Perth Glory coach Kenny Lowe insists his team is playing better than their low ladder position suggests.
Glory is second last on the Hyundai A-League table with just four points from six games, including a solitary win against Adelaide United on October 25.
MATCH REPORT: Glory, Sydney share spoils in Perth
Lowe’s side has not scored in more than six hours of football, including this month’s Westfield FFA Cup loss, and Glory’s injury list is growing at a concerning rate each week.
Leading scorer Gyorgy Sandor (three goals) has missed four weeks with an ankle injury, while Guyon Fernandez and Chris Harold have also spent time on the sidelines with foot and hamstring complaints respectively.
However, Lowe is not offering excuses and claimed his team is performing better than results would suggest.
“We’ve got certain cards we’ve been dealt and we deal with that,” he said after his team’s 0-0 draw with Sydney FC at nib Stadium on Saturday.
“We don’t have a moan, we just get on with it. We’re very positive, we’re in every single game and we’re very difficult to beat. We’re not getting smashed, no one is playing us off the park, no one is smashing goals into the goal.
“We’re very well organised and we’re very honest, but we need a little bit of creativity and we saw that a little bit today, so hopefully we can build on that and do a little bit better next week.”
Lowe was disappointed his side did not walk away with the full three points against Sydney FC, claiming Glory had the better “half-chances” in a match which kicked off in sweltering 34°C heat.
“We’ve played in Albury in 44°C so we’re not got to moan about playing in 25°C (wet bulb temperature) or whatever it was,” Lowe said.
“At the end of the day, you know fine well how it needs to be done so you’ve just got to get on with it. Those are the cards you’re dealt with.”
Lowe heaped praise on his young backline, led by 23-year-old wing backs Josh Risdon and Marc Warren and assisted by “boy scout” centre halves Aryn Williams and Alex Grant, who held off modest attacks from Sydney strikers Shane Smeltz and Alex Brosque.
Former Glory captain Michael Thwaite relished a defensive midfield role he could continue to play for several weeks as the club looks to cover its absent stars, including Dino Djulbic who will miss at least six weeks with a serious ankle injury.
“If we left Thwaitey at the back, we were light in the midfield, but if we played him in the midfield I’m thinking about the two young boys in the middle of the park at the back…I haven’t slept for about three days,” Lowe said.
“I haven’t got a clue (if Thwaite will stay in midfield). We’ll see what knocks and niggles we have. We’re down to the bare bones as it is.”
Risdon and Warren were both substituted on Saturday after copping corks and will be in some doubt for Friday’s away clash with Melbourne City.
Lowe admitted the five-day turnaround between matches may also limit the chances of Sandor and Fernandez lining up against City.
