14 December 2012 04:19
Brisbane Roar coach Rado Vidosic says events earlier in the season will not serve as a distraction against Melbourne Victory this time around.
The Roar thrashed the Victory 5-0 in October after Thomas Broich said Vidosic, not former coach Ange Postecoglou, was the brains behind their back-to-back titles.
“We’re at the stage of the season where every game is important. We’re ready, we’re confident. Hopefully things are going to start rolling our way and we’re going to get some good results,” Vidosic said.
“We just need to turn all our attention to the Melbourne game and do the same kind of preparation as we did for Western Sydney, get the same focus, and hopefully we can create as many chances and this time put them away.”
Asked if the Roar’s 5-0 thumping of the Victory back in round two had been rehashed in the Brisbane camp this week, Vidosic was adamant that it had not even been mentioned.
“Not at all. It was a few months ago. It’s a completely different Victory this time and we are different, so that game is not on our mind at all,” he said.
Vidosic says the rest of the A-League should be wary, as Postecoglou is only just starting to bring his vision to fruition at the Victory.
“You can see that there’s a clear structure in his mind. A clear way of playing a football game,” he said.
“I would say he’s only done about 60 percent of what he intends to do. So in a way it’s a frightening thought that Melbourne Victory can improve 40 percent on what they are now.
“If they were a bit more solid at the back, and weren’t leaking so many goals I’d say they’d have five or six points more and would be pushing for first or second spot.”
Brisbane will be attempting to exploit that perceived weakness at the back, says Vidosic, and an early goal from the Roar could open up old wounds for the Victory.
“First of all you need to try to dominate the game, you need to stop them from playing their way, try to impose our style and then hopefully we can create enough chances,” he said.
“From there, maybe if you score that first goal, it’s going to be, ‘oh, not again,’ in their heads. So I think the first goal will be very important.
“Whoever scores that first goal could get momentum going their way and maybe the opposition could have those negative thoughts.”
As for the verbal sparring that took place before the first match this season between the Roar and the Victory, the Brisbane coach insisted his players would be more respectful of Postecoglou this time around.
“What happened last time, that was not Brisbane Roar, and that’s not the way we want to operate,” Vidosic said.
“Ange has been a fantastic servant for this club. What we have achieved under Ange has been just a miracle, unbelievable stuff.
“What happened, I said then and I can say again, I’m very sorry for it, and I’m very happy to see that Ange has done so well since then.”