Adelaide United aren’t getting carried away with their current good form, with defender Tarek Elrich stating the Reds are solely focussed on their upcoming match against league leaders Brisbane Roar.
United are currently enjoying a seven match unbeaten run, following their 3-1 win at Coopers Stadium on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, the Roar are without a win in two games and were thrashed 4-0 by reigning Hyundai A-League Champions, Melbourne Victory, last Friday night.
Nevertheless, Elrich believes United will definitely have their hands full when they visit Suncrop Stadium to face a Brisbane side desperate to return to winning ways.
“It’s not going to be an easy game,” Elrich said. “Brisbane are coming off a big loss away against Victory so they’ll be firing and ready for it.
“They have a lot to play for and want to keep their position at the top of the table, and with us we want to make sure we (widen) the gap between us and the teams below us on the ladder.
“We’re fully aware that it’s a big game and that they’re a quality team. We’re not just going to hope we win the game, we know if we stick to our football, we will win it.”
The meeting of the two sides this Friday will be the second occasion so far this season, the first of which took place in Round 4. Brisbane ran-out 3-0 winners on the night, condemning United to their second straight defeat during the Reds’ eight-game winless streak to commence their 2015/16 campaign.
But all is seemingly in the past with Elrich and his teammates enjoying a seven game unbeaten run, including three straight home wins, and are within the competition’s top six.
“We’ve stuck to our game plan and what we’ve been practicing since we started pre-season,” Elrich explained.
“Early on we weren’t getting the results and a lot of people gave us no chance, but we’ve turned things around like we knew we could.
“For us, it’s about taking each game as it comes and not looking too far ahead, which is a bit harder when you’re doing well because you could be tempted to take your foot off the accelerator at times.
“It’s still early days and we’re only just in the top six, so we’ll keep looking to do what we’ve been doing and hopefully move even further in the ladder.”
As it stands, United are four points clear of the Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle Jets, both on 16 points and in seventh and eighth respectively, whilst four points behind the Victory in fifth.
A win for the Reds against the Roar could see them cement a place in the top six, with the Phoenix travelling to battle Melbourne City at AAMI Park, and the Jets facing a Perth Glory side looking to improve upon their current position in ninth. United could also shorten distance with Victory, who are preparing for the Big Blue with Sydney FC next Tuesday evening.
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Adelaide United will face Brisbane Roar in Round 16 of the Hyundai A-League 2015/16 season on Friday, 22 January at Coopers Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.30pm ACDT.
