WESTERN United are caught firmly in a horror championship hangover but coach John Aloisi is confident they can turn their title defence around.<\/p>\n
The defending A-League Men champions sit winless and bottom of the table after shipping 14 goals in five rounds.<\/p>\n
United have repeatedly struggled to convert early chances, while last year’s impressive defence has fallen apart.<\/p>\n
Leo Lacroix is out of form while Tomoki Imai (shoulder) and Nikolai Topor-Stanley (suspension) are out.<\/p>\n
Midfielders Tongo Doumbia and Adisu Bayew, and striker Aleksandar Prijovic are also unavailable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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,\u201d Aloisi told reporters after Sunday’s 4-2 loss to Adelaide United.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt (our system) worked for us last year, so I’m sure that’ll work for us again.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment, hands are tied behind your back. If a player doesn’t play well, he might have to play next game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adelaide United [had a] 4-2 win over Western United at AAMI Park on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Western started brightly and Dylan Wenzel-Halls had the ball in the back of the net inside the opening minute but was offside.<\/p>\n
Five minutes later, he smacked his attempt right at Adelaide goalkeeper Joe Gauci.<\/p>\n
Adelaide pounced when Goodwin looped in a corner and Ibusuki coolly headed home.<\/p>\n
Goodwin doubled Adelaide’s lead when he received the ball, cut inside Josh Risdon then fired the ball into the roof of the net.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Aloisi called upon Nicolas Milanovic at halftime and eight minutes later, he was on the scoresheet, coolly finishing through Gauci’s legs.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Western United play Wellington away next Sunday before the World Cup break.<\/p>\n