Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou has refused to criticise fans treated to champagne soccer for the past two years for booing his players during Friday night’s 2-1 A-League loss to Melbourne Heart.
Brisbane fans haven’t experienced a loss at Suncorp Stadium since January 2010.
Yet some of them turned on the players on Friday night, booing then from the field after they trailed Heart 2-0 at halftime.
“I can feel the bandwagon getting lighter for sure,” said Postecoglou when asked about the crowd’s reaction.
“They’ll jump off as quickly as they jump on.
“It’s up to us to do what we do and get them back on the wagon again.
“We strive to be the best and if you want to be the best people will judge you harshly when you fall short of those standards.
“You’ve got to cop it on the chin and move on.”
Brisbane will do that next week when they head to Dunedin to play Wellington Phoenix, again without classy German organiser Thomas Broich.
After going 36 games unbeaten, Brisbane have lost their last two games without Broich (heel), but Postecoglou refused to concede his absence was a major factor.
“No, not really,” he said.
“I thought in the second half we played like we usually do.”
Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton was one player happy Broich wasn’t setting up the Roar’s attack.
“No doubt he makes a difference, he’s a class act, he’d make a difference to any team,” said Bolton.
Postecoglou wasn’t over-critical of his players, saying the way they played going forward left them susceptible to counter attacks.
The Heart did that extremely well in the first half to lead the defending champions 2-0.
“Little things we’re good at we’re not so good at right now and you pay the price for that,” he said.
There’s no doubt Brisbane’s first home loss since January 2010 and their second straight after going a record 36 weeks without a defeat has exposed a few cracks in the defending champions.
And they have a testing period ahead of them, with the game against the Phoenix to be followed by a grand final re-match with Central Coast Mariners on Saturday.
Postecoglou was careful not to make any bold statements with his side suddenly facing three straight losses.
“I always have to be careful what I say but we weren’t good by our standards because we’ve set pretty high standards,” he said.
“That’s what we want to be measured against so there’s no point in us making excuses.
“We shot ourselves in the first half and they (Heart) deserve credit for taking their chances.”
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
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December 11th 2011 @ 6:35am
Hamblin said | December 11th 2011 @ 6:35am | Report comment
I never heard any booing towards the Brisbane players! Maybe towards Mel heart players going down easy but never BRFC, what a stupid statement/ headline!
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December 11th 2011 @ 8:41am
Roger said | December 11th 2011 @ 8:41am | Report comment
I think the booing has already been clarified by the fans at the game, who have informed that they were booing the ref.
December 11th 2011 @ 8:50am
The Cattery said | December 11th 2011 @ 8:50am | Report comment
I tend to believe the if there was booing, it was NOT directed at the Roar.
It’s hard to believe that any group of fans would boo their own team just because they have lost their 2nd game out of the last 38.
December 11th 2011 @ 10:33am
Roon said | December 11th 2011 @ 10:33am | Report comment
Spot on Cat. The crowd, especially the Den, was giving it to the ref at the break, during the match and as he came off. Players subbed off during the game, got applauded.
Even the Heart players were receiving a bit of local acclamation; that is, until they started to examine the famous Lang Park turf too closely.
In fact, after the officials were booed off the park, the Roar players came down the Northern end to acknowledge the supporters and got a big round of applause and cheers.
December 11th 2011 @ 9:42am
Camori said | December 11th 2011 @ 9:42am | Report comment
I was at the game and the booing was directed at the unsportsman like tactics of the Heart players faining injuries and generally wasting time
December 11th 2011 @ 9:46am
Realfootball said | December 11th 2011 @ 9:46am | Report comment
As I have said on another thread, I was there and the booing was definitely not directed at the Roar players. It was at the referee for turning down a penalty call, and for the shameless time wasting from the Heart players.
December 11th 2011 @ 10:01am
Brock said | December 11th 2011 @ 10:01am | Report comment
Any booing at full time was definitely directed at the referee, however there was a small amount booing at halftime from supposed roar fans at their own team. I know because I was at the game and most of the boos came from around where I was sitting which was in the bay next to the den. Although I didn’t hear any coming from the den itself. The whole thing was quite pathetic 36 games unbeaten and one half of average football and out came the boos. It would be nice if those fans found another sport and team to support.
December 11th 2011 @ 1:26pm
Roon said | December 11th 2011 @ 1:26pm | Report comment
Yeah, the half-time booing was directed at the officials for a couple of their calls before the break. Along with the boos were a few fruity remarks directed towards the departing ref on that point. That’s what whipped up the rest of the boo chorus.
The supposed boos for the INF sub were also directed towards the ref for delay in allowing the sub to be made. There was applause for the players leaving the ground.
As for the end of the game, 100% vitriol reserved for the Cheatin’ Heart and their partners in crime, the officials. The booing had stopped long before the Roar boys came down to the Den end.
December 11th 2011 @ 11:15am
Qantas supports Australian Football said | December 11th 2011 @ 11:15am | Report comment
‘Roar Expert = Our Expert level, a Roar Expert is a writer who appears in the left-hand column or red column. Our experts are typically professional writers who offer their opinion, analysis and insight into sport. We also invite to be Experts amateur writers who impress the Roar Editors by writing engaging sports opinion which consistently provokes strong conversation. ”
I just checked the definition of the “Roar Expert” and I am alarmed that the Author of this piece is an ” Expert Amateur Rookie”.. I think it would be a good idea in future to stop these so called Rookies being published in the Roar Expert column—if they can’t get their facts right.
Clearly the booing claim he writes about did not happen according to those Roar fans who did attend the game. I think in future such articles should be placed in the blue section as amateur pieces—so not to be confused with those who have earned their stripes as Experts. The ones we trust to report on what the real facts are—to that of what someone has just dreamt up..
December 11th 2011 @ 1:31pm
Roon said | December 11th 2011 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
How about “Twitter Jockey” or “Facebook Fodder Fapper” in a bold blue header?
December 11th 2011 @ 1:50pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | December 11th 2011 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
Yep I’ll go along with that—get rid of all the irresponsible twits..
December 11th 2011 @ 4:11pm
Cpaaa said | December 11th 2011 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
QSAF glad i wasnt the only one that picked this up.
Title: “Roar coach won’t bag booing fans” totally incorrect and very much insulting to the den and fans of Brisbane.
By Wayne Heming, 11 Dec 2011 Wayne Heming is a Roar Rookie
Wayne Hemming says “Postecoglou has refused to criticise fans treated to champagne soccer”…..once again, Rookie error Hems.
December 11th 2011 @ 11:31am
Stu said | December 11th 2011 @ 11:31am | Report comment
I was at the game next to the Den and the booing was directed at the Mel players and the ref. The number of time Mel players went down to stop play then limped to the sideline only to turn around and run back on was ridiculous. The worst one happened with an appeal from the crowd for a penalty after a handball on the area was denied then the Mel player went down with a sore arm. Quite funny for the player I’m sure though very unsportsmanlike. There was also another handball late in the game I get the Roar were unlucky not to receive a penalty. In saying that the Roar can’t blame the ref, and they are not. They missed opportunities. I thought the ref needed to show a time wasting yellow card earlier. Melbourne dragged the standard of the A-league through the mud with those low tactics.
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December 11th 2011 @ 1:27pm
Baz said | December 11th 2011 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
The Booing was 100% Directed at Two enities…Melourne Heart and the poor perfromance of the Refs. At the end of the first half, the boos again directed at the ref. The AR on the far side (IE Caxton Road Side) is in his third year as an AR in the A-League and his calls in the second half were diabolicle. As well the ref had warned Bolton numerous times about wasting time and still was with a minute to go. The first time he was warned was in the 69th minute of the game. The ref then went and spoke to him again and again. No caution for time wasting. As well the Hearts team and management should be ashamed of themselves. Those tactics DO NOT BELONG IN THE A-LEAGUE!
Having been to numerous away games with the Socceroos and the Asian cup and seeing Asian teams flop to the ground like the have been snippered by Lee Harvey Oswald makes me ill. Seeing Fred lay on the ground wihering around…I was BITTER! I had a lot of respect for him as he was a flair player, but now all I see is a cheat.
Hats off to the Hearts for playing well in the first half and desereved their two goals but to intentionally break up the play not with tactics but with tme wasting….its a hollow victory.
I hope this is the spark now that Ange can use to get the lads thinking about making an example of the league and tear it a part again. Only two losses, there is no situation or panic like the media is beating it up. In both Sydney and Hearts game we still created a tonne of opportunities. Back to basics again lads. IN Ange and Brisbane Roar WE TRUST! CARN THE ROAR!
December 11th 2011 @ 1:58pm
clayton said | December 11th 2011 @ 1:58pm | Report comment
If the ref is doing his job with the timekeeping, and the team not falling down feigning injury is mentally strong and professional, THEN it really doesn’t matter if an opponent wants to fall down and disrupt play. Cos it will get added on to the end of the half. Injury time.
If a team is that unfocused that they lose sight of their gameplan and stop playing well …shame on you for being so easily put off your game.
I thought Brisbane stayed focused on the job and Heart didn’t win any advantage by falling over and time wasting etc. Created enough attacking opportunities, but didn’t execute and put them in the back of the net.
I think the NT is doing much better with staying focused when this happens in Asia as well. Stay on your game and no benefit flows to the other team.
December 11th 2011 @ 3:35pm
Roger said | December 11th 2011 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
clayton – that’s a terrible argument. The point of feigning injury etc is to disrupt play, and that’s what is does – no matter how mentally strong the other team is.
To somehow put exonerate such low tactics by putting it back onto the other team by “not being mentally strong enough” is pretty ridiculous actually.
December 11th 2011 @ 3:55pm
clayton said | December 11th 2011 @ 3:55pm | Report comment
no its not. it only works against you if you let it. guess we will have to agree to disagree.
December 11th 2011 @ 10:36pm
Axelv said | December 11th 2011 @ 10:36pm | Report comment
When you are on a roll, and you are mentally focused and going on adrenaline, a 3 minute delay by a player pretending to roll around in play breaks the rhythm that you previously had. It happens in ALL sports, be it cricket, tennis, football, AFL, Rugby
It’s very hard to gain and keep momentum when it has long stoppages in between.
If you can’t relate to it, imagine yourself working hard in an exam, fully focused, thinking and going through the questions, and then someone behind you starts talking loud, stops the whole room and everyone has to put their pens down for a few minutes until he is kicked out, can you resume your mental state straight away in the exact state that it was before the disruption?
I doubt it, and the Heart had players (Germano and Fred) fake injury 3 times to break Roar’s momentum, it was disgusting. All 3 incidents happened when the Roar were rushing to score and get themselves back in the game.