Battle on to keep spot
Theo under the pump from Young
MICHAEL Theo makes his 150th A-League appearance for Brisbane tonight in Perth knowing that deputy Jamie Young is breathing down his neck in the battle to be the Roar’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Former Socceroos glovemen Mark Bosnich and Ante Covic agreed there was little or nothing between the pair despite Theo having played all but one of the Roar’s 18 ALeague matches this season.
Young has had a frustrating time but seems to have been rewarded for his patience by being the preferred option for Brisbane’s AFC Champions League campaign, with Roar coach John Aloisi keen to rotate his players during a hectic period for the club.
And that’s the least Young, who before this season had displaced Theo as the club’s No.1 keeper, deserved, according to former Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea custodian Bosnich.
“Jamie’s done nothing wrong at all,” Bosnich said.
“It’s doesn’t always work when you rotate keepers. It depends on their mentality because you like to have ownership of the position but both of the Roar keepers deserve to be playing.”
Covic was the hero of Western Sydney’s AFC Champions League success in 2014 and there was less rotation between him and his deputy Jerrad Tyson as the Wanderers juggled their commitments in two competitions.
However, in that case, Covic was the far better of the two gloveman.
“With the Roar there’s not much separating Young and Theo at all,” Covic said.
“It’s a balancing act, especially with the travel that’s involved.”
Theo, 36, used Covic, who played A-League football into his 40s, as an example of keepers being ageless in reiterating his desire to remain at the Roar beyond this season.
The five-time A-League championship winner is in talks with Brisbane about signing a new deal, but whether he can command the same wages he currently earns – particularly with the emergence of the contracted Young in the past two years – is unknown.
Meanwhile, Aloisi warned Perth that former Glory striker Jamie Maclaren was primed for a big performance tonight.