Adelaide United’s new coach Josep Gombau admits his side must start producing victories if they are to climb the A-League table.
Adelaide United’s new coach Josep Gombau has won plaudits for introducing an attractive free-flowing style to the Reds but the Spaniard admits his side must start producing victories if they are to climb the A-League table.
The Reds won their season opener but since have drawn against Melbourne Victory and lost hard-fought away games against champions Central Coast and premiers Western Sydney.
They host the winless Newcastle Jets on Saturday.
“I am so satisfied … we are controlling the games, the team is doing well,” Gombau said on Friday.
“And every day, I am more satisfied with the team … we are working well, we are improving day by day.
“I think the wins will arrive.”
He conceded a winless afternoon at Coopers Stadium against the Jets could see his team’s confidence start to disintegrate.
“Tomorrow is very important to win because this will bring confidence to the players,” he said.
And he urged his charges not to focus on the possible return of Jets marquee man Emile Heskey who is likely to come from the bench in his first match of the season after overcoming a knee injury.
“It doesn’t matter, for me what is important is the team, not the players,” Gombau said.
Adelaide United are expected to field the same starting line-up that lost in controversial circumstances against the Wanderers last Friday night – when two mistakes from the referee hurt Gombau’s side badly.
Gombau said referees boss Ben Wilson’s admissions of the blunders were irrelevant to him.
“For me, I don’t speak about the referees … some days the referees can make one action that help you to win the game, some days they can make a mistake and you lose the game,” he said.
“It’s difficult to be a referee and we need to help them.”
And he simply told his players: “Don’t find an excuse in the referee. Find the mistake in what we do … this is what we need to be concentrating on.”
