Adelaide United Head Coach Carl Veart spoke to the media at Coopers Stadium on Friday morning ahead of this weekends Original Rivalry clash at AAMI Park.
Veart emphasised the team’s hard work over the International Break and the importance of experienced players handling the rivalry and pressure of the season defining game against Melbourne Victory. Veart also discussed the fitness of Dylan Pierias and Panashe Madanha.
Veart on potential changes to the starting XI:
We’re lucky we’ve got a full squad to select from. The boys have trained really hard in this International Break and the intensity has been excellent. Dylan [Pierias] missed a couple of games through illness, but now he’s back 100%. He’s in our best 11. Harry [Crawford] came in and did a great job, but having someone a little bit more experience playing that role suits us.
Veart on the Original Rivalry and leaning on experienced players:
There is a lot of rivalry between the two teams and the intensity lifts in these games. So we’re going to need some experienced players out there, that can deal with the extra pressure that these games bring. As I said, the boys have trained really well the last two weeks, so they’re really keen to get out there and get a win as well.
Veart on the recent form and eliminating mistakes:
When we look back we haven’t picked up the points that we would like to have over the last six to seven weeks. But in saying that, the players have been playing quite well. They’ve just been getting punished for the mistakes. But the players have worked hard, and the football has been good. We’re getting punished for one or two bad mistakes.
Veart on Adelaide United’s style of play:
I want my team to play, so I have to take the blame for those mistakes. We just have to be better at doing that. We have to pick the moments. It’s about picking those moments and hopefully we limit those mistakes that we made in the last game.
It’s important to have the belief and when we play well, I think we’re one of the best footballing teams in the league. Our achilles heel is that we’ve opened ourselves up a few times from making our own mistakes. I think there’s only been one or two games, maybe one and a half games this year where we’ve been totally outplayed.
So we’ve pretty much been our worst enemy, and it’s just about making sure our focus is good and that concentration is good for the whole game.
Veart on the Original Rivalry and it’s significance:
You saw here early in the season that when we won here 3-2, how the atmosphere and the commitment from both teams was excellent. And I thought that was a really entertaining game, great for the league. And I expect the same tomorrow night. We need all of our players to get back to their best. And if we do that tomorrow, then, we will win.
Veart on Panashe Madanha’s fitness:
Panashe is probably two weeks away from rejoining full training with the group. At the moment, he’s in for some of the training, but he’s most really got just a couple more things to tick off before he joins fully with the group.