It’s the hope that kills you.
That’s been a football saying for as long as I can remember. They even named an episode of Ted Lasso after it.
And we all know what it means.
Every season we shell out for match-day tickets and Paramount+ subscriptions in the hope that the club we follow week in and week out is the last one standing on grand final day.
It rarely happens.
There’s a one in 12 chance of being the best team in the A-League Men’s competition this season, and that’s before we factor in budgets across the league.
Even so, it’s safe to say last season’s 12th-place finish – which featured just five wins – was not exactly what Brisbane Roar fans had in mind.
So why are we back here?
That aforementioned hope, for one thing. What’s the point in supporting a team if you turn your back whenever things get tough?
Geography, for another. Want to watch a top-flight game of football that doesn’t kick off at midnight? You’ve come to the right place.
But I have another theory around why big crowds flocked to almost every pre-season game heading into tonight’s Round 1 clash with Macarthur.
It’s because Michael Valkanis and his coaching staff have assembled a squad stacked with real quality.
You can start with the coach himself.
Newly returned to the A-League after seven years in Europe – including head coaching roles at Eupen in Belgium, Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel, and Adana Demispor in Turkey – the former centre back still cuts an imposing figure on the touchline.
And as an ex-defender and former captain of Adelaide United, perhaps it’s no surprise Valkanis has looked to bolster his back line.
Which is why the arrival of former Australia under-23 international goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis is such an interesting signing.
The 34-year-old brings a wealth of experience from across the A-League and English football – and aside from being a proven shot-stopper, he’s also a terrific communicator.
That should come in handy for a squad that conceded 51 goals last season and which is likely to feature some new names in defence.
One of those will undoubtedly be James McGarry, with the New Zealand international joining from Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen via a brief loan spell at Greek Super League club Athens Kallithea.
The arrival of the left-sided defender is a real coup and he’ll provide plenty of competition for places – and potentially allow the versatile Antonee Burke-Gilroy to play further up the pitch.
Costa Rican international and one-time Wellington Phoenix loanee Youstin Salas has also been brought in to bolster the right side of defence, but it’s the addition of Swiss-born, Bosnia and Herzegovina youth international Milorad Stajic that could hold the key.
Stajic looked immense in pre-season – bossing the Auckland midfield in an eye-catching 2-2 draw at Imperial Corp Stadium and backing up his team-mates when things got heated in a 2-0 win over the Mariners watched by a bumper crowd of 6,815 fans at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
He’ll pick up some yellow cards, for sure, but he’ll also give the midfield some much-needed aggression.
The same can be said of Michael Ruhs.
While he hasn’t always been renowned for his goals, what Ruhs provides is a no-holds-barred approach and a willingness to physically dominate his opponents.
Auckland struggled to contain him in pre-season in a game in which he also scored, and if he can add a few more goals to his repertoire, I have no doubt Ruhs will be one of the signings of the season.
But if there’s one area the club has clearly struggled in recent seasons, it’s strength in depth.
Which is why the signings of experienced English striker Chris Long, the imposing Justin Vidic, and Greek attacker Georgis Vrakas should ease any such concerns.
Long will wear the number 9 and if he’s packed his scoring boots, a run at the finals should be the first target on this season’s to-do list.
It’s the hope that kills you? Not this season.
With an experienced coach at the helm and a squad that boasts strength across the park, I truly believe Brisbane Roar fans should be strapping themselves in for a tilt at the top six – not the bottom – this time around.
Mike Tuckerman
About Mike Tuckerman: Mike Tuckerman is a freelance football journalist and long-time Brisbane Roar watcher. He has written for the ABC, The Guardian, Australian Football Weekly, Football Australia and theroar.com.au.
