Brisbane Roar head coach Ruben Zadkovich concedes the club’s supporters have every right to voice their frustrations following their 1-0 home loss to Newcastle Jets.
Running last in the Isuzu UTE A-League, Brisbane suffered their ninth loss of the campaign on Tuesday evening, beaten by a 74th minute strike from Jets forward Lachie Rose leaving them with just two points to their name.
“If your team and your club is down in this position then there is that frustration and that disappointment,” said Zadkovich in his post-match press conference.
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“They’ve (the fans) got every right to feel like that. We don’t feel any different in our dressing room. The players, the staff, management – we’re hurting just the same.
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“It’s not my job to tell them how to think or feel and they can voice their frustration and they will. We’ll have to listen to that and hear that and let their emotions turn into more hard work and more actions and more things to be done in our club to get us out of this situation.
“I’m certainly not naive enough to start telling them what to think and feel – they’re entitled to have their opinion and they’re not wrong. It’s not good enough. We know that and we have to accept that reality and work hard to build out of it.”
Initially named as interim boss after then head coach Ben Cahn took a leave of absence to focus on his health, Zadkovich was handed a two-year deal to take charge of Brisbane Roar on a permanent basis in April 2024 after it was revealed Cahn wouldn’t be returning.
Brisbane went on to accumulate 30 points in the 2023-24 Isuzu UTE A-League season, nine points adrift of the finals places, and as such ended the season in ninth.
An off-season of change then ensued within the playing squad as Zadkovich and Co brought in 11 new faces whilst letting 13 of last season’s squad depart.
“I don’t think we should be so unrealistic or arrogant just to think that just because Brisbane Roar is a fantastic, wonderful, big club that we’re beyond having tough moments.
“It’s clear that we’re in one and we have to face that reality together. We have to work really hard to get out of it and that means probably not focusing on the short-term results as much as the longer-term process.
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He continued: “You can see some of the young players coming through in this environment with the leadership of some of them older ones – it’s not far off being very good.
“A few additions in the window will help but that’s our situation. I hope that gives you some clarity.”
Up next for Brisbane is a tricky away trip to AAMI Park where they face Melbourne City on Saturday afternoon.
Aurelio Vidmar’s team head into the contest sat second on the Isuzu UTE A-League ladder after they defeated in-form Western United 2-0 on Tuesday evening.
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