Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli says the Reds must turn strong performances into maximum points starting when they travel to Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night, after three consecutive draws in a tightening race for the top six.
Andrioli believes United’s football and chance creation have remained at a high level, but stressed the importance of being more clinical in key moments – while warning the Wanderers’ ladder position doesn’t reflect the quality and experience within their squad.
Andrioli on three straight draws and the need to convert momentum into wins
“Everyone’s desperate to make that top six, and as it stands, every single team in the league still has a chance to make it, so things are not going to get easier from now on. For me, the most important thing is the way we’ve been performing – we’ve been able to dominate games and create a lot of chances. In football, sometimes you need things to fall for you a little bit. If we keep going like this… one is not good, two is okay, three is too many. Maybe now it’s time for us to get a result against Western Sydney.”
Andrioli on improving the final action
“It’s a matter of the final pass. The chances we created could be more refined – deciding when to shoot, when to play the final pass, and a few of the runs into the box. We’ll keep reiterating the same thing to the players. If you keep doing that, eventually things have to change. We’re hoping we’ll be able to score from the chances we’re creating.”
Andrioli on whether a ‘refresh’ is needed
“It’s difficult because it’s always related to the way the opposition play. The last two games in particular, they played in a certain way, defending deep. Everybody that watches world football knows one of the most difficult things is to break down a compact team that plays a deep block, and you only need one lapse of concentration and then you get done in transition. It’s difficult for the top teams in the world and it’s difficult for us. If the opposition plays different, then obviously the game is different for us. We’ve got different plans and strategies we can use. It’s always related to the opposition.”
Andrioli on teams adjusting their approach against United
“Maybe I look at that as being a credit to us. Even when we played Victory away… we expected them to come out and press us, and they didn’t. They did the opposite – they sat in a middle block and were more conservative. I think people realise we’ve got good footballers and threats, and if they don’t defend well, it’s going to be difficult for them. For us, it’s about the number of chances we create. We should be able to score one goal, and if we can score first, then that changes the game.”
Andrioli on breaking down a deep block and staying patient
“We work on that every week. We create those scenarios at training and try to break down compact defences. But it’s not an easy problem to solve – there’s no tactical magical formula. We have strategies and things we say to the players, but at the end of the day it’s a matter of being clinical. The message is always the same: keep going, keep pushing, and the chances will continue to come. We just need to put them away.”
Andrioli on the value of stability and impact options
“It’s very important at this time of the season that we have a settled team. The players know who is starting and who is playing. I think we’ve had four… maybe this is the fifth game where we’re not changing our lineup, and that gives stability. We have a few players on the bench that can be important for us. Anselmo coming into the game last week gave us a different dynamic. It’s important we have a full squad and we don’t want to change the lineup unless we have to.”
Andrioli on how Anselmo’s role has been shaped to suit the team
“It’s about getting the most out of him. In the past he played more as a box-to-box midfielder – that was his main position. Obviously he’s not that player anymore, so he’s capable of doing the role he does for us because we don’t have that physicality, so we can use him there. We’ve got a lot of mobility in that area as well. We can play with one six or two sixes, and we’ve got players that can do that role. If it’s better for us in that position, he’s happy to do it, and I think he can do it effectively.”
Andrioli on Craig Goodwin’s rehab progress
“I spoke to him two days ago at training because he’s still training and doing his recovery. He’s really happy. His recovery is coming along really well. I think he joins us on some small stuff and a little bit of running from next week. We’re disappointed not to have a player of his calibre for these final games, but we want to keep pushing as long as we can in this competition. Maybe he can still play a part for us. We just have to see – we don’t want to rush him, but he’s progressing really well.”
Andrioli on the Wanderers and matching the fight
“That’s the same for every game. We need to have that mentality regardless of who you play, otherwise in this league you get done. I consider Western Sydney one of the best teams in the league from a players’ perspective – they’ve got incredible players in that squad, experience, you name it. They play some good football. Don’t ask me the reason why they are where they are, but we’re under no illusions – this is going to be a tough game because they are a good team. They’re desperate for results and probably going to play for three points. We know that, so perhaps we can exploit that. For us, it’s about getting three points and moving forward.”
Andrioli on learning as a first-year head coach
“If you can’t learn then you might as well give up. I’m going to give up the day I think I can’t learn anything. As long as you breathe you’re always learning. I’m constantly evolving and looking at things, and I want to adapt. We need to be able to see what we have in front of us and feed the players what drives them. I’m learning a lot now, and I want to continue to pass that knowledge on to the group of players that I have.”
