View attachment 461217 FFA appoint Ange Postecoglou as Manager ahead of World Cup preperation!
After the sacking of Holger Osieck, FFA have worked tirelessly to find a new head coach to take Australia through preperation and into the World Cup in 2014. Many candidates were listed, some even tipped Sir Alex to take the post however a local manager was always favourite. Today FFA have announced that 2 time A-League championship winner Ange Postecoglou will take the post on a 5-year contract. This was expected due to the fact only 3 days earlier he had resigned from his job as Melbourne Victory manager ahead of the new season.
Ange was delighted with the news that he'll be taking the Socceroo's to the world cup in Rio and stated:
"It's a tremendous honour for me to be sitting here. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that it's been a tough few weeks, but I am tremendously honoured to be in this position"
Ange was also questioned on whether he left Melbourne Victory because he knew that he was in line for the Australian job and he replied with: "No I didn't leave Melbourne because I knew I was receiving this job, I left Melbourne because I feel it was not the right place for me, the board made it very hard for me to impose my strategies and bring in my own players and staff"
Does this mean Ange could potentially take up another job as a club coach, potentially overseas, will he remain in Australia and coach a team there or will he be happy with the Australia post and guide them with complete focus to the World Cup in Rio?
View attachment 461199 Ange back to his old stomping ground!
Ange Postecoglou, no sooner after leaving Melbourne Victory and gaining the Australian head coach job has taken over the seat from sacked Mike Muley at Brisbane Roar. Brisbane Roar fans will be elated with this decision as Ange guided them to back to back championships and the longest unbeaten streak in A-League history.
Ange will take over the position on a 3 year contract and has been set expectations of repeating his performance in his last stint as Brisbane boss.
View attachment 461198 'Fans are elated at the rehiring of Ange Postecoglou and excitement and expectations are very high' ---
Straight into it for Ange!
View attachment 461197
After gaining both the Australian and Brisbane Roar job, Ange is straight into the thick of the action with Brisbane's pre-season kicking off in a weeks time and just a week after Brisbane's first pre-season game he has to coach Australia to take on South American powerhouse Brazil!
Everyone is expecting Australia vs Brazil to be an absolute battering, with the likes of Neymar, Hulk, Oscar who can blame them?
Ahead of their first pre-season game against Nerang, Ange partook in his first Brisbane Roar press conference since returning to his old stomping ground, here is what he had to say:
Reporter: Welcome back to the club Ange, how does it feel to be back? Ange: It feels great to be back at my old club, I have had a soft spot for Brisbane ever since taking over here 3 years ago, and the success just brought me even more passion for this club.
Reporter: Should we expect many changes, transfer wise, now that you've returned? Ange: No, I will look to use the squad as is, I've discussed this with the board and they have allowed me to make one or two signings if need be, but nothing huge, and there will certainly be no departures.
Reporter: How about tactically? Will we see the same Brisbane we saw back when you first managed? Ange: I don't like to discuss tactics with the press as I'm sure you're all aware, but there will be changes to the formation and how I play the game that I think will suit the game as I feel it has progressed.
Ange: Sorry, that's all I have time for, I need to get to the boys and get prepared for the pre-season, but yet again thanks for having my back at the club and the reception is great!
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So there we have it, Ange planning to not make any big drastic changes in the transfer window, but will be mixing things up tactically for Brisbane, keeping everyone on their toes. Everyone is wondering if he can repeat his success with Brisbane, and are excited for the season ahead!
Ange started his Socceroo's managing career with 2 losses against a strong Brazil side, and surprisingly a Tunisia side whom they should have been beating.
Brazil 3 - 0 Australia Fred '33
Sandro '56
Thiago Silva '84
Tough start for Ange against top Brazil side, managed 3 shots on target and 42% possession, glimpses of Ange's tactics beginning but still not quite there. Should've been more probably.
Tunisia 4 - 0 Australia Sami Allagui '26
Rhys Williams OG '41
Isaam Jemaa '60
Kader Oueslati '91 Dissapointing result, should be beating Tunisia and definitely not losing 4-0, guess my tactics and formation are still gelling, not to mention I fielded an A-League based side, no real proper first teamers aside Cahill. But still really, really upsetting. Looks like an uphill battle on route to the World Cup!
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Played a 5-2-3 formation, flat back 5 with 2 wingbacks, 2 central midfielders, 2 inside forwards and 1 striker. Looking for defensive stability with a lethal counter attack.
Great pre-season for Brisbane Roar & another International Friendly!
Brisbane Roar have gone unbeaten and in fact have won all of their pre-season games ahead of the Hyundai A-League season, setting them up for a promising season under Ange Postecoglou.
View attachment 461123
Above are Brisbane's friendly results, many good results and as Ange has wanted have conceded very few goals throughout, the Brisbane Striker's game was a bit disappointing having to leave it to a last minute winner but good to gain the win none-the-less.
The tactic and team are still gelling ahead of the new season but these results prove things are well on the way to being successful!
Standout performer for the friendlies would have been:
Kofi Danning
View attachment 461122
Kofi scored many goals including a hat-trick against Surfer's Paradise and looks in line to start behind Besart Berisha ahead of the 2013/13 season!
Australia 5 - 1 Nigeria Brett Emerton '22
Scott McDonald '27
Robbie Kruse '70, '82
Rilwan Hassan OG '79
Great performance by the Socceroo's in Ange's 3rd game in charge, truely romping home against African powerhouses Nigeria. Robbie Kruse was definitely a stand out performer constantly terrorising Nigeria's back line and was finally good to see Ange's tactics and strategies showing here. This is the true Socceroo's that fans are hoping to see going into the World Cup next year!
Conceded a very frustrating 91st minute goal from none other than Alessandro Del Piero, annoying as it should've been a 1-0 home win to kick things off, instead sharing the spoils.
Convincing win here, good to keep the clean sheet against one of the top sides, predicted first in the league I believe, definitely a strong side and good to beat Ange's old club!
Another good away win here, as well with the clean sheet always a bonus, the defensive solidarity looks like it's slowly kicking in for Ange!
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All round a good month in charge of Brisbane for Ange Postecoglou, not losing any of his 3 games including 2 tough away games in a row, next up are Melbourne Heart at home and then reigning champions Central Coast away. Will be looking for 4 points between them both!
Brisbane Roar played 5 games during November and had some tough away games including two consecutive away games down in the Newcastle area. Did Brisbane finally lose a game or did Ange keep his troops unbeaten?
Brisbane Roar 3 - 0 Melboune Heart Thomas Broich '3
Luke Brattan '72
Kofi Danning 91' Michael Theo Red Card '44 Was a great result despite the ill-discipline of Goalkeeper Michael Theo on the stroke of half time, the boys could easily have struggled in the second half but fought hard and got two 2nd half goals to demoralise a strong Melbourne Heart side including Harry Kewell. Central Coast Mariners 2 - 2 Brisbane Roar Thomas Broich '7 James Donachie '31
Absolutely ripping game against last years champions Central Coast, they fought back from being a goal down twice in the first half and had no second half goals. Another good performance by the german wizard Broich, second game in a row he has scored aswell!
A great performance away from home! A clean sheet to boot against a decent Newcastle team who have Heskey up front. ANOTHER great performance from Broich with his 3rd goal in as many games. Still unbeaten and Brisbane look good this season! Brisbane Roar 1 - 1 Western Sydney Wanderers Dimitri Petratos '81
A tough game here against always solid Western Sydney, unhappy with the result though we should be winning these games at home. Trailed for a lot of the game to a Brent McGrath 39rd minute goal but Petratos came off the bench and levelled with a shot from a tight angle.
Brisbane Roar 0 - 0 Perth Glory
The home woes continue, another really disappointing game in which we failed to convert our chances, Perth are not the greatest side so this is really upsetting. Expect more from my team after the turn of the month, and will let them know!
World Cup Draw hands Australia a tough group
Australia have been handed one of the toughest groups they could have expected, including 2 European powerhouses and a team that had recently humbled them in friendlies.
1st Seed - Spain 2nd Seed - Russia 3rd Seed - Australia 4th Seed - Tunisia
There you have the official announcement of group that Australia have been handed, Spain and Russia are 2 proven powerhouses of the European sector and Tunisia are a side who humbled Australia 4-0 not too long ago.
What does everyone think of Australia's chances in the 2014 World Cup in Rio?
Oh yeah I need MAXIMUM points from Tunisia and even 1 or 2 from Russia to stand a chance. Tough times.
--- View attachment 460529 Brisbane bulldoze there way through December!
Perfect December for Brisbane as they decimated 4 strong opposition, travelling on 3 occasions. They look poised for a strong finish Brisbane! Nobody can stop them.
Adelaide United 0 - 5 Brisbane Roar Besart Berisha '31, '32
Thomas Broich '53
Kofi Danning '66
Nick Gibson OG '80 Brilliant away performance from the boys, beating a pretty strong Adelaide side, not beating, thumping Adelaide away from home 5-0, 2 quickfire goals from consistant striker Berisha sent us on our way and Kofi and Broich wrapped it up. Wellington Phoenix 0 - 2 Brisbane Roar James Donachie '46
Thomas Broich '56
Another great performance having to travel all the way from Adelaide to Wellington in such quick succession I would've expected the boys to be happy with a point for such the long trip however Kofi and Thomas again reaped rewards in Wellington!
Brisbane Roar 2 - 0 Newcastle Jets Thomas Broich '43
Matt McKay '66
Good to be back home and winning on home turf finally against the Jets, Thomas Broich's outstanding season is continuing, if he keeps this up he's in line for player of the season for sure! All these goals from behind the striker!
Sydney FC 1 - 3 Brisbane Roar Thomas Broich '7, '79
Besart Berisha '31
Great performance away again. Sydney have proven to be Brisbane's biggest rivals over the time and a good win away from home here. Another scintillating performance from the German wizard with 2 goals this time, and striker Berisha with a first half goal aswell.
Thomas Broich's form in the A-League for table toppers Brisbane has attracted some interest from clubs in Europe such as Koln. Broich has scored 9 goals and 10 assists in 16 appearances and has received the Man of the Match award 5 times in those games. After hearing about the offer for Broich, believed to be in the realm of 100k Ange has come out and publicly stated:
"Thomas will not be leaving the club in January, he is too important to the team and he has desired his will to commit to this club which we respect. Yes I am aware of the offers made from European teams and so is he, but he will not be moving for ANY price"
- Ange Postecoglou
Does this mean that Broich will be leaving next season for Brisbane? Surely it will be hard for them to keep a hold of him if his form keeps up for the latter half of the season. Who knows? I'm sure Broich and Brisbane will be focusing on achieving titles for now.
