Reds Coach Carl Veart spoke to the media at Coopers Stadium ahead of Friday’s clash against Perth Glory. The boss discussed areas for improvement, the impact of substitutes, and the prospect of going top of the league.
Carl on the positive start to the season…
“It’s still early days, but we’re very happy. Each week, our performances have improved. We’re looking for another improvement tomorrow night. That said, we’re still conceding too many goals, so we need to fix that defensively. Overall, we’ve been strong, but a few transition moments have cost us. That’s something we’ve been working on all preseason, and we’ll continue to work on it. It’s a constant focus to make sure we get it right.”
Carl on the positive start ‘going under the radar’…
“Yeah, I think we’re definitely flying under the radar. A lot of people haven’t given us the credit we deserve so far, saying we’ve had an easy draw, but we’re just focusing on ourselves. We’re very happy with how we’re playing, and the way we’re measuring our performances. As I said, we’re seeing improvement every week, and that’s all we can ask of the playing group. Last week, we weren’t at the level we wanted to be in the first half, but the group stepped up and delivered in the second half. That’s what we expect from them, and we want to see that again tomorrow from the first whistle.”
Carl on the prospect of going top of the league with a win…
“We have our own metrics for measuring success and how we’re tracking during the season. That’s our focus. We’ll be looking to get the three points, and we’ll judge ourselves by the metrics we’ve set for the season.”
Carl on the positive impact of the substitutes…
“You need the whole squad to contribute if you want to have success, and we’ve had that this season. Every time we’ve called on a player from the bench, they’ve made an impact, which is a credit to the group. It’s important that when players come into the game, they do a job for the team, and that’s what they’ve done.”
Carl on what to expect tomorrow night from Perth Glory…
“We had a similar situation last week against Brisbane. They hadn’t won yet, and we knew they’d come out desperate. We expect the same from Perth tomorrow. It won’t be a game decided by tactics; it’ll come down to which team is willing to work harder. We’ll have to put in the effort to get the three points.”
And lastly, Carl on Isaís becoming the most capped foreign player in the ALM…
“Isa has been fantastic. I’ve said it before—I think he’s the best player to ever represent the club. This season, he’s started exceptionally well in the middle of the defence for us. When Bart returned, Isa moved to the bench, but when he’s come on, he’s been excellent in midfield, where we’re used to seeing him play. I expect nothing less from him. He’s incredibly competitive and pushes everyone on the training pitch. I’m glad for him, and as long as I’m here, he’ll always be available to play.”
