Roar coach hopes team is over stage fright now

FOOTBALL: Scaredy-cat syndrome struck Brisbane Roar and the malady was a common theme, also temporarily flattening Adelaide United last weekend.

Roar coach John Aloisi is hoping his team’s stage fright disappears by tonight at Suncorp Stadium after Reds boss Marco Kurz revealed his team was also “scared” last weekend.

The sides kick-start the A-League’s round two.

Aloisi put his team’s edgy display – a 2-0 loss to Melbourne City away – down to nerves while Kurz claimed anxiety took a toll on his side until Johan Absalonsen equalised after 10 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix away.

But Aloisi believes those opening-night jitters will be ironed out as the Adelaideborn Socceroos legend still waits for the visa clearance of French star Éric Bauthéac with injured Danish defensive midfielder Thomas Kristensen still out of contention for tonight’s encounter.

“The biggest thing is with my team, it’s not such much the build up, it’s the lack of competitive games we play over the three month pre-season,” Aloisi said.

“It hasn’t got the same edge to it, no big crowds and

all of sudden playing live on TV in front of a crowd, that’s why I think a lot of first round games weren’t at the highest level.

“But what I want from my players is to be braver on the ball. I found that the boys were a little bit too nervous and too cautious and that’s not the way we play.

“We have to be confident in what we’re doing, a lot braver and play the football we have played in the past and what we have trained for all pre-season.

“It seems that we were a little bit scared when we had the ball and what happens then, you either play the ball backwards or turn the ball over more often than you should.”

But Aloisi does know he must contend with facing a completely different United package under Kurz.

The German has changed the Reds style – which is now a lot more direct – and that means Aloisi must rethink his game plan.

“I expect them to be well organised,” Aloisi said.

“They can hurt you on the break, they have got very quick players going forward and they have a lot of experienced players that have played at a very high level.”

Aloisi is hoping the seven-day turnaround from Friday night’s loss will help his side adapt to the way new Italian striker Massimo Maccarone fits into the team.

“He is a top player and he knows he got too frustrated the other night when other players weren’t on the same wavelength,” Aloisi said.

“But the more they play together, it will be better for him and the team.”