Ange Postecoglou doubts the Victory will be the ‘finished product’ for a while but reassured fans his squad is much more advanced than the 2-1 derby loss to Melbourne Heart suggested.
Ange Postecoglou doubts the Victory will be the ‘finished product’ for a while but reassured fans his squad is much more advanced than the 2-1 derby loss to Melbourne Heart suggested.
The two-time title-winning coach returns to his old stomping ground to face Brisbane Roar for the first time at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, with both sides looking for their first wins of the season.
“I was disappointed last week because I think we’re further ahead than what we showed,” Postecoglou said.
“Hopefully this week we get to the point where we (play to our peak) but we’re not the finished product and I doubt that we will be for quite a while.
“At the same time it doesn’t mean that we can’t start the season in a positive manner.”
Postecoglou’s transition at the Roar was far from smooth as the club underwent similar wholesale changes to their squad in 2009 and a difficult first six months before winning back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012.
“It was always a work in progress but it took us a good while (at Brisbane). The first six months didn’t go well and probably a couple of months into the next season where we got it to a level where the players were comfortable,” he said.
“(At Melbourne) we’ve had radical changes in playing staff and playing style so when you combine those two it does take time.
“But we’re in a pretty decent space. The players have worked really hard to adapt to how we want to play and I expect them to get better as the weeks go on.”
Postecoglou will have to do without three of his regular starting 11 with Archie Thompson and Mark Milligan away with the Qantas Socceroos, and Marco Rojas on international duty for New Zealand.
Striker Danny Allsopp will replace Thompson in a straight swap while Theo Markelis and Spase Dilevski are expected to replace winger Rojas and defender Milligan respectively.
“Danny will come in. We’re missing three players this week which is not ideal from our point of view but that’s the price you pay for having quality players in your squad,” Postecoglou said.
“It gives the opportunity to some other guys, Danny’s worked really hard in the off-season and he deserves his chance.”
Despite the loss to Heart, Postecoglou rubbished reports of a punishing Tuesday training session and said his side would continue to focus on their own style rather than the opposition.
“We’re really trying to build our own style and our own structure … the emphasis has been more on us than the opposition,” he said.
“It’s an important game, a tough game. Whenever you go and face the champions, and Brisbane are back-to-back at their home turf, it’s going to be a challenge for us.”
Whether Postecoglou’s reception at Suncorp will be a warm one is doubtful after Roar duo Besart Berisha and Thomas Broich chimed in with remarks about their former coach.
Berisha, who has been embroiled in controversy before, vowed to send Postecoglou back to Melbourne a loser while Broich inferred new coach Rado Vidosic, Postecoglou’s right-hand man for both titles, had been ‘the brains’ behind Brisbane’s title successes.
“It wasn’t (the comments) to my taste,” Postecoglou said.
“It just got a bit ridiculous. I’m more than happy for people to have their opinion … but I’m not going to be used as anyone’s tool for motivation.
“From my point of view, I don’t understand it or why they needed to do it.”
