Adelaide United will be looking to snap a run of three straight defeats to Macarthur at Campbelltown Stadium when the sides meet on Monday night, and head coach Carl Veart is hoping a few tweaks to the travel schedule will make all the difference.
The Isuzu UTE A-League Round 6 clash had originally been scheduled for Sunday night but has been shifted back a day to accommodate the Bulls’ return from an AFC Cup game in Thailand on Thursday night.
In the last six encounters between the sides, the home team has won the game and Veart is hoping his side’s good record on the road and a change in hotel will snap that run.
At a press conference on Friday, the Adelaide United coach discussed last weekend’s win over Western United, whether his side will get any benefit from Macarthur’s travel and whether the club has any interest in signing former captain Stefan Mauk who remains without a contract from his Japanese side.
Carl Veart on the game against Macarthur being delayed one day because of the Bulls’ participation in Asia:
“It was a long trip to Ballarat so for us to give the boys an extra day off at the beginning of the week and to come away from Ballarat with the points as well, it was a great trip for the boys and you know, we’re really focusing now for the game on Monday night.”
Carl Veart on the win over Western United in Ballarat last Sunday:
“I think we’ve defended quite well at times with the desperation of the defenders to protect their goal. Yes, we might have allowed them to have a few too many opportunities but saying that, we had quite a few ourselves go the other way and sometimes that’s the way that we play our football – we want to be an attacking side and we want the fans to come and enjoy the game.”
Carl Veart on the response to the disappointing loss to Sydney FC in Round 4:
“I suppose we’re hoping it was a one off and I think the boys responded very well. Our away form has been very good so we’re looking forward to going away again this weekend and getting another three points.”
Carl Veart on having lost the last three clashes with Macarthur at Campbelltown Stadium:
“We haven’t had the best results going to Macarthur. We seem to do well at home against them so we’re doing things a little bit different this time on the away trip to Macarthur. Playing Macarthur out at Campbelltown is a long way out from Sydney so the last few times we’ve stayed in Parramatta and it’s a 45-odd minute travel journey out there. This time we’re staying a five minute drive from the stadium so hopefully that can change and make the players a little bit more settled going into the game.
“We know they’re on the back of a trip into Asia so they’re going to be a little bit all over the place themselves. They left players in in Australia, they took half the team to Asia so it’s important, again, that we start the game quite fast and try and play a high tempo game. They try to slow things down and so it’s important that we try to play a very high tempo game this week.”
Carl Veart on what he made of Macarthur’s AFC Cup win over Shan United F.C. from Myanmar in Thailand on Thursday night:
“The games in Asia are a little bit different to the A-League games. The tempo is a lot different in Asia to what it is in the A-league so we’re aware that they left four or five of their starters home so that sort of gives us an indication of their side that they’re going to play on Monday night.
“Some of those players that went to Asia are going to have to play on Monday night so it’s important that we play the game at a very high tempo to try and bring that fatigue into the playing group.”
Carl Veart on Luka Jovanović’s first start of the season and first goal for the campaign:
“He did well last season when he had those opportunities and he’s worked extremely hard this preseason. He’s been working hard and he got that reward last week when he got his first start for the season and got a goal. That’s what the strength of Luka is, that he’s always in and around the box and always looking to score those goals.
“With Luka, he just provides those young legs that we need at times to apply pressure and to make those runs in behind. I thought he did that quite well last week.”
Carl Veart on whether the club will pursue former captain Stefan Mauk in the January transfer window:
“Stefan is a well-respected player at the club and when he left, we said the door would always be open. We have had conversations with Stefan during the time he has been in Japan, and I know he wants to stay in Japan so we’ll just wait and see what he decides to do.”
