Glory to bounce back: Ferguson

Updated December 09, 2012 17:19:46

Goals and wins have dried up for last season's A-League runners up Perth Glory, but coach Ian Ferguson believes his players will respond well to the pressure.

The Glory started the season strongly, with three wins in their first five games.

But their five matches since have yielded just two points and two goals, with their most recent result a 1-0 loss to Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

Sudanese-born refugee Golgol Mebrahtu came off the bench to deliver an 89th-minute winner for the Heart in his first appearance for the club after 26 goal-less matches with Gold Coast.

It took the Glory's away record this season to just one point from five games.

Ferguson admitted that while previous performances during Perth's winless streak had been better than results indicated, the loss to the Heart had few redeeming features.

"We probably got what we deserved," he said.

"We never played at all well, as well as I'd expect us to play."

Most galling was that Perth had earmarked the clash as a chance to jump-start their stalling season, given the Heart were missing numerous key players and entered the round second-bottom.

"I really thought it was a day we could have cemented again and tried to get a run going," Ferguson said.

"It never worked out that way. That's the biggest disappointment."

The Glory will fall to eighth by the end of the round.

But Ferguson backed his side to claw their way out of the slump.

"Of course we're confident we can," he said.

"We've got good players to come back in - (Michael) Thwaite and (Scott) Jamieson (from Socceroos duty) and Liam Miller (from injury).

"We're pretty confident we can get it back on track again.

"We've got to, it's as simple as that.

"We've been through this before.

"I just said to the boys, it's not unless there's real pressure on this club that we start to react.

"We should be doing a lot better than what we have done."

AAP

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted December 09, 2012 17:18:18

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Nichols aims to bounce back from shocker

Updated April 19, 2012 18:51:56

Players rarely need motivation to get up for a grand final.

But if Roar midfielder Mitch Nichols needed any for Sunday's showdown with Perth in Brisbane, he received it on Tuesday night with a forgettable performance in the Roar's 2-1 loss to Ulsan Hyundai which virtually killed off the club's Asian Championship League campaign.

A careless piece of play in the 11th minute, which created the opportunity for lightning quick Colombian striker Juan Velez to rifle home a shot, was the start of a woeful night for Nichols which only ended after coach Ange Postecoglou hooked him in the 75th minute.

"I had a touch and I probably could have gone past him (Velez) but, instead, he tackles me and puts it (ball) in the top corner almost," said the fair-haired Nichols who was guilty of trying too hard to redeem himself.

"It was probably my worst performance of the year, to be honest.

"The effort and everything else was there but nothing was clicking."

The lethal combination of Johnny Warren medal winner Thomas Broich, who is showing signs of regaining his magical touch, and Golden Boot winner Besart Berisha, who has never won a title, will go a long way towards securing Brisbane another A-League championship.

But a lot hinges on skipper Matt Smith's ability to limit the opportunities presented to Perth Glory's goal-scoring wizard Shane Smeltz.

The New Zealand international has easily passed Archie Thompson as the A-League's all-time leading goal scorer with 66 from 102 matches and has been on fire with eight goals from his past four games.

"From a personal perspective, I'm the person lining up against him," said Smith, aware of the need to deny Smeltz any space or time.

"I know over past experiences the way he plays, the runs he makes, his strengths and his weaknesses.

"Individually, I'll do as much as I can to ensure he doesn't get anything on grand final day."

Smith, who has taken the captain's armband from last season's inspirational skipper Matt McKay, admits he is living the dream leading Brisbane in a grand final.

"This is something I've always dreamt of doing and I'm really pleased it's with a manager and players with the desire to do well," said the English-born defender.

"I don't think I'll ever forget the last two years of my career in Brisbane.

"It's something that's come late in life for me but which I will always cherish."

Smith meanwhile dismissed concerns about the condition of the pitch, which will host a Super Rugby clash 48 hours before the grand final.

"The pitch will be what it will be on Sunday. It will be the same for both teams," he said.

AAP

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, perth-6000, wa

First posted April 19, 2012 17:37:08

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Manchester duo aim to bounce back after cup exits

Updated January 30, 2012 15:40:05

Premier League leaders Manchester City and Manchester United will look to put their respective League Cup and FA Cup defeats by Liverpool behind them when they return to league action on Tuesday.

City, three points clear at the top of the table, travel to Everton while second-placed champions United are at home to Stoke.

Table-toppers City will again be without striker Mario Balotelli as the forward continues his four-game ban for stamping on Tottenham's Scott Parker.

"I do not agree with this decision, but we can do nothing," City manager Roberto Mancini said.

"I explained to Mario and he understood."

City has only managed one victory at Goodison Park since 1992 but Everton, hampered by injuries, is set to be without first-choice central defenders Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin, along with Leon Osman, Jack Rodwell and Seamus Coleman.

United goalkeeper David de Gea struggled with crosses and corners in the 2-1 loss to Liverpool and Stoke, renowned for its physical presence at setpieces, is sure to test the Spaniard.

But United manager Sir Alex Ferguson tried to shield de Gea from criticism after the Liverpool match by saying: "Our own players created a problem for the first goal. They didn't give him enough room to deal with it."

Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur, despite manager Harry Redknapp spending much of last week in court on tax evasion charges, still got through to the last 16 of the FA Cup after beating Watford.

Tuesday sees Spurs, eight points behind City, look to stay in the title race at home to bottom of the table Wigan.

The transfer window also closes on Tuesday but Redknapp said he did not expect to add to his impressive squad before the deadline is up.

"I can't see an awful lot (happening)," Redknapp said.

Legal action of a different kind will also be on the minds of many Chelsea fans when their side travels to Wigan on Tuesday - just a day before skipper John Terry is due to appear in court on charges of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand - an allegation the England captain denies.

Both Terry and Ferdinand were involved in Chelsea's 1-0 FA Cup win over QPR on Saturday - the first time the two players had faced each other since the allegations surfaced.

On the field, fourth-placed Chelsea will want to strengthen its grip on a Champions League place against a promoted Swansea side which has been one of the success stories of this Premier League season so far.

"It's important to try and reach the top and go to Swansea fully motivated," Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said.

Liverpool, five points behind Chelsea, may be in one Wembley final (the League Cup) and closing in on another, but forcing its way into the top four remains a key ambition for the Merseysiders ahead of their trip to second-bottom Wolves on Tuesday.

Its cup wins came after a dispiriting league defeat by lowly Bolton and Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt, who scored the winner against United, said: "Everyone was really disappointed about the Bolton game.

"We have proved many times we can compete with the best teams. Now it's really important to play well against the other teams. That starts with a very important game against Wolves on Tuesday."

Wednesday sees Arsenal, who knocked Aston Villa out of the FA Cup after coming from 2-0 behind to win 3-2, up against Bolton.

"I hope it will convince the team we have the qualities needed and we can transfer that to the Premier League," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.

Villa and QPR will look for league consolation after FA Cup exits when they face each other on Wednesday, with strugglers Blackburn facing giantkilling victims Newcastle, Fulham playing West Brom and Sunderland at home to Norwich.

AFP

Tags: sport, soccer, english-premier, united-kingdom

First posted January 30, 2012 15:35:50

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