Brisbane Roar have a new look and a new kit this year, and have bucked the trend to modernise team logos and uniforms by donning a more traditional kit. It looks to be some sort of Gaellic-symbolism, but don’t tell the FFA.
Last season the Roar became the A-League’s most successful franchise, securing their third title, and hopes were high that the pride would continue to dominate the football jungle in A-League season 2014-15.
However, after three rounds the pride remains without a kill, rooted to the bottom of the table.
As only 14,000 fans at Suncorp on Friday night can attest, at this stage it does not feel like it’s the defending champion’s year.
A lot has been made of the departure of Besart Berisha and Ivan Franjic in explaining the Roar’s current predicament, and sure these losses will be given their due. However, Roar are not only losing games due to their stuttering attack but are also conceding far more goals than last season, as Andy Keogh can attest.
So where and how can they improve to save their faltering start to the season?
Attack
Berisha is a genuine goal-box player who troubles defenders and keepers from positions he has no right to, and the Roar miss him terribly. In response, Mike Mulvey is now starting Henrique, however this also robs the Roar of the ability to introduce a genuine second half attacking option to shake up the game when Plan A fails.
They also sorely miss Franjic, who played as a genuine wing-back, bombing up and down the sideline all game and giving Roar an overlapping attacking option. As the Roar swept down the wings from defence, Thomas Broich would find Luke Brattan, who would feed Franjic, who would scoot down the sideline and either cut back inside for a shot or distribute the ball to the forwards through a cross or a short ball.
Franjic’s work rate meant the Roar were essentially playing with 11.5 men on the pitch. Unfortunately nothing is going to replace this kind of talent, especially when Visa spots are currently filled. It might be that the current crop of replacements or some young talent steps up – I’d personally like to see more of Devante Clut – but this will take time.
Defence
While it is tempting to focus on the Roar’s attacking losses, there are also significant defensive worries for Mulvey to iron out. Yes, Roar scored the most goals last year, but they were also the best team defensively. Unlike attack, where flair and individual brilliance are key attributes, defence largely comes down to attitude and confidence.
And when stalwarts like Jade North and Matt Smith are making defensive blunders, you know that something has seriously rattled this team. For me, a good defence starts at the back, and this means having a keeper with Schwarzenegger-like confidence who charges into tough situations to take out the trash.
If the defenders know the keeper has their back and will step in authoritatively to manage situations they have lost control over, it makes a world of difference to the confidence with which they approach their work.
I feel for Jamie Young, who seems to have been suddenly thrust into a situation that he had little time to prepare for. Michael Theo has big gloves to fill and it cannot be easy for a long-standing deputy to suddenly guard the posts for the champions of Australia. Long-standing Roar deputy Matt Acton was dumped at the end of last season – despite performing well in two appearances – for Young who trained with the Roar last year.
Young has played for lower division clubs such as Reading and represented England at U21s level. He seemed like a good option for Mulvey and should have played at a high enough level to be confident in the A-League.
Now let’s be clear here, Young has performed reasonably well in terms of pure shot-stopping ability, and the numerous goals inflicted on the Roar have been largely the result of mistakes by his teammates. But what I see is a keeper who does not have the confidence of his box, and by implication, does not have the confidence of his defenders.
Young’s lack of confidence in the box is eating away at the usually stoic approach that seasoned defenders like North and Smith take into the game.
Restoring the pride
In attack, the antidote is likely to be time. Last year the ease with which players like Berisha, Franjic and Broich terrorised opposition defences seemed so natural that it felt like it had always been that way. However, the year before in season 2012-13, Mulvey’s men scored only a limp 33 goals, despite the success they previously had under Ange.
The new players that Mulvey has brought in will also take time to forge their partnership and understanding with both Mulvey’s playing style and the existing members of the team. In the meantime Broich cannot be expected to fill the void left by Berisha. Broich, the best player in the A-League, is an Oezil-style creator of chances, not the finisher of them. In a hundred-odd games for the Roar, Broich has only scored 16 goals, but he has probably created a hundred more.
Defensively, Theo cannot come back fast enough, and Mulvey will be hoping his troops’ confidence is not too badly shaken until he does. However, the Roar defenders are all seasoned veterans, and I’ll wager as soon as Theo’s back things will start to get better. Nearly every great manager has extolled the need to get defensive structures right first, and then build the team’s attack from that base.
A team is a unit from front to back, and when confidence is low at one end it affects the whole squad’s performance. Mulvey himself has identified the lack of confidence in the squad, and will be keen to establish that winning feeling. Once Theo returns and Mulvey can get the confidence of the Roar defenders back on track, this will energise their attack and Mulvey can take it from there.
As it stands, the Roar are a team who are clearly rattled, and for the moment things are getting worse. Roar’s season is not over, but restoring this pride is going to take more time.
j binnie
Guest
Punter - As promised here are the figures you showed an interest in Last year for 14 matches -Aggregate crowd 256,294 Average crowd per match 18.355 This year for 14 matches -Aggregate crowd 273,240 Average crowd per match 19,517. This represents a 6.5% increase and if this was maintained would show the increase we hoped for. However as I said before there is usually a downward trend takes place over a year and this trend is only starting to show.Will keep you up to date as the season progresses. Cheers jb
Punter
Guest
It's amazing, SFC in all it's might & power with it's victory has not only caused possible dissension amongst the players, but also dissension amongst 2 of my favourite (though BR fans) posters. Go SFC!!!! We haven't had much to cheer about lately.
Realfootball
Guest
It was a timely reminder to take more care with public utterances, jb. Thanks for your gracious response.
Cameron
Roar Guru
"The funny thing is I think the Roar midfield is the one part of the team that’s really performing. The possession stats are good and the passing looks good. They just don’t have a target in the box like they used to, and service out of defence has been troubled. LP" I agree with this 100%.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Maybe you should take a break jb. From what I've observed by watching Theo for some time at the roar, compared to the 3 matches Young has played in, Theo appears more vocal in both direction in appearance. If you can't see that then that's your issue, not mine.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Yeah I can't be bothered.
j binnie
Guest
Laurence- I do not know of your experience in football but this offering has me wondering.You go into a statistical discussion concering goals conceded so far compared to last year and put that forward as a bad sign.Are you blaming the goalkeeper for all these 8 goals?.You then talk about the goings on "IN FRONT" of the defensive line as making the back line depressed but finish up by telling us how well the midfield (the creative centre of any team) is playing but choose to ignore the stats from the last game which gave Roar 70% possession that saw them create only 6 shots at goal with only 1 on target whereas Sydney with 30%possession had 13 shots at goal with 3 on target (2 goals).If you caan explain those figures to me I would be eternally grateful. Cheers jb
Laurence Plant
Roar Rookie
Yeah I do think that with time Young's confidence could well improve - but that wonn't help the Roar's defensive worries at the moment. Potentially the defensive lads are looking at the players up front and getting depressed, but I reckon it's more likely to be the change in keeper. And definitely we are only 3 games in and the Roar have the chance to turn their season around, but I think most people would be surprised they are equal bottom after 3 rounds. At the moment the Roar have already conceded 7 goals in 3 games - last year they only conceded 25 all season. If they concede 2 more next week they will already have conceded over a third of the goals they did in their entire championship year (27 games). And after 3 games last season they had only conceded 2 goals, despite losing one of their first 3 games. The funny thing is I think the Roar midfield is the one part of the team that's really performing. The possession stats are good and the passing looks good. They just don't have a target in the box like they used to, and service out of defence has been troubled. LP
j binnie
Guest
Real - a thoughtful and generous reply. You have completely restored my faith in you as a worthy co-correspndent. Thank you again jb
Realfootball
Guest
jb, you are completely correct on being careful going into print. It is very easy to rattle off comments online and forget that there are human beings on the other end. I regret my comment on Young, who I believe is a fine shot stopper but a poor distributor of the ball (and needs to remember where his goal line is!). Distribution and positioning can be fixed and I do not expect the same errors again from the goalkeeper. Young has not been the problem - I referenced him by way of expressing my frustration with Mulvey's recruitment. This was not fair on Jamie Young, nor accurate, because he has in general performed very well. It is the players in front of him who are problematic. Jamie has my unreserved apology for being careless collateral damage in a broader argument.
j binnie
Guest
Cameron ???????? Do you read and try tpo digest what is being said??????, 4 of the 5 players I mentioned have been overseas and came back to play in the HAL ,1 at Perth, 1 at Victory,1 at Melb C and another at Adelaide. Are you now trying to tell me those clubs do not have salary cap limitations for I don't think any of them would be classed as "marquee". Don't know why you mentioned Berisha or Franjic. Berisha was out of contract and chose to accept a better offer and one has to assume Franjic was sold because he wanted to try his luck overseas. Now be a pal and let's finish this discussion for not only is it getting boring but it is getting ridiculous. Your suffering pal jb.
j binnie
Guest
Cameron.- My God man you are now clutching at straws. "The communication component".is missing!!!! How the hell would you know that from sitting in your seat for 90 minutes every second week when these players are together for at least 20 hours a week. Look,you don't like Young as a keeper,that is your right,but don't come up with such ridiculous claims in an attempt to back your judgement.Blame him for 3 losses,try another untried keeper for another 3 games if you want but let's curtail the ridiculous suggestions. they are beneath your intelligence. jb
Cameron
Roar Guru
Berisha, Partaalu, Franjic...???
j binnie
Guest
Cameron - 3 of the players you mention left the club to try their luck overseas, Nichols went to Victory before going overseas,and Murdocca moved for family reasons as I recall.Salary cap??????? jb
Cameron
Roar Guru
Acton should act on Theo's behalf until recovered. Pun intended
Cameron
Roar Guru
They're missing what appears to be the communication component Theo was very good at.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Because they were just another piece in the puzzle. The departure of these players shows: 1. The effects of a salary cap 2. Moving a player on for something better 3. Realising when what they offer is no longer beneficial to the make up of a team. You'll quickly notice the effects still being had by a salary cap but points 2 and 3 are no longer being looked at. Well i guess you could include Diogo Ferreira?
j binnie
Guest
Laurence.- No argument with your first point but again I have to ask you ,is a central defence backline more likely to get upset with what is going on behind them rather than what is going on in front of them ??? After all stats tell us that by far and away most of a game is played in the middle third of a ground and this surely weighs the argument in favour of what is happening in that area. Young by the way has played only 3 games with his teamates Theo has played over 100,Should we perhaps allow a little time before we pass judgement??? Cheers jb
j binnie
Guest
Real- I 'll give you full marks for trying. My remark as printed above was """The team is not playing well at the moment but neither are they playing badly""""" and I went on to say they are not that far behind their opponents as the close scores indicate. Why oh why do you split remarks made by someone and then cite the part you have taken and use it to back your view. You have a different opinion from I ,that is your right but please dont misconstrue what I have written.You go on to back your argument with what "might have beens" and who knows you may be correct but I could do the same and say if whoever passed the ball backwards from 20 or so metres out ,drawing his own goalkeeper way out of position would the Austrian have scored his "wonder goal" which actually found the net on the first bounce and if the ball hadn't hit the referee would the second goal have been scored. It's all rather pointless to discus what "might have beens" is it not?. Thank you for mentioning Young's career again though to be honest it is more misleading copy Young went to Reading as an 18 year old playing understudy to international keepers at that club.who played in Division one of the English comp.He left after 3 years as he had only had a few appearances but had been capped by England earning 8 caps at all 3 underage teams. He moved to Wycombe Wanderers after a loan spell at Rushden Diamonsds and played 59 times for those clubs over 5 yrs in Division 2 and then Division 1 when the team won promotion. You will jump on me about the number but he suffered a very bad leg injury that kept him sidelined for many months.He then moved to the team you mention Aldershot and made 124 appearances there over 4 seasons and did not get "relegated" by them the club being "relegated" from Division 2 into non league football due to money inadequaciesI in other words they were broke. By this time,last year, having been doing a university course he now decided he should come back to Australia and last year,made 12 appearances with 3 different non league clubs (no contract needed) simply to keep his hand in. So as you see he made 183 appearances in leagues 1 and 2 and has never played in the fourth division as you attest.and has certainly not "drifted around the Conference" As I have said to you before ,great care should be taken when going into print with what you may think are facts for mis-information is a terrible load to hang around anyone's neck. Now I'll close with another fact. The goalkeeping coach at Roar is one Jason Kearton, a man with vast experience in the English top leagues ( 6 different clubs and over 200 apperances) and I would imagine he would have had not a little input into the procurement of Young as a stand -in keeper for Theo.Jason by the away played for Brisbane Lions in the NSL so it could be said he is a "clubman" from way,way.back. Sorry I still cannot comment on the "rumours" for I don't have a clue what they are,no knowledge,no opinion.. Cheers jb
Laurence Plant
Roar Rookie
Thanks for reading Rob. Basically my comment on the new-look logo was just a quip because the A-League has said team logos can't have any relationship to ethnicity or culture, and the new Lion kinda looks like a Welsh or Gaelic lion to me. You could also argue it links to a Dutch heritage. The point I found interesting is, under the new rules a logo should technically not be allowed link to anything that isn't related to the club's geographical area (in this case Brisbane). It was intended to be humorous rather than a serious comment though. I reckon the defenders at Roar seem rattled, and I just know that your job in defence is that much harder without a confident keeper. Young just looks a bit too tentative for me, and I reckon the Roar defence are second-guessing situations because they aren't 100% sure what their keeper is gonna do. LP