Coach John Aloisi likes what he’s seeing from his Brisbane Roar side but he’s frustrated about their slow starts in the A-League.
Three rounds into the A-League season and the Brisbane Roar have just two points with coach John Aloisi feeling they are playing well but starting too slowly.
Brisbane opened the season with draws with Central Coast and Wellington ahead of Saturday night’s trip to Perth.
Aloisi was confident of a strong showing against Glory but that went out the window when the home team created a host of chances in the opening 20 minutes with Andy Keogh eventually converting.
The Roar played well the rest of the evening but did concede an own goal in the 63rd minute and only got on the board themselves with a penalty to Adam Taggart in the 83rd.
That leaves Brisbane with just two points from three games but once they settle into a game, Aloisi is content with much of what his team is doing even if they’ve just scored two goals.
The sluggish starts is where his frustration lies.
“We need to get into the game straight away. That’s what disappoints me. We worked on how we could stop them playing out and how we could press them but the first goal we concede we’re pressing,” Aloisi said.
“They go long and we get caught out, it just wasn’t good enough. We have to get better. We show in the first three games that we’re a good footballing team but you can’t give the opposition that time and space.
“We just have to make sure we are on from the start, I think that’s the easiest thing to do. We have to put the opposition on the back foot straight away, don’t let them do it to you.”
Compounding Aloisi’s disappointment of Saturday night’s 2-1 loss in Perth was the missed opportunities in the first two rounds. But he’s looking forward to the challenge of the Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday in what he deems virtually neutral turf of Mudgee’s Glen Willow Sporting Field.
“We should have had six points from the first two games, we know that, so we’re not a bad side. It’s just that it disappoints me that we started so bad, that’s why I’m angry,” Aloisi said.
“I’ve already got thoughts on the Wanderers. We know that it’s not going to be an easy game but we need to recover well and make sure that we are ready for that game in Mudgee.
“It’s a different place that we’re going to but it’s going to be the same for them, they have never played there before. We need to go there and put in a performance that’s going to get us the three points.”
Chopper
Guest
I don't think Aloisi can get the players playing for him. A manager Coach should inspire his team and drive them on to better things. It certainly is not happening at the Roar. Even his choice of captain (when McKay is not playing) is uninspiring. Hingert has slowly lost any of his defensive attributes with Perth scoring after left side dominance.
jbinnie
Guest
Lionheart - As a dyed in the wool Roar supporter you have to ask yourself a question,do you want a side with championship winning credibility ,or do you want a side to be used as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.??? Let's look at the best team in the comp. at the moment,Sydney FC, and ask the question, "From where was this team assembled?" Most,if not all the "local" content, were procured from other HAL teams and added to some shrewd importation from overseas, a very strong squad has been put together despite having lost some class players,3 foreign international class in Bobo,Adrian and Buis., and a promoted,but nevertheless ,new, coach. When you do this analysis you are faced with more and more questions based on "What has happened at Roar"???? Cheers jb.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
When I saw Henrique and McKay listed to start in Perth I thought, uh oh. These guys are now subs at best, not starters, although I give Matty McKay much credit for being a great on-field organizer and captain. Someone else has to step up to this role, and quick. This season aside, I am concerned that we don't have a young developing captain in our ranks. We've released many of our good young players (Jackson, Champness, Rowles, Akbahri dear me, to name some), locals among whom there was surely a future club captain. If not them, the generation before, but we've released most of them too. I thought Joe Caletti would develop in this role but he's not even been on the bench this season. I suspect he'll move on next. I hope we've got some good kids in the academy teams.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
The lining up is surprising. According the Channel 505 Fox Sport it was 4-4-2, despite the A-league web-page's 4-2-3-1 Taggart, Henrique Mckay, Lopez, Kistensen, Bautheac O'Toole, Papa, Pepper, Hingert Anyhow, the mid field lining up is too old. Kistensen and MaKay are both 35. At this age, many have retired. They can't defend. As seen on the first match of this season, number 13 and 14 (Mauk and Lopez) were very fast. Has Mauk got injured? Why play Henrique at the start? Henrique is good. However, his best use is to be a super substitute. His physicality is the limitation. If he is substituted in at the last 15 to 20 minutes of a match, he can out run or jump perhaps some tired opponents. Why started him? He is 33. The starting lining up is a bit old. Many fans know that Henrique should be a super substitute for years. Taggart and Henrique to play double spear? Consider: Taggart Mikkelsen, Mauk, Bautheac Lopez, Pepper, O'Toole, Papa, Devere, Hingert Aloisi should be asked to justify his position come mid-season? Should be justified now actually. There are many good players in the squad. Actually, a rotation policy can be in use too. Think of those not in the lining up as considered above, there are Bowles, Kristensen, Holman, Mckay, Henrique and D'Agostino. Apart from the goalie, there are 6 good players for spare use. After 70 minutes, if there is no need for defender change, the above to be considered formation should become: (Holman) (Henrique), Mauk, (D'Agostino) Lopez, Pepper, O'Toole, Papa, Devere, Hingert Should there be any need for defender change, Mckay or Kristensen can fill Pepper's position and Pepper moves to the full back position. Aloisi should justify his position come mid-season? Justify now!
jbinnie
Guest
Stu -Re. the reported statement from JA that he would like the team to "start faster". If that's all that he sees the Roar as needing,then the problem facing the club is much,much worse than it would appear. In the opening 3 games of the season it has been obvious that Roar,as a team, are extremely vulnerable to flank runners,who are being given oodles of room into which to "invade" and when analysing the goals being scored, invariably the action starts out wide. Goalkeeper Young and the centre back combination are finding themselves under growing pressure from fast moving forwards and with Pepper playing an unusual ,for him, role, this pressure is not going to go away soon. At the other end of the park the "goals for" column after 270 minutes of football speaks for itself. Two goals,one a penalty, is a very poor return for a team that "should have had 6 points from 2 games" as quoted by JA. Missed chances don't win games and failure to shut down wide spaces is not a recipe for success and it is those two areas that have to be improved ,and improved quickly. Cheers jb.
stu
Guest
It looks like the middle third is the only area of the park the roar do reasonably well. Aloisi just can't make it happen in the final third, and his brother can't do in defence. No challenge whatsoever on the first Perth goal last night. Time has proven that Aloisi should be asked to justify his position come mid-season.