Perth Glory’s Boxing Day clash with Adelaide United is crucial to their finals hopes remaining alive and coach Dave Mitchell is backing his in-form team to get the job done.
Coming off a 4-1 win over Sydney FC, 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix and 3-1 win over Melbourne Victory, the Glory – who have taken points from their last six home games – have well and truly emerged as an in-form team and the task of tackling top-of-the-table Adelaide is one Mitchell says his troops are ready for.
Mitchell is also calling on all Perth fans to pack out Members Equity Stadium for what is being dubbed the Boxing Day Test, and a win could see the Glory three points off a top-four spot.
“Adelaide is a quality side and one of the best, if not the best, sides in the league. We are playing at home, though, and don’t fear anyone playing here, and the way we are playing we don’t fear anyone in the league,” Mitchell said.
“It will be a big game and I call for the troops to respond by coming out in force after they’ve had a few drinks over the festive season. We need them to come out and support the Glory, to back us up and be an extra man for us.”
Despite the disastrous start to the season, Mitchell never gave up hope of his team turning it around and confirmation of the form reversal could come this Friday.
“I always had the belief that we had the players to make a challenge, but we had a lot of bad luck in the early part of the season and the wheels fell off. There were a lot of problems internally, which we have now sorted out by cracking the whip and everyone has responded,” Mitchell said.
“As a playing group, they have been fantastic over the last seven weeks and we are one of the in-form teams. If we win this week we are right in the frame at three points out of the four and five off top spot. Nobody would have believed that after six or seven games.”
“We are playing at home and want to win the game. They haven’t played in the Hyundai A-League for a while and will want to win as well, so it will be a great game.”
While the addition of former Dutch international Victor Sikora is a big boost for the Glory, speculation continues about striker Nikita Rukavytsya wanting to move overseas, but Mitchell believes Australia is still the best place for him.
“Rukavytsya has a contract, so the club will determine whether he goes or not. If a good offer comes in and he wants to go, the club will decide that but I’d hate for him to go overseas and not play regularly,” he said.
“If he stays here he will mature and become a better player, and then be even more valuable. He will also be under the eye of Pim Verbeek, so it would be a plus-plus for him. If he goes, there’s plenty of talent around the world, you just need to go and find it.”
