Next season starts now for Michael Valkanis and Brisbane Roar

Brisbane Roar ushered in another new era last week with the appointment of Michael Valkanis as their men’s head coach, marking the fifth full-time coaching hire in as many years to be tasked with bringing back success to Queensland’s sole A-Leagues representative.

Having parted ways with previous incumbent Ruben Zadkovich just 24 hours earlier, the Roar moved quickly to install Melbourne-born Valkanis, who ironically inherits a side showing some improved form in their final four league games.

That form – three wins and a draw to close out the home and away season – wasn’t enough to save Zadkovich however, who ultimately paid the price for a disappointing season that saw the Queenslanders finish second bottom of the A-League Men’s ladder.

But, with one more match until their season officially comes to a close on Wednesday night, their Australia Cup play off tie against Wellington Phoenix gives Valkanis one opportunity to test his squad first-hand, before an extremely important off season.

So, what can Roar fans expect from their new manager?

Challenges ahead

To understand that, it’s worth considering his background.

Valkanis joins the Roar on the back of a seven-year coaching stint in Europe, with spells as assistant manager at Dutch giants Ajax and the Greek national team (both under former Melbourne City manager John van’t Schip) as the notable highlights.

His most recent head coaching role at Turkish Super Lig side Adana Demirspor ended in September last year, allowing him the time to observe the A-League from afar before jumping at the chance to return to a competition he has significant experience within. 

After making 74 appearances as a central defender for Adelaide United in the early days of the competition, Valkanis went on to hold assistant and caretaker manager roles at both Adelaide & Melbourne City before heading overseas to expand his coaching credentials.

As he explained at his debut press conference for the Roar, it’s a journey he believes stands him in good stead for what awaits him in Brisbane.

“All the challenges I have experienced in Europe have instilled a grit in me to deal with the challenge we have here,” Valkanis said, clearly aware of the size of his task with a Roar side that has not tasted finals football for four years.

His remit will be to reverse that trend as quickly as possible, while also continuing to develop several of Brisbane’s promising young players. A tricky balancing act at the best of times.

Intensity a focus

Valkanis was keen to emphasise his knowledge of the A-League when speaking for the first time in Roar colours, giving an insight into his approach in the process.

“Intensity with the ball and without the ball can be a lot better, not just here but across the league,” he commented.

His experiences in Europe seem to have instilled in Valkanis a belief that Australian football could benefit from upping the tempo of the game, and leading the charge on this approach can pay dividends for his new club. 

He also outlined how this high intensity approach also needs to have an end result.

“Having possession of the ball is not a philosophy, it’s a tool to create chances. It needs to be for a purpose,” Valkanis explained. 

It’s an interesting observation given the Roar have often dominated possession this season without reaping the rewards in front of goal.

Considering this year’s Premiers Auckland FC had just the 10^th-best possession stats in the competition yet still managed to top the ladder by five points, Valkanis may be on to something.

Next season starts here

Under the current format of the Australia Cup, the bottom four A-League sides are required to play off for the right for two of them to enter the Round of 32 stage of the competition, which kicks off much later in the year.

Wednesday night’s Cup tie in Darwin is against a Wellington side they just defeated, only two weeks ago in Brisbane.

The opportunity to build on recent results and set up competitive fixtures leading into next season’s league campaign was not lost on Valkanis.

“It’s an important game and it’s part of next season. The last four games have given the team some momentum, so hopefully a win will set up our pre-season,” he declared.

Expecting a whole new approach from Brisbane on Wednesday night would be unrealistic given Valkanis has been in his position a matter of days.

However, there seems little doubt that Brisbane’s players will be expected to increase the intensity from day one.

Whether that alone is enough to see off Wellington, as well as being a catalyst for a sustained reversal in fortunes in Brisbane, remains to be seen.