EYES FOR PRIZE STARTS ON COAST
THE “back and forth” of Australian football has new Brisbane winger Tobias Mikkelsen calling for calmness and patience in the Roar’s bid for their first A-League title since 2014.
Having tried to sign Mikkelsen for their 2017-18 campaign, the Roar finally got their man when the 31-year-old former Danish international put pen to paper on a deal for the club’s 2018-19 season.
His class was evident in the Roar’s 1-0 FFA Cup extra-time loss to Melbourne City at Dolphin Stadium last week when he produced an inch-perfect cross for Henrique, who should have put the ball in the back of the net.
Mikkelsen will again get the chance to strut his stuff today, provided a slight achilles problem doesn’t flare up, when the Roar meet Sydney FC in a closed trial at Robina.
“I’m looking forward to see how Sydney play because I’ve heard a bit about them and I think they will come out strong because they are still in the FFA Cup,” said Mikkelsen, who has been impressed with the standard of football in Australia despite his preference for control and composure on the park.
“It’s good … but from what I’ve noticed the football here is back and forth all the time.
“I’m used to keeping the ball, switching from side-toside … we (the Roar) are trying to keep the ball but I can see that it’s normal in Australia when you get the ball you just go forward straight away.
“I think it’s good to keep the ball and make them (opponents) run, especially in the heat here.”
While Mikkelsen is yet to experience a Queensland summer, he loves Brisbane’s current sunshine, which is in stark contrast to freezing Danish winters.