Kosmina credits players with revival

Adelaide United coach John Kosmina said his players’ fast response to their early season woes was the catalyst for their revival.

Following Kosmina’s re-appointment three weeks ago, the Reds are unbeaten with one draw and two consecutive wins.

They now sit one place outside the top six, to leave themselves in finals contention.

After drawing away to Sydney FC, United returned home last Friday to defeat Wellington Phoenix 2-0 before bringing a halt to Melbourne Heart’s winning streak – which lasted five matches – with an impressive 3-1 victory.

Kosmina used a vivid analogy to describe Adelaide’s past struggles before his return to the club sparked an instant turnaround, suggesting the players ‘dug themselves a hole’.

“From my perspective these guys dug themselves into a hole and I’ve come along and given them a shovel to help dig themselves out,” Kosmina said.

“They’ve done a great job and a shown a lot of character because they have actually responded and picked themselves up.”

“There were moments (against Melbourne Heart) where I thought ‘this is really good football’ … it was smart football.”

“Possession stats went against us but it’s what you do with it and I think we were fairly effective on both counts – with and without the ball.”

Adelaide will get set to play their third game in eight days when they take on champions Brisbane Roar at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday.

Since recording the A-League’s longest undefeated streak of 36 games, the Roar have failed to recapture their imposing form, winning once in their past seven.

The last time the two sides met was in October when the Roar recorded one of the biggest victories in the league’s history with a 7-1 drubbing of the Reds.

With a number of players no doubt eager to make amends and exact revenge on the second-placed Roar following the embarrassing defeat, Kosmina stressed the importance of his side remaining calm and focused.

The 55-year-old further played down the significance of the clash adding that the fixture was just another step in the club’s rejuvenation this season.

“Revenge is a dish best served cold but we won’t get too wound up this Saturday,” Kosmina said.

“It’s not about revenge it’s about the process and this game is just another step along the line in terms of where we want to end up at the end of the season and the type of football we want to play.”

“It’s not about getting back the seven goals conceded to Brisbane, it’s about making a step towards getting a result that will be beneficial for the team and the club further down the track.”