Brisbane coach Ange Postecoglou believes his side is entering a make-or-break stage of its season as the Roar look to use a good run of home matches to lift themselves up the table.
Sitting in eighth position after last weekend’s unlucky 1-0 loss to Melbourne, Postecoglou knows that with three out of the next four matches at home, his side must use the advantage to gain some winning momentum.
The Roar have only won the single match since defeating Newcastle 3-0 in Round 6, as their season’s been de-stabilised by injury and the untimely departure of former coach Frank Farina.
But the Roar are looking to put all this behind them over the next month, starting with this weekend’s clash with an in-form Wellington outfit.
“This is a really big one,” Postecoglou said on Friday.
“We can obviously make up a lot of ground on a team above us and a team we’re chasing in the six.”
“It is almost a six-pointer, not only can you get three points, but you can deny a team above you three points.”
“The game is at home for us and we have that as an advantage if we take it.”
“They are all going to be big games (for the remainder of the season) but you can get some momentum if you gain some ground on the teams above you.”
Despite the lean run of form, Postecoglou was refusing to concede his side’s chances of making the finals are already over.
“We don’t just say the season’s a write off, there’s still plenty to play for,” Postecoglou said.
“You look at Wellington and by all accounts they’ve had a pretty good year and they’re only a couple of points ahead of us.”
“It’s just that sort of league.”
Midfield pair Massimo Murdocca and Michael Zullo could be in line to return to the squad this weekend, provided they get through Saturday’s final training session.
Defender Ivan Franjic won’t play, however, after succumbing to a hamstring complaint he’s battled through over the past two weeks.
