Sports - Football
Andrioli urges urgency as Adelaide’s slide continues
Adelaide United head to Perth under pressure, searching for points, solutions and a halt to a worrying away slide.
Adelaide United coach Airton Andrioli has urged his side to show urgency as their early-season momentum continues to slip.
The Reds won three of their opening five matches but have since lost three in a row, a run capped by a 2-1 defeat to bottom-placed Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park. Andrioli described that performance as Adelaide's worst of the 2025-26 campaign.
The immediate challenge is another away assignment, with Adelaide travelling to Perth on Saturday night to face a Glory side that has shown clear improvement over the past month under coach Adam Griffiths.
Adelaide's away record is a growing concern. The Reds are winless on the road this season, losing all four away matches, and now face the risk of extending that run against a resurgent opponent.
Andrioli said results, rather than performances or margins, were now the priority. He acknowledged the group was disappointed but stressed the need to respond with resolve and desperation, adding that points were essential to shift momentum and external perception.
Adelaide's task in Perth has been complicated by injuries and selection issues. Experienced central defender Bart Vriends will miss the match after suffering a hamstring injury against Victory, leaving the Reds short on depth in central defence.
Midfielder Jay Barnett was used as a makeshift replacement last weekend and could again be deployed in the back four alongside Panagiotis Kikianis, who endured a difficult outing in Melbourne.
Andrioli said the club had entered the season expecting Vriends and Kikianis to anchor the defence, but injuries were an unavoidable part of the game. He maintained confidence that available players could step in.
Attacking midfielder Jonny Yull was also sidelined with a hamstring issue and was not named in the travelling squad.
Former Socceroos winger Ben Folami was again omitted, despite impressing off the bench last weekend in his first appearance of the season. A club spokesman said Folami, who is contracted until 2028, is exploring alternative options ahead of the transfer window opening next month.
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