It’s grading time!
We examine the season that was for Brisbane Roar.
This season
A-League: Regular Season – 9th (4 wins, 6 draws, 17 losses)
Finals – n/a
FFA Cup: Round of 32 exit
Top Scorer: Adam Taggart – 11 goals
Season Summary
The hype surrounding Brisbane Roar at the beginning of this season was real – coming off a disappointing 2017/18 season, with plenty of seemingly-sound signings, fans were hungry for success.
Very few in October predicted Brisbane’s season would be the write-off it eventually was.
It was a nervy start of the Roar – three draws and a loss in their first four a disappointing start, given the finals expectations most had for them.
Their round five win against Melbourne City felt like it could be a turning point. They instead wouldn’t win again until February.
John Aloisi’s December resignation, as well as a bad run of injuries, spelled the end for any hopes Brisbane had of staying competitive; the club’s protracted coaching search becoming the story of the season.
The lone positive from Brisbane’s season was the opportunities given to their younger players – the likes of Dylan Wenzel-Halls, Nick D’Agostino and Izaack Powell all having great breakout seasons.
Areas in need of improvement
On field, pretty much everything.
They conceded the most goals of any A-League club ever, while also struggling to score (especially once star striker Adam Taggart left).
With 14 first team players departing the club so far, it’s clear new head coach Robbie Fowler is wiping the board clean and starting from scratch.
Top student
Dylan Wenzel-Halls’ breakout as a burgeoning goal-getter was the lone feel-good element of Brisbane’s campaign. While the young Ipswich-born striker, 21, is often guilty of looking to score at the expense of setting up better-placed teammates, his pace and finishing are both absolutely lethal. His late-game winner against Sydney FC in round 18 was THE highlight of Brisbane’s season.
Class clown
While you easily make a case for half the Brisbane squad, the one that sticks outs is Eric Bautheac. The expectations placed on marquee players are – fairly – higher than others. While phenomenally skilled, Bautheac had little in the way of on-field production: his petulant on-field attitude his defining trait for nearly the entire season.
Outlook
With a new coach and a massive amount of squad turnover, the resemblance between this season’s Roar and next season’s Roar will likely be small. We’ll have to reserve judgement until news of off-season signings starts rolling in, and we get a taste for Robbie Fowler’s chops as a head coach.
Grade: D-
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