I think Lavicka will be studying the DVD all week to try and work out a strategy to nullify Culina and Caravella for the next coming fixture in Sydney. However I would think that Miron/Paul will again change the side a bit and bring in Panta along side Twaite to bring another tough defender because its the away game… At home GCU seem a yard faster then the opposition and can afford to play a lot more creative… In Sydney I think they will sit back a bit more and try to counter attack… Either way a match that will probably be the one that could decide the Premiership if Melb Vic slip up again … I hope lol (Are you watching Melbourne ? ) Tony a draw in Sydney 1-1

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AF

Have been saying that we should tap into Asia and Africa since day dot over at TRBA…

It’s taken years, far too long for my liking, but the recruitment this season was the best yet, and hopefully next year is another step forward. God only knows what was going through the heads of recruiters (if you could call them that) in season 1.

I remember season one at the Roar, you actually dished up some decent football, but couldn’t score to save your life…players likes of Osvaldo Carro, Stuart McLaren and Remo Buess were less than memorable…

Anyway, a couple of areas the Roar should be focussing on next year include Fullbacks, Goalkeeper and attacking central mid…

AF, I thought it looked something like this last night;

——————-Jess————–
—————————————
————–VDB——-Rees—————
Djulbic————-Thwaite——–Anderson
————-Culina———————-
—-Caravella——–Miller———Brown
——————Smeltz————–

Earlier in the season GCU were definitley playing two holding mids, but in recent times, you’re right, it has been either Panta or Thwaite holding, with Culina floating about anywhere.

For mine, it looked lopsided on paper, and shaping up, but it seemed to flow pretty well.

When Porter plays he plays higher up, closer to Smeltz, but I thought Brown was more withdrawn, like a modern winger…it was very interesting from Miron…can’t say I was expecting it, and I’m sure it caught Branko by surprise.

I think the point is – be flexible and adaptable with your tactics.

Towser,
that will be an interesting experiment… Traore is a perl—I hope he stays on at GCU—great to watch

The Roar are trialling 3 young Ghanaians.Good move. Unlimited talent in Africa:-

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26584861-5003412,00.html

Wont be down except to see the Roar one day kick (to quote modern vernacular) some butt. Wont happen though unless we get some players who are comfortable on the ball. That is the major difference I noted last night between GCU & the Roar. Never had them except your own CM & he in my book was never a 90 minute player.
NUJ helped in this respect by their style of play,but refreshing anyway to see in the A-League.
Loved the way GCU players even in tight positions turned with the ball & nearly always there was a teammate in a position to receive the ball. Call it “Football ballet ” if you like, for me its creative football.
Roar are supposed to be recruiting more players off season,hopefully some are of the creative variety.

However, man of the match Caravella tho I believe it was Culina both little mobile men ran the midfield at will at times… But the real architect and I have guessed this before is Okon’s influence at the club; now I’m almost 95% sure of it with “his” structure at the back… You wrote before of the system employed by Miron his 2-4-2-2 and I believe its Paul’s tactics that have taken this club to clear second spot…

At times they seem to play 2-3-3-2 sort of a “W” at the back and a “M” at the top end then back to the 2-4-2-2 when under threat and Culina is dropping back to receive the ball from his sweepers, Bas van den Brink and Kristian Rees playing at times square with Thwaite then the wing backs drop back along side to form the back 4 with two sweepers behind… it has a real Italian defensive look about it and it must be Okon’s influence who has formed this structure at the back which gives Jess Vanstrattan a lot of protection and allows him to throw the ball out with so many options available and retain possession instead of hoofing it up field… (Although you have to at times)

Also the “Managers” must have picked up on not playing Porter and Miller at the same time in the starting line up—opting for more mobility younger player in James Brown… Yep that worked a treat and also my fear that Panta was going to be missed never was a concern with Dino Djulbic taking up the right wing back position and Anderson for the absent Traore never put a foot wrong last night… Smeltz as always dangerous in the top third he and Porter missed two certs between them in the closing stages… But when Culina was replaced with 10 mins left the Jets suddenly looked threatening but to no avail…

I’ll be watching out for your column next week with the top of the table clash with SFC I have to sit on the fence with this one as an expat Sydney boy…

Leads one to ask the question that if Clives favoured political party was in power,would the stadium rental business be an issue for him?

Clive Palmer would have been pleased with the last 2 crowds. Now that should fit into the book of “The Worlds Strangest Football Facts” . Very bizarre scenario,needs to be fixed by next season.
I have to admit that as a Roar fan & seeing a team nearby who can actually retain possession is very frustrating.
One wonders that if we could have been the Gold Coast from Season 1, whether the whole stadium,ticketing fiasco,13 wins,18 losses 12 draws at Suncorp etc would have eventuated? Hindsight ,the dreamers crutch.

~~~~~~~~
AF

It’s a tactic from the paid AFL mercenaries to report any sensible criticism of their game and their administration so it gets removed.

Maybe we should return the compliment and report every one of them when they get on a football blog.

PS: we all know you are a paid AFL disruptionary troll.

Anyway to answer your question we have had Bears and Kangaroos and now GC17 to enter the foray with $60m of Qld. taxpayers monies with Captain Karmichael Hunt ex Bronco at the helm… what a joke my son… Quite laughable when you really analyse it all…

~~~~~~
AF

There seems to be a core of 4.5 thousand fans who turn up to Skilled Park regardless. It will be interesting to see what the finals crowds are like.

In all fairness to the other GC teams I don’t think they left anything like a legacy for the Titans to work from. They likely would have prefered a clean slate so that time line isn’t relevant. If the first attempt at Rugby league on the Gold Coast was as well executed as the Titans bid they likely would have worked.

Seagulls took over when they went bankrupt. And struggled along for many years with poor recruitment.

Chargers were only a casualty of the Super League war, and actually were doing fine on and off the field (actually had $1.5mil in the bank when they were shutdown). It’s criminal that they left the comp in the first place, though the Titans have a much better ground because of it.