Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou has retained faith in his players and their style of football despite their third consecutive loss on Wednesday night.
Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou has retained faith in his players and their style of football despite their third consecutive loss on Wednesday night.
It has been a tough few weeks for the once-invincible Roar who, having gone 15 months and 36 games without defeat, have suddenly struggled to find the net with their 2-0 loss to Wellington the second time in two weeks they have failed to score.
They remain equal top of the Hyundai A-league with the Central Coast Mariners, who they play in Brisbane on Saturday, and Postecoglou remained adamant he and his players are on the right track.
“It was a disappointing result against the Phoenix but I wasn’t disappointed with the way we played,” he said.
“We couldn’t capitalise on our chances and they capitalised on theirs. In the end it was as simple as that.”
Postecoglou said he and his players were committed to playing a certain style of football.
“We’re going to play this way come hell or high water,” he said. “If we keep losing, we’ll just keep doing what we do a little better.”
“People will look at the three losses but we’re about playing the game a certain way and we’ll continue on that journey. We’ve just got to keep doing it better than we have but we’re not going to change our style.”
“We weren’t clinical enough against the Phoenix and we coughed up goals when we shouldn’t have. It’s about creating more quality opportunities.”
“During our unbeaten streak little things went our way but they haven’t in the last three games. It’s a fine line.”
“We’ve resolved to keep going down this path and I’m kind of curious about where it takes us – hopefully not 36 losses,” he said ruefully.
“Seriously, things will turn around quickly results-wise. I take total responsibility for the way we play.”
Postecoglou said it would have been easy to have cleared the lines against the Phoenix and held out for a 0-0 away draw but that was not his or the players’ style.
He added that the commitment was to develop quality players and a quality team playing quality football.
German star Thomas Broich, who has been sidelined with a heel injury, is on the road to recovery as is Henrique, who has a corked thigh, but it is unlikely they will be fit to play against the Mariners.
