by Ben Gilby (29/2/24).
Above: Perth Glory head coach Alex Epakis speaking to the media today. Image: Perth Glory.
After a strong start to the season that saw them constantly in the A-League Women’s top two, Perth Glory are without a win in their last seven matches – a run that has seen them drop to eighth. However, head coach Alex Epakis believes his team can benefit from having had a re-set over the international break to push for a Finals place once more.
“It’s given us a lot of time to focus on ourselves,” the Perth boss said. “Obviously, we’re not totally comfortable with the form and position we’re in right now. We’ve been really focusing on creating a change in our form and we’re really hopeful that will happen this week.”
The winless run has seen the once profilic Glory only score six times whilst conceding 13, and the Epakis accepts that his team have to improve rapidly at both ends of the field. However, squad selection among the attack line remains consistent, but it remains to be seen if that will be changing ahead of this weekend’s long trip across to New South Wales.
“Our attack hasn’t been as strong as it was at the start of the season, and that’s not something that as a coach or a team we want to be. We want to be an attacking team and that’s something we set out from the start of the season. Grace Jale is back in the squad after being away for a few weeks (for New Zealand’s Olympic qualification campaign), and we’re hopeful she can bring some energy in.
“We’re hopeful that a few of the other players can give us a bit more in that part of the pitch. We’ve also got to be better defensively and better in transitions, so I wouldn’t say it’s one area, we need to be better all across the pitch.”
The Glory’s current challenges were laid bare in their previous game before the international window when Central Coast Mariners produced a clinical performance to come from behind to defeat the Western Australian side 3-1 at Macedonia Park. Epakis wants to use that result and showing as a motivating factor to put things right this weekend.
“We were really down after the last performance. I said after the game that it wasn’t a performance that we should be producing in my opinion. We’re more capable than that and the players have got more energy to give, so I really believe that since that last performance, the players have had time to digest everything.”
Despite the disappointing run of results that his team are currently experiencing, the Perth head coach knows that victory this weekend can push them back into the top six as the competition enters its home straight – as the Glory look to ensure they don’t miss out on a real prospect of Finals football for the third successive year.
“There’s still so much to play for, we have five fixtures in front of us and…we’re really focused on making finals, so we’re driven and motivated about that and I can definitely see that the fire is there in the players and we’ve just got to utilise that and harness that to put on a performance that wins us the game.
“We’ve always ended the season in the last three years with the ‘all or nothing’ mentality. We’ve had to put together a string of results to make the play offs and the reality in the last two years was that we fell short. It was one goal two seasons ago and it was one point last season. So that scar tissue is still there for those players, and I’ve reminded them what that is like, because we don’t want to be in that position again. We want to be in control and for that we need to win games.”
Without a win in 2024, Perth travel to Newcastle on Sunday to take on a Jets side who have picked up 10 points in the same period, establishing themselves in a berth for Finals football.
“They are in form…probably one of the form teams currently in the competition. They play a style of football that is really hard to break down. Sarina (Bolden) has come in and really elevated that team to another level. So, for us, it’s the prefect test. If we want to be a Finals team, then these are the types of games that we have to win. We know that if we overcome Newcastle, it gets us back into the six and we want to do that and cement our position…it’s almost as if the Finals have started now.”
“We do have a few injuries, some of whom I won’t talk to you about. The one everyone knows about – Grace Johnston will be out for the season (with a syndesmosis [ankle] injury). We’re pretty devastated on her behalf. We will put out a strong and focussed, committed squad on the weekend.”
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