What a season it has been for the Orange hoard.
From the lowest of lows during last season, when after each home game I would walk to my car forlorn and depressed and lamenting another season with no actual progress. I was one of the people who were willing to give Ange a chance when he took over rather than condemn the decision to appoint him. Even when the cleanout was in full swing I reserved my judgement. I'm glad I did.
Ange's revolution is almost complete and word is from the great man that this is only phase 1; if that's the case all those in orange are set to look forward to a prosperous period in Brisbane football. If phase 1 involves turning Brisbane from a team finishing 2nd last in the previous season and finishing 1st this year, who knows what kind of plans Ange has for the Roar.
Ange has hardly put a foot wrong, with the major success this year being the recruiting. Ange states concerning his recruiting drive that "I am really proud of the players we have bought in, not only are they great players but also outstanding young men. I have a clear strategy when bringing in players, but I will keep that a secret". Not only is it about getting good footballers, it's about getting the people with the right attitude. During Ange's live blog at the Courier Mail on Tuesday he further elaborated on the respect that he fosters within his squad as the players shake the hands of all the training staff as the come on to the pitch for training. "It is something we do out of respect for one another. I also believe that the players must acknowledge the supporters at every opportunity as we are all part of the same team. The players have been brilliant in this area and I know it is appreciated by the fans". The discipline that Ange has instilled has fostered a strong unit on the field, strong physically and mentally. Ange also spoke briefly about his plans for the ACL citing a recruiting drive into Asia to accommodate the 3 + 1 rule for the ACL competition.
Despite the positives stemming from the unprecedented success of the Roar there is always a negative that seems to accommodate it. For the Roar it's the money issue. Unfortunately the Roar owners seem set to relinquish their licence and let the FFA take over after the grand final. It's a sad story to be circulating around when unbridled celebration should be had instead. I, for one, am not too worried. Who in their right mind would not want to invest in the Roar at the moment? I believe the FFA will have no problem finding a new owner. The only thing that has concerned me is renewing Ange's contract. Ange has stated however that he wants to finish what he started at the Roar and wants to stay as long as he is still wanted. This helped allay my fears to a certain extent. At this stage all we have is his word, but his word has been pretty good so far, so FFA - first order of business, extend Ange's contract ASAP.
Orange Sunday fast approaches as the fervour builds in Brisbane Town. I had fears that the ticket prices would mean that there would be no sell out for Suncorp, but it seems we are heading in the right direction for a full house which will make it quite an occasion, especially considering that recent grand finals have been held at Etihad stadium with a gulf between the crowd and the action. I can't wait for the atmosphere and for the opening whistle. I can't wait for the "Gurge" to play before the game (maybe a rendition of "Fat Cop" yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah). I just can't wait.
Watching the various football flavoured TV shows you can't help but get caught up in it. Fox Sports had Nick Meredith and Kasey Wehrman (in a Strikers Jersey) out front of Suncorp talking about the last time the was a national league grand final in the River City. Ange was on the same show; Erik Paartalu was on the world game with his chiselled Nordic features. No wonder he stops so many incursions into Roar territory, as his good looks and immense stature bamboozle attackers, I sometimes like to think that he is Gandalf and that every time he intercepts a pass he yells "YOU SHALL NOT PASS".
Never the less, I will be there, like I have been all season and seasons previous, and if you are within range of Brisbane and haven't got tickets yet all I can do is implore that you get your butt to Suncorp on Orange Sunday as it is quickly building up to be the biggest spectacle of the A leagues short history.
