Tony Popovic keeps lid on Perth Glory’s stellar season

Tony Popovic will return to western Sydney as top-of-the-table Perth Glory prepare to meet his former club the Wanderers.

Glory coach Tony Popovic celebrates yet another A-League win for Perth Glory last week. Picture: Getty Images

They might have the Premiers Plate at their mercy and a couple of records in their sights, but don’t expect Perth Glory coach Tony Popovic to get caught up in all the hype surrounding his team.

As always, Popovic remains understated and refuses to enter into any discussions other than the next game, which happens to be against his former club, Western Sydney Wanderers, at Spotless Stadium tomorrow.

Perth will be looking to build on an impressive season that has seen them lose just once in 19 games and open up a nine-point break at the top of the table that should be enough for the West Australians to claim their first trophy in the A-League.

With 46 points they are also only a point behind Sydney FC at the same stage of the season when the Sky Blues went on to break the record for most competition points with 66 during the 2016-17 season.

But Popovic’s short answers when asked about records said it all. “We haven’t discussed it and have no plans to,” he said.

“We haven’t discussed what the table means or where we are going in terms of positions or records.

“We discuss performance and consistency and how we can improve and where we can improve.”

His only concession was to say that the ladder doesn’t lie.

“We can’t deny we are top of the table and we are there for a reason. We deserve to be there and if the conversations are about us on top then it is a good place to be,” he said.

“We want to stay there and if we are there at the end of round 27 then we will be premiers.”

While you won’t get much out of him looking ahead in the competition, he was understandably aware of the significance of tomorrow’s game.

Glory and the Wanderers have met twice this season but both games were in Perth so this will be the first time the former Socceroo will get to face the fans who once adored and glorified him.

Popovic said he was unsure of what sort of reception he would get from the Western Sydney faithful. Some of them have not forgotten or forgiven him for walking out on the club a week before the start of last season to take up a job in Turkey.

The Wanderers eventually missed out on the finals and his replacement, Josep Gombau, was subsequently sacked and replaced for this season by Markus Babbel.

“It will be a first because we had the two games against them at home so it’s the first time back in Sydney,” he said.

“It will be a bit different because it will be at Spotless (Stadium) and not the old Parramatta Stadium, but it will be special.

“I have a lot of fantastic memories at the Wanderers. I have a lot of friends there and I will no doubt see them before and after the game. During the game it will be business as usual.

“As for the fans, I don’t know how they will react. Whatever it is, deep down there is respect for the time we had together. How they show that is up to them.”

Glory will face a Wanderers side that has struck a nice vein of form with successive wins over the Central Coast Mariners and Adelaide United.

The 3-1 win over United, a team set for the finals, was very impressive. Western Sydney have given Glory a tough time this season having drawn their first game and then forced the West Australians to come from two goals down in the second half before winning 4-3.