Optimism fading

After last night's performance I, a well known football optimist, am starting to think this season will not be ending in the last weeks of February as it did last season, but sometime in late January. After the last two weeks where from my point of view the team looked to be turning it around, they put in one of the most ordinary performances of the season so far in what was rightly billed as a crunch game for the boys in navy blue. I am starting to have flashbacks to the first season where we had four games in a row at home and failed to score a single goal. Thoroughly depressing stuff that was, and I am loathed to return to those memories.

I went down to the Charles Dickens Tavern to watch the game and enjoyed the atmosphere along with the extra space that wasn't available last time I was there. Along with the game being on the big screen I was also getting constant updates via my phone from a Queensland Roar fan who was at the game.

Positives, there weren't too many apart from the keeping of Theoklitos, whose heroics kept the deficit to only one. Thompson should also get a mention, worked hard all night and wasn't get much support and put in that great ball that Allsopp somehow managed to put over the cross bar from a couple of metres. We really missed the presence of Muscat in the midfield and were completely dominated in this department. Muscat's replacement, Pantelidis simply doesn't have the passing range of Muscat. The defensive third wasn't that bad but were under constant pressure as the midfield failed to control the ball for long periods of time. Negatives, too many to mention but all should come under the heading of the way we play the game which has been gone into more detail here.

Is it time for Mr Merrick to depart the scene. He seems to be starved of any new ideas at the moment and seems to relying on the same old formula that is no longer working. But is it wise to remove a coach with only eight games remaining in the season. If we want to see some action in February we may very well have to, but I doubt our board has the guts to make this decision. And who would make a good replacement? Maybe we could go Argentinian, both Daniel Passarella and Ricardo La Volpe are now looking for work after resigning from their current positions.

I am now off to sit down and watch the Olyroos take on Iraq and enjoy some of our young Australian football players in action. I already know the score as I couldn't help myself so I will enjoy it even more. I may even write a report on it.

Finally, thanks also to fellow blogger and Queensland Roar fan Hamish, for his lovely and insightful text message after the game.