Adelaide coach John Kosmina is adamant that he has a better team at his disposal than new Melbourne Victory coach Jim Magilton both on paper and out on the park after the Reds claimed the Kosmina-Muscat Cup thanks to a 1-1 draw at AAMI Park.
Adelaide coach John Kosmina is adamant that he has a better team at his disposal than new Melbourne Victory coach Jim Magilton both on paper and out on the park after the Reds claimed the Kosmina-Muscat Cup thanks to a 1-1 draw at AAMI Park.
The consensus for much of the A-League season among most fans and pundits is that Melbourne have clearly the best team in the league on paper, but had failed to realise their potential in the first half of the season.
But with both teams under new coaches and even on points after 16 matches this season, Kosmina has backed his best XI against Victory’s, with Reds unbeaten in three matches against their bitter rivals this season.
“We’re better. There’s no question. If you look at the football we played in the second half, we weren’t relying on (individual) stuff like they do. We rely on the combination type of stuff,” he said.
“Especially tonight we showed a bit of character. A lot of character actually, because we had a lot of young players in the team.”
“Melbourne have got some good experienced players in their side and I think that it was a sparring match and while we survived in the first half, second half we were outstanding.”
“Melbourne’s biggest threat was through individual brilliance because we stopped them playing and our guys as a unit were fantastic in the second half.”
Dario Vidosic, one of the Reds’ most influential players in the 1-1 draw, agreed with his coach that the Reds’ best is up there with the best in the competition.
“In the second half we were brilliant for the whole 45 minutes and we played very good football and if we can put it together for 90, I don’t think there’s any team in the league who can stop us,” he said.
But despite his bullishness about the quality of his side, Kosmina is concerned about Adelaide’s poor goal difference, which is largely attributable to a 7-1 defeat by Brisbane early in the season.
The middle of the table is extremely tight and there is a good chance that goal difference could prove crucial to where sides finish at the end of the season. He thinks this could cost them either a spot in the finals or a shot at a home final.
“I said weeks ago, before I got the job, when I was in the media that the biggest problem Adelaide have to overcome is their goal difference,” he said.
“We are on the same points as Melbourne, we are on the same points as Perth but our goal difference is minus-nine. That’s hard to catch up.”
“Even if we win nine games by a one-goal margin we are just back to zero and it’s almost the end of the season.”
Adelaide’s next challenge doesn’t get any easier, with the Reds away to table-topping Central Coast Mariners on Saturday week.
