So, in summary, your initial assessment of Fowler was incorrect, your initial assessment of the team is correct, and it's the League's fault that Brisbane have only lost one in the last eight. because the League is shit. 

Sure, oversimplify and take your vocabulary with it. 

So at what point do you come to the conclusion that the team isn't a "poor side" and that your assessment may have been off?  Top 6, 5, 4?  

He will be wearing sky blue next but not Sydney or Manchester 

His next (loan) move is his most important one imo - he’s had 5 clubs in the last 4 seasons, with four of them being loan clubs. 

Glancing at the comments made this last page or two, I'd say does it really matter who is favorite over the other given we're splitting hairs over mediocrity. 

Roar should bust its arse to get a top striker or mid. It has the marquee allocation yet to fill which it could fund as it did previous years.

Fowler showed promise before the HAL kicked off in pre-season. The team was well structured then and looked like a decent side quite capable until the HAL season. The players could not cope with the standard but Fowler improved.

The pros are hat we have overall improved, continue to be well structured and there's glimpses of good quality play with tenacity and drive in the team. With the cons, we lack skill, exhibit poor improvisation and are slow in the thinking department. Even ignoring we're the ugliest team to watch, we are mediocre.

This 100%. Nothing to add. 

beep beep beep beep beep .....

that’s the sound you make when you start to reverse your position. It would help if you added that to the top and bottom of this post 😉

LOL nothing here I hadn't said or implied before. Sometimes I take my orange tinted glasses off to ensure reality was not escaping me. Try it, it's healthy. ;)

:hehe::hehe::hehe::hehe:

I'll back paulc on this one - not his opinion of course - but he has been moving with team progress over the season so far.

Small steps; but when he has proof of some sort of improvement he has commented on it.

I am happy to see the progress in his considered opinion (not just rants) and maybe one day, this season or the next, we will all have a similar opinion of our team.

Remember - paulc did give us that concrete chance of getting to 4th place this season!

We could win the whole thing, but if we did it playing the way we are he would still not be happy with the way the team plays. Understandable from someone who demands quality and entertainment in his football rather than just seeing the improvements as a victory in themselves.

You've been taking notice, thank you. However 'concrete chance' is not the 1% I predicted, but I get it (lol)

it was 0.1% and on the back of maybe possibly and one other definitive term ;) Concrete!

Thanks for the accuracy. Didn't realize I rated their chances that high :P

Now that you're 100% convinced that the all silverware will be Brisbane bound this year, you could take a shot at leading the den in their chanting.  

I think Fowler wants the Den to sing 'God save the Queen'. I remember the words from my younger years singing it at school every Monday morning assembly, so it is possible.

You're lucky, we used to have to sing it every morning assembly. 

Now that you're the new den leader maybe get them to sing a chorus of Rule Britannia every now and again.

I’m not sure you need to “back” paulc on this one, my observation was merely a shift in his postings from almost entirely negative to a balanced view. 

As long as I don't have to take my shirt off and wave the union jack. I will insist on trumpet back-up though. Sounds so good during England games.

Not quite the correct observation. RIMB has articulated it well.

Well I’m sticking with my beep beep ... will retract if you appear in The Den this weekend and lead a chorus of “We hate Sydney” 😉

This weeks game v Perth will tell us where we are at imo
last week v Western U was perhaps the worst game of the A league so far this year , both teams canceling each other by playing with stacked defences and playing pretty ugly football, the luck was with us as their new Jap messed up a regulation clearance so 1-0 
on another note thank god (pun intended) we didn’t end up with Rudan as some were pumping his tyres as the messiah to Aus football.
bullet dodged 

WU did not play with a stacked defence, Roar did. 

Somewhat self evidently, this is not the best forum to have a dispassionate discussion on the virtues or otherwise of the current Roar team.

It's a fact that 2 games within a short period of time is mentally and physically demanding. Whilst not going to say this will be the reason if Perth loses, it will be a contributing factor.

I have a really good feel about this game. Roar to win 2- 0 and my singing leading the Den will be imminent (if they win)!

This is my fear ..I hope they stick it out for at least two seasons. I think they need another season to show they can deliver the finished product  . Next season they should know what sort of players to bring in to up the ante. If they leave this winter and go back to England and fail... people will say "yeah they never won nothing in OZ either". They need at least a top two finish or Finals berth to go forward to bigger clubs .

Any idea as to when JCP will be back? 

2 weeks to 2 months. They’re being frustratingly coy on his injury. 

Seriously - why would you be on the official Roar thread and not be passionate?

Many still find our football dull and are not happy with the team. From what I can see, most have at least moved Robbie to the useful side of the ledger.

There is constant disagreement on who is worth having in the team, how we should play, how good or poor we are - but most of that is delivered in either a constructive tone, or at least respectful of the fact that most passionate supporters deserve common courtesy and a right to their opinion.

I love that this is not a thread of "Tard" versus "You are" - just genuinely passionate people with such a diverse range of football and life experiences that we see differences on every level with every opinion.