Roar woes laid bare for watching Fowler

Thursday, 25 April 2019:

Brisbane Roar new head coach ROBBIE FOWLER poses after a A-League media opportunity at Sea World Resort in Gold Coast, Australia.
Brisbane Roar new head coach ROBBIE FOWLER poses after a A-League media opportunity at Sea World Resort in Gold Coast, Australia.


Newly appointed Brisbane Roar coach Robbie Fowler should have no illusions of the rebuilding job that lies ahead of him at the A-League club.

The Liverpool legend was a spectator at Suncorp Stadium on Anzac Day as the Roar's miserable 2018-19 season came to an end with a 5-3 loss to Adelaide.

The defeat not only ensures the Roar finish the campaign with just four wins from 27 matches but they created an unwanted record when Reds' skipper Isaias scored in the 85th minute.

The Spaniard's strike was the 71st the Roar have conceded this season, eclipsing Central Coast's mark of 70 from 2015-16 as the most conceded in a single campaign by a club.

Thursday was also the last time retiring club captain Matt McKay pulled on an orange jersey with the ex-Socceroo making his 302nd and final appearance for the Roar in all competitions.

McKay is one of several players who'll exit the Roar in coming weeks.

Veteran Brazilian Henrique has been told he'll be released while Brett Holman and Thomas Kristensen are also leaving.

In all 13 players including French marquee Eric Bautheac, Spanish import Alex Lopez, Dane Tobias Mikkelsen and late season signings Eli Babalj and Charlie Lokoli-Ngoy are all off-contract.

Interim coach Darren Davies, who will stay on as an assistant to Fowler, said he was eager to start plotting the path forward for the Roar alongside the ex-England international.

"The new manager's in place and we can really sit down, plan our way forward and then fully support the new manager in getting us back to where we want to be next season," Davies said.

Davies was thrust into the role following the resignation of John Aloisi in late December.

During his time in charge, the Welshman promoted several of the club's young prospects including strikers Dylan Wenzel-Halls and Nicholas D'Agostino as well as teenagers Zach Duncan and Izaack Powell.

Wenzel-Halls and D'Agostino were both on target against Adelaide while Duncan played possibly the best match of his short A-League career in midfield to suggest all is not dark at the Roar.

"It's been good for those youngsters," Davies said.

"There's certainly been learning moments along the way for them. That means maybe conceding goals and losing games along the way. They will be better for it moving forward."






AAP