http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=15&ContentID=145234

Glory manager vows to keep the mood positive
1st June 2009, 9:15 WST

It is not written on promotional brochures, car bumper stickers or at the end of emails to fans or prospective sponsors. But the underlying message emanating from Perth Glory can be summarised in a succinct two-word motto: no excuses.

There will be no excuses for failure to deliver finals football this season. Fans, players and officials have been starved for too long.

Former Glory defender Ante Kovacevic has been brought in as part of the new ‘team Glory’, which also includes a full-time physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach, to boost the resources available to the players.

As an ex-player, the recently appointed team manager knows how easy it is to be distracted by off-field events and how quickly minor problems can escalate into much greater issues.

Part of his role is to ensure that the positive mood already permeating the squad continues to flourish as the season develops.

He is desperate for Glory to succeed, having joined the club as a player for the start of the A-League in 2005 when high expectations were replaced quickly by major disappointment. Season after season, the club has fallen short.

“It’s important for players to be positive about what’s happening now,” Kovacevic said.

“Apart from the two new clubs this season (North Queensland and Gold Coast), we will be the only Australian team not to have made the A-League finals and that’s a monkey on our back.

“We know, as a club, that we need to go the extra mile and that’s the reason for me joining and for us getting a full-time strength and conditioning coach and physio.

“We are planning for success and there’s more to do than just signing the right players.”

A recent visit by officials from newly promoted English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, who will take on Glory in a pre-season friendly on July 10, gave Kovacevic an insight into the lengths big clubs will go to in the pursuit of perfection.

“The Wolves guys were adamant on having an excuse-free environment for the players,” Kovacevic said.

“That’s what their reconnaissance to Perth was all about and that’s what we want to do with our boys. We want to make sure anything the players need, we can get for them.

“We don’t want any excuses and we want to make sure everyone is as happy as possible so they can concentrate on enjoying their football, which will hopefully result in a positive season.”

The stigma of past seasons still lingers at Glory, who have fallen dramatically since the heady days of National Soccer League domination, although the players currently in training seem content with the additional steps the club has taken towards professionalism.

“There’s definitely an improvement on previous seasons,” Kovacevic said. “There’s a lot of organisation and the boys know it’s all going to be prepared for them. In the past it’s been full-time but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s professional.”

Kovacevic, 34, still plays in the WA Premier League for Floreat Athena to “satisfy competitive urges”, and, at a pinch, could make a handy emergency replacement in the A-League.

“It’s been joked about,” he said.

What the club is taking seriously are the matches against Wolves and another English Premier League club, Fulham, next month.

Even though the games are of little consequence to the visitors, they represent a wonderful opportunity for the Glory players and fans.

Glory take on Fulham at Members Equity Stadium on July 15 in a double-header also featuring Wolves against North Queensland, who have signed former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler.

JONATHAN COOK

Who's the mystery marquee i wonder ?
i cant wait till we sign someone and the speculatioon ends.

ooo interesting so theres another mystery man now .....

unless this mystery man that we dont know about is a 'recoba' type of figure, then i would still prefer sterjovski lol.

i hope glory dont crack under the pressure this season coz they all know how important it is.

dammm i cant wait for the season to start!

only a month and a bit till the pre season friendlies start! :)

i think if anyone will crack it will be davey. once the season starts im sure it will be more relaxing for him haha

haha yehh well if he just continues to make the right decisions and actually try to in games, including trying to WIN AWAY GAMES and not just settle with a point, then he'll be rite lol

i think every game last season, the line up he put out there and his dodgy decisions sometimes plus pre match interviews, i seriously think he was happy getting a point for every away game and thats why we kept loosing, he has to aim to win away games! lol

once the boys get confidence rolling, make MES a fortress and get points on the road, then dave's blood pressure may settle a bit lol

In person Dave seems a very calm and collected person ey...

From TWG:



Does anyone else get the feeling Mile may wait until after the WC qualifiers before making any decision on a move?

He may be hoping to impress Derby enough that they want to keep him in the first team regularly.

derby have came out and said his no longer required and free to move without a fee sometime back. sterj is just not getting the hint

Yeah, free to move but still obviously under contract. Do you think he will be offered more money elsewhere? If not, he'd only move for more game time ahead of the WC, or I guess to be closer to family.

He may be hoping Derby change their mind.


Edited by leedrick: 2/6/2009 11:07:43 AM

i still have a sneaking suspicion he will end up in japan or korea. australian teams seem to not be aggressively chasing him otherwise he would have signed for one already or perhaps he is a lazy bugger and just cant be bothered starting preseason training so soon haha

I just hope dave mitchell doesnt back off him, coz he has said he really wants mile at glory. Ill be peed off if dave mitchell backs off and then we see mile at another a-league club.

but then again ... if we get a foreign quality marquee who turns out to be a success ... that'll settle my nerves haha

It said in the west the other week that Sterj would decide by the end of the week what he was doing. Its a big decision for him but frustrating for us who just want him to sign.

hopefully we get a decision or an announcement soon ... as it is now june ... just over a month to go until pre season friendly's ... 2 months until season actual .... we would want our marquee and any other potential signings starting pre season with the squad now at the latest! lol

also ... an article in the west online about jacob burns and his role with the socceroos http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=15&ContentID=145485

I think he will be quality for glory and be a work-horse in midfield ;)

do you guys think glory will play any friendlies against state league opposition before the july friendlies? I hope they do ... so we can see them play ... and also for glory's sake i think they would need a run out before the july friendlies to take away the cobwebs lol

I hope so. I was reading the article on the overseas players in last month's 442 mag, and one of the fans (when talking about a different player - I can't remember which) said something like "I thought Jacob Burns was the worst midfielder we'd ever had, but X gives him a run for his money".

I cant wait to see our squad run out.
i reckon we'll give it a real shake.

yeh I cant wait to see them in action either!
Absolutley busting to see glory play and for the new season to start!

I hope glory organise friendlies against state league opposition before the july international friendlies so we can see them in action!

Interesting to hear that old Denilson is going to play in Vietnam...

Surely they will.
i remember last years game vs the state team.
i hope they do that again it was a good un.
but unbeleiveably cold ahhahaa.

That was at Floreat right? Man, that was cold. They should organise hot chocolate this year, mmmmmm

Yeh just talked to FW about the friendlies and they confirmed they are in talks with the glory, will let everyone know when ive get more info

awesome ..... will be looking forward to that and hopefully they put in a few good perfomances against state league opposition!

just something totally off topic ...... Adelaide target Owusu is currently in perth .... now i know we probably dont need him .... but how ironic would it be for glory to sign him, i would love to see that ... just to get back at adelaide for stealing reid lol!

his father in law lives it Perth...

Nobody stole Reid from you...Reid just opted for ACL action over none... plus Owusu is a former team mate of Reid.

Yikes... Do you lurk in every thread just waiting for an Adelaide United reference?

nobody stole reid from us ur right ...

just viddie and adelaide united ....

Ahh, no disrespect to him, but, why would we care about Paul Reid? We have Wayne Srhoj AND Jacob Burns now! :)

If only every human thought as impressively as you. hahaha

obviously now we dont care about him ... shows how much the quality of the a-league can improve over a season ... back then though we could of done with him to partner shroj instead of coyne lol ...

just trying to add a bit of fuel to the fire between the glory and adelaide rivalry thats all :) big round 1 trip for the fans ... and its gonna be a good one

On another note, is anyone going to the Elephant and Whellbarrow on Sat night for the socceroos game?

Hai...

YES!!! It'll be going off! I suggest everyone attend to sing and throw beer in the air when we score!