Following United’s loss to Wellington Phoenix on Friday, United Media spoke with Coach Adrian Stenta to get his thoughts on the game.
Stenta on the performance…
“I just don’t think we were at our best today. We weren’t good enough. We struggled in the first half to string passes together and to get out of our own half, especially against the wind. We didn’t create enough, and there wasn’t enough quality in the final third. I think we might have had one shot on target—maybe none. So, we were just a little bit off, and in this league, if you’re not at your best, you get punished.”
Stenta on conceding right before half-time…
“The thing I’m most upset about is that we were shown one minute of extra time, and the goal was conceded in the third or fourth minute. I think we cleared the corner, the ball came outside the box, and the referee decided to play on. I’m not sure why. That’s really disappointing because I feel the half should have been over before we conceded. It’s an inconsistency that shouldn’t have been there.”
Stenta on what was said at half-time…
“They knew they needed to be better, and they came out determined to do exactly that in the second half. Maybe it was just one of those games where, if we had put away a chance—even a half chance—we could have gotten back into the game. But we just lacked that quality in the final third today.”
Stenta on summarising the season so far…
“It’s been an interesting start. I feel like we’re a team that, when we play well, we can click and score goals. Defensively, I also feel we’re much stronger than last season. These are two areas we’ve worked hard to improve in the off-season. Now, we just need to ensure we bring a higher level of consistency and keep improving week in, week out.”
And finally, Stenta on Unite Round as a whole…
“I think from year one to year two, we’ve already seen a lot of improvements. They’ve listened to feedback and are trying to make it more of an event. Hopefully, it continues to grow, and it’s something people get behind, so we can carry it on well into the future.”
