Embattled Brisbane Roar A-League coach Ruben Zadkovich accused of time wasting tactics in draw with Western Sydney Wanderers
Embattled Brisbane A-League coach Ruben Zadkovich has been accused of time wasting tactics in the club’s draw with Western Sydney while a certain game-style is costing another team. ROBBIE SLATER and MARCO MONTEVERDE dive in to The Tackle.
Embattled Brisbane A-League coach Ruben Zadkovich has been accused of time wasting tactics in the club’s draw with Western Sydney while a certain game-style is costing another team. ROBBIE SLATER and MARCO MONTEVERDE dive in to The Tackle.
A matter of time
Desperate times might call for desperate measures, but there has been plenty of speculation in football circles about Brisbane Roar’s tactics at Commbank Stadium on Saturday night.
Embattled Roar coach Ruben Zadkovich has been thrust into the spotlight with allegations of time wasting tactics, including an interaction with goalkeeper Macklin Freke, where the coach was seen pointing to his watch, then down to ground and then the back of his leg, appearing to encourage the injured player to ask for medical treatment.
Zadkovich is a man under pressure, having coached the club to only three wins in 20 matches in all competitions since taking charge in February.
However, concerns raised about what happened in the dying stages of the Roar’s 2-2 draw with the Western Sydney Wanderers will only amplify the scrutiny on Brisbane.
And it wasn’t the only occasion of Brisbane allegedly adopting time-wasting and delaying tactics.
There was a sense among many watching the game that such tactics were being used for most of the second half, which if correct, would have been extremely negative from a side desperate for victory.
Let’s not forget that the Roar haven’t won a game this season, so you would think that with scores locked at 2-2 at the start of the second-half, they would consider themselves a good chance to win against a Wanderers side that is hardly an A-League force.
However, Brisbane showed next to no intent after halftime, happy to settle for a point in a game that they actually could have won.
At a time when the A-League can’t afford to lose any more fans – just look at the miserable weekend attendances – Saturday night’s alleged antics were a poor advertisement for the competition and the sport.
The Roar, once the pride of the competition, similarly aren’t in a position to lose support, but judging by the reaction of a lot of Brisbane fans to the play in that game, many of them won’t be back.
And any hope the Roar or the A-League had of attracting new fans have been severely dented by Saturday night’s disgraceful second half.
Not surprisingly, such is the Roar’s tendency not to comment on things that put the club in a bad light, there was radio silence from Brisbane officials on Sunday when contacted by The Tackle.
The Australian Professional Leagues, which runs the A-League, also had nothing to say apart from handballing the matter to Football Australia as it was up to referee Daniel Elder to look out for time wasting.
And while Elder perhaps could have been more stern in his handling of the matter, he’s not to blame for what teams do on the pitch.
Susceptible Sydney
Ufuk Talay is a bit like Ange Postecoglou in that he’s not going to change the style his team plays,
However, Talay’s determination to constantly press and attack is contributing to Sydney FC’s inadequate start to the A-League season.
With the squad Talay assembled in the off-season, the Sky Blues were widely predicted to win the title.
Yet, the Sydneysiders have lost four of their seven matches.
The only teams to have suffered more defeats this season are the competition’s bottom three – Newcastle, Brisbane and Perth.
Sydney’s latest loss was a 4-3 home defeat on Saturday against Western United, who had only won once previously this season.
When a team scores three goals in any game, let alone a home match, it should not lose.
To concede four goals at your home ground is unacceptable.
However, the Sky Blues allowed that to happen, and Talay needs to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Perhaps a little more pragmatism is required.
Leaving themselves exposed at the back and susceptible to counter attacks is costing the Sky Blues goals in almost every game they play,
Talay must find a better balance between attacking and defending.
It’s good that he wants his team to play attractive and entertaining football, but at what cost?
A slight tweak is probably all the Sydney needs to stop conceding goals, as well as better organisation when it comes to defending at set pieces, as Talay alluded to after Saturday’s loss.
“We don’t deal with crosses in the box,” he said.
“We have players, we have enough numbers around the ball, and we don’t deal with the first phase, and we don’t deal with the second phase.”
“What we need to really do is look in the mirror, because I believe that some players are underperforming at the moment, and they’re not playing at the level that they actually should be playing at.”
No Glory for Perth
Is there any coming back for besieged Perth coach David Zdrilic after the Glory’s shocking 4-0 home loss to the Newcastle Jets on Saturday night?
He might have got the Glory board’s backing, but Zdrilic is surely on his last chance, if he makes it that far, when Perth take on Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium this Saturday in a battle of the A-League two worst teams.
The Jets aren’t much better, which makes the Glory’s weekend capitulation all the more horrible.
Maybe the only thing saving Zdrilic from being axed is the payout Perth, whose financial issues aren’t a secret, would have to give him after his high-profile off-season appointment.
However, Perth fans should not have to accept such an excuse if things don’t change quickly because the Glory’s form this season has been awful.
Team of the week: (4-2-2-2) Filip Kurto (Macarthur FC); Thomas Aqualina (Newcastle Jets), Bart Vriends (Adelaide United), Panagiotis Kikianis (Adelaide United), Ryan Kitto (Adelaide United); Luke Brattan (Macarthur FC), Angus Thurgate (Western United); Zach Clough (Adelaide United), Adrian Segecic (Sydney FC); Brandon Borrello (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ben Gibson (Newcastle Jets). Coach: John Aloisi (Western United)Player of the week: Zach Clough (Adelaide United)
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