Skip to Content. Skip to Navigation.
Football


News

Berisha back for Brisbane

Berisha back for Brisbane

02/03/2012 07:46:04 AM

Brisbane will welcome back goal shark Besart Berisha and blood impressive youth side playmaker George Lambadaridis when they take on Central Coast at Gosford on Saturday.

After an impotent showing against Newcastle last weekend, where they became the first side to lose to the Jets at home in over a year, the Roar have a hard ask to turn things around in a week and break the Mariners' 15-game undefeated streak.

But the return from suspension of the competition's leading goal-scorer, Berisha, is certain to help a side who went into their last match without a striker and with their best playmaker, Thomas Broich, named at the front of the attack.

Brisbane coach Ange Postecoglou said that the passionate Albanian was eager to return to the mix and that his suspension had been a learning lesson for the typically cleanskin club.

"He's pretty keen to be back out there, and hopefully he's put everything behind him in terms of the last few weeks," said Postecoglou.

"He's just happy to be out there and happy to contribute. Hopefully he bags a couple of goals for us and if there's a penalty he lets Henrique take it."

"Watching the team last week, it's hard for players to miss out when the team loses, because they feel like they haven't really contributed."

"It's a good lesson. We've been really disciplined over the past 18 months not to have too many players missing through suspensions and so forth, so it was disappointing to have him out last week."

Brisbane's bench addition, 19-year-old Lambadaridis, will join the team to considerably less fanfare than Berisha, but Roar fans will be eager to see a fresh new face unveiled in the midfield.

With Olyroos selection for Rocky Visconte and Mitch Nichols freeing some room, Postecoglou is eager to see if Lambadaridis can take his perceptive passing game and net-finding instincts from the National Youth League to the big league.

"He's in the squad and he's on the bench, so more than likely he'll get a run at some point, so it'll be good to see him," Postecoglou said.

"He's been working really hard at training and playing well in the youth team. We're always trying to develop young players and with a few absences this week it gives him and a couple of others the chance to step up."

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

You Might Also Like

Most Read Articles

Cold tyres almost cost Webber dearly
Cold tyres almost cost Webber dearly
Motorsport
05/27/2012 10:46:36 PM
Monaco Grand Prix winner Mark Webber described the end of Sunday's race as 'very strange' ...
 
 
Freo's failure comes down to talent
AFL
05/27/2012 11:02:27 PM
 
Gritty Tigers do Sheens proud
League
05/27/2012 10:01:48 PM
 
Alarm bells ringing for Dockers
AFL
05/27/2012 09:24:16 PM
 
Bombers look to set up season
AFL
05/28/2012 01:41:21 AM
 
Thrilling IPL final goes to Kolkata
Cricket
05/27/2012 09:28:04 PM
 
Lewis angry at losing captaincy
League
05/27/2012 08:28:17 AM
 
Eagles smash Freo in derby
AFL
05/27/2012 09:16:51 AM
 
 
 

Your Say

Our Say

Cup double might not save Di Matteo
Cup double might not save Di Matteo
Iain Strachan
Imagine being shown the door by your employer just weeks after reaching the pinnacle of ...more
Luck was due for Chelsea
Luck was due for Chelsea
Ben Sutton
Chelsea will go down as one of the luckiest teams to have ever won the Champions League, ...more