On The Attack | Brisbane Roar fans deserve better than current farce
Who can blame Brisbane Roar fans for walking away from the club after farcical scenes involving CEO Kaz Patafta? See the latest A-League news in On The Attack with ROBBIE SLATER and MARCO MONTEVERDE.
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Socceroos great ROBBIE SLATER and MARCO MONTEVERDE discuss the latest from the farcical Brisbane Roar, Sydney FC’s injury woes, some rare good news for the A-League and more, in On The Attack.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Long-suffering Brisbane Roar fans deserve better than what the club’s chief executive officer Kaz Patafta dished up this week.
Patafta’s insistence that it wasn’t a time for “panic or change” at the Roar, the worst team in the A-League, was farcical.
On and off the field, the Roar – once the pride of the A-League – have become almost irrelevant. And that’s a crying shame for the club’s fan base, which is dwindling.
And who can blame some supporters for walking away from a club which seems to lack direction.
That’s the problem when teams can’t be relegated from the A-League.
Clubs like Brisbane settle for mediocrity, or worse, on and off the field because they know that they will still be in the competition the following season.
Roar owners the Bakrie Group will continue to provide just enough money for Brisbane to survive, rather than prosper.
The Australian Professional Leagues, which has its own financial issues, isn’t in a position to demand the Roar improve their standards because they can’t afford for the Bakries to walk away and then be left having to fund another club.
It therefore means that Brisbane fans are in a “like it or lump it” situation.
And the fact that there are more and more seem willing to take the latter option is a huge concern.
Patafta’s defence of coach Ruben Zadkovich cannot be justified. As positive as Zadkovich seems when addressing the media, and as much as he says that he is up for the fight, the stats don’t lie.
Since Zadkovich took over as head coach of Brisbane 11 months ago, the Roar have won only three times in 22 matches in all competitions.
In his 36 A-League games in charge of Perth before parting ways with the Glory at the end of the 2022-23 season, Zadkovich oversaw 18 losses, 10 draws and just eight wins.
The numbers paint a grim picture.
The fact that Patafta finally broke his silence and declared his support for the embattled coach should also be a concern for Zadkovich as we’ve often seen coaches part ways with a club after being publicly backed.
As hard as it is for any coach to succeed at the Roar such is the shoestring budget the club provides, it can be done.
Ross Aloisi, who was extremely popular with the players, showed that in his short time at the club.
There is also every chance Aloisi would have stayed – rather than take on an assistant coaching role in China – had he felt he had genuine support.
There are plenty of coaches – including the likes of Besart Berisha, Scott McDonald, Matt Smith, Stuart McLaren and Karl Dodd – who would love the chance to take over the Roar.
Things can’t get any worse for the club, but they can slowly get better, so it’s time for a coaching change before it’s too late.
COST-LY ABSENCE
It’s just the news Sydney FC, and the A-League, didn’t need – Sky Blues marquee man Douglas Costa will be sidelined for at least six weeks with another hamstring injury.
The former Juventus and Bayern Munich star was just finding top form after being hampered by a hamstring problem earlier in the season.
However, the Brazilian winger is now set for another extended spell on the sidelines after being forced off in Sydney’s 3-0 win over Melbourne Victory last Saturday night at Allianz Stadium.
“Not good,” Sydney coach Ufuk Talay said on Thursday when confirming that Costa would be out for six to eight weeks.
“He was enjoying himself. He had a really good first half against Melbourne Victory.”
And Australia’s football fraternity was “enjoying” watching Costa.
He’s a genuine drawcard, and the A-League needs as many of them as possible at the moment.
MATA’S MISSION
There was better news for the A-League’s other prized off-season recruit, Juan Mata – at least on a personal note – when he not only started for Western Sydney on Wednesday, but also scored.
While the Wanderers ended up losing 3-2 to Macarthur FC, it was encouraging to see former Manchester United and Chelsea star Mata be given the chance to make a more significant contribution after being largely reduced to second-half cameos in his maiden A-League season.
Whether Mata did enough to convince Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic that he should start in every match is unknown, but his professionalism and passion is clear for all to see.
“Every player wants to play, but I’m trying to help when I don’t play also,” the Spanish veteran told Network 10.
“I try to be an example. The older players in the team, we try to be an example for the younger players.
“I came here to try to give as much as I can – on and off the pitch – to the club, to the league, (and) to everyone who loves this sport as much as I do.”
DAVEY DESERVES BETTER
Let’s hope we haven’t seen the last of Glory attacker David Williams following confirmation that the popular veteran has suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee.
Williams turns 37 next month and it’s a long way back for someone in the twilight of their career who is facing up to a year on the sidelines.
A prodigious talent who was identified at a young age, Williams should have made more than just two Socceroos appearances.
He deserves a better farewell than the one he potentially had last Friday night when he was stretchered off HBF Park after injuring his knee.
One thing is for certain – Williams won’t give up without a fight.
Hopefully the Glory stick by him because it’s the very least that the former Roar, North Queensland Fury, Melbourne City, Wellington Phoenix, Brondby (Denmark), Haladas (Hungary) and Mohun Bagan (India) forward deserves.
Similar well wishes go out to Dylan Scicluna (Western Sydney) and Ben Warland (Brisbane), who have suffered similar season-ending ACL injuries in the past two weeks.
Midfielder Scicluna had been in good form for the Wanderers, while defender Warland was doing his best in a struggling Roar team after moving to Queensland in the off-season.
Originally published as On The Attack | Brisbane Roar fans deserve better than current farce
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