Brisbane Roar head coach Ruben Zadkovich says he’s relishing the pressure on his shoulders after the previously winless Perth Glory defeated his side 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Roar and Glory came into Round 9 as the only two clubs without a win on the board in 2024-25 and, despite travelling to Brisbane without captain Adam Taggart, Glory emerged the victors thanks to David Williams’ 69th-minute strike at Suncorp Stadium.
The result left Brisbane planted to the foot of the table, with just two points from eight games to start the season.
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Zadkovich joined the club as an assistant in January 2024 before taking on the top job in an interim capacity following the exit of head coach Ben Cahn.
In April, Zadkovich was officially handed Brisbane’s head coach role a two-season deal but, his first full season in charge has begun with two draws and six defeats in eight games.
In his post-match press conference on Saturday, Zadkovich was asked how he’s faring under increasing pressure as Roar head coach.
“I’m fine under pressure,” he replied. “That’s what I signed up for.
“Let’s think back to when I came to this club (in) very difficult circumstances, yeah? They had lost seven of their last eight games when I came in as assistant to Ben (Cahn), and then he was gone a week later.
“I’m well aware of the difficulties the club is in, the circumstances the club is in, and the responsibilities on my shoulders to keep pushing and keep trying to get through this difficult period.
“We’re very clear that we are in a difficult period and we knew that from the start. What needs to remain clear is the focus and the vision for us to get out of this situation as a club.
“I’ve got the support of the people that I deal with in the club, and until I hear otherwise I’ll continue to try and do my best for this club.
“Let me give you the tip: I am doing everything. Everything. Every single day. And so are my staff, and so are my players.
“Sometimes, it’s the reality of the situation you’re in. It’s not where we want to be, it certainly hurts, but none more so for me because the responsibility is on my shoulders.
“I hear and feel the frustrations, especially from our fans and members, and they’re the most important ones. I’m hurting just the same as them, and I’m hurting for them. But, aside from all that emotion, we have to continue. And we have to continue to work hard and improve in every single facet of the club.”
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Zadkovich came into Saturday’s clash with Perth without key off-season signing Ben Halloran due to illness and highlighted two injuries suffered during the 1-0 defeat, including a potential anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to Ben Warland.
Warland joined the club from Adelaide United in the off-season and is one of the few experienced centre-backs in Brisbane’s squad.
“This morning, I get a message (saying) Ben Halloran has come down with a bug, he’s got gastro and he’s out. He’s an integral player for us and a key signing,” Zadkovich said.
“Benny Warland goes off with what looks like an ACL, so he’s in tears at half-time with all the boys around him.
“(Hosine) Bility popped his shoulder out and was 50/50 whether to come back on after half-time; we strapped it up and just said: ‘Get back out there’. We rattled the underside of the bar, we missed open goals, Adam Zimarino, Jack Hingert, they’re clear-cut chances that we need to take.
“But like I say, we leave ourselves open and vulnerable in that moment to a player like Davey Williams, a top striker, he’s been a top striker for a long time.
“That’s the reality, we have to face it. It’s not nice, it’s never easy. But what I can say is everyone at our club is working extremely hard, and it wasn’t through a lack of effort. You could see the players giving everything right until the very last whistle of the game, and as a manager sometimes that’s the bare minimum, and that’s all you can ask for.”
As Zadkovich counted the cost of injuries as well as inaccuracy in front of goal in defeat to Perth, the Roar boss was eager to highlight the positives as he looks ahead to what his team can achieve in 2025 and beyond.
In January, Brisbane will receive a significant boost when Henry Hore – the club’s equal-top scorer last season – returns from his six-month loan to K League 1 side Gangwon FC to bolster his attacking stocks.
Along with Hore’s imminent return, Zadkovich believes the current crop of young players receiving regular minutes at the club will have benefited from their early-season exposure in the Isuzu UTE A-League to help drive the club forward.
“Now, it’s about improving,” Zadkovich said. “How do we improve our processes, how do we improve our recruitment, how do we keep backing some of these young ones?
“Let’s not forget: there were a lot of positives. We finished the game with Jacob Brazete, 18 years old, a scholar (scholarship player). Quinn MacNicol, 17 years old, a scholar. Neicer Acosta, (22) years old. Tommy Waddingham, 19 years old. Lucas Herrington, 17 years old. There are a lot of positives amidst all the turmoil of the situation we’re in.
“We’ll focus on those positives but we’ll also focus on the areas to improve as a club, we’ll go through a review and a proper sit-down, and keep pushing.”
Brisbane have one game left to play in 2024 against a Western United side climbing up the table and buoyed by a thumping 4-0 win over the previously unbeaten Auckland FC in Round 9. Then, Zadkovich’s side return home for back-to-back home games in the new year against Central Coast Mariners (January 3) and Newcastle Jets (January 7).
