Setback sidelines international star as coach labels road trip ‘highlight of the A-League calendar’
Welcome to Best of the Press, where aleagues.com.au brings you everything you need to know from coach and player press conferences in the lead-in to the weekend’s action.
It’s Round 4 in the Isuzu UTE A-League, so ahead of another weekend of football, take a listen to what some of the league’s head coaches and players have had to say ahead of their respective matches.
WEEKEND PREVIEW: What you need to know for Round 4 of the Isuzu UTE A-League
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‘It’s one of the highlights of the A-League calendar’
Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Alen Stajcic has expressed his excitement at the prospect of a Friday-night matchup with Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium, labelling the experience of taking on the Reds at their iconic home ground as one of the standout games of the Wanderers’ 2025-26 season schedule.
“I love it, actually,” he said. “It’s one of the boutique grounds of the A-League. They’ve had a great crowd for the last four or five years – probably longer, to be honest. It’s a great atmosphere there, a great football designated pitch.
“It really is one of the highlights of the A-League calendar for me.”
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Red-hot Jets striker relishing scoring ‘bubble’
Newcastle Jets striker Ben Gibson has scored five goals in his last seven games in all competitions and the 22-year-old is relishing the feeling as the Jets prepare to take on Brisbane Roar this weekend.
Gibson says his scoring “bubble” is thanks to his growing confidence in the Isuzu UTE A-League, as he heads into Round 4 of his second season in the competition eager to help fire his side back into form after a disappointing 4-1 loss to Sydney FC.
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Rising star looking to inspire next generation of Roar talents
Samuel Klein may only be 22 years of age, but the goalscoring Brisbane Roar midfielder is already putting the responsibility of being a role model on his shoulders.
Klein, a childhood Roar fan, says the club and his teammates have a duty to the people of Queensland to act as ambassadors for football in the region due to the state having just one Isuzu UTE A-League club.
“I feel like as the sole representative club in Queensland in the A-League, it’s important for us to embrace the communities around who also support us as much as the people in Brisbane,” Klein said.
“Looking back on it, me as a kid, I found inspiration in the few Roar games I attended when I was younger. I found inspiration from people who come from the local area and have gone on to bigger and better things.”
Glory star ruled out after club debut
Perth Glory interim head coach Adam Griffiths has ruled star recruit Tom Lawrence out of contention for minutes in Round 4 as the Welshman observes concussion protocols.
The 31-year-old Wales international debuted for the club in last weekend’s disappointing 2-0 loss to Melbourne Victory.
Ahead of Friday night’s clash with Central Coast Mariners at HBF Park, Griffiths encouraged his playing squad to show decisiveness in the final third to generate energy from the home crowd and push for their first win of the season.
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Sydney FC product ‘happy to be back at home, winning games, and scoring goals’
Two games, two goals. Patrick Wood is back at Sydney FC after a loan spell at Perth Glory and is in flying form to begin the 2025-26 season.
Wood has scored in back-to-back games and has two goals from just 46 minutes of game time this season; well on track to smash his best-ever single-season goal tally, Wood says it was always the plan to return to Sydney after heading to Perth in search of regular match minutes.
“The results didn’t go our way (in Perth), but I definitely grew as a player and as a person off the field.
“I feel more mature coming back home. Life’s pretty good.”
Socceroo thankful for Victory chance after ‘losing passion for the game’
Melbourne Victory and Socceroos midfielder Denis Genreau says he’s loving life back in his home city of Melbourne after feeling his passion for football fading in a challenging stint in Europe.
“I’m a footballer, and I want to play games,” Genreau said.
“I went through a difficult period towards the end of the contract in Toulouse and then in Spain. I felt like I was losing a little bit of passion for the game and when those thoughts start coming up, then there’s something wrong with the path you’re on.
“I wanted to change it up completely and really find my love for football again. Coming back here, with what Melbourne Victory offered me, the project and speaking to the coaching staff, we all were on the same plan. It was a decision for personal (reasons), football and family – the national team, that comes further behind.”
