Dear Ange

Dear Ange,

Firstly I'd like to say hello and welcome you to Brisbane, I hope you'll find the weather to your liking and also hope you and your family settle in quickly.

Secondly I'd like to ask you a few questions if I may?

Why is David Dodd still playing for the club I support? He really is quite shit you know, I know his dad was a coach at Palm Beach and that's probably how he got his break and fair play to the lad but seriously now, he is a pretty shitty player. Even more shitty than his brother, who is also a fairly player shit himself.

Will anyone whose name is not Serginho Van Dijk ever score on a semi-regular basis for the team? Please don't tell me we'll be relying on Reinaldo, Mckay, Murdocca, Dodd, Sarota, Nichols and Cernak for goals over the next few seasons becuse quite frankly aside from the odd refreshing dip, they couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat.

When will Michael Zullo revert to his position at left wing? I know Tommy is the darling of the media at the moment and I do agree that he is a quality prospect, but I think that Zullo is our best left winger and possibly our worst choice for left fullback. I've seen his head drop more times in two games than I have in the previous two seasons.

Will we ever take a set piece properly? I know that the club's patented 'Take It Quickly and Promptly Give It Back To The Other Team Or Generally Waste Every Chance' tactic has served us really well in the past, but is there any chance we'll see the likes of Devere, Mcloughan, Van Dijk and Reinaldo (the tall guys) get up into the box and look to get on the end of a ball whipped in? Taking your time on set pieces seems to work every now and then for um, pretty much every other team in the world. Especially when you're 3-1 down with 10 minutes to go in a must win, surely 30 seconds to get the boys set isn't too much to ask?

When are you going to make some signings? Contrary to what everyone else is saying I think what you've done with the clean out of two oldies and one inconsistent keeper is a bold move and one that you'll be judged on. However, before any other players leave, like Tiatto and Sergio are rumoured to be doing, I'd like to see SOMETHING, ANYTHING, ANYONE announced as soon as possible.
Oh, as long as it's not another of the Dodd clan.

Kind regards,

Balls and Denco Rub.

Mooy On Target

Whilst doing my news search for info on Ruka, Mooy and Bozanic I was pleasantly surprised to find a youtube clip of Aaron Mooy's recent goal for the Bolton Reserves against Manchester United Reserves. A Man Utd midfielder loses control of the ball and Mooy swoops on the scraps before unleashing a dipping strike from 25 yards that bounced past the Utd keeper for Bolton's first goal in their 2-2 draw which they then went on to win on penalties.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrlfMNB-YFs

In some recent news for Oliver Bozanic, his loan period to Cheltenham has come to an end, coinciding with his recovery from knee surgery and has since been loaned to 6th place Aldershot Town in League Two who are still within sight of promotion to League One. His most recent contribution was scoring a late consolation goal for The Shots in their FA Cup tie with Tranmere Rovers on December 10. Bozanic returns to Reading on January 4 and it will be interesting to see what happens for the left sided livewire from here onwards.

I haven't been able to find any info on Rukavytsya and can only assume he's still playing for Twente's reserve team, the only news worthy mention is his naming in the squad for the Socceroos Asian Cup Tie in Kuwait on Jan 7.

Constants

Since day one the Qld/Brisbane Roar franchise have had a few 'constants'. Firstly, and most worringly, is the team's woeful home record, losing and playing poorly at home time after time for 5 seasons now. A quick look at the club's wikipedia page reveals a table showing the club (as at time of the table's creation) has played 43 games at Suncorp Stadium for a return of just 13 wins, 18 losses and 12 draws, so from a possible 129 points the team has only been able to amass a meagre 51 points, well under half of the points that have been on offer.

The next 'constants' are the team's pocket dynamo midfielders in Massimo Murdocca and Matt McKay. The two have been running around nipping at the heels of oppositions since day one, their stamina and tenacity in the middle of the park are more often attributed to them than anything else. Up until last year with the introduction of Charles Miller (c) Moron Bleiberg 2009 the 'M&M' partnership has lacked a real attacking foil in front of them in the midfield, an once again find themselves trying to do everything.
While I have grown to appreciate the work of the little blokes, the time has come for me as a fan to put the interests of the club first. The pure facts of the matter are that the club continues to lose at home and choke in big games, losing games means letting goals in and being outplayed in the middle of the park, it just seems too obvious to me that these two factors, the home form and general inconsistency since day one, coupled with the fact that M&M have also been there since day one, are somehow related.

Another constant is the tenureship of Rado Vidosic at the club, while I'm sure that he is a good bloke and a solid coach, it seems once again too obvious that he has been involved with the first team since the inception of the League and I feel it is more than a coincidence that he has been the number two for three underperforming managers now.

You often hear coaches in other sprting codes, as well as our own code, saying that 'things need shaking up', whether it's army type boot camp days, a game of another sport at training or as North Queensland Fury coach Ian Ferguson did on the weekend, not naming the starting eleven until the team were in the sheds before the game, it seems that a sudden and random upheaval can be the thing that can inspire sporting stars and clubs to greater things.
I feel it is time for a 'shake up' at the Roar, whether it's now or in the off season doesn't bother me, but I feel somethings need to be changed in order for the club to go forward.



My Brisbane Roar Season 10/11 Wishlist:

- A BIG name Marquee player, Michael Essien would do quite nicely I think...
- A returning Socceroo to join the club post World Cup, Mark Bresciano maybe????
- A win against Gold Coast United.
- Gold Coast United fans to continue wearinf the silly hats, it's........cute.
- A revamped marketing approach, ie; at least SOME marketing or advertising.
- Another Boxing Day Derby down on the coast.
- Bob Malcolm to go home.

Ruka nets again in Cup tie

Sorry for the slack blog action, i've had some other stuff going on lately but promise to start writing some more!
In some recent news for 'my' overseas boys Nikita Rukavytsya has netted again for FC Twente, coming on in the 76th minute against Capelle in the KNVB Cup. It was a fairly simple piece of 'route-one' football with the Twente keeper hoofing a ball up field to allow Ruka to use his piece to harass and dis-posess the Capelle defender before neatly slotting past the keeper. You can find footage of it here, just search through the videos for 'Twente - VV Capelle'.
Ruka will be hoping to find the net more often as Pim Verbeek steps up his search for a goal scoring solution for the Australian National Team leading in to South Africa 2010.

For the other boys, Aaron Mooy started for the Bolton Wanderers Reserves the other night but had a game to forget as a misplaced pass from him fed the Sunderland striker who scored the 5th goal in Sunderland's 6-1 rout of Mooy's Bolton team.
Mooy featured quite heavily in the recent World Youth Cup and although the results were less than pleasing, Mooy was a standout and will be hoping for an extended run in the Bolton Reserves on the back of it.
Oliver Bozanic is nearing full fitness after undergoing treatment for a knee injury and will be hoping to get back amongst the goals for Cheltenham Town who are currently 4 points above the drop zone in League 2.

Ruka Strikes!

In some good news for the three youngsters whom I'm tracking this season Nikita Rukavytsya has opened his account for F.C Twente. While he hasn't featured much at all for the first team in the League, 'Ruka' took hold of his oppurtunity in the KNVB Cup to help Twente thrash lowly SC Joure 8-0.
He apaprently had a chance early on which was well saved and finally got his first goal in a meaningful game for the club in the second half. In some other welcome related news it was also David Carney's starting debut for the club, he also put in a sterling effort, setting up the second goal for Nashat Akram.

Oliver Bozanic is apparently close to a return for Cheltenham after rceiving treatment for his injured knee back in Reading. The poor bugger still misses the Youth World Cup though, massive bummer.

Aaron Mooy was prominent in the Young Socceroos recent warm up friendly against Trinidad and Tobego with his corner setting up the first goal and he then hit a sweet dead ball in first half injury time to round out the scoring in a 2-0 win. Coach Jan Versleijen had chosen a surprising tactic in the wamr up games of giving each player an entire 90 minutes over the few games, only allowing for a subsititution if a player got injured. It's a weird sounding tactic, but with most of the boys on the periphery at their clubs he wanted to give them maximum game time, the proof will be in the pudding next week I suppose!

World Cup Dreams Shattered for Bozanic

As promise I would post updates throughout the season for Oliver Bozanic, Nikita Rukyavitsya and Aaron Mooy.
Not much to report from the last two aside from Nikita getting some game time at FC Twente and the fact that his Socceroo team mate, the much maligned (at Sheffield anyways!!) David Carney is set to sign for the Dutch club in the next 24 hours.

Oliver Bozanic was fouled in a crude tackle on the weekend and was taken from the field in Cheltenhams amazing 5-4 defeat to Bradford in League 2. A goal was scored from the resulting set piece but the news at the end of the day was gloomy for the Gloucestershire club and even gloomier over the next few days for Bozanic who has been diagnosed with medial ligament damage and will now almost certainly miss out on the World Youth Cup in Egypt next month. It's a bitter blow for Bozanic as he has had a bright start to his loan period at Cheltenham and has started a few games, as well as being included in the senior camp for the thrashing handed out to Ireland a few weeks ago.
Bozanic was surely in the starting plans for the Young Socceroos and a good showing at the 'WYC' coupled with an outstanding season for Cheltenham could have put him on the periphery for next years World Cup in South Africa. Bozanic has returned to Reading for treatment, so fingers crossed he recovers well and returns to first team football as soon as possible.

ps what is it with Aussie players CONSTANTLY getting injured overseas? Perhaps we could pass the hat around and send them all some vegemite!

Is It Too Much To Ask?

For the last 4 seasons now I have turned up to almost every Qld/Brisbane Roar home game and have managed to catch almost every away game on telly, and for those 4 seasons there has been one outstanding, undeniable and ongoing issue: Set Pieces.

Every time the Roar are awarded a free kick in a promising area or earn themselves a free kick my mates and I rise to our feet; 'Maybe this one will come off?' 'Maybe Charlie Miller or Sergio will take it?'

No, no, no is more than often the resounding answer to our hoopeful questions. I would wager that 95% of the time Roar fan favourite Matty McKay either doesn't beat the first defender, plays on quickly or whacks the ball over the top of everyone. Brisbane aren't alone though, across the board the standard of set pieces in this country is borderline terrible and I reckon I am not the only fan with his/her head in his hands after yet another miserable attempt at a set piece.

It's not until you see players like Fabio Vignaroli from Newcastle Jets whipping vicious, curling balls in from 3 or 40 yards out onto the head of an attacker do you appreciate just how poor the standard is. Every time I've seen the little Italian dynamo play for the Jets he has invariably had opposition defenders at sixes and sevens with his delivery and I think the question has to be made to coaches and administrators as to why the standard is so poor. I know if I was a coach in the physical and robust A-League(where tackles fly in left, right and centre) that one of the first things I'd be taking care of is singing one or two players who can deliver that venomous kind of ball into the box, or the top corner. Not only would it give my team an extra, potent option, it would bring the crowd right into the game. Can you imagine if there was a player in the league with delivery comparable to that of Alvaro Recoba or Mikel Arteta? The crowd would be on their feet everytime a corner or free kick is awarded and the atmosphere would be absolutely palpable.

Here's hoping that A-League clubs start to seek out some players with this gift, starting with Frank Farina and Brisbane Roar of course!