Perth Glory Co-Captain Scott Wootton Calls for Composure Ahead of Auckland FC Showdown
Perth Glory co-captain Scott Wootton has stressed the importance of keeping cool heads as his side prepares for a critical A-League Men's encounter against ladder-leaders Auckland FC this Saturday night. With the team's finals aspirations on the line, Wootton's message of calm could prove pivotal in turning around their recent fortunes.
Navigating a Challenging Run of Form
The Glory have endured a difficult patch, suffering five losses in their last seven matches. This slump has put pressure on their bid to secure a first finals appearance since 2020. Facing Auckland FC at HBF Park, Perth must avoid a third consecutive defeat to stay in contention.
Wootton, an experienced centre-back who joined the club in the off-season and was named co-captain alongside Adam Taggart, believes panic is not an option. He advocates for a level-headed approach, regardless of whether the team is experiencing good or bad form.
"There's plenty of games left. We're at the halfway stage now, so there's loads of points to play for," Wootton remarked. "The most important thing for me is not to get too high when you're winning, not get carried away and not think that you've cracked it and you're all of a sudden a really good team."
He added, "And then on the flip side, when there's not much in the games and results haven't been going for us, whether that's down to a little bit of luck or both boxes at the minute, is not to get too down and think you're not a good team. Try and remain level-headed, try and be consistent — that's what I've always tried to do and I try and pass that message on to the rest of the team."
Leadership Dynamics and Dressing Room Atmosphere
Wootton's composed messaging stems from his leadership style, honed during his time as a Manchester United academy graduate. He highlighted the effective balance between himself and Taggart, noting their differing approaches to captaincy.
"If you try and not be yourself, then you look a bit stupid and you get found out. The most important thing for me to do from the minute I came here was to just be myself and do what I do," Wootton explained.
He described their partnership: "Between the two, I've been more of the vocal one; Tags leads by example, in how he plays and how he trains and what he does in the gym and how he can push himself. I'm not a big shouter or screamer — I think those days have gone in football now — but little tips of advice here and there to some of the younger players or even the older players."
Wootton detailed his role further: "Before games, I'll be one of the more vocal in the dressing room, before the warm-ups and between warm-up and kick off, but nothing too over the top, really."
Despite the recent poor results, Wootton reported that the atmosphere within the change room has remained positive. This resilience is attributed to consistent messaging from the leadership group, which includes coach Adam Griffiths alongside the co-captains.
Confidence Ahead of a Tough Fixture
The upcoming match against Auckland FC presents a significant challenge, as the visitors arrive as the competition's top team. However, Perth can draw confidence from last season's encounter, where they defeated Auckland in what was former coach David Zdrilic's first A-League win with the Glory.
Wootton expressed optimism about his team's performances, stating, "In the main we've been playing some really good stuff, we've been controlling games, playing how we want to play. Sooner or later, we'll really give a team a good hiding, and hopefully it can be that on Saturday."
He acknowledged the difficulty of the task but remained upbeat: "We're under no illusions it'll be a very difficult game, but one we're relishing and really looking forward to. We're confident we can beat any team on our day. We've got a really good squad of players and a really good 11. This league is so tight, everyone's beating everybody at the moment."
As Perth Glory gear up for this crucial clash, Wootton's emphasis on calm and consistency could be key to unlocking their potential and reviving their finals campaign in the tightly contested A-League Men's competition.
