Corica still keen on top spot despite slip

Corica will be struggling to say in the top four with the ACL. Brilliante has become a lay about, the biggest problem Sydney have. De Silva movement was keeping Sydney going and he got taken off. Ninkovic his habit of stopping when tugged and gifting the opposition the ball and a big break away opportunity is really stupid, but how the ref gave a free kick was beyond the rules. Brisbane could have been contenders if they played the right players and most importantly got rid of their lay about Taggart. The amazing thing is Henrique and his new lease of life, having to do the pressuring while Taggart walks around. Brisbane could really be a handful with everyone pressing high and causing turnovers, at the moment when they do it with Taggart stationary, someone goes forward to do his job and it leaves a gap elsewhere.

“Da Silva plays the play maker role like he thinks he is Messi,taking on man after man while his striking mates wait for the “killer ball” that never comes.” Never heard a truer word JB.

If you had to pick the Roar team for next week would you play the eleven that finished this game? Some of them. Has Darren Davies got a lot of choices? No! ............................................................White (no choice).................................................................................... Nigro (any better choice)...Bowles (any better choice)...Pepper(any better choice)...Powel(any better choice) ..........Bautheac.........................(xxxxx).........................Mckay..........................Henrique............................ .................................Adam Taggrt.......................................Wenzel-Halls............................... That midfield (xxxxx) is to be filled. But Joe Caletti is not my choice as he has yet performed one great moment. Comparing with Daniel De Silva, he is at least one class lower. If Ingram is available, where would he go? DeVere, better not selected as he must have long term injuries. Kristensen cannot defend well. The injury list is long: Holman, Mauk, Hingert and O'Toole. Just don't understand why Mikkelsen has become a super substitute instead of Henrique as Mikkelsen has scored twice late in the last 3 matches. So, he is on the substitution list. When I type this list, I think who are available. They are Tongyik, Lokolingoy, Ingham, D'Agostino, Reardon... However, are those new comers got enough match fitness? Subs: Mikkelsen, attacker Macklin Freke, goal keeper Tongyik, defender Lokolingoy, or D'Agostino, attacker Reardon, defender After considering the above, the coach has an easy job as he has not got a lot of choices. Anyhow, the midfield vacancy left out by Lopez is important and critical as that is a very important position to defend Glory's attack. Would Davies put Ingham there? G's... that is crazy. That is the position that Davies has to show his talent.

Don't know if its half the side but I'd say we're about 15-20% down from last year which is still pretty massive (in particular we haven't replaced Adrian but that was always going to be an almighty task). Its been enough to still get us more wins than losses but not enough to win the Plate. And I wouldn't back us to win the toilet seat against either Perth or Melbourne Victory who have shown more consistency this year. A loss like friday has been coming for a while.

Waz - despite recent results there have been spells,albeit short, of this lot of Roar players managing to put together flashes of real good football. Now if only they could settle down to a side and re-produce that form for much longer spells they could be more than a threat to some of the "trophy chasers". All is not lost. Cheers jb.

As I said, you’ve got a really good point. You’re just getting tied up on stats. JA (imo) made a deliberate choice to go for senior players over youth after that 4-5 Finals loss when WSW had no outfield players under 26 and Tiar has 5 or 6.

Correction: Mistake again. Theo (28) Franjic (22), Smith (27), Susak (26), Stefanutto (30) Paartatu (23), Mckay (27), Nichols (20) Barbarouses (19), Solorzano (22), Broich(29) Average age was = 24.8 Apology

Okay, compare 11 with 11. The starting team of Brisbane Roar in 2010 to 2011 according to wikipedia is: Theo (28) Franjic (22), Smith (27), Susak (26), Stefanutto (30) Paartatu (23), Mckay (27) Barbarouses (19), Solorzano (22), Broich(29) So, the average of the usual starting XI of Brisbane Roar in 2010 to 2011 is = 253/11 = 23 I have just found out. Funny! The average squad age of Brisbane Roar 2010 to 2011 = 23.05 while the average age of the usual lining up of the same season is 23. What a coincidence!

Look, I think you’ve got a fair point to make but your analysis is flawed. First you get some of the ages wrong and secondly you are comparing the team last night (11 players) with the 20 squad members ... either do 11v11 or 20v20

(26+22+26+31+25+36+21+33+16+20+32)/11 = 26.18 That means a 3 years difference of age comparing the invincible squad of Brisbane Roar with last night's team's average age.

You’re slightly out on some of the ages there: White is 26 (not 28) Nigro is 22 (not 27) Pepper is 26 (not 30) Lopez is 31 (not 22) Taggart is 25 Matt Mckay is 36 Wenzel-Halls is 21 (not 26) Henrique is 33 Powell is 16 (not 17) Caletti is 20 Mikkelsen is 32 Which I think is an average of 24.2 It’s a fair point your making but maybe a better comparison would be to a John Aloisi side?

The invincible squad of Brisbane Roar in 2010 to 2011 had an average of 23.05. Theo 28 Matt Smith 27 Stefanutto 30 Franjic 22 Paartalu 23 Barbarouses 19 Murdocca 25 Solorzano 22 Henrique 24 Matt Mundy 22 Visconte 19 Matt Mckay 27 Daniel Bowles 18 Mitch Nichols 20 Luke Brattan 19 Chris Bush 17 Andrew Redmayne 21 James Meyer 23 Thomas Broich 29 Milan Susak 26 23.05 Ange Postecoglou adopted a very young squad as he knew about the salary cap. Simply, he got the players to use a high pressing tactic. That meant also fast and energetic. Whenever the ball was lost, the closest player moved up to guard and press. Simple! That wore out many teams and Brisbane Roar used to win in the last 15 minutes. However, JA wanted the salary cap removed https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/john-aloisi-calls-for-aleague-salary-cap-to-be-scrapped/news-story/eda9cb62d9dcef95b6e2890d5ab631e9 That was the catalyst of his failure as he had already been alleged of having the liking of recruiting and playing experienced players. Salary cap favours big and rich clubs. However, it is said to be a restriction to ACL success. Okay, maybe, rich clubs can hire players just for the ACL competitions. WSW did. Should the salary cap be scrapped, it is possible that A-league would be like the SPL in which only two teams are competitive. Whatever, the 2010-11 Brisbane Roar is history and milestone. The average age is just 23.05. With that, it yester night’s winning team very young? White 28 Nigro 27 Pepper 30 Lopez 22 Taggart 25 Matt Mckay 36 Wenzel-Halls 26 Henrique 33 Powell 17 Caletti 20 Mikkelsen 32 Average = 26.90, around 27. Mathematics does not lie, only the interpretation may. There is a 4 (four) years difference. That is to say that yester night’s winning team is not very young. Just some individual players are. Darren Davies was forced by the unavailability to play young players or not? Difficult to say, buy he has changed the formation a lot to find a better one, 3-4-3 to 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2. In his 3-4-3, he played two more defenders (Ingham and Nigro) in the left and right flank of midfield. The guess is simple. He wanted to plug the easy leak of goals. Then, he tried 4-4-2 in which there were 4 attackers. When the midfield flank players moved up, it was like a popular 4-2-4 formation in the 1970s. Those 4 attackers are Henrique, Adam Taggrt, Wenzel-Halls and Bautheac. In this formation, the two forwards are not fed by long high balls (as usual in the first division of England long time ago). Four attackers? If win, praised. If lose, criticized. Three goals up but lost 3-4 to Adelaide United. Heartbreaking! The balance of attack and defence remained problematic. However, the same attacking 4-4-2 led Brisbane Roar to a win last night. Somehow, he has been trying, trying to find a good formation. No one would believe Brisbane Roar would win last night, excepting the ghosts of Lang Park and God. Of course, Darren Davies was included. That was why he prepared to announce that he is not interested to apply for the Brisbane Roar’s new coaching position in the post-match interview. That is understandable as he anticipated 9 matches without a win. But now, he has won one out of 9, same as JA did in this season. Can Davies win another 4 to equal Postecoglou’s 5 in the 2009 to 2010 season after taking over a team? If Davies does, it is incredible as that means winning 4 out of 9 matches later.

Agree. And although not a fan of Arnie the man we can see the hard work he put in as a coach.

Sydney not half the side that they were last 2 years, Sydney are nowhere near Melbourne Victory or Perth Glory performance wise this year.

Well put jb, and this type of game is why I’ve been in love with football all my life. Quality wise there’s nothing to write home about but as a basic football match it has much to commend it, even in its ugliness. The fact Roars left back got home from school less than three hours before kick off only adds to that.

Waz - This wasn't a game in the true sense of the word, it was a story Hans Christian Anderson would have given top billing in his book of fairy tales. Lets be objective. After 20 minutes, 2 of the Roar's first choice players were removed from the scene to be replaced by a bench warmer (in recent weeks) and a kid still at school. The diminutive (in size) Matt Mackay moved to a position he has never played in a long career and surprise surprise,nullified the League's leading scorer and a World Cup standard new signing. Add to all this "mayhem" a top class performance from a kid making his debut in goal and the thinkers mind starts to wonder, You may question this word "wonder" but can I pose you a question,if you had to pick the Roar team for next week would you play the eleven that finished this game??? (minus the Spaniard who is suspended)????? The opposition??? League champions last season. Not this team. Nincovic has gone off the boil as a play maker and Da Silva plays the play maker role like he thinks he is Messi,taking on man after man while his striking mates wait for the "killer ball" that never comes. Corsica has a problem ,he has too many riches and the players are showing that they think they are still "champions". This result, if used properly, will,or should, put a banger up their backsides,but if it doesn't?????,they'll continue to struggle. Cheers jb.

It was a good game, Roar are 3-4 players away from being a good side but that’s next seasons problem meanwhile it’s good to see the kids getting a run. I hate to say it but DeVere going off was a bonus, Sydney would have murdered him and us, had he stayed on.

This was a very enjoyable game for Roar fans. The youngsters bring an energy and confidence that really lifts everyone. I think Steve Corica should have at least given a nod to Roar, rather than blame his own team. They just never gave up.