The Roar Deal

Celtic show the Roar how it is done, on and off the field.

30,000 fans in green and white hoops verse seven orange scarfed home supporters. The competition on the field was just as one sided, Celtic too fast, too strong, to clever by half for the shell shocked Roars, most of whom looked as if they had never seen anything like it, and to be fair, they probably hadn’t. As a large Scotsman at the urinal next to me explained “Oon y'r XBOX, Celtic are, like, a 4 star Te-am. Brisbane are, like arf. Arf a star. Shite.” He spat on my boot for emphasis and I meekly agreed.

Who would have dared argue with this huge, noisy army of madmen? I even found myself inadvertently bellowing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. What a spectacle. Who would have dared argue with this huge, noisy army of madmen. I even found myself inadvertently bellowing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. What a spectacle.

At a glance the day was a roaring raging  success for new football, the Roar and their new administration. However after the game, as the victorious green masses march up caxton st complete with full pipe band, a feeling of unease emerges. Below the surface, the very success of this event brings the A-League's failures into sharp focus and raises a couple of glaring questions.

1: Where were the Roar Fans?
Roughly 25,000 of the 30,000 in attendance were there to support Celtic – even accounting for the possibility that many of those fans may also be regular Roar supporters as well – were were the non-Celtic supporting Queensland public? Only a handful of the Roars’ supporters turned up to watch them play their most illustrious opponents even in their short history. The members’ side of the ground was bizarrely empty and given the phenomenal turn out for the Hoops, the total attendance figure must have been disappointing for the organisers. This does not bode well for the “blockbuster” opening round derby vs gold coast. Miron and the Clive Palmer have done a fantastic job at promoting their club through the media but they won’t be bringing 25,000 traveling supporters to Brisbane for the opening round.

2: Where are these all these Celtic fans every second weekend?
Are they all going to sit at home in front of ESPN for another thirty years waiting for Celtic to tour again? The A-League has clearly failed to capture the imagination of these football fanatics. Football in Australia faces stiff competition from the other less accurately named codes,  to be financially viable the A-League must , at the very least, engage those fans who already love the game. New markets in asia and the battle with AFL can wait, first the league must appeal to the converted.

If there are 20,000 - 30,000 Celtic fans in Brisbane, it would safe to bet that there are at least as many rangers fans, 10,000+ Manchester Utd fans, 10,000+ Arsenal fans, 10,000+ Liverpool fans, countless fans of Milan, Inter, Juventus, Barcelona, Madrid, Ajax, Crystal Palace etc etc etc. Why have the Roar and most other A-League clubs, failed to tap into the vast footballing diaspora?  

Compared to Celtic with there European Cups and multi million dollar transfer kitty, the Roar may well be "Shite", but when it comes to live football they are the best thing to hit this town since 1997 when the Strikers one the NSL in front of 40,000. So why the resistance? Is it the unnecessarily ugly strip or the ridiculously childish name? Are tickets too expensive or the games too boring? Is it the inevitably contrived vibe that surrounds the A-League as clubs struggle to forge an identity? Is it the ground announcer who sounds like he stuck in a perpetual audition for a gig on the Price is Right?  Or are Brisbane's footballing public just too rusted on to their existing overseas clubs or local state league teams to care about the Roar?

Gold Coast United vs Fulham 8 July 2009

“Get it up! Get it up arrrhh!! No, no, no! don’t pass it sideways! Get it Up!!” The portly gentleman next to us continued this stream-of-consciousness analysis for the entire game, pausing only to observe with exasperation that Culina “should have been a hairdresser”.  As entertaining as this was, the enjoyment paled in comparison to listening to Gold Coast Utd nauseating theme song over the sound system. Watching large beer swilling Gold Coast fans shrink visibly with embarrassment to the sacerine melodic strains of Eurovision winners Botherhood of Man's "United we Stand" was worth the price of admission alone.

70's gay pride anthems aside, the involvement of the disappointingly sparse 10,000 fans was more 14th green than Kop end and the ground anouncer was a little to the Bernie Fraser side of animated. Polite applause was the highlight of the first half apart from some isolated attempts at “Gold Coast Clap clap clap” and a brief but concerted effort to boo the referee after a blatant penalty shout was refused. After Gold Coast hit the lead the crowd were finally caught up in events and atmosphere over the final ten minutes was jubilant only spoiled by the anemic strains of “United we Stand, Divided we Fall” at the full time whistle.

There are plenty of match summaries floating around the interwebs so I won’t bother going over all that. Basically Fulham looked much the better team in the first half, Murphy scored with a brilliant free kick. Tiered and rearranged, Fulham fell into disarray after half time. Gold Coast attacked wildly, throwing plenty of haymakers but landing nothing. Tahj Minecon injected some much needed pace and penetration upon his half time substitution and in the end Gold Coast deserved their win and could have had a few more but for wasteful finishing.

While the result means little, it would be an ardent Roar fan who refused to be impressed by some of United's payers' performances - So let the record show that we were officially unimpressed.

However, Adama Traore showed great skill and pace going forward and while Zoltan Gera and Bobby Zamora (or Robert Zomoro as the lackluster ground announcer would have it) caused the left back the occasional moment of defensive panic, he wont have to deal with that kind of quality week in week out in the A-League.

Joel Porter and Shane Smeltz provided plenty of evidence to suggest that Tahj Minniecon might be the team's best striker. For his part the greedy,traitorous memercenary ex Roar starlet proved that he can create panic among defenders of any pedigree.  

Michael Thwiate impressed, particularly after moving into midfield from where he made numerous penetrating runs and took a few good shots, even executing a neat Cryuff turn which failed to impress the gallery "Get it UP! Fa #*$%s sake foward!"

Of the other central midfielders, Griffiths was combative, Culina was predictably classy (despite an apparently maddening penchant for passing the ball wide) and after a slow start, in which he appeared to be well behind the pace of the game, dwelling on the ball and getting caught in possesion, Brazilian Robson settled well into a holding role. 

Through gritted teeth, we cant deny that Gold Coast showed enough to convince that they will be a serious force in the coming A-League Season, so long as none of the players are stuck down by 70's pop schmaltz induced paralysis.

Malcolm in the middle?

The bad news that Massimo Murdocca will miss the start of the season has been balanced by the relief that David Dodd is out as well. However, the two injuries have left the center of the Roars' midfield a little light on. It is likely that Tiatto will slot into the midfield, but there is also the possibility that the twin injuries may increase the likely hood of Bob Malcolm signing for the club.

Malcolm came on at half time in the wolves match and really dominated the midfield. As much as TRD would love to see Robbie Kruse stay at the club, the squad's bounty of forwards and scarcity of dominant midfielder and defenders could make Malcolm the more prudent choice, should a decision have to be made between the two.

With Devere and McJosh both strong options to partner Moore at the back, midfield is where Malcolm could strengthen the team most effectively. No title chasing team should be relying on Dodd to anchor midfield. At 24, Dodd should have established himself at senior level by now. If room needs to be made in the squad to allow Kruse to stay and Malcolm to join, then surely Dodd must be the prime candidate to leave. Griffiths, the other player to be too old to be considered an up and comer but not good enough to hold down a first team spot is currently important cover for the defensive line, however the rise of Matt Mundy could have his position also under scrutiny.

Perhaps it is time for Griffin and Dodd to be moved on allowing Mundy and the impressive Luke Brattan step up.

UPDATE: Shortly after publishing this post, I checked the Roar Web page to find that Griffin has vanished from the team profiles page and Matt Mundy has been added. I'm sure he was there last week.  -Should we draw anything from the fact the other player comming off contract, Robbie Kruse, is still listed?

Robbie Kruse: Will he stay or go...

While he impressed in this weekend's trial match against Wolves, Robbie Kruse cut a dejected figure as he trudged to the dressing rooms after being substituted. With his contract ending in days and Farina stating that a decision will be made within the week, there is every possibility that the lonely walk from the bench, around the back of the field to the sheds on the other side, could be the last time we see Kruse in a Roar jersey  (lucky break for the fashion conscious given the imminent introduction of next seasons strip). What a sad way to go out. There was no fanfare, no kids waving autograph books, his feet dragged reluctantly, he avoided looking up from the ground and as he passed reproaching murmurs about night clubs were audible.    

Such an ignominious exit would have been unthinkable when Kruse burst into the side with a spectacular goal on debut half way through the 2007-08 season. The impact the introduction of Kruse and Zullo on either wing changed the momentum of the Roars season and took them to the brink of the minor premiership. 

Lets not forget the immense contribution Kruse made in that season and the potential which was clear for all to see. Kruse is now older, stronger, faster and presumably wiser. There is every chance he can be a better player now than in his break-through season. 

We are hoping to see him turn out against Celtic. The big stage and the quality opposition will give Kruse a chance to prove to Faina, the fans and himself that he is worth keeping. 

Unfortunately for Kruse and the fans the decision may have to be made before he gets the chance to show us.  

Craig Moore noggin master class

This is how you do it kids (that means you DeVere twiddling your thumbs there). From the Woves game on the weekend - Moore, DeVere and Sergio are all free but no one was getting in the captain's way, least of all any defenders, mark up Wolves!  Click to enlarge:

Roar 4 - Wolves 1

 The Roars mounted a come from behind win after the Wolves scored against the run of play shortly before half time. Only heroics from Wolves' keeper Adrian Ghidella  had kept the game scoreless to that point.  The Roar fielded a strong team With Mundy, Moore, Devere and McJosh in defence, Sarota, Nichols and Tiatto in midfield with Van Dijk up front and Kruse and Henrique alternating wings. 

Its comforting to see the 433 being used in preseason after watching Farina persisting with a midfield diamond for half the season last term only to return almost too late to the 433 which had been so successful for the roar in the previous season.  

Its never wise to draw too many conclusions from preseason matches (yep I'm looking at you Fury fans, its going to be ok... really...perhaps), the pitches are substandard (cow paddock today), the players are still regaining match fitness and the coaches are experimenting with lineups and tactics. However there were some interesting selection battles playing out particularly among the fringe squad members.

Lets start with the big one, Robbie Kruse. Having read about his impressive showing in earlier matches we were pleased to see Kruse in the starting line up and he did not disappoint. He appears to have put on some bulk and used his new found strength to bring a more physical approach to his game. Tracking back and holding of challenges, he appears less sulky and tougher (that might just be because he has ditched that head-band arrangement). He and the lively Henrique provided an almost constant threat from wide and were the main creators in the first half. We hope that Kruse can replicate this kind of form on the big stage as he is an entertaining player to watch.

Matt Mundy worked hard at right back bombing forward to link with Kruse at every opportunity. His distribution was a little erratic but his defending and endeavor was first rate. Although Mundy will have his work cut out breaking into the first choice back four, he looks to be the perfect versatile utility defender to provide cover right across the back four and will surely get plenty of chances to shine this season. Mundy brings a strong, all action physical presence to the right flank, the news is not good for Ben Griffin.  

Adam Sarota also covered plenty of ground but still appears a little light wight in the center of midfield. While he was tidy enough here, there must be doubts over his strength and pace at a-league level. 

Bob Malcolm came on shortly before half time for Tiatto (hopefully nothing serious there) and despite our secret wish that he would not, looked every inch exactly the midfield enforcer the Roar require. Early rumors that Malcolm was being considered primarily to partner Moore in central defence were disappointing given Luke Devere's outstanding progress, but here in central midfield Malcolm dominated, tackling well and maintaining possession with clever distribution. 

Isaka Cernak came on in the second half and provided plenty of headaches for the Wolfs wide defenders flitting from wing to wing and showing moments of outrageous athleticism. Expect Cernack to get some game time this season despite the heavy competition from Henrique and Kruse. 

Finally and perhaps most impressively, Luke Brattan came on for the last 15 minutes or so. It was TRD's first glimpse of the lad at senior level level and from his first touch he looked assured and capable. Slotting into a deepish role in central midfield, Brattan kept things very neat and tidy and even sent a series of accurate raking 30 yard passes out to Cernak on the left wing. He did not give the ball away once and played a significant role in the last goal by playing a cool pass to put Charlie Miller through to earn what seemed to be a pretty soft penalty. 

Brattan could be the suprise of the season. With Murdocca injured and Mackay not yet certain to return from China, Brattan's chance may come sooner than anyone expected but the 18 year looks ready for the challenge.  

With just over a month to go and such heavy competition for places, its hard to believe that Farina is clear on what his strongest team is - we certainly have no idea. The Celtic game will provide a tougher test for those on the edge.

Goals: Moore 1, Van Dijk 3.

Scandelroos

So apparently a disgruntled senior socceroo who has been in the squad for ten years has chosen to send an anonymous email spilling the beans on the off-field antics of the socceroos. None of the current team made their debut in 1999 and apart from Schwartzer who is mentioned in the email, only Neil, Kewel and Chipperfield have been in the roos for more than 10 years (not Sterjovski as I wrote to the Tele below before checking wiki).

For some reason this anonymous player, who we can only assume must be Kewel or Chipperfield as it is a criticism of team leadership which implicates the Captain Neil, chose to send this email two a rugby league blogger notorious for his anti football stance which is well documented by Mike at The Football Tragic.  Are we to believe that in the best interests of the game a concerned Socceroo has chosen to confide in The Daily Telle's Phil "Its not football" Rothfield and Rebecca "socca is for girls" Wilson?

Or is it possible that the email is from a Football hater who did not realise that it would be very rare for a player to be in the soceroos for ten years and also did not realise that while they only became aware of football with the 2006 world cup, it probably did not actually turnthe socceroos into "big-time charlies".

The Telle claim the email was confirmed by a phone call. I would want more proof than that before I published these kind of allegations. Especially when should they be true the list of possible anonymous whistle blowers is very short. 

We sent this comment to Phil and Wilson this morning, but wont hold our breath for a response, or even publication.  

"Seems very unlikely to me that a Socceroo would choose Rebecca and Phil to confide in. No offence intended, but there is no shortage of dedicated Soccer Journos who have a proud record of criticising the national set up and the FFA. 

If a socceroo who had been in the national team for ten years had really written this, it is unlikely that they would have mentioned that fact, as so few players have achieved that feat. Of the current squad, none have been in the socceroos as long as Shwartzer and only Kewel, Chipperfield and Stirjiovski have been in the team for 10 years.

Also the idea that the lads have started feeling like "Big-time Charlies" and that it has got worse since the world cup sounds like an assumption that would be made by a non-football person. The world cup did not turn these players into big stars, European football did. The media and fan attention they get playing for their european clubs would be much more likely to go to their head than the vaguely increased profile of the socceroos in australia since 2006.

Also seems odd that the email has no salutation or request for anonymity. I think we should take this anonymous email with a pinch of salt."    

Cant resist... 4-0 :)

So its only a pre-season friendly, but TRD recons these state derbys are already heaps of fun! The Roars "thrash" (in the words of the official BR website) Fury 4-0. We have no idea who fury had on the park, it could have been their youth team for all we know, but a win is a win. Cant resist quoting from Fury blog The Journal:

"Despite his squad being depleted by injury & player unavailability Ian Ferguson expects his troops to make a strong statement in tonight’s match against Qld counterparts Brisbane Roar..."

Woops...

Oh Well, to be fair its early days. Fury will have key players on deck for the season proper and God on their side, literally.

Kruse ready to revive his career?

After what was by all accounts another stand out performance in the Roar's 4-0 win over the Sunshine Coast, Robbie Kruse looks set to make a genuine push for first team selection this season.

Even more encouraging is the dominant win after losing the corresponding fixture last season 1-0. Stability might be the key this season however TRD still harbors doubts about the ability of Tim Smitts and David Dodd at A-League level.

As for Kruse, we know he can do it, it is more a question of whether he will? Another good show against Peninsula tonight will have the critics wondering.

Edit: Ok so that did not go so well. What was by the sound of things a young Roar downed one nil by Peninsula, however the Official web page is once again talking up Kruse's contribution.

Overcrowding

Two games in and after a worryingly even sounding game against Redlands City Devils the Roars have regrouped to record a much more comfortable win over Brisbane Olympic. Those who made it to the games seem most excited about the emergence of snack sized Brazilian winger Henrique and the reemergence of Robbie "Boom Boom" Kruse. The form of these two right sided winger/strikers has the potential to create a selection headache for Frank Farina, and a bigger head ache for right sided winger/striker Reindaldo as he returns form injury. Meanwhile Isaac Cernak and Adam Sarota may well OD on panadole before the season gets underway.

A similar dilemma occurs in the attacking midfield position with Cernak is again relegated behind the inspirational Charlie Miller and the inspired Mitch Nichols. Both of whom would surely be automatic picks in most A-League sides. The prospect of having to leave one of these crowd favorites on the bench after their duel heroics last season may tempt Farina to push Nichols wide compounding the overcrowding on the right wing.

Nichols is a star in the centre of the pitch but is wasted on the wing, particularly if it would keep Henrique, Reinaldo and Kruse on the bench. Move further back and the Midfield options begin to look worryingly thin. With loss of Seo, one would assume that packer will move to the right side of defense and Tiatto will spend most of the season in his natural left fullback position. This leaves David Dodd struggling to fit into a large Tiatto shaped hole in front of the back four. Don't panic.