The Roar goalkeeper is confident his team can win the preliminary final but isn't expecting it to be a stroll in the park.

Adelaide's well-documented issues in the wake of the 4-0 loss in Melbourne on Saturday may be making big news in the media but Reddy expects the Reds to bounce back and push hard for a grand final berth and a place in the Asian Champions League.

 Reddy said: "I know that they're going to group together, have a good week at training and they're going to try to prove a lot of people wrong.

"We don't want to be that team that got beaten by Adelaide after what happened against Melbourne, we don't to be here next year saying 'you've lost the last two games at this point'.

"We want to be that team playing Melbourne in the Grand Final and playing in the Asian Cup the year after."

The goalkeeper has experienced first-hand the intensity of competition for places within the squad, only recently winning back his place in goals after injury allowed gave 'keeper Griffin McMaster the chance to prove his worth, a chance he took with both hands.

But Reddy says it is that sort of competition that leaves the team in a much better position than last year where they fell at the same hurdle against the Newcastle Jets.

He said: "I think that's the good thing about this year. We've got a lot more depth than last season and that's across the board with Griff (McMaster) and anyone else who's stepped in.

"You only have to look at Mitch Nichols, he took his spot five or six weeks ago when Charlie (Miller) had his hernia operation and he hasn't looked back.

"He's probably been one of our best players of the last four or five weeks so it's a good squad we've got this year."

The former Jets man also pointed to imports Miller and Sergio van Dijk as reason to be optimistic ahead of Saturday's match at  Hindmarsh Stadium.

He said: "Serge has been banging them in lately quite regularly and he's been playing really well so I think we're in a much better position than last year."

 Although the form guide is pleasant reading for Roar fans, the team hasn't beaten United since November 2007.

 "We can definitely win down there but it's a finals game and it's completely different to the regular season.

 "There's a lot riding on the game, Asian football at the end of next year - that's a big thing for this club, for the players and the supporters.

"Hopefully we can get two or three thousand of our supporters to go down which would really help out the boys," said Reddy.