Is it a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same for defending A-League champions Brisbane Roar?
The Recap – Brisbane Roar
14 wins
7 draws
6 losses
Playoffs: beat Central Coast 5-2 (agg), beat Perth Glory 2-1
New coach but very much the same system is the mantra being chanted down Suncorp Stadium way as Brisbane Roar aim to make it three A-League titles in a row.
Ange Postecoglou may have decamped to Melbourne Victory but Roar fans and officials don’t appear too concerned, with former assistant Rado Vidosic coming to the fore as the club’s new head coach.
Vidosic’s promotion is much in keeping with the Roar’s ethos under Postecoglou – there’s no change for change’s sake when the goal is a long-term one.
To that end the Roar have quietly gone about re-signing some of their key players rather than investing in new ones, though when one of those key players is Thomas Broich, it’s an understandable decision.
Broich joined skipper Matt Smith, veteran defender Shane Stefanutto, fellow defender Ivan Franjic, goalkeeper Michael Theo – yes, it does seem unusual to write that – and Brazilian midfielder Henrique in penning new deals during the off-season.
Their retention means new faces are few and far between, though the addition of ex-Gold Coast youngster Ben Halloran could prove a masterstroke, with the 20-year-old very much the kind of pacy attacking talent favoured during Postecoglou’s reign.
The Roar have also shown themselves one of the few clubs willing to consistently dip into the Asian market, so it was no real surprise to see the Bakrie-owned club sign South Korean youngster Do Dong-Hyun and Japanese defender Yuji Takahashi.
Neither are established names in their homeland but both will bring a refined technique and a healthy dose of competition to the squad.
Otherwise the Roar look set to rely on last year’s stars to try and drive them to glory this time around.
In name-shortener Michael Theo the Roar possess one of the more reliable goalkeepers in the league, even if he is prone to making the odd rash decision in games.
The defence has been shorn of former Bahrain international Sayed Adnan – though some would say he too was error-prone last season – but the addition of Takahashi and Young Socceroos defender James Donachie suggests the Roar have plenty of cover in that department.
And while in midfield the re-signing of playmaker Broich is clearly pivotal, the Roar have also done well to also retain the services of the perpetually busy Henrique.
He’s not always accurate in front of goal and team-mates Broich and Besart Berisha tend to take much of the limelight, but the Brazilian’s trickery and ability to exploit space make him one of Brisbane’s most dangerous attacking players.
He’s not quite as influential as Berisha though, and last season the Albanian striker took A-League goal scoring to new heights.
His ability to lose his marker and find space is unmatched in the competition and given Berisha’s feisty demeanour, he’s more likely to find motivation in the jeers of away fans than be troubled by them.
If Berisha can pick up where he left off last season, the Roar should rightly be considered favourites to win the league.
And given that they’re one of the fittest teams in the competition, they’re also more likely to race out of the gates and pick up early points than some of their opponents.
Not much has changed then, despite the departure of a two-time championship winning coach.
Brisbane Roar remain the benchmark in the A-League and it will take a sizeable turn of events to prise the coveted ‘toilet seat’ from their grasp.
Prediction: Champions
In: Yuji Takahashi (Kyoto Sanga, Japan), Do Dong-Hyun (Boin High School, South Korea), Ben Halloran (Gold Coast United), Matt Acton (promoted from youth team).
Out: Sayed Adnan (Al Arabi, Qatar), Kofi Danning (CS Vise, Belgium), Andrew Redmayne (Melbourne Heart), Issey Nakajima-Farran (AEK Larnaca, Cyprus), Matt Mundy (Rochedale Rovers).
The Bear
Guest
I hope Broich's heel comes good. Ever since Victory and Foschini (?) last season, he's been in and out. Come home Matty !!
ian
Guest
halloran will provide another option for scoring goals in addition and in lieu of berisha. henrique also slots a few so we'll see what happens if berisha gets injured. on the roar were an experiment - it was never a guarantee that ange would be successful he can't have known about the success he would have here with the right players and staff set up. of course he is likely to have wanted to return to melbourne with family but i don't think it was a trial run. he was not an in demand coach in any way whatsoever so he can't have taken that risk. it was a job and an opportunity that suited both parties - we had fired farina. his final destination is coach of the national team. apart from all that Go Brisbane Roar. love this club.
fadida
Guest
Will be very interesting to see how Rado goes about it. It's one thing to continue preexisting tactics/style of play, but it's another thing to do it well. I remember when Arnie succeeded Hiddink. He tried to carry on the style but lost many of he subtleties and within months the same players were half the side. I know Rado plans to expand on what went before, more flexibility etc, but the question for me is will he do the basics as well and therefore make them more effective, or will they be watered down by his interpretation. We'll soon find out if he can coach, or whether he's a great assistant but so-so number 1. I've heard good things about him, so let's hope Roar are better than last season, to give the others a real challenge. MV v BR will be epic! Who will be the tactical superior. Ange for me.
whiskeymac
Guest
bit like GCU relying on Smeltz (or Arsenal on RVP)... it can work but its better to have other options for as you say injury or form can change. The Roar don't have anyone else? .. as a non Roar supporter i am still afan of how they played, i hope they continue to stay true to what they set out under Ange and challenge high up the table again.... although i would prefer to see a CCM double this time around.
whiskeymac
Guest
Wasn't it a criticism of the ACL campaign that there was no discernible alternative to plan A, and when another team did the same thing better they were a bit caught out? I think a new coach versed in the original structure would have some tinkering input, some new ideas still to stamp a little of themselves on the system?
dinoweb
Roar Guru
As a Brisbane Roar fan, two things concern me this season. First up, the team relies heavilly on Berisha to score goals. If BB is out of form or is injured, I really can't see where other regular goals will come from. The other concern is defence. Adnan may have been wayward in his passing at times, and made the odd error of judgement, but he was a rock solid tackler, fantastic in the air, and knew what positions to cover off the ball deep in the defensive third. Brisbane struggled defensively before he became a regular. Jurman did not impress, and I just wonder if there is enough experience at the back to support Smith. All that said and done, I still see Roar as a top 4 side minimum. Just where in the top 4 depends on how some of the other teams have improved.
Futbanous
Guest
"Is it a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same for defending A-League champions Brisbane Roar?" Lets hope thats a yes for us. Just on the Roar & Ange some of the comments from Ange & his players recently have planted a seed in my mind about what Ange was doing at the Roar. Whilst I thank him for 3 titles I also(now he's gone ) feel he used as as an experiment,with a view to heading south in mind. The rigidity at times of our play seems in hindsight a little too strict. Maybe seeing how it went at the Roar what did & didn't work,then when he got the job he really wanted he could use the knowledge from "Experiment Roar" to improve Victory. Then again maybe I'm just paranoid.