With Finals still on the line and a massive clash looming against Sydney FC this Saturday, Adelaide United captain Ryan Kitto has delivered a message to fans, players, and staff alike — now is the time to stand tall and fight together.
In a sit-down interview with United Media, Kitto reflected on what has been a challenging period for the Reds, acknowledging the team’s recent struggles in form and results. But his focus — and the focus of the entire playing group — remains firmly on turning things around.
“Yeah, you said it — it hurts, especially in a derby game. [It shows] how much it means to this group to win that game, and for our group of fans. So we’re really disappointed to be in a winning position and not be able to capitalise on that. But yeah, still so much to play for. We’ve seen, when our football is at its best, what we’re capable of, and when we get a couple of things wrong, how we can get punished. So our full focus is on these last five games, on getting things right, and making sure we finish off our good work.”
Kitto emphasised the unity and determination inside the four walls of the dressing room. The leadership group, coaching staff, and entire squad remain aligned on the goal: finish the season strong and fight their way into Finals.
“There is a little bit of outside noise and a few distractions at the moment, but our full focus is on the training ground and on the games ahead. We’ve had meetings as a group. We’ve set goals. We know where we want to be and what we want to achieve, and everyone’s pushing towards that target. We know what it looks like, and now it’s down to the hardest bit — it’s to us actually doing it. Training has been really good and really positive, and people are putting a really good shift in. We’ve just got to translate that to game day, get a positive result, and reinforce those behaviours and finish — like I said — just finish off the season where we think we deserve to be.”
Kitto also spoke about the importance of leadership in difficult moments and how the squad continues to focus on the process — not just the outcome.
“We’ve got many good leaders in the team, as I’ve spoken about on a number of occasions this year with our mentors. It’s just about highlighting the small wins at the moment. Obviously, our goal is to win a game, which is the most difficult thing to do, but we know that’s an outcome. So it’s about driving home those processes and what’s going to get us that result — small goals in games, breaking it down, and just trying to get to that overall goal at the end.”
One of the bright spots of the season has been the continued emergence of young talent through the Reds’ renowned youth development pathway. Kitto praised the next generation for stepping up during difficult moments, showing both resilience and growth.
“We’ll find out a lot about those players in these difficult moments. It’s all fun and games playing football — we enjoy it — but sometimes the pressure’s on and you’ve got to see what players can step up, and a number of them have. That’s been a really positive sign in their development. We want to develop good players and good people, but we really want to get results. That’s what we’re here for, and that’s what we’re all focused on.”
The importance of Saturday night’s clash with Sydney FC at Coopers Stadium can’t be overstated. With both sides chasing a spot in the top six, it’s a do-or-die fixture — a Final before the Finals.
“It’s very important. We are together. Like I said, we’ve had those meetings. We’ve all set goals. We know where we want to be and what we want to achieve. Now it’s just a case of us putting that into practice and making it happen, which — like I said — is the most difficult thing. But everyone’s working as hard as they can to ensure that does happen. So we’ll keep pressing on. And there’s another opportunity Saturday night against a really good Sydney FC, and that’s a game we’re really excited for.”
And to get us over the line, Kitto has called on the fans to do what they’ve done all year — show up, stand tall, and push the Reds forward.
“It was disappointing to not get that result for the amazing travelling fans on Saturday. They’ve been fantastic for us this whole season, as they have my whole time here at Adelaide. Like I’ve always said, we do have the best fans in the league, and we’re really lucky. It’s important that we reward their loyalty, and that they continue to come out and support us — because it does really help us, and it’s going to be really important for this final push.”
Watch the full interview with Ryan Kitto below:
