Perth Glory defender Andy Todd is confident striker Eugene Dadi can work his way back into the side over the club’s next few matches.
The French-Ivorian hitman was the club’s equal top scorer last season with 10 goals but has only played once this campaign in the Glory’s opening-round loss to Adelaide.
Since then, Serbian striker Branko Jelic has been selected in the starting squad ahead of Dadi, while the 35-year-old’s position on the bench has been taken by youngster Matthew Mayora.
Mayora, a prolific scorer in the New South Wales premier league, has come into the squad as a temporary injury replacement for right-back Jimmy Downey and it appears coach Dave Mitchell is taking advantage of this situation and using him as much as possible before Mayora leaves.
However, Todd feels Dadi has what it takes to work his way back into the side, possibly as early as Friday night’s clash with the Melbourne Victory at ME Bank Stadium.
“I don’t know what’s been said to Eugene (but) he’s part of the Perth team that’s trying to go in the right direction,” said Todd.
“It’s up to obviously Eugene to try and get back in the team, but that’s (also) up to Mitch to decide what the scene in selection is.”
Todd, though, believes all the club’s striking options, which includes marquee signing Mile Sterjovski, Jelic, Mayora, Dadi and the pinch-hitting Andrija Jukic can all answer the call if needed.
“It doesn’t matter who plays up front, I think they’re all good enough,” Todd said.
Dadi, though, has endured a difficult period since the end of last season. The fan favourite was loaned out to the Lichtenstein-based FC Vaduz, which was desperately attempting to avoid relegation from Switzerland’s top division at the time.
Dadi, though, incurred the wrath of his manager, former Sydney FC coach Pierre Littbarski, right from the start after he was forced to return to Perth early into his time at Vaduz to sort out Australian residency paperwork.
The situation only worsened as an under-pressure Littbarski took out his frustrations against the big striker, banning him from training after Dadi merely stood to do a touchline warm-up during a freezing cold match day.
The ban led to Dadi returning to Australia, the striker at a loss to explain what happened when he spoke during the pre-season.
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” was all Dadi could say. “I’m not crazy.”
“What I can tell you today, is just that it was unfortunate for the off season (that I went there), that was for me a wrong destination.”
“When I told him one day that I have to come back to Australia for my visa, he couldn’t understand why it was so important for myself and for the club (Perth) and for my family.”
“And then everything started to be a little bit difficult,” he said.
Dadi, though, has a superb record against the Victory, having scored two goals in both the Glory’s wins over Melbourne at ME Bank Stadium last season and could be in line to replace Mayora in time to terrorise the Victorian’s under-manned defence on Friday night.
