Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli says the Reds are “ready to go” for Friday night’s clash with Wellington Phoenix at Coopers Stadium, with the squad close to full strength and momentum building at the right time of the season.
Andrioli confirmed Anselmo is tracking to return next week, backed Luka Jovanović to respond strongly after last week’s missed chance, and praised Ryan Kitto ahead of his 250th appearance for the Club – while urging supporters to pack out Coopers Stadium and be the 12th man the team needs.
Andrioli on Ryan Kitto’s 250th Adelaide United appearance…
“He’s having a great season and a very important player for us. He’s a leader on and off the field. I still remember taking Ryan Kitto at the age of 14 to the nationals as the state teams, and I’ve known him for a long time. It’s a credit to him – the type of person he is, the commitment he has for this club. It’s an example we often use that you’re not entitled to anything, you have to earn it every day. He’s still doing that today and I’m really happy for him. The best thing we can do tomorrow is win the game to make it even more special for him.”
Andrioli on Kitto’s evolution and versatility…
“He’s had a long journey and he adapts. He plays different now, but it gives him and us that adaptability. He’s capable of playing a little bit deeper, he’s also good going forward, his timing of his runs are good, and he can score goals for us. Some players are able to adapt and play in different positions and others are a bit more fixed, but he’s been great for us and we hope he can have a great match tomorrow.”
Andrioli on squad availability and Anselmo’s timeline…
“Yes, the squad is good. Consistency is good, not having to change many players in the starting lineup. Everyone is fit and healthy. Regarding Anselmo, he is available from next week. We could have used him on the bench this week, but we’re thinking we give him another week, given his history to prepare himself. He’ll be another player coming in to join us and help us in our journey.”
Andrioli on what Anselmo can add to a healthy group…
“We do believe Anselmo has something very special to our team. The way he plays, he’s got different attributes and a lot of experience. The games he played for us, he was good. Unfortunately, we probably overused him a little bit too much at an early stage. But now we’ve got more players available as well. It’s great to have somebody like him come into a healthy squad, which makes it even better for us.”
Andrioli on managing early-season injuries and the training approach…
“We don’t hide the fact that we train with high intensity, making sure our training is even harder than the match. We train hard. In the beginning players were adjusting. We also changed a few things regarding other elements of our fitness level as well. Players have to adjust and adapt, trust us, and I think things are coming together. Fingers crossed we can keep it going that way.”
Andrioli on preparing for Wellington and their style…
“We had a very good look at Wellington this week. We analysed them and we have a few different options. We believe they’re going to play in a certain way and we have prepared for that, but we also have prepared a couple other strategies. The players are used to it now, so we’re ready for them. I don’t want to be talking too much about how, but we looked into them and we are ready to go.”
Andrioli on preparing for a team after a mid-season coaching change…
“We watched them last week. We don’t expect major changes in the way they play, especially given the short turnaround for the new coach. For us, it’s being focused on what we do, being disciplined, and executing the strategies that we put forward.”
Andrioli on Luka Jovanović bouncing back…
“That’s already behind him. It has to be behind him if you want to survive at this level of the game. Being a striker, that’s going to happen. It happens every week. He needs to put that behind him, which I think we did. We spoke to him again that he just needs to maintain calm and composure in front of goal. That’s what we need to score goals. He has that, and I’m sure he’s going to be up for it tomorrow.”
Andrioli on Friday nights at Coopers and calling on supporters…
“It’s such an incredible atmosphere at Coopers, especially on Friday nights. I want to make an appeal for our supporters – we need them. We need a number 12 player, that they are for us. We need them to come tomorrow night. If you’ve never been to Coopers, just come. Games on television are completely different. Come here, feel the atmosphere. I guarantee you’re not going to be disappointed. We want a big crowd tomorrow night because we need them to be that extra incentive for us. We want to make our home games here our fortress. Even in Melbourne, they had only about 250 supporters and they made a lot of noise. We need them tomorrow night and we’re expecting a big crowd to come and support us.”
Andrioli on the approach and keeping momentum rolling…
“We need to focus on what we do. We’re playing at home. They are a tricky team to play against. We need to be patient and make sure we stamp our authority. We need the points tomorrow night. We’re coming from good results and we want to keep the momentum going, like a train that keeps on rolling forward. We want to keep rolling forward using momentum and belief. That’s what we try to instil in the players’ heads, and we’re going to play with that confidence tomorrow night.”
