Adelaide United’s preparations for Sunday’s clash against the Newcastle Jets continue as the team looks to bounce back from the Unite Round defeat to Wellington Phoenix in Sydney. Head Coach Adrian Stenta addressed the media ahead of the clash, sharing insights on the squad’s recent focus and expectations for the weekend. Here’s what Stenta had to say:
Stenta on the focus during the week off:
“It’s been a bit of a chance to recharge and take stock after the first four games of the season. We had three interstate trips as well, so it was an opportunity to freshen the squad up. The travel can be challenging, especially three weeks in a row. We’ve quickly turned our attention towards this week’s opponent and worked a lot on being more threatening and creating more goal-scoring opportunities in the final third. We weren’t overly happy with how much we were able to create and threaten against Wellington in our last game.”
Stenta on facing the Newcastle Jets:
“The Jets have had a good start to the year. They’re a team that plays with high intensity and they like to press the opposition. They just keep going and going, so we feel like it’s going to be quite a physical and high-intensity match. They’re going to bring their best game to Adelaide, and it’s going to be a real challenge for us, but we’re really excited to play against them again.”
Stenta on last season’s loss to the Jets:
“I don’t think you ever completely forget about it because every difficult or challenging situation is an opportunity to learn. But there’s been such a long time between seasons that it doesn’t really have any relevance for us anymore. Their squad is different, our squad is different, so it’s a different context. We took lessons from that performance and used them to try to improve coming into this season.”
Stenta on replacing Matilda McNamara:
“She’s been starting for us, so someone will need to fill her spot. We have a couple of different ideas about how to do that and how we’ll shape up without her. We’ve got some players returning, like Chelsie Dawber and Nanako Sasaki, who have been training fully with the team recently, so there may be an opportunity to look at one of them. Plus, some younger players who have been outside the squad might get a chance to play this week. Training has been excellent, and a lot of players are putting their hands up for selection. It’s up to the coaching staff to get the balance right and put a team out there that we think is capable of getting a result.”
Stenta on the squad’s culture and competition:
“There’s a really good vibe within the group. The culture is extremely positive. The existing players have made our new players feel really welcome, and all of our new players have added something special to the group as well. I think we’re building something that could be really special this year, and that’s a credit to the players and the goals they’ve set for themselves. Now, we just need to find that consistency in performance on the pitch, and we’ll be in a great place.”
Stenta on Paul Pezos’ new coaching opportunity:
“I think it’s fantastic. There are a few South Australian coaches in the league now, on both the men’s and women’s sides. It’s great to see someone like Paul get an opportunity. He’s someone I worked really closely with during my time with the youth team setup, and I view him as a bit of a mentor—someone I’ve learned a lot from. He’s a fantastic coach, and I’m sure he’ll do really well with this opportunity. It just goes to show that while we might be a smaller state, we produce quality players and coaches. I’m thrilled he’s been able to get this opportunity, just like others have.”
