Brisbane Roar coach Mike Mulvey says the way his side perform against Melbourne Victory will reveal where the reigning champions stand.
Brisbane Roar coach Mike Mulvey says the way his side perform against a strong Melbourne Victory on Saturday night will reveal where the reigning champions stand heading into the pointy end of the season.
The Roar have earned seven points from their past three games, but Mulvey says the true test of his side’s finals credentials will come against the Victory.
Mulvey pointed to Brisbane’s next opponents as one of the favourites for the A-League title, but said his side would relish the challenge of playing them at Suncorp Stadium.
“I think tomorrow night will tell us where the Roar are at right now,” Mulvey said.
“That will tell us how far we’ve come in this space of time.
“They’re a formidable opponent, but one that we’re going to welcome to our stadium, and we’re going to have a go at them because we’ve got some self belief, we’ve got great focus now.
“We’ve got fantastic team spirit and it should be a great occasion tomorrow night.”
Brisbane have not conceded a goal in their past four matches, a period which coincides with Jade North and 19-year-old James Donachie starting in the centre of defence.
The two complement each other well, according to Mulvey, but credit for the recent defensive record must go to the whole team.
“Jade is now showing the quality of player that he is and his level of experience that he has,” Mulvey said.
“He’s really helped young James and that’s really important.
“It’s not just what they’re doing, it’s what the people around them are doing and the structure that we’ve got.
“Jack Hingert’s doing a good job. Shane (Stefanutto) is playing very well. Michael (Theo) has been excellent.
“And the boys in front, Brattsy (Luke Brattan) and Steven (Lustica) have protected.
“It’s 11-man defending and 11-man attacking.”
