Brisbane Roar coach Michael Valkanis hails his team’s fighting spirit after win over Victory
Brisbane Roar’s uncompromising tactics have again unsettled an A-League rival, with coach Michael Valkanis declaring his players will fight ‘anyone, anywhere, anytime’ after beating Melbourne Victory.
Brisbane coach Michael Valkanis has compared his fighting Roar team to Alexander the Great’s army following another physical take-down of an A-League rival.
The Roar’s better-than-expected start to the season continued on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium with a 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory.
Not for the first time this season, the Roar’s physical tactics could under the skin of an opponent, with melees taking place during and after the match, with the Victory finishing the game with 10 men following the stoppage-time dismissal of midfielder Denis Genreau, for what seemed to be a stomp on Brisbane substitute Henry Hore.
Suncorp Stadium’s playing surface, heavily affected by a recent concert, also frustrated a Victory side that has now lost three successive matches.
And while Valkanis also acknowledged the poor state of the pitch, it was never going to be an issue for a Brisbane team that again played a no-frills and simplistic style of football.
“I can understand about the pitch, but if I keep talking about the pitch, the players would keep talking about it,” the Roar mentor said.
“It is what it is, and what we’ve said from day one is ‘anyone, anywhere, anytime’.
“I don’t know any winner in any sport that makes excuses or complaints.
“You just find a way to win I remember we went on a field in the pre-season, and I said to the boys ‘we’re going out to battle’.
“When Alexander the Great used to go out to battle with three million Persians, he didn’t look at the surface and say ‘we can’t fight here today’, he’d say ‘we’re going to fight, we’re going to win’.
“That’s the difference and that’s what we’re building. You saw (on Friday night) ‘anywhere, anytime, anyone’ and that’s what they’ve got and I really like it.
“It’s starting to build and get momentum because they really believe in each other and the work they’re doing, and I’m super proud.”
The Roar’s win maintained their unbeaten record at home and moved them to 11 points from six games this season.
“We’ve got to keep going,” Valkanis said.
“It’s early days yet and we’ve got a difficult next two months.”
With Suncorp Stadium set to host three more concerts in the next few weeks before the surface is being completely replaced, the Roar’s next four games are away from home, starting with next Sunday’s clash against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium.
Originally published as Brisbane Roar coach Michael Valkanis hails his team’s fighting spirit after win over Victory
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