Lazaridis’ Vision: Perth Glory’s Rebuild for the 2024/25 Season

Perth Glory’s rebuild season under new owner Ross Pelligra is in full swing. The club has made several player signings and confirmed multiple departures, with more changes expected in the coming weeks.

Many new faces have arrived at Glory HQ, some familiar to members and fans, and some not. This piece aims to give fans a brief understanding of the new signings and how they may be integrated into the team for the 2024/25 season.

One clear focus of the new Director of Football, Stan Lazaridis, has been securing young, talented players who have the potential to challenge for a spot in the first team. This aligns with a medium-term goal of obtaining sell-on fees for developed talent, and with the state of the league financially, the move towards increased youth development is likely to become more prevalent next season especially.

While it hasn’t been specifically confirmed who will be coaching the Glory moving forward, the influx of young talent, particularly from the NPL in NSW, suggests that potential head coach David Zdrilic might have influenced Lazaridis’ choices.

In the last week and a half, the Glory announced the signings of Nathaneal Blair and Adam Bugarija from the Western Sydney Wanderers academy. These signings are astute additions, given they’re coming from a side performing well in the NPL and both players show great potential.

Nathaneal Blair is a young striker coming off a strong season in the NPL NSW, scoring 13 goals in 10 games. Statistically, he’s been one of the top performers in the competition, particularly concerning his shooting stats.

In terms of profile, Blair is a physical striker with a decent turn of speed and ability to drive with the ball. Lazaridis believes he can make the jump to start games next season, and this seems like an avenue worth exploring, particularly if he has a strong pre-season and can link up well with Adam Taggart.

Adam Bugarija, another promising talent from the Wanderers’ academy, looks like an exciting prospect. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has scored some spectacular goals for the Wanderers’ NPL side, including some from outside the box and even a couple from halfway.

Bugarija’s skills go beyond scoring long-range goals. He is also capable of creating good chances, showcasing excellent close control and a clever ability to shift his weight. The Glory clearly rate him highly, as he has joined the club on a 3-year deal.

Another addition from the NPL NSW is Abdelelah Faisal, who looks to be an exciting prospect as well. He’s fast, technical, and versatile, capable of playing anywhere across the frontline as well as in the number 10 role. Faisal seems poised to make a significant impact next season, with Lazaridis comparing him to Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Zach Lisolajski is another impressive young signing made by Lazaridis. He will bolster the Glory’s defensive lineup and comes with a strong pedigree, being a mainstay in the under-20s national team. Lisolajski is highly rated for his no-nonsense attitude, which will hopefully benefit the Glory in the years to come.

What has also been pleasing with our recruitment thus far, has been Stan Lazaridis identifying the Glory’s midfield as a major concern. While the defence was problematic last season, conceding 69 goals, the lack of protection from the midfield and their inability to maintain possession and control games contributed significantly to the number of chances conceded.

Currently, the new Glory Football Director has brought in three central midfielders: Brandon O’Neill, Nicholas Pennington, and Taras Gomulka. Each offers a unique skill set that hopefully will take the Glory’s midfield to a much better level, come next season.

Brandon O’Neill’s return to the club has divided fans, which is understandable given his departure at the end of the 2021/22 season. However, dismissing his quality as a midfielder would be naive. A role the Glory lacked last season was a controller — someone who can dictate the tempo of games and pick out passes with great technique.

O’Neill is capable of this, and despite not having an outstanding season with the Jets last season, he was still a high performer in a few key metrics, particularly in passing and defensive stats. These areas will be crucial for the Glory’s midfield next season.

Nicholas Pennington also seems to be a solid signing, coming off a strong season with Wellington. Pennington will serve as the engine in Glory’s midfield, excelling in ball recovery and driving forward. His high ranking in accelerations per 90 minutes highlights his ability to win the ball back and push forward effectively.

Taras Gomulka, in my opinion, will be a game-changer for the Glory, and I’m very happy he has joined the club. From a defensive perspective, he is an absolute machine, providing the necessary protection to break up play and distribute the ball effectively. Despite not featuring as frequently as he should have this season, Gomulka is ranked in the elite category for several important attributes, which will make him a vital addition to the team.

Glory’s defensive stocks have also received somewhat of a boost, with Josh Risdon and Anas Hamzaoui joining the club along with Zach Lisolajski. The Glory have required solid fullbacks for some time now, and the hope is that both Risdon and Hamzaoui can perform consistently and at a high level for the next few seasons.

With Risdon making his return to the club, I think fans will have to somewhat temper their expectations if they’re anticipating the 31-year-old right back to make bombing overlapping runs all the time like he used to when he was at Glory. But he’ll still be a very important cog in the way Glory want to play.

He’ll still be that aggressive defender that will go in hard for challenges, and will still have the technical capacity to help the team going forward. That and also his leadership, will be huge assets for the Glory over the next couple of seasons.

With Anas Hamzaoui, he’s a bit more of a wildcard signing as there’s barely any statistical information available to the general public to determine how he’ll go with us. Based on the available highlight packages, Hamzaoui looks like he’ll be a player who will get the ball and carry it long distances, looking to drive the team forward. The hope is that his delivery into the box will be first class and the team will benefit as a result.

Now understandably, there’ll be a few Glory fans who will be concerned about the lack of movement regarding the centre-back role. There haven’t been many rumours to suggest who the club will go for, other than Lachie Barr, who departed Adelaide United not too long ago, with some suggesting that he has already signed for the club.

I think Barr will be a solid signing with all things considered. He’s got good positioning, can ping a long pass well and will hurl himself at shots in a very similar fashion to former Glory defenders Shane Lowry and Dino Djulbic, a characteristic that has been missing from the Glory backline for some time. Plus, Barr will be a threat from set-pieces, not to mention he’s been highly praised for his leadership skills as well.

Now, while the Glory have made several signings already, it’s clear that more positions need strengthening. One key issue would be finding a partner for the potential new signing, Lachie Barr. An important question is whether Kaelan Majekodunmi is ready to be a mainstay in the team next season.

Majekodunmi has shown promising signs throughout the season. In the home draw against Sydney FC, he was one of the best players on the pitch, demonstrating impressive composure on the ball and dominance in aerial contests. I believe he can push for a spot in the starting eleven next season.

If the club feels he isn’t ready yet, then the objective should be to pursue a deal, as aggressively as possible, to bring home former Socceroo and WA native Trent Sainsbury. There will be questions about whether a deal is financially feasible, but this is probably the best opportunity to get Trent, given he’s a free agent after leaving his club in Qatar, Al-Wakrah.

Trent would fit this team perfectly. He’s an excellent covering centre-back, and if he were to play on the right, he would complement Josh Risdon’s style effectively. Given Risdon’s desire and capacity to make aggressive challenges, Sainsbury acting as a sweeper would provide a good balance. Additionally, Sainsbury’s passing ability would be a crucial asset for the team, especially given the departure of former Glory defender Darryl Lachman.

From there, the focus naturally shifts to the composition of the attack. Last season saw a significant improvement in goals scored compared to the previous two seasons, so the challenge will be enhancing the attack as much as possible within the league’s financial constraints.

Assuming David Zdrilic will be the head coach next season, we can expect a variation between a 4–2–3–1 and 4–4–2 system, given Zdrilic’s experience under Ralf Rangnick and Ufuk Talay. The fluidity and synergy in Sydney’s attack last season, particularly under Talay, was a joy to watch, and we can anticipate something similar with the Glory next season.

One signing to consider is former Macarthur midfielder and Perth Glory product Daniel De Silva. Currently a free agent after leaving the Bulls at the end of last season, De Silva could be instrumental for the Glory if he stays fit. Last season, the 27-year-old missed a significant number of games due to a hamstring injury, but this shouldn’t overshadow the potential quality and impact he could bring.

De Silva is one of the league’s most technical and creative attacking midfielders when on form. His link-up play, work rate, vision, and creativity would be crucial assets for the team moving forward. Zdrilic would likely hope De Silva could play a role similar to Anthony Caceres from his time at Sydney FC, where he plays just behind Adam Taggart.

Martin Boyle has been rumoured to move to Perth Glory. While there hasn’t been an official statement, and the deal is optimistic at best, it is one the Glory should still seriously consider. The 31-year-old Socceroo still has quality and can contribute significantly. His link-up with Adam Taggart in the Socceroos’ 5–0 rout of Palestine gives Glory fans reason to believe this could form an incredibly potent attack.

To complete the attack, ideally, a foreign winger on the left would be a great addition. Brian Cipenga from Paços de Ferreira could be an excellent budget option. In 31 appearances in Portugal’s second division, he registered a combined total of 8 goals and assists.

What stands out about Cipenga is his agility and technical ability. He’s a quick player who can dart at opponents, change direction, and accelerate. He’s got a decent shot, links up well with teammates, and would be a good fit for David Zdrilic’s high-pressing system. In short, he has that x-factor that Stan Lazaridis would want from his signings heading into next season.

On paper, the team would likely play a variant of the Red Bull style, focusing on aggressive, intense, and fast football with a strong attacking emphasis. This style will hopefully be successful in the A-League, as many teams last season struggled to deal with Sydney FC’s rampant attack and high press.

The midfield composition will be interesting to watch. Glory has already signed several midfielders, so it will be intriguing to see who Zdrilic starts in most games. The most balanced option, in my opinion, would be Brandon O’Neill and Taras Gomulka as the holding midfielders, with Daniel De Silva as the attacking midfielder. This setup would closely mirror Sydney FC’s midfield from last season.

Here’s my suggested starting lineup, assuming a few more of these signings are completed:

This lineup, along with the other signings and some of the younger players from our academy, should have enough quality and balance to return to the finals for the first time since 2020.

I appreciate that we’ve brought in several young players with potential, creating genuine competition for spots on the field. These hypothetical signings that I suggested will, if completed, add experience and class to a side that has missed it for some time.