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Shoot for the Moon – Brisbane Roar coach urges fighters to shut down their defenses to unleash their offensive flair to become an A-League threat in 2022/23
- Coach Warren Moon replaced Robbie Fowler as Brisbane Roar coach in 2020
- The Roar have struggled during the Covid years under the new mentor
- Brisbane will face Macarthur FC in their opening match in the 2022/23 A-League
- Moon said he wants to see an end to ‘leaky targets’ that will unlock their attack
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Brisbane coach Warren Moon wants more defensive resilience from his A-League Men outfit this year and says the team has the staff and mindset to make his wish come true.
The Roar host Macarthur FC in the opening round of the season on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium and Moon was clear on the key to improving their 11th place finish last year.
“We want to play attacking football, create chances… and be something that people want to come and see, but we have to look at what we did last year and stop the leaking goals,” he said.
“Last year we were weak in set pieces and in general play.
“We’ve been looking to add some steel and fix that, so we want to be a side that’s hard to beat.”
The Roar conceded 39 goals in 26 games last season. That was the seventh best defensive record of the 12 teams, so certainly not the worst, but Moon wants the Roar to play the final this year and tighten in the back.
He said captain and defender Tom Aldred would be a key after missing four months at the start of last season with a knee injury sustained in the final pre-season game against Adelaide United.
‘Not having Tom played a role in some matches. You want him on the field and he’s our leader, so you want him to organize and make us hard to beat,” Moon said.
“(Former Olyroos captain) Connor Chapman was brought in late last year with an eye on what we’re going to do this year.
“Jordan Courtney-Perkins is back on loan from Poland and we have people like (Riku) Danzaki who was one of our best defenders two years ago with the way he harassed players.
“We have a lot more steel, a lot more grit ahead of us.”
Australian defender Courtney-Perkins under-23 returns to the Roar on loan from Rakow Czestochowa, while Danzaki is back for a second stint on loan from Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo of the J1 League.
“This year we go into the season with a huge experience in the back and that provides a huge foundation to keep a clean sheet and hopefully win football matches,” said Aldred.
“For me personally, last year was frustrating. I did the full pre-season and… fell at the last hurdle. Now I’m here and excited to show what I stand for.
“I look forward to a strong season and help lead the team and bring success back to Brisbane Roar. We owe that to the fans, ourselves and our families, because last year wasn’t good enough.’