Coach John Aloisi has rejected a suggestion from Phoenix counterpart Mark Rudan that the ageing Brisbane playing roster can be exposed in the A-League.
John Aloisi admits he’s a man under pressure but he won’t hear talk that his Brisbane Roar players’ advancing years is their biggest frailty in the A-League.
Fourth-term coach Aloisi wants his players to take their minds off a four-match losing streak, try to enjoy Christmas and emerge fighting fit for next week’s trip to Sydney FC.
Languishing in ninth place after a dispiriting 4-1 loss to the Phoenix in Wellington on Saturday, Aloisi conceded Brisbane’s supporters have every right to start applying heat.
“The pressure is the pressure that I put on myself,” he said.
“I’m disappointed, of course I am. And as a head coach, you have to always take responsibility and I do.
“But at the moment, we just have to take the emotion out of the game, out of the way we’re feeling, because everyone’s feeling down.”
Injuries are adding to Aloisi’s headaches, with wingers Tobias Mikkelson (hamstring) and Henrique (knee) both replaced in the second half.
The pair were among six Roar starting players aged 32 or over, a point Phoenix coach Mark Rudan made to his team when the scores were locked 1-1 at halftime.
“They’re an ageing squad with a lot of players over the age of 30 and I knew that we could run them ragged,” Rudan said after his team notched three goals in the last 15 minutes.
Aloisi rejected the notion his team are too old, pointing out four of his players were aged 22 or under.
Countering that, three of those four were substitutes, with 19-year-old defender Dane Ingham the only player aged under 25 to start.
“I don’t think that was the issue,” a grim-faced Aloisi said.
Eric Bautheac, 31, was suspended while fellow-attacking spark Stefan Mauk’s absence with a groin problem was keenly felt.
“(Mauk) is a major signing for us. We need him out there, we want him out there but at the moment he wasn’t up to playing.
“Then it doesn’t help when you have to bring a couple of players off who were actually causing Wellington issues.”
Brisbane’s defeat was just their seventh in 34 meetings with the Phoenix and was the first time they’ve conceded four goals.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Funny game. They absolutely monstered Victory in that first half. Funnily enough, just like the senior team this season (and last) they’ve struggled to put chances away until Sunday.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
"When you blame others, you give up your power to change. - Robert Anthony - BrainyQuote." Learnt.
Sticks
Roar Rookie
And how good are the youth team 6-0 up at half time!
Waz
Roar Rookie
You’d need to pull data from the HALs injury report. In previous reports there is no coloration between age and injury, the trend was for an increase in injuries amongst younger players - particularly ACLs.
Waz
Roar Rookie
That unfortunately seems to be the consensus amongst the vast majority of fans. There’s no suggestion he’s lost the dressing room but he’s lost the fans it seems.
Waz
Roar Rookie
All good Jim, I agree the health of the club will be measured by the senior men’s team. Just replying to the comment “before it spreads” that’s all. There’s been plenty of debate amongst supporters, most of it as per usual emotive and sadly personal, and it is evident a circuit breaker is needed. We have a coaching issue, as we did last season which was masked by numerous excuses such as “interrupted preseason” which at the time I remembered the old adage “when you blame others, you give up your power to change” Aloisi’s coaching hasn’t changed as a result, and this season, with no excuses to hide behind, he has nowhere to turn and his frustration seems to have turned into team frustration with some shocking discipline including Wenzel-Halls attempt to recreate the matrix on Saturday. The normal way to fix it is to change out the coach, but the availability of professional coaches is wafer thin in Australia, I hear calls for xyz coach to be given a go from the NPL but there’s huge risk with that. It’s sad because we do need Australian coaches to succeed, Aloisi included, but how long do they get ?? Finally, if further proof were needed, I watched DeVere put in an excellent 90 minutes at Lions Stadium yesterday playing for the NYL team in a 6-0 thumping of Victory. When a coach banishes a player like that, there are serious issues in the football department. My guess would be Aloisi is getting put through the ringer this week and a decision on his future made after the Sydney game. The result of which is largely irrelevant unless his team gets pumped, in which case he’s gone.
paul81
Roar Rookie
On the subject of age and injuries, i've noticed the amount of injuries escalating in recent times right across the league. What's causing this ? Are our playing surfaces too hard on the body ? Is it poor preparation ? The club medics do a wonderful job getting players back on the park as soon as they do , but it leaves me in a quandary as to the rapid wear and tear on players.
jbinnie
Guest
Waz - Unfortunately what you say may be a good point but just as unfortunately in our society today, judgement is usually made on the body that is seen by the majority to be the top performer representing that body. In this case that is the HAL team of the franchise Brisbane Roar. During this game I had 2 phone calls from former players to have a discussion as to what Roar were doing on the field. The outcome of those discussions was that none of us were too sure of what the team was trying to achieve. You can imagine how we felt when after the game, still tuned into the station, the Fox commentator, Kosmina, expounded exactly the same thoughts,he, an experienced player and coach,could not work out what the Roar team were trying to do. Now if it was that obvious to 4 people scattered all around the country, surely it is time questions were being asked. For an example it was almost impossible to work out what position Matt Mackay, the captain,was playing, and his "roaming " seemed to rub off on more than a few of his team-mates,only adding to the apparent confusion going on all around the field. As a dyed in the wool fan my thoughts are with you. Cheers jb.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Nail. Head.
Chopper
Guest
Waz there is dire strife at the Roar and the only way to fix it is a clear out of the Aloisi's. There is no passion in the team, no clear plan and no tactics other than playing a lone striker and fail to feed him.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Well it hasn’t spread: * W-League joint top and defending Premiers. * NYL clear at the top. * NPLW - Champions. There’s just the small matter of the men’s first team.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Could have played Luke DeVere, 29. Watched him put in a full 90 minutes in the NYL today. But hey, just once... you fall out with an Aloisi just ONCE
Tezza
Guest
In any other league in the world Aloisi would have been sacked 3 weeks ago, why is it ok for him to still be in charge in our league.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Why take a not good enough player back?
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Oar is over rated. That is why i did not include him. He probably left because of too high his salary, not because of JA's poor coaching and management. Maccarone was at the fringe of retiring. So, there was no point for any A-league club to sign him. Solorzano was not as good when he was older. So, he was omitted in my consideration. Kaluderovic, agg..... may be maybe. Hervas, not good enough. Brattan had left already when JA took over. I have just double checked. Danning, Jackson, Sarota and Ploenz, they are not impressively good to entered into the list of players possibly left because of poor coaching and management of JA. Basically, I meant JA had succeeded a very good squad. Then after poor coaching and management, the good enough to be re-signed young players had left.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
You can take Jackson back to Brisbane please
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Ccm v jets 30 minutes into the game This is a woeful standard of football Brisbane Roar cannot be worse then what I’m watching atm
invicta
Roar Rookie
Regarding recruitment and player retention under aloisi. I don t completely agree with good players leaving. Maclaren and borrello left for overseas which is a selling point for John to attract taggart and mauk here. He has recruited some pretty good players: Corona, Lopez, Taggart, Kristensen (held on for too long) Bautheac The only players that he would regret would be petratos and donachie. Most others have done poorly elsewhere: clut plays nsl after being dropped by Newcastle, kostan...... rarely plays for Adelaide I think that his problems are to do with a lack of flexibilty and having a style that anybody can fit into. He has put too much reliance on holman. This cost him petratos. He under appreciates the need for fitness the a league. In his first two seasons he had borrello, petratos and maclaren who were super athletes that greatly helped defend from the front and won games late. Mauk was brought in for his work rate but has been injured, exposing the older, slower Lopez, McKay and Kristensen. Last season Kristensen was out and there was no replacement. Kurz would be a good example for aloisi. He has young, fit players without the reliance on one person. Isias is the key but is rarely out.
jbinnie
Guest
Cool - You could have added -Oar. Maccarone,Hervas,Solorzano,Kaluderovic,Brattan,Danning, Jackson,Sarota and Polenz. That's close to another team. Cheers jb.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Who are the good players who has moved out from Brisbane Roar to another good club after JA has taken the rein? Apart form those moving onto retirement or a semi-professional club, the good players are: Devante Clut Steven Lustica James Donachie Henrique (transfer back later) Corona Demitri Petratos Brandon Borrello Maclaren Nathan Konstandopoulos Corey Brown Ivan Franjic Rahmat Akbari Even if Maclaren (who asked for big salary) is not included, the above players can form a good team which any A-league coach are please to take over.