Roar coach Michael Valkanis has demanded an improved attacking display from his stingy Brisbane team on Friday night against Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Stadium.
The Roar are the meanest team in the A-League, with Valkanis’ men sitting in third spot on the ladder mainly thanks to conceding just three goals in eight games.
It’s a defensive record that former Socceroos centre-back Valkanis is extremely proud of, and he wants Brisbane to remain the team “people hate playing against”.
However, he wasn’t pleased with the Roar’s output at the other end of the park in last Saturday’s dour 0-0 away draw with Western Sydney Wanderers..
“Last week was a little bit disappointing going forward in terms of our game play,” Valkanis said on Thursday.
“We’ve been really clinical at times. A lot of people will look at our stats and say ‘well, they don’t make 600 passes’, but if we can make one pass and score a goal, that’s pretty clinical and pretty accurate.
“I’m a big believer in playing good football … and we’ve done that really well, apart from against Western Sydney.
“That’s part of the game this week that we really have to get right. The training, I’ve been really happy with it.
“If we get both things (defence and attack) right, and we find that balance, we’ll be a very difficult team to contend with.
“We’re focused on what we want to achieve at the end of the season. We’ve said from day one we haven’t come here just to participate, we’ve come here to play finals, to win the A-League.
“If that’s not enough motivation, I don’t know what is.”
Valkanis’ son Dimitri will be given until Friday afternoon to prove he is fit enough to return to the heart of Brisbane’s defence after missing the draw with the Wanderers due to a groin injury.
Midfielder Sam Klein will miss the match because of concussion protocols after suffering a head knock last weekend.
Also missing for extended period will be Brisbane’s midfield enforcer Milorad Stajic.
Having been unavailable for the Roar’s past two matches due to a hamstring injury, Stajic this week had surgery and isn’t expected to return until the latter stages of Brisbane’s 2025-26 campaign.
“We are all feeling for Milorad during this time after the outcome of his injury and subsequent surgery,” Brisbane coach Valkanis said.
“However, we know that there is no one more dedicated and hard-working than Milorad and he will have the support of everyone associated with Brisbane Roar to help him make a full recovery.”
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