Yet the realisation is beginning to dawn on many that Perth Glory’s Ruben Zadkovich is developing a Midas touch.
 
Faced with a root and branch rebuild after initially taking over last season’s wooden spooners on an interim basis, the A-League’s youngest head coach has Perth a point off the playoffs with four rounds remaining, and has emerged as the quiet achiever of the west.
 
Whilst the likes of rivals Ufuk Talay, Nick Montgomery and Arthur Papas are the subjects of praise for their exploits at Wellington, Central Coast and Newcastle, Zadkovich, still just 36, has gone largely unheralded, despite guiding Glory back onto a positive trajectory after inheriting what he aptly described as a “car crash situation” with 10 rounds remaining of the 2021-2022 season.
 
Known for his sharp tackling and relentless endeavour as a player at Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and Derby County, it’s more the sharpness of Zadkovich’s mind which now comes to the fore in the form of a nuanced tactical awareness, deft reading of the game and an unwavering mentality.
 
Consider this. Stripped of significant resources, with an ongoing club sale pending, he was given the role late in June on a permanent basis.
 
He scrambled to add 14 new players to an injury ravaged squad; initially had no Head Physio or SnC department; only one preseason trial match against A-League level opponents; has had to preside over matches at makeshift home Macedonia Park all year; and found himself juggling two goalkeepers in Brad Jones and Liam Reddy with a combined age of 82.
 
Even if Glory don’t ultimately make the top six - looming away games against rivals Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC will most likely decide their fate - Zadkovich has already proven he’s both resourceful and resilient.
 
During his interim role, facing frantic post-Covid scheduling and a heavy player injury toll, he turned to youth with a firm belief that it would yield long term results.
 
Under his tutelage, a promising cohort of talented Glory players are now infiltrating the young national teams.
 
“The positives last season were that we were able to blood a lot of young homegrown players at the back end of the year - and we were able to analyse their performances under extreme pressure and difficult circumstances,” Zadkovich told FTBL.
 
“That’s been pivotal to their development. We need more of our players involved in youth national teams.”
 
Zadkovich’s open door youth policy was there for all to see, with the match day squad in their recent 2-1 win over Macarthur featuring 10 players aged 22 or younger.
 
His eye for fledglings heralded the signings of Keegan Jelacic, 19, from the Brisbane NPL and Jacob Dowse, 22, from the Northern NSW NPL.
 
Jelacic is quickly becoming one of the hottest prospects in the league, while Dowse leads the league for assists per minutes played in the competition.
 
Trent Ostler has emerged as the latest of his young troops to shine in recent weeks.
 
Another symbol of Zadkovich’s boldness is his willingness to back young keeper Cameron Cook, 21, - knowing full well the risks involved due to inexperience - in place of Reddy, 41, who has recently departed the club.
 
It was always going to be a gamble in the short term, but pivotal for the club and the player that we expose him to the level as much as possible now, so that we reap the rewards down the track together,” added Zadkovich.
 
“It’s been a rewarding process watching Cookie grow over the past three years, and really thrive and prosper into one of the best young keeper talents in the country. Some of his performances have been top shelf. ”
 
Partner that with the recent signing of NZ’s current number one, Oliver Sail from Wellington, and locking both keepers in for three seasons, Glory are in solid shape on the goalkeeping front.
Zadkovich has also reignited the careers and form of two former Socceroos, Mustafa Amini and Ryan Williams, both 29, who are spearheading the rebuild from the front.
 
Foreign signings Mark Beevers, Salim Khelifi and Aaron McEneff are all proving their quality as astute pickups within tight budgets.
 
Attracting Adam Taggart back to his hometown club to lead from the front, and the battle-hardened Jordan Elsey at the back to consolidate their defence, are all positive signs for what lies ahead.
 
Last year’s wooden is now just an unpleasant memory as Glory rise from the ruins in pursuit of a top six spot.
 
Certainly they’ve struggled on the road, but have only lost once at home from 11 matches - to league leaders Melbourne City when they were down to 10 men. They are also faring well against teams above them.
 
They’ve beaten Montgomery’s Central Coast, Rudan’s Western Sydney Wanderers twice, and have held Talay’s Wellington and Corica’s Sydney with some tactically polished performances.
 
There’s a spark in the way Glory play at home. Aggressive. Fluid. Unpredictable. The stats hold more clues to the success.
 
The intricacies of his team’s unique style in possession; the number of final third entries from sustained build-ups and passing sequences; the areas and angles of his side’s shots inside the box. There is a level of detail to his analysis and processes that may have eluded the wider football audience.
 
The intensity and commitment are clearly evident, however, in the suffocating press Zadkovich drives in waves from the sidelines at opponents.
 
There are five teams in the league that have lost more games this season than Glory - Sydney, Newcastle, Western United, Macarthur and Melbourne Victory.
 
The narrow losses on the road, at times in games where they have either dominated chances on goal or possession stats, have been their downfall. Individual mistakes have proved costly when his side are clearly on top.
 
If errors are banished and away form improves in their next two games, Glory could become a real threat to those finals places.
 
Age is clearly no barrier to Zadkovich in a coaching realm with pitfalls aplenty, and jobs at a premium. His belief and drive to succeed is being imparted to his players, with Glory coming back five times from losing positions to pick up points - a clear indication of his ability to adapt tactically, and also the ability of his team to adapt and execute changes on the run.
 
On his feet. Urging his players forward. Demanding effort. His players keep turning up for him and for each other when it’s needed most, 60 per cent of their goals come in the second half of games.
 
“For us to be in the mix with four games left shows we’re heading in the right direction. We can be a very dangerous team on our day. We have a real togetherness and a real spirit within our team,” he added.
 
“If we can rectify our away form, then anything is possible. If we’re at our best, we believe we can beat anybody. As it stands, four weeks out, it's in our own hands.”