Mitchell's presser, Melbourne's mental edge and new Glory song

HOWDY guys.

FP used to hate Saturday's when he was working at one of the major supermarkets (doesn't matter which one, they as bad as each other).

But now Saturday's are a day for a bit of R and R.

This has nothing to do with Glory, but sharing is caring, right?

Anywho, Glory take on Melbourne Victory tomorrow, and with game-day so close there's quite a bit going on.

Today's news roundup is here:


---> SO FP was in attendance for DM's presser yesterday, which interestingly went for 10 minutes (going through 10 minutes of tape is never fun).

Mile Sterjovski has a dicky left ankle, and has just got over it. So what happens? He takes a knock his right ankle at training on Thursday.

Sigh.

But DM was adamant that not only would Sterjovksi play but he would also start.

Also, Glory's fearless coach revealed that he had been keeping tabs on Melbourne youngster Mate Dugandzic (not Drag-letdown-vic).

Here's what he said:

A few people told me about him and we sort of monitored him a bit. He's very quick, he's a goalscorer, he has good attitude - (there's) a lot of good things about the kid.

But he's a Melbourne boy and they have snapped him up - soon as he came to training that week, they signed him.

Ah well, no great loss. He's only one of the most promising youngsters in the A-League.

Moving on ... DM was asked about set-pieces - basically as many people have pointed out, we suck at them, defending them and scoring from them.

Here's DM's response: Yeah but Melbourne suck at set-pieces as well.

Cool.

DM didn't think that the Melbourne game was anymore important than any other game (aren't they all important, was the gist of his response).

He was also asked about A-League Armegeddon 2009: The Gold Coast Saga, but didn't bite but did call the situation "sad".

More or less a pretty standard presser expect . . .


---> . . . FP asked a pertinent question. Well not really pertinent, but maybe timely.

For those who can remember 12 months ago, Glory were in a bit of a crisis. It was doom and gloom, but 12 months later - sunshine.

Here's the full question, (in retrospect it's a pretty long-winded, tedious question and FP sounds like a pretentious jerk) and the answer from DM:

FP: Mitchell (yes FP actually called him 'Mitchell' - sigh) a year's a long time in football isn't it? About this time last year there was a lot pressure on yourself, on the team, there was talk of Stan Lazaridis coming in as a director role.

Now a year later, everything is looking good, you're fourth on the ladder, crowds are up. How's the atmosphere around the club and the morale?


DM: Yeah, when Tony sort of reappointed me for the two years he said: "Look you know, I'm backing you, you got a bit of a vision". And that vision was getting quality players in.

Getting quality players in, it raises the bar of the playing staff, and all the expecations of fans, the supporters and the media. It's all been good.

As in today's report (Friday's West Australian) there is a good feeling amongst the club and amongst the players and that's just building.

The most important tbing is we get finals football and bring that back home to Perth.

Amen to that, brother.

Also, with a report in the West that day which pointed out the crowds at ME Bank Stadium are up by 24 per cent from last season, the biggest change for all teams, this question seemed even more timely.


---> MOVING on, yesterday FP pointed out that some of the Glory players were falling over themselves to give enough praise and respect to Melbourne.

Well, Victory coach Ernie Merrick has gone one better - he's admitted that the Glory may have a mental edge over his players.

Perhaps in the most cunning 'FM-style manager mind-game' of the season, Merrick said:

We've had a good run, we've won five out of the last six games, but Perth is our bogey side and we have to change that, I think it was the 24th of September 2006, our only win ever over there and we've got to fix that.

Not too specfic ey Ernest? Also:

We know we can do it. We're playing good football home and away. We did well when we needed to against Adelaide and Newcastle, but I don't know sometimes you psych yourself out in that trip, but there's no excuses we need to do well over in Perth.

Well if you psych out your team before the game has even started, by alluding to a bogey team, and then you guys lose - then maybe you'd have a valid excuse.


---> LASTLY, in news from the lads from the Perth Glory Supporters Association, there's going to be a change of music at tomorrow's game.

When the players have walked out onto the pitch this season, usually the derivative Enemim's "Lose Yourself" has been on the speakers.

However, tomorrow Glory will trial a new song by KISS with some appropraite lyrics - check it out here.


---

And that's all for today. Pre-game preview to come tomorrow on the blog. So tune in for that.

But until then.

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