Reds Head Coach Carl Veart shared his thoughts ahead of the Reds clash against Newcastle Jets at Coopers Stadium. Veart discussed squad updates, player performances, and the impact South Australia is having on the National Teams. Here’s what Veart had to say:
Veart on the recent surge in form from Yaya Dukuly…
“Yaya has made a big impact off the bench and we’ve been looking at starting him for the last couple of weeks. It’s a decision we’ll make tomorrow, but he’s been working hard, and it’s a competition between him and Ben for that position. We’re fortunate to have players who can play in that role and can really make an impact. Yaya’s been exceptional this season, and we have confidence in his ability to start.”
Veart on the challenge of balancing substitutes…
“Sometimes, as a coach, you want to keep certain players as substitutes to have that impact in a game. Yaya has done that very well for us. It’s a balancing act between starting him and keeping him as an impact sub. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
Veart on Jordan Elsey’s return to the squad…
“Jordan’s good to go. He played 70 minutes for the youth team last week, and that gave him the go-ahead to join the first team. He’ll be part of the squad tomorrow, and we’ll see how he progresses from there.”
Veart on player development and Archie Goodwin’s growth…
“Archie has come a long way. He struggled a bit when we played Newcastle away earlier in the season, missing some opportunities. But he’s fitter and stronger now, and he knows exactly what he needs to do. His movement was great last week for the goal, and we’ve worked on a few things with him this week. Hopefully, he gets more success and adds a couple of goals tomorrow.”
Veart on the importance of team pressure against Newcastle…
“Newcastle is coming off a huge win, so we expect them to have their tails up. They’ll come at us, and they play good football. We need to get our pressure right. If we do that, we’ll go a long way in getting the three points. Newcastle can cause an upset, so we need to be focused and bring the intensity.”
Veart on the team’s defensive performance and clean sheet…
“We’re happy with the clean sheet we got last week. The boys did exceptionally well defensively. We need to keep building on that. We’ve had some good results, and we’ve got to continue improving. We’ve had a tough run, but we’ve worked hard to get ourselves in a good position, and now it’s all about staying there and pushing harder.”
Veart on updates of Panashe Madanha and Javi López…
“Panashe [Madhana] is still about four or five weeks away from coming back, and Javi [López] is a couple of weeks away. Both are responding well to their treatment and training, but there’s no rush to bring them back just yet. We’re confident in the squad we have and the depth available.”
Veart on the pride of seeing local talent represent the Australia U20’s…
“It’s a proud moment seeing six of our local boys play for the U20s and represent Adelaide United. They’ve come through the system and have a big future ahead of them. It’s great for football in South Australia, and we’re proud to have had an impact on their development. The support of all the clubs has been key to these players reaching this stage.”
Veart on the upcoming challenge with Newcastle…
“Newcastle is a side that tries to play football. They’ve got a lot of energy, and they’ve been improving. It’s going to be tough, but we’re ready. We know if we get our pressure right, we can come away with the win. We’ll focus on our own game and look to push for the three points.”
