Brisbane Roar’s recent run of positive results has Robbie Fowler’s side ‘relaxed’ and ‘enjoying their football’ according to Irish midfielder Jay O’Shea.
The Roar are unbeaten in seven of the last eight fixtures, including an unbeaten home run that dates back into 2019 ahead of Sunday’s trip south to face Western United in Ballarat.
O’Shea was one of the Roar’s best in a come-from-behind victory over the Reds on Saturday and says the squad are riding a wave of confidence.
“With the good results we’ve had in recent weeks, it gives the group confidence and we’re a bit more relaxed going into games,” O’Shea said.
“For a while there it felt like there was a lot of pressure on us because we’d hadn’t been picking up the results, but putting a good run together has taken the pressure right off & we’ve been able to enjoy our football lately.
O’Shea says there hasn’t been a noticeable change within the set-up but the Roar are starting to reap the benefits of the hard yards put in earlier in the campaign & during pre-season.
“We’ve still been going about it the same way, we’re just starting the fruits of everything we were working on at the start of the season,” he continued.
“It was a brand new squad with new staff so it was always going to take a little time. We were playing some good stuff without getting the results, and now we’re getting them.
Robbie Fowler’s squad has been one of the league’s strongest finishers with no side scoring more goals after the half-time break.
The Roar added two more to a league-high tally of 13 goals scored in the final 30 minutes of fixtures against the Reds last weekend – a trait that keeps the Roar confident of turning any game on its head in the final stages.
“It gives us confidence going into the final stages of games that we’re a very fit squad. We’ve scored a lot of goals and that’s credit to the staff who has got us fit – we’re finishing games strongly and long may that continue,” O’Shea continued.
MATCH DETAILS
Hyundai A-League 2019/20 – Round 19: Western United v Brisbane Roar
Mars Stadium, Ballarat
Sunday, 16 February (3pm KO QLD time)
