The official arrival of Socceroo Jade North at the Brisbane Roar coincided with Erik Paartalu’s banishment as the A-League premiers prepared for his likely departure to China.
Roar coach Mike Mulvey on Tuesday told 2011 grand final hero Paartalu he must train with the club’s National Youth League ranks until his future is decided.
Paartalu appears to have played his last game for the Roar.
The towering defensive midfielder – who has started 85 straight games for the Roar since his 2010 arrival – is expected to announce a lucrative two-year Chinese Super League deal this week.
Mulvey’s call came days after maintaining his faith in Nick Fitzgerald despite the exciting winger signing a two-year deal with the Central Coast starting next season.
Paartalu’s absence almost overshadowed the presence of North who underwent a fitness test while his new teammates trained on Tuesday.
North has been injected into a Roar side that sits one point clear of dead-last Wellington on the A-League ladder due to nine losses in 16 games.
A question mark over Paartalu’s future only adds to the pressure ahead of the Roar’s tough home game against in-form Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday.
North – whose most recent club stint was in December for Japanese outfit Consadole Sapporo – hoped to be the catalyst Brisbane needed to turn their season around.
“Hopefully I bring something different to the team. If it is a bit stale hopefully I can freshen things up a bit by just having a different personality around the training room or on the pitch,” North said.
“(And) players come and go, it’s part of football – we are all professional.
“Everything they need is here. They have won back to back (titles). They just need to grab it by the scruff of the neck and show who the true champions are.”
North – who started his career at NSL club Brisbane Strikers aged 16 – believed the Roar’s slump under new coach Mulvey came down to confidence.
“I don’t think they are struggling,” he said.
“I have kept close tabs on the A-League in Japan and Brisbane have been dominating games but they have been unlucky in front of goal.
“The right make-up is there. They just need to get the confidence back in the group.”
North hoped to be available for the Roar on Sunday.
“I’ve come out of the J-League season, I’ve been on holidays, so I need to do whatever I can as fast as I can to get myself fit,” he said.
“I’m always ready to get back on the park. But you can’t be silly and try to come back when you’re not 100 per cent condition-wise.
“That’s how you can get injured.”
The Bear
Guest
Jb ..completely agree with your deduction. When AP came he brought in Trimmers. Two key placements that redefined the club. They would have diffused there knowledge and confidence outwards rippling through the staff and players. Farina had it to an extent, but probably lost his focus mid way through, and relied upon CMoore and to a lesser extent Matty to steer the on field performances forward. It became a democracy of sorts. Kruse and Oar had their chance and AP came in to the picture when Roar were in need...but in reality not too much hot water. The recruiting has been absolute dog bollocks over the last 18 months. The grooming of youngsters (especially local NYL) fairly non-existent Reliance on bit players like Hingert, Jurman, Halloran and Fitzgerald typifies the lack of preparedness that the Roar went into this season. Where's the accountability one may well ask. Rado failing upwards? I hope this is not the case, but Mulvey must either sinnk or swim. Otherwise this club has truly regressed beyond the Farina years.
The Bear
Guest
The question for me is this. Is this club desiring " on the pitch" footballing success? Or is it perhaps engendering a culture of business conservatism and complacency. I think the latter. Who will turn this around? At the moment it's got to be _all_ the guys in the locker room. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].
j binnie
Guest
Stu - you touch on a very interesting comment there. When Ange came to Roar one of his first "gets" was a goalkeeper from overseas,Theo, One of his first "gets" at MV was a goalkeeper from overseas, Coe. Though it took a while to be picked up by other coaches and teams, the first "cracks" that appeared in Ange's much noted "playing from the back" system was the vulnerability to an accurate through ball played to a fast striker if his midfield and backs were caught high upfield. That crack was never really repaired and we still see the same problem in Roar today. Exactly the same malady is apparent in the Victory set up,so that when pressure is brought to bear on their back 4 the result is usually the same. Is it a flaw that is inherent to the system?????? jb
stu
Guest
I think the question j binnie has presented is one that Marco from the CM should chase with much vigour. The reply would be interesting, however I get the feeling that the club truely lacks big thinkers, and if I am wrong lets hear from top management. Marco can dig and give them the chance to explain the vision they have and when that vision was initiated. If they can't come up with fact, sorry but they have taking our money and on the run. Hopefully we can get a response. Much was said about AP's vision also, I tend to think that AP is an opportunist. Things on the park ran smoothly for 2 years, but when the level of expection was on the rise (pressure) he moved onto MV. The team is performing but with limited expectations due to where they started at the beginning of the season, if the expectations rise next season (which they will) can you see AP move onto his next challenge?
j binnie
Guest
Bear - Just have to ask you this. Has Mulvey's decisiveness been just a little late, and somewhat limited, to a team that needs a huge overhaul,not just in one position?.. OK, it's a start, but if we are to believe that there has been a successful youth policy in vogue at Roar for the last 7 years where are the outstanding youngsters that should have been following Kruse,Oar,Zullo and Sarato We have seen plenty of "imports",not only the experienced kind,but "youngsters" from other clubs, Jurman, Halloran, and Fitzgerald are a few, and yet this club,top drawer for 2 years ,appear to have great difficulty in preparing youngsters for the job at hand , picking up talented kids from elsewhere, or worse still, filling their overseas quota with players who can make a difference.(I can think of 3 who just recently could only be classed as abject failures.) If you agree with these observations perhaps we need to look deeper into the myth that has been built around the club to see if the base is rock, or is it sand.???? jb
The Bear
Guest
Ok. So it's a clean start for Roar this week. Mulvey has been decisive. Partaalu has been enormous for this club...but he is not bigger than the club. It saddens me a little his slide into the abyss after AP turned his back on the club. All the best, but he should have been pissed off (or rehabilitated!) a lot sooner.