he is played at left back, Lachman is a daydreamer who likes going forward rather recklessly.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
all class
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Hore can be a useful poacher and scraper on a budger if he is played in the no 9 role, but thats it. Mitch Nicholls went from box to box to bag to bag. I can imagine what he is using the NPL wages for.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Perth should have kept Henry Hore when they had him, although he's a Sunshine Coast boy and always easy to lure home. There's a few good players in the NPLQ, taking more interest in the off-season. I watched the Olympic v Gold Coast Knights match recently. Both good teams but Olympic have three former Roar players up front in Shannon Brady, Daniel Leck and Keegan Jelacic (scored two in that match). Muratovic, Robbie Fowler's favored striker at Roar (over Wenzell Halls), plays for the Knights, and Mitch Nicholls of course, when he's fit. But good luck to Jelacic. Brisbane has more than enough players for a second A League team, just not the corporates willing to back it.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Fornaroli limits their options, A-league clubs lala dreamland continues with the old players. I think Ryan Williams another Brad Inman , quite talented but must suffer from laziness syndrome which is a chronic disease at Perth Glory. Amini is a potential disaster depending on the system and how you play. Colakovski can play second striker winger as well, he makes runs into corners. The question for Glory though is simple , they played like a pack of zombies last season. If you cant run it doesn't matter who you put on the park. Zadkovich formation at times was bizzare as well. I dont hold much hope for Perth, Keogh was part of the problem for the last two seasons.