January 15, 2013. Write that down. It will go down in history as the day that, for all intents and purposes, the Roarcelona era officially died.
Erik Paartalu’s sale to Chinese Super League outfit Tianjia Teda is the symbolic moment that confirms what we’ve all known for months, and seen with our own eyes in a football sense – Ange Postecoglou is well and truly gone from Brisbane.
Paartalu was his lynchpin. The guy who brought it all together. The perfect No.6 for the system that won two championships and a premiership.
To imagine that string of success without him is impossible, from the many hundreds of passes he sprayed around the park from in front of the defensive four, to the header that led to the penalty shootout that ultimately launched the Roarcelona legend.
A limited player he is, but in this environment and under Postecoglou’s tutelage he became one of the best midfielders in Australia.
In many ways, he represents the transition between Postecoglou’s defection to Melbourne Victory and what happened next in the Sunshine State.
Paartalu had a very specific role to play before this season. Then, as Rado Vidosic took the reins and tinkered, he was asked to do more, to venture forward.
He had freedom from the shackles of being the guy he had been typecast as. Only he struggled. And the back four struggled. And the more they struggled, the more he did.
Then the whole team struggled, and, well, pretty much straight after the 5-1 false dawn win over Victory it’s been one big fat struggle for Brisbane.
Vidosic was incapable of carrying the torch. It looks like Mike Mulvey might have trouble as well. That means Postecoglou’s designs for an orange dynasty are all but trash.
So, there’s really no better time for Paartalu to take up an enticing offer abroad and challenge himself once again. More power to him.
But where to now for the Roar?
Who replaces him? A better question – does it matter? Well, it does, but not as much as it would have some months ago. Overall, the Brisbane machine is broken.
Vidosic and now Mike Mulvey have both tried to put their stamp on this side.
But the former lacked the dressing room respect needed to force a champion team off their backsides and fight again, and the jury is still well and truly out on the latter.
In all, the collapse at Ballymore just highlights how brilliant a manager Postecoglou really is.
In just a few short months, he has turned Melbourne Victory from a dictionary definition rabble to a suave, sophisticated side that attacks with all the effortless potency of Don Juan DeMarco.
They have effectively traded places with the Roar, who are unfathomably fumbly in the final third and uncharacteristically complacent everywhere else.
Thomas Broich and Besart Berisha, for so long the barometers of Brisbane, appear disinterested. Both are tied to long-term contracts, so Mulvey – or whoever comes after him – has to find out how Postecoglou pushed their buttons.
Matt Smith has no partner in the centre of defence, and he’s starting to look bad as a result. Jade North isn’t a bad buy and he might work out, but given Michael Thwaite was on the table in pre-season, it shouldn’t have come to this.
Mitch Nichols is up and down, but mostly down. Ben Halloran has gone backwards, largely because the team he joined has. Michael Theo isn’t stopping the shots he used to.
Now Paartalu, the mortar between the bricks, is gone. Luke Brattan would be licking his lips if there weren’t such concerns at Brisbane over his workrate.
The vacancy in defensive midfield will probably be filled by Massimo Murdocca, but that’s more of the same at a time when the Roar needs a makeover.
Brisbane. A makeover. Who’d have thought?
To think Vidosic was described as ‘the brains’ of the operation.
Perhaps the Roar’s meltdown is a timely reminder of not only the fallacy of planning ‘dynasties’ in the A-League, but of the importance of Melbourne Victory’s off-season poaching of by far the best coach in Australia.
Neil
Guest
Roar FC have not handled the transition from AP very well. but some players with Paartalu being the worst offender have only been going through the motions ever since. He has been playing la de da football ever since and I glad he is going because I would have benched him a long time ago. I hope a new start for him will improve his football and attitude.
j binnie
Guest
clayts - Not everyone is writing off the Roar but in citing an old old adage,"you can't make silk purses out of pig's ears", many are asking, why was that great team of 2 years ago not improved upon.?????? One of the things we have to be very aware of in this country is that our standard of football is not yet "top tier" so there is even more room for improvement than is usual ,so that, even before Mackay,Barbaroussas De Vere & young guns Kruse,Oar,Zullo & Sarota departed, the staff ,being well aware of the age of some of the team and the limitations inherent in their talent ,should have been looking to improve the team where improvement was needed. Surely this need was brought to light when the best team in Australia played some of the best teams in Asia, but even then it was late in the day for improvement of the 'status quo", for this is also an inherent part of a manager's job.Was the manager to blame or was it lack of funds,for it has to be assumed that some money was received for outgoing players.? Will we ever know?.I doubt it. jb
clayts
Guest
I say let everyone write off the champs. Gives them more motivation. I've been saying all season. Almost all of the Roar's games have been closely run things. Quite unlucky in a few (which i know happens to all teams, but I do think you need some luck to win a toilet seat also) games and probably didn't take their chances in others. Still, in the A league, if you're not sitting last, 5 games off the six, all you need is a couple of wins in a row and you'll likely be back in the mix. I think if the Roar make the finals, they will trouble any side. Paartalu still lays claim to the best moment in HAL history though :)
Nick
Guest
Nice article, I've always found Australian based articles to be lacking in depth and substance but I found your article great to read. Cheers.
Berash
Guest
ps Actually, in that website, he apologies to the club and fans.
Berash
Guest
According to a website, he earns one million in 2 years.
j binnie
Guest
Vince- no desire to carry on this vein of conversation but you mention the "bad old days when Brisbane were a shambles" You actually strike near the bullseye there for behind the scenes Roar have always been a shambles if one uses the normal organisation,planning and controlling of a football club as a measure On the field the players have struggled to maintain a sense of professionalism but as has already been spelled out there was much to distract them until,as I said before, Ange arriving , quickly assessing the status quo at the club & laid down the terms on which he would operate and showed the backroom what could be achieved, His "vision" was not to last and today we have ------------ yes, a shambles. jb
stu
Guest
Kellett....nice thing to say about j binnie, and very true. We should give him a gig on TWG beside Fozz.....ooops, wait a minute, he is of scottish birth and the history, knowledge and experience would not match the history, knowledge and experience of all knowing Australian scribes who have risen over the last 8-10 years on the back of WC Germany and the A-League!! The intent of greater respect behind my comment is worth considering.
Vince Rugari
Expert
Yes, I am being a bit cynical. I am simply trying to say that the last thing the Roar needs is a 'hard man' to 'sort things out'. Perhaps they need real leadership, yes, and a bit of courage and determination. But let's not go back to the bad old days when Brisbane were a shambles...
Cameron
Roar Guru
Greatest memory I have in regards to sport! And I attend all sports, even Origin!
Cameron
Roar Guru
Jbinnie, Off topic but... There are times when we don't understand what one another are trying to convey and sometimes we may not agree but I am absolutely amazed as to your knowledge of football. I'm always learning! Your fellow Roarer Kellett_1992.
j binnie
Guest
Vince -Is this a serious question or are you just being a bit cynical towards a suggestion put by a concerned blogger.???? When Danny Tiatto arrived at Roar he was 33 years old and sure,had a reputation as a hard man on the field.However at the time of his arrival he had played a total of 227 matches with teams in the EPL over an 8 season period averaging 28 games a season (not counting injury periods).He had also amassed 25 caps playing for his country and when one considers Frank Farina would have been selecting for most of those games and was now coach at Roar is it surprising this much decorated and experienced player arrived at Roar???. I think not. At the time of his leaving he was 36 years old and I think you will agree had seen better times in his career. age does that to Tiatto's type of player. Bob Malcolm presents another picture altogether. By the time he arrived his career was obviously in decline and after playing 88 games in 6 years for Rangers (24 games per season in a sixty game season) he had been loaned to Derby,playing 10 games in 2 seasons before moving to QPR where he played only 11 games in a season then on to Motherwell where in 2 seasons he played 13 matches. so he was 5 seasons past his career apex. With a record like that and (being wise after the event) what we saw when he arrived the question has to be asked and answered,who the hell recommended him,and how was due diligence done on his procurement. I have a very good friend whose judgement I trust implicitly and if I wanted to check out any player on Rangers books I would need to make one phone call. I did a couple of weeks after Matt Mackay arrived at Ibrox and upon asking about his chances my friend made the simple comment " He'll never make it at Rangers he is far too small" You may scoff at that answer but when I checked Rangers staff lists Matt was by far the smallest mid-fielder on their books.We all know what happened to Matt. Over the years Rangers HAVE had "small" midfielders but most of them have been purchased as tried and tested ,not only club players,,but international stars.For those interested Ian McMillan (Airdrie),Alfie Conn and Alex McDonald (Hearts) are 3 such players. Answer to your question Vince. Danny still enjoys a run in a lower league and Malcolm appears to be on a lower division's books but hasn't played,the same story befitting Charle Miller that flawed genius who could have been whatever he wanted to be in the game, but ????????. Yours jb
Vince Rugari
Expert
It's a symbolic death - he was the player, in my opinion, that most represented the football the Roar played under Ange. Re: orange dynasty, well, Ange left the club in good shape and I know prior to the 'brains of the operation' disgrace, he wanted things to continue as they were without him. Why wouldn't he?
Vince Rugari
Expert
Still gives me tingles. I was so lucky to have been there and covered it.
Vince Rugari
Expert
The VPL is a winter league, right? So it's not even half the story we thought it was when it hit Twitter. Expect a 10-game stint or something, after this A-League season.
j binnie
Guest
Andyroo - Let's leave this subject, it's past history and involves a lot more than you obviously know about, for there were many who suffered as a result OK???? Ange's time was 2 years ago and he was available. The club management history is 8 years old. jb
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
In the past few hours, Twitter has run hot with this story that seems to gaining momentum and, if true, is one of the biggest stories in the A-Leauge ... ... Besart Berisha has allegedly signed for VPL Champions, Dandenong Thunder. Dandenong Thunder was founded in 1970 as South Dandenong by Albanian migrants and retains very strong links with the Albanian-community in Melbourne. And, I doubt there's anyone following the A-League, who is unaware of Berisha's nationality. As, I said: it's a rumour but ... ???
Vince Rugari
Expert
A dynasty does not mean being reasonably competitive, or else you could loosely call Wellington Phoenix's last few years before this one a 'dynasty'. The Roarcelona dynasty I'm afraid, as we know it, has passed. Could they spring a surprise in the finals? Of course. But the hallmarks of Roarcelona - the complete and utter domination, the heroic comebacks from nowhere, the aura that followed them around... no longer there. That's not sensationalist, that's real.
Vince Rugari
Expert
Hard men? Say, what are Danny Tiatto and Bob Malcolm doing these days?
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
Yes they didn't have enough money and so had to pump up ticket prices which nearly killed the club. But they did like the club and football (they appointed Ange) they just couldn't afford to finance it. If someone was in charge of the club who actually cared about it AND had the resources to run it then I think think the club would have really taken advantage of what the team achieved in the last couple of years. The Bakaries seem to have money but not the love. If only we could have both.