Josep Gombau: We’ll stick with hell-for-leather Reds

Josep Gombau refused to criticise his players and will not temper Adelaide United’s all-or-nothing approach despite admitting that mistakes cost his team dearly away to Melbourne Victory on Saturday.

Josep Gombau refused to criticise his players and will not temper Adelaide United’s all-or-nothing approach despite admitting that mistakes cost his team dearly away to Melbourne Victory on Saturday.

The Reds produced some excellent football and led twice at AAMI Park, only to concede several soft goals to lose 4-3 and return to South Australia empty-handed.

But don’t expect to see the Adelaide coach modifying his high defensive line or instructing players to hoof the ball clear from the back any time soon.

‘Normally when you score three goals away, you win,’ Gombau said.

‘But today, we make some mistakes. And from these mistakes, we lose the game. These mistakes come from our style. We want to play from the back, we lose one ball playing from the back and they score.

‘With the risky pressing up, this means that our keeper needs to play like a central defender. And we make one mistake like this.

‘But in everything (else), in all the other actions – in possession, in style, in the chances we create and the goals that we score, in everything, I am so, so satisfied with my team today.

‘Even Barcelona, that is playing with this style, make these kind of mistakes. Because when you play from the back, you take this risk. When the keeper needs to be like a central defender, you take this risk.’

Gombau made a point of claiming Kris Griffiths-Jones coped well with the fast pace of the game, despite the referee failing to act on several seemingly legitimate penalty appeals. Numerous yellow cards were also flourished in a feisty game which threatened to spill over on several occasions.

Finally, Gombau said Adelaide must wait to determine the extent of the suspected hamstring problem which forced off key player Marcelo Carrusca in the second half.