Under pressure after Brisbane Roar’s third consecutive loss, coach Ange Postecoglou is refusing to contemplate changing the style the defending A-League champions play.
Wellington Phoenix notched up their third successive win at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium on Wednesday with a 2-0 over a Roar side which up until 10 days ago was unbeaten.
A first-half strike from forward Paul Ifill set up the victory, while an 81st minute goal from Nick Ward sealed the Phoenix’s fourth win of the season in front of a disappointing 4,628 crowd.
The Roar desperately needed a win after losses to Sydney and Melbourne Heart ended a 36-match winning streak. Against the Phoenix they controlled possession with a measured passing game, but looked short of ideas in the attacking third.
Postecoglou is not pushing the panic button, emphasising afterwards that he intends to stick with his game plan regardless of the way results fall.
“We’re going to play this way come hell or high water,” he said.
“People are going to be very disappointed if they expect to see us change.”
The Roar, missing playmaker Thomas Broich, captain Matt Smith and Brazilian Henrique, couldn’t capitalise on the few chances they created, but Postecoglou is confident his team are playing with the right approach.
“All along we’ve said we were about playing the game a certain way. We’re on that journey, and we’ll continue on that journey for however long it takes us, good or bad.”
Postecoglou described Wednesday’s result as disappointing, but added he wasn’t at all unhappy with the way the team played.
“I thought we played some good football. We took the game to the opposition, but we just couldn’t capitalise on the chances we had.”
In contrast, the Phoenix’s speed on the counterattack created plenty of opportunities, two of which they finished in style.
The first goal came in the 27th minute when Ifill latched on to a sweet through ball from Ward, turned Roar defender Matthew Jurmann inside out then left keeper Michael Theoklitos sprawling with a clinical right foot finish.
In the 81st minute and down to a standstill with his problem groin, Ifill still managed to slip an inch-perfect pass to an unmarked Ward, who was left one-on-one with Theoklitos and coolly slid the ball home.
The rub of the green favoured the Phoenix – a deflection certainly helped Ifill’s goal find the back of the net – but Postecoglou said that was no reason to change the Roar approach.
“Those things aren’t going to change what we do – far from it. It just gives me further resolve to go down this path,” he said.
“I’m kind of curious to see where it will take us, you know. Hopefully not 36 losses in a row. If it does, it’ll be some journey for us but I doubt that very much. I think things’ll turn around very quickly results-wise.”
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