Ask any footballer, "How do you want to play?" They will respond, "Like Barcelona." The issue is sometimes you don't have the cattle to play like Barcelona.
Brisbane Roar finished last season second from the bottom and the question this season is how did Ange Postecoglou turn them into a powerhouse within the space of a single off-season?
It's a number of things, firstly starting with clearing out the original squad and bringing in the new talent to make things work.
Postecoglou had an image of a jigsaw puzzle in his head, and slowly he brought the pieces together. Now we're seeing it almost finished. He cleared out the old squad, lost a number of the older players, while bringing in players who fit his style of football: Costa Barbarouses, who has the ability to take on anyone one-on-one in a wide position; a striker like Solorzano who can cause problems regardless of how he is deployed; Shane Steffanutto and Matt Smith bring mobility around the pitch; Michael Theoklitos is a proven goalkeeper and a solid foundation at the back; and big Eric Paartalu sits as an enforcing figure, perfect in the number six role.
Combine these new signings with the core of the team and players such Massimo Murdocca, Matt McKay and Mitch Nichols and you have a very formidable team.
These new signings have increased the pace of Brisbane's game incredibly - there's now mobility in the team. The players are now capable of recognising the movement in order to support. They know when to run; they know what positions to take up. Ange has worked very hard on this.
What has helped the mobility is fitness. The Roar now have a strength and conditioning coach named Kenny Stead and he has been instrumental in the reassertion of Brisbane.
The biggest thing that these signings have brought the Roar is depth. There have been so many moments when Brisbane have won, or at least earned a point out of, a game in the last 10 or 15 minutes. It's indicative of bringing on a player who can change a game.
One player who plays this role perfectly is Jean Carlos Solorzano. He came on in the 64th minute against Melbourne and managed to score in the 77th to seal the three points for the Roar. Look at the games where the final goal is scored in the last half hour. Then look at the amount of times that Murdocca, Reinaldo or Solorzano have come on. Other teams cannot afford this luxury of depth.
The longer a game goes on, the slower the pace of the game. When you introduce a substitute, you raise both the pace and the quality of the match. Their depth allows them to do this.
Matt McKay has been fantastic in the Roar revival. He has always been a decent player but the shifted emphasis on him has allowed him to take a step up. In the Socceroos camps, he was the one A-League player to catch my eye. He did not look out place with the European boys.
McKay understood different situations regarding his role very well and he picked things up very quickly. That is something that you look for as a coach. Combine Matt's willingness to learn, his desire to win, the ability he has with the ball and his love for Brisbane - you have a weapon. He's a real winner.
How does this Brisbane class compare to the Melbourne double winners in '06-'07 squad, you ask? The Melbourne squad was very individually motivated. Archie Thompson, Danny Allsopp and Fred were all attacking players that did a lot of their work individually rather than as a team unit. It was extremely hard to stop the creativity in those types of players.
Brisbane on the other hand are more of a team unit - no player individually sticks out in the way that Fred or Archie did. Whether or not Brisbane have the same quality as Melbourne individually I do not know, but they are a very, very good football team.
Winning is a habit. But it is a habit that you have to work on. Brisbane have started well and to continue they must work hard on the training pitch. Each player needs to understand their positioning; they must recognise different moments as to when they can receive the ball. Most of all, each player needs to understand their role in the team and how to fulfil their job.
Any team in the A-League can beat another on any given day. I don't know if Brisbane will win the A-League this year, but they will certainly come close!
Gary's Managerial Masterclass - How To Stop The Roar
In order for a team to shut down the Roar, you must understand how they work. There is a clear rotation of midfield and fullbacks. There are things you can do to prevent this from happening: look at your front third and their roles when the rotations start to take place. It's not about dropping off, but pushing forward. Too many times you see teams drop off and allowing Brisbane far too much time. Teams often push their fullbacks high to stifle the Roar, but that is unnecessary if playing with a front three. Push your strikers further up front so that the two central defenders can't receive the ball - or you can push your number ten up so their defenders will begin to play the long ball. Brisbane have a creative front line, but they are not tall - they won't win the aerial contests the long ball will force. If you let them play, their midfield and fullbacks will go high and your team will drop off. Brisbane will punish you for that.
This article appeared in the February 2011 issue of FourFourTwo magazine. To buy back copies of this issue call 03-8317-8121 with a credit card to hand.
