That’s great – it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes and aeroplanes – and, yes, in the end Steven McGarry was unafraid.
The Perth attacker’s blistering strike thundered in to the back of the Suncorp Stadium goal netting before the appointed apocalypse, approximately 8:49pm Queensland time for those of you playing at home, but it has arguably ended an era at Brisbane Roar.
Having only arrived in Brisbane midweek following his stint in charge of Melbourne Victory’s W-League team, new Roar manager Mike Mulvey had little time to affect any telling changes before the round twelve match with Perth Glory.
As such, it’s unsurprising that little changed on the pitch as the defending champions once again dominated for extended periods and once again succumbed one-nil; the club’s sixth such result this campaign, their third at home, and second against Perth in particular.
However, as the Mayans not-so-chillingly failed to predict, all that ends now.
Many causes have been suggested by media pundits for Roar’s recent run of rotten results; complacency, team selections, and even just good old fashioned bad luck. But regardless of the cause something must change at the Brisbane club to turn their season around.
Rado Vidosic’s brief tenure has once again highlighted the near-impossible challenge faced by a new manager in trying to extend a prior manager’s legacy; a situation not too dissimilar from that faced by Mehmet Durakovic at Melbourne Victory upon replacing Ernie Merrick, albeit under different circumstances.
Still, title winning sides possess a je ne sais quoi that cannot be easily emulated, and what Brisbane Roar learned over the past twelve rounds is that while the playing personnel and style can remain effectively unchanged, altering the delicate balance of personalities can have unexpected results (pun intended).
For Mulvey to turn around Roar’s campaign in the new year, securing not only a necessary finals series place but also qualifying for the group stage of the AFC Champions League, he must be given the freedom to assert himself on the playing group in a telling manner.
If that means consigning some of Brisbane Roar’s post-Postecoglou baggage to the dustbin of ill-conceived ideas, like a melodramatic Mayan calendar, then so be it.
It was always going to be a faux apocolypse, but it is up to Brisbane Roar whether or not it also becomes a false dawn.
It’s not the end of the world, but it could just be the end of the Roar as we know it. (And I feel fine.)
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