Adelaide United coach Carl Veart fronted the media ahead of Saturday’s game against Western Sydney Wanderers, sharing his thoughts on the team’s positive start to the season and providing updates on key players. He also touched on the return of young talent Panashe Madanha, who has shown resilience in overcoming injuries, and gave an update on the fitness of key signing Bart Vriends.
Veart on the positives from the Round One draw against the Mariners:
“It was a good, positive start. I thought the players covered a lot of what we’ve been working on in preseason. For 80% of the game, they were very good. As I said after the game, I think it was just that little bit of extra match sharpness and conditioning that was missing in the final product. Overall, I’m happy with that performance. This week, the players have been excellent on the training track, and we’re building very nicely. I believe we’re in a good spot. The playing group has been excellent this preseason, so we’re confident we can build on last week’s performance.”
Veart on the return of Panashe Madanha:
“Panashe is a high-quality young player that we have a lot of hope for. He’s trained well since his injury, though he’s had a few setbacks in his short career. He’s shown resilience, worked extremely hard, and is now back in the squad for this weekend. Hopefully, he can get some match minutes and start building his fitness back up.”
Veart on the comparisons on Madanha and Pierias:
“Dylan and Panashe have very similar profiles. Both have great speed and are strong in one-on-one battles. That’s part of the reason we’ve adjusted our formation—to better suit the profile of the players we have in the squad. It’s important that our playing style complements the players to give them the best chance for success, and ultimately, for the club to succeed.”
Veart on whether Bart Vriends could have played this week:
“There was a big chance we could have gone with him this week, but we decided to give him the extra full week. He’s a key signing for us and our number one target, bringing extra quality and leadership at the back. He’s a big player for us, and he’s done everything right this week. If he ticks all the boxes at the start of next week, he’ll definitely play.”
Veart on the prospect of facing Juan Mata:
“Their whole team has good quality players; it’s not just one player. In football today, you need all your players to perform well to get a win. Mata had some really good movements and touches last week, so that’s something we’ll need to be mindful of, particularly in the areas where he operates. But they also have other quality attacking players that we have to be cautious of.”
