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Queensland coach hoping for 'Fortress Suncorp' [Tue Sep 13th, 2005]
Queensland Roar coach Miron Bleiberg is hoping wins over A-League glamour clubs Melbourne and Sydney FC in the next fortnight will instil fear into other teams travelling to Brisbane.
Bleiberg said the Roar wanted to turn their Suncorp Stadium base into a "fortress" after his side crashed to their first defeat of the season in Perth last weekend.
A double to Glory striker Bobby Despotovski ended Queensland's ideal start to the fledgling competition, with the Roar now one of five teams stuck on four points after three rounds.
Bleiberg said it was important for his side to bounce back at home against Melbourne on Sunday after a fortnight on the road.
"That was our plan before the season started (to make it a fortress) because of the uniqueness of our weather and the fact that we are fit and hungry," he said.
"Not so much at this time of the year but later on because we will get more for our points at home and what we get away, we get away.
"So that's why when we go away we try to win but if we lose, it's not the end of the world. There will be no excuses for not getting the points at home."
Around 7,000 tickets have been pre-sold for the clash against the Victory, with almost the same amount already snapped up for the following Friday night game with Sydney FC.
Corporate box and suite sales have also increased after the success of the club's season opener on August 28, that attracted 20,725 fans.
Bleiberg warned his side would have to be at their best to defeat Melbourne, despite the Victory struggling to make an early impact on the competition.
Melbourne was widely tipped by many pundits to battle it out with Sydney for A-League supremacy this season, but are the only team yet to register a win.
"It's quite a tricky situation with Melbourne, because they're in trouble and when teams are in trouble it's not pleasant to play against," he said.
"I would have liked to have played against Melbourne after a win and not after a loss. It will make them more desperate, like a wounded animal."
Bleiberg also hinted that changes could be made to the Roar's defence after it was fatally exposed by Despotovski.
AAP
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