A-League Men: Perth Glory interim coach Adam Griffiths labelled ‘brilliant’ by Tom Lawrence as job hopes grow

Perth Glory are within reach of three consecutive wins for the first time in almost five years — but interim coach Adam Griffiths is not resting on his laurels. It comes as star signing Tom Lawrence was glowing in his praise for Griffiths as he seemingly edges closer to taking the role in a permanent capacity. After back-to-back away victories, Perth have started to turn their season around, and a win over Western Sydney Wanderers at HBF Park on Friday night will give them three wins in a row for the first time since February 2021. Not only has Griffiths installed a stylistic shift which has resulted in Perth’s first two wins, but he appears popular with the players, who were eager to involve him in celebrations following Sunday’s 2-0 conquering of Macarthur. The club’s repeated refrain their ideal successor for David Zdrilic, who was sacked in late October, has been they are seeking an experienced operator. However, a win on Friday evening would almost certainly force their hand in regards to Griffiths — who would be a first-time head coach. Like the last few weeks, Griffiths said he had not spoken to the club’s executive staff about taking the role permanently. “I’m just continuing to make sure the team is ready for the next game. We haven’t had any discussions at all,” he said. “I’ve only won two games, so I expect to win more.” However, Griffiths said he was not distracted by either the speculation about his job chances improving, nor what it would mean to win three on the trot. “For me, it’s probably more what it means for the team that’s most important. It will mean that we’re on the right track,” he said. “Probably the thing that we have to fully focus on, it’s been the same since when I stepped in, is that 100 per focus on the next game and turning the team around to the right direction. “We’re on the right track, but we have to keep pushing. Lawrence, who has a goal and an assist over the past two games as the ex-Rangers star has begun to hit his straps, gave Griffiths a vote of confidence “Since Griff’s come in, he’s been brilliant. He’s spoken to all the lads, what he wants, how he wants to play, and everyone’s really bought into that. and that’s shown in the past two weeks,” he said. “He’s been brilliant since I’ve been here. I get on really well of him, I think the majority of the lads do. We all enjoy coming in and training every day. It’s not my decision to make, but he’s been brilliant. In a further boost for Glory, the cavalry could soon return as Kiwi left-back and pre-season star Sam Sutton has resumed training following a knee injury. Sutton will not return this week, but Andriano Lebib is a chance to come back into the team while goalkeeper Mark Birighitti has resumed training. Lachie Wales will undergo more scans after sustaining a hamstring injury against Newcastle two matches ago, while English central midfielder Luke Amos’ timeline is understood to be around 2-3 weeks.