Jordan Elsey believes Adelaide United is tracking well ahead of the Hyundai A-League re-start.
The Reds played an internal friendly match at Coopers Stadium on Tuesday which was played at a particularly high intensity given the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elsey felt there were plenty of positives to take away from their first hit-out which consisted of two 30 minute halves.
Lachlan Brook struck a belter from long range before Kristian Opseth bagged a brace as his side prevailed 2-1.
.@Lachlanbrook10 left peg 🚀 https://t.co/xln2w8LeYK
— Adelaide United (@AdelaideUnited) June 30, 2020
“I think it’s been eleven or twelve weeks since our last competitive game,” Elsey told reporters following training.
“There were a lot of competitive and big tackles which is good. Everyone is fighting for positions because they know the (first) game is nineteen days away.”
“So no injuries, the boys look sharp and competitive so I enjoyed it.”
Interim Head Coach Carl Veart has been in charge for more than two weeks now and Elsey said the transition has been seamless, with every player buying into his methods.
“Obviously all the boys are comfortable with him and understand how he works from last year,” he explained.
“So there’s not much change really, it’s just him implementing his own ideas and all the boys are on board and it’s a good vibe around the place.”
The 26-year-old welcomed the competition for spots in preparation for the resumption of the campaign with several youngsters staking their claims with an impressive showing.
Elsey believed the depth in the squad is very strong and suggested that will be crucial with matches coming in quick succession and less time for recovery.
“It’s good to be pushed by the younger boys and people that may be aren’t in the starting eleven yet,” he continued.
“It puts pressure on players such as me and other older boys so there’s good competitiveness and everyone’s working towards the right goal, and that’s to win as many games as we can with five games left.”
