Perth Glory coach Dave Mitchell has backed Eugene Dadi to break free from a worrying form slump that is clearly frustrating the Ivory Coast striker.

Dadi plundered 10 goals last season but has received limited game time this A-League campaign and is yet to get off the mark.

The 36-year-old was handed just his third start of the season in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Melbourne but had little impact on the match.

After missing a golden chance late in the first half when Victory goalkeeper Glen Moss produced a fine close-range save, Dadi vented his frustration when he was eventually substituted in the 79th minute, hurling a drink bottle into the deck chairs.

Mitchell was unfazed by the minor incident and said on Monday Dadi had performed well and was a vital member of the squad.

"Players are disappointed when they're taken off but it wasn't the way he was playing why I took him off, it was just we wanted some fresh legs on," Mitchell said.

"From that point of view it's good he's disappointed but if there's a little bit of dissent there I'll have a chat with him and talk to him and put my arm around him and buy him a coffee.

"Eugene hadn't played for a little while ... we just wanted some fresh legs.

"We had to change things a little bit because we had become a bit predictable.

"But I thought he did well, he caused problems."

However, Dadi could again find himself on the bench for Sunday's match at Wellington if Serbian striker Branko Jelic recovers from the stomach back that forced him to sit out the Victory match.

A three-game losing run has seen Perth tumble to fifth on the table but defender Andy Todd said it was not time to panic.

"(We need to) keep calm and not panic too much you know," Todd said.

"We went on a five-game (unbeaten) run (before our losing streak) and we can quite easily do that again.

"We can turn it around hopefully."

Todd said it was particularly important to grind out a result in Wellington given a FIFA break follows the match.

"We want to obviously get a win under our belts because it is a long break if we do lose," he said.

"It's a long time for another game to get it out of your system isn't it, so it'll be important to get something in Wellington."