United can turn season around: Aloisi

WESTERN United are caught firmly in a horror championship hangover but coach John Aloisi is confident they can turn their title defence around.

The defending A-League Men champions sit winless and bottom of the table after shipping 14 goals in five rounds.

United have repeatedly struggled to convert early chances, while last year’s impressive defence has fallen apart.

Leo Lacroix is out of form while Tomoki Imai (shoulder) and Nikolai Topor-Stanley (suspension) are out.

Midfielders Tongo Doumbia and Adisu Bayew, and striker Aleksandar Prijovic are also unavailable.

“We have to make sure that we don’t drop our heads too much because there’s little things that we do have to get better at,” Aloisi told reporters after Sunday’s 4-2 loss to Adelaide United.

“We know that because we’re conceding too many goals and last season that was our strength and this season at the moment, it’s letting us down.

“It (our system) worked for us last year, so I’m sure that’ll work for us again.

“Once we get our five players that we’ve got out at the moment, then we’ll be a lot stronger and then if individuals aren’t playing at their best, it’s an easy decision to then not play them.

“At the moment, hands are tied behind your back. If a player doesn’t play well, he might have to play next game.”

The second-year boss said he was prepared to deliver hard truths to his charges for the sake of improvement and his players understanding why results weren’t falling their way.

“I’m not there to be loved by the players. I have to be honest with the group and honest with what we’re trying to do at the club,” he said.

“So I’ve got no problem if a player dislikes me for whatever I say to him, but it’s up to the group to stay together.

“I think the players will be upset if I just sugar-coated everything all the time because then they’re not realising or seeing where we’re going wrong.

“So I don’t think that will upset the group too much. The group has to stay together. This is a good opportunity for the group and the club to show how strong we are.

“It’s easy when you win, it’s not easy when the results aren’t going your way. So this is a good opportunity for that and that’s the way we have to look at it.”

Adelaide United [had a] 4-2 win over Western United at AAMI Park on Sunday.

Western started brightly and Dylan Wenzel-Halls had the ball in the back of the net inside the opening minute but was offside.

Five minutes later, he smacked his attempt right at Adelaide goalkeeper Joe Gauci.

Adelaide pounced when Goodwin looped in a corner and Ibusuki coolly headed home.

Goodwin doubled Adelaide’s lead when he received the ball, cut inside Josh Risdon then fired the ball into the roof of the net.

Things got really miserable for Western when Leo Lacroix failed to deal with George Blackwood’s tame shot and instead knocked it over the line.

Aloisi called upon Nicolas Milanovic at halftime and eight minutes later, he was on the scoresheet, coolly finishing through Gauci’s legs.

Adelaide added a fourth in the 79th minute when Harry van der Saag skidded a lovely ball across goal for Ben Halloran to poke home.

Western’s Lachie Wales had a penalty well saved by Gauci three minutes later but Dylan Pierias nabbed a consolation goal from an Alessandro Diamanti corner in the 91st minute.

Western United play Wellington away next Sunday before the World Cup break.

-BY ANNA HARRINGTON/AAP