Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar has swung the selection axe on four experienced players but insists his team isn’t raising the white flag ahead of its match against Brisbane Roar on Saturday.
Defenders Mark Rudan and Robbie Cornthwaite and midfielders Adam Hughes and Lucas Pantelis have been dropped while Kristian Sarkies will also spend a couple of weeks on the sidelines with a quad-hip flexor injury.
Former Sydney FC player Rudan is the unluckiest of the flicked quartet but after six weeks without a win the Reds needed a shake-up – especially in the defensive third.
“We’ve been going the same way for a number of weeks and really we are in the same situation today that we were four or five weeks ago so I think it might add a little bit of freshness and let’s hope they can make a good fist of it, I’m sure they can,” Vidmar said.
“There are no problems. We’ve had a good chat the other day and just felt that probably we might have had a few issues with the back four somewhere and everyone is finding it difficult to put a finger on it.”
“Mark is very professional, no-one likes those sorts of things but he’s respected the decision. I know Mark Rudan will make sure that he fights and scratches his way back into the team and there will certainly be opportunities and there is going to be opportunities for everyone.”
Daniel Mullen, who has been out of favour this season, returns to the side while inexperienced duo Shin and Francesco Monterosso have earned a place in the travelling party too.
Lloyd Owusu has been praised for his endeavour in the club’s junior side but will again miss out.
The wholesale changes smack of a side desperate to break through for a victory but Vidmar said the team wouldn’t be going all out in attack.
“We’ve got to be mindful as well, we can’t just drop our pants and say come and get us boys because it’s quite a big pitch Suncorp (Stadium) and they are a very good attacking side,” he said.
“I think we are capable of beating anyone on any day. We are going out there to win the game absolutely.”
“The only thing we are thinking of is that we are playing as a team and giving everything that we’ve possibly got and making sure everyone is responsible and if we do that we have given ourselves the best chance of winning.”
“There’s no last roll of the dice.”
