The Roar
The Roar

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Frans Thijssen's mighty challenge to steady Brisbane Roar

The Roar need a win against Melbourne City to keep their slim finals hopes alive. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Expert
24th November, 2014
20

Stability never has been a trademark of the A-League. This season even more so.

Take your pick from the bunch: the farce of Jonny Steele’s short lived Newcastle stay, Western Sydney remaining winless after six games, a cacophony of on and off-field problems in Gosford and David Villa’s premature exit to name a few.

The latest candidate is Brisbane Roar – having also previously been nominated for Liam Miller’s messy departure – after the sacking of coach Mike Mulvey.

The Championship-winning honeymoon has swiftly turned into a repulsive divorce, with the club’s handling of the matter particularly deplorable if suggestions that the public knew of Mulvey’s axing before the man himself are true.

Critics of Roar’s haste have been somewhat silenced as behind-the-scenes details emerge, with Courier Mail journalist Marco Monteverde suggesting Mulvey’s ego was far too significantly inflated after the victory over Western Sydney in May.

Regardless of the true motives, Roar have little time to dwell. Former Netherlands international Frans Thijssen will step in as interim head coach ahead of his switch to the technical director role at season’s end.

Alongside the club’s football director, Ken Stead, Thijssen will be tasked with getting Brisbane’s “football style and philosophy” back on track. After all, that is the reason Mulvey was booted, according to CEO Sean Dobson.

It suggests Mulvey was the black sheep among Roar’s coaching staff, leaving Thijssen with a clear picture of what direction the club’s board wants to take.

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The Dutchman enters the A-League with a task more difficult than you would expect for the defending champions and has a number of key challenges to address in his first season.

Player morale
As I wrote a fortnight ago, Roar’s recent plight has emphasised the significance of culture at a football club.

There is plenty awry in the dressing room at Suncorp Stadium and with the chief scapegoat now gone, one would expect harmony to infiltrate the club immediately.

But it is unlikely that Mulvey was the sole source of all player issues and Thijssen must focus on rebuilding whatever fractured relationships remain.

This doesn’t mean taking the lads down for a night of bowling and pizza. It involves reiterating the club’s vision and policies. From the football philosophy to the behavioural expectations, ensuring there is no repeat of Liam Miller’s dummy spit or the Shane Stefanutto versus Jamie Young verbal stoush will go a long way to steadying the ship.

Results
Brisbane may have lost five from their first six matches but the joyous nature of not having a relegation system means they sit three points away from the finals positions and won’t hit the panic button if they pass the 10-game mark with less than a point per game.

The quality of this squad means a streak of wins is never too far away, as the demolition of Newcastle threatened to prove.

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Combine it with the handful of other clubs struggling for one reason or another and it’s hard to see Roar failing to appear in the finals.

If Thijssen can pick up a couple of wins initially, it will help straighten up all of the other issues.

Perhaps even more pressing than the A-League is the AFC Champions League. Roar return to the big stage hungrier than ever to make an impact, having never notched a win in Asia.

It will be no easy feat but Roar will fancy their chances of challenging for a spot in the knockout stages. Far from a distraction, the competition will provide another focal point for Thijssen.

New coach
With Thijssen only temporarily occupying the touchline, he will play a major part in recruiting Mulvey’s successor. There will be no rush to appoint a new head coach and Thijssen and Stead will choose the next man very carefully.

The most important factor to come into consideration is that the incumbent coach must understand Roar’s football philosophy and be willing to embed it heavily into their style. There is little chance of Thijssen recruiting someone who wants to make sweeping changes, particularly after the Dutchman has spent time making his own mark.

Thus, the champions need a coach who fits their mould and can accept the influence that Thijssen and Stead have on operations.

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One of the greatest gripes for football managers is being spoon fed advice, but Mulvey’s exit laid bare the repercussions of opposing a club’s direction.

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