Ahead of Sunday’s M1 derby against Gold Coast United, Brisbane Roar Head Coach Ange Postecoglou is preparing for two different scenarios come kick-off time at Skilled Park.
Ahead of Sunday-s M1 derby against Gold Coast United, Brisbane Roar Head Coach Ange Postecoglou is preparing for two different scenarios come kick-off time at Skilled Park.
Earlier that day, Wellington Phoenix host top-placed Central Coast Mariners with only three points for the Australian side assuring them of the Hyundai A-League Premier-s Plate.
Any less than a win and Brisbane have the opportunity to snatch the premiership from under the noses of the Mariners, who were once 12 points clear at the summit, if they overcome the youthful Gold Coast side in the season-s final Hyundai A-League fixture.
There are just two points separating last year-s grand finalists with Brisbane-s superior goal difference proving the key factor should the teams both finish on 49 points (a Wellington-Central Coast draw and a Roar win).
Postecoglou is ensuring he and his team are prepared for either scenario.
“We-ll go in with a Plan A and a Plan B and hopefully I can throw Plan B out the window at about 3.30 and just concentrate on Plan A,” he said.
“The majority of it is out of our hands – it-s in Wellington-s hands.
“From our point of view, we-ll prepare as though there is some significance to it because the last thing you want to do is for that result to go right and for us to let ourselves down.
“That would be the most frustrating bit so we-ll prepare accordingly and see how it all unfolds.”
If the Mariners do succeed in overcoming the Phoenix and claim the Premier-s Plate, Postecoglou is expected to give some of the game-shy players in the squad a chance to play 90 minutes against the Gold Coast.
This means he-ll rest some of his more regular starters in light of their busy schedule, which over the coming weeks will include both AFC Champions League group stage games and Hyundai A-League finals series matches.
Mohamed Adnan picked up a knock to his knee on his knee during Tuesday night-s 1-1 draw with Beijing Guoan in China and will most likely miss Sunday-s fixture while Luke Brattan (also knee) will return from injury and be available for selection again.
However, Rocky Visconte (ankle) is still not ready for match action, according to the Roar coach.
One player who will take the field against Mike Mulvey-s youngsters is the club-s leading goal-scorer Besart Berisha.
Just one goal on Sunday will see him break the Hyundai A-League record for most goals scored in one season, currently held by Shane Smeltz who scored 19 goals for Wellington Phoenix in 2009/10.
“Bes is one that is hugely motivated and his goals have been really important for us,” Postecoglou sad.
“He probably owes us a couple from the other night in China as well so it-ll be nice for him to get a couple on the weekend.
“He-ll say that the most important thing is that the team wins on the weekend but if he can get a couple of goals and break the record then that-s a feather in his cap as an individual and good for us as a club.”
Brisbane Roar travel down the M1 highway to play Gold Coast United in the final game of the Hyundai A-League season on Sunday, 25 March 2012 at 5.30pm at Skilled Park.
