Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli says the Reds have quickly turned their attention forward as they prepare to face Wellington Phoenix, with lessons taken from last week’s result and greater stability expected across the pitch.
Andrioli on regrouping after last week’s result
Everyone was quite disappointed with the result last week. There were many factors to look at, especially with young players coming in and doing a reasonable job given the circumstances. After the game we needed to regroup quickly, analyse what happened, take some positives, and then move on because the next game comes around very fast.
Andrioli on analysing the result despite player absences
We do take the number of players missing into account, but we focused more on what we could have done better regardless of who was on the pitch. A lot happened in the first 20 minutes, we made mistakes and they punished us. After that, I thought we came into the game and did what we needed to do, but it was too late, especially conceding early in the second half. Now the focus is fully on Wellington.
Andrioli on Panagiotis Kikianis and Bart Vriends’ availability
Panagiotis is available, which is good to have him back. With Bart, we will make a final decision this morning. He has recovered well and trained fully this week, but with travel and the type of injury, we are assessing him day by day to make sure we don’t push things too far.
Andrioli on the importance of defensive stability
When you have a lot of young players playing together at the same time without someone experienced next to them, it can be difficult. That backline was very young and hadn’t played together much. We can’t hide the fact that experience matters, so we’ve looked at that this week and have a plan in place to bring more stability for Sunday.
Andrioli on international call-ups and consistency across the league
It would be excellent if there was an agreement where everyone followed the same rules. Staying united is important for football in this country. We support our players going to the national team and we’re proud of them, but it was disappointing when some clubs didn’t release players and others did. That creates a big difference and it’s something the game needs to address collectively.
Andrioli on interest in Panagiotis Kikianis
We don’t know what will happen, football changes very quickly. We would like to see Pana stay and finish the season here because it would be good for his development, but if something changes, we need to be ready. That means identifying the next player who can step in and making sure we’re prepared for all scenarios.
Andrioli on recruitment and squad planning
We’ve always been hands-on with recruitment. We’re constantly scouting players, but a lot of things need to align – availability, finances, and fit with the club. We’re working together as a club on those decisions, but it’s not always easy to find the right player at the right time.
Andrioli on facing Wellington again
The last game against Wellington was very close. We conceded from a set piece and then an early penalty in the second half, which made the difference. Apart from that, it was a tight contest. They’re a very good football team, they play with a high line and press aggressively, so execution and timing will be important. We’re preparing to exploit those moments and hopefully come back with three points.