For comparison, Mitch Nichols also scored 9 goals that season and since then has scored 16 goals in his last 108 games (Babalj 3 in 40).
Daniel McBreen scored 19 times the following season but I still don’t think he should play striker next week ahead of DWH.

13 career goals for a striker by 27. Next Viduka lol, I was always calling on how overrated he was (You can check post history). He is not even worth a bench spot, needs to go somewhere like malaysia as Petratos and Nabbout did to reignite a move back, he is not HAL standard. 

Only defeder I would keep for you guys is Tongyik as a Bench warmer. Everyone else at the back can go tbh. 

Please tell me how a small poacher leading the line on his own is going to make an impact in a team that plays long ball football.

AU tried it with Cirio and it was disastrous.

Having seen Tongyik play now he can move on as well.

His first, second and third touch are awful.

I’ve seen Donkeys with better ball control.

I have yet to see anyone saying DWH is ready to lead the line. We were hoping that Taggart and DWH would build something - that fream ended.

Most concern is that Babalj has not proven he was worth bringing to this team in place of any number of other speculative ball holders that we could have found if DD did not think he had what we needed in the pool he is allowed to dip into.

We had one game with DWH leading the line alone from memory and it was not a dominant showing - but he is a huge developing option if we can find a good partner for him.

It is on Babalj to prove his value and he hasn't done anywhere near enough yet for me to think he is a good option up front let alone a longer term partnership for DWH to build on.

Clockwork Orange was saying that DWH should be starting upfront.

I agree Babalj needs to show his value. I think he has shown some positive signs but needs to improve as he gains more fitness and match sharpness. His service is extremely poor so he doesn't have much to work with either.

Umm ... Jamie MaClaren?

Nope, I was saying this: you have a young striker who has scored 3 goals in 5 games including 2 outstanding strikes (one of which was a match winner against the second top team). The kid is actually the sole bright spot in a disastrous season - something for the fans to get excited about when there is nothing to play for. So what do you do?
You stick him on a wing in favour of a lumbering journeyman who has scored 3 times in the last 7 years! Nothing to be gained at all. 

I think we’ve seen enough of Babalj and Tongyik to know they’re not (currently) A-League quality. Charlie is a bit more unknown and needs to be given a run in the next three games.

Wenzel-Halls looks wasted on the wing, he probably wouldn’t be with a Taggart in the Center but we don’t have that. The logic end to this season would be to play 4-4-2 with DWH alongside Charlie, D’Aggers or Babalj - quite frankly none of those last three are convincing at the moment.

For me, Babalj has been given a chance and hasn’t been able to take it. His general play is poor, his positioning poor, and he’s unable to leverage his main assets - height and strength. He’s a “no” from me too I’m afraid.

Agree with everything you’ve said Waz. No idea why DD would persist with formations that are unsuited to the players available. 

@ clockwork

I just wonder if DD has had his confidence shattered by this experience.

One thing that struck me when Aloisi left was the outpouring of loyalty from the players (and Davies himself) to a coach that had delivered a second miserable season and was entirely to blame for it.

Were the players loyal to and playing for the club/badge ... or were they loyal to John Aloisi?

To me that’s significant because any coach would struggle without a clear out of deadwood which hasn’t happened.

But on DWH, he was at his best those few games he partnered Taggart - DD has not tried to replicate that since Taggarts departure and I don’t know why.

Old Boys Club/Tenure/Status Quo mentality?

If I am only a stand in coach with strong friendships, mutual respect, and perhaps hopes of staying round the new look club under a new coach do I want to have alienated any number of players who may end up staying on the playing roster under a new coach with a new (better) system?

If you don't OWN the top job it is actually very hard to make the hard decisions you would if you did own the job. DD did not ask for the top job and maybe he does not have the mentality to do the harsh stuff or the desire to do that in his temporary role - not everyone in a club hierarchy can or should be a tough bastard.

I think DD is just doing the best he can with the existing selections and contracts. I could understand that to some extent if it was the case - much as I dislike the opportunities being lost for younger players that most of us would like developed over these weeks.

Once our finals chances were mathematically gone, it would have been good if the club and DD had held a joint presser and told us what exactly they were trying/hoping to achieve in the period before the new coach arrived.
Not sure why DD has not been asked by any journo in the last 3 weeks: “So, what was your rationale for moving an inform striker to the wing, and do you think this experiment has succeeded?” 

Totally agree with everything you have said.

All we want is to be included and kept in the picture and we aren't getting that. Strange how journos just don't seem to ask what readers really want to know. Are journos salary capped? 

can anyone answer this question...Holman has been injured seemingly for nearly two seasons. He is still shown as out injured so is obviously still on the books and getting a marquee wage. Does he still come to the club ? attend training at all ?  Does he still even live in Brisbane ? has he said anything about retiring ? Was he injured when he gained his new contract from JA ?
It all seems a bit of a mystery to me .

It seems very rare  for an Aussie journo to ask a tactics related question of a coach ...are they afraid they will be shown up as knowing very little about football ?

@miron

Here’s what I was told on Holman.

He was signed (by Aloisi) knowingly injured. He was expected to recover by Christmas and be fit for the second half of the season where they saw him as an impact player off the bench and starting a handful of games.

His recovery plateaued requiring another operation on his knee, and then another operation, and now extended rehabilitation.

Again, back to our journo’s where are the tough questions on this? One player represents 5% of your adult playing resources - what coach takes that sort of gamble?

So why did we not sign an injury replacement ? Anyone know if Holman even comes to games ? I have never seen him on the sidleines in a Roar suit like you often do other injured players.

The question is - have the owners/management now worked out that hiring several players beyond their peak 'for stability and experience' is a gamble that carries the most severe penalties in this capped system?

We have seen nothing to indicate an answer either way, but I am ever hopeful.

I know he lives in Brisbane, he was at training before Christmas but don’t know about since then.

It’s good work if you can get it, eh?

Roar played balls over the top for the wingers to run onto and whip in low crosses for Maclaren.

Now they're playing long balls to a target man. DWH ain't a target man, Babalj is. You gain getting a look at Babalj while Babalj gains fitness and match sharpness. I'd actually like to see them play up top together.

The question is why are we even playing that style. You either get players that suits your style or play to your strength. DWH is a strength. Babalj is a never was, lazy weak and slow. Roar have been so regressive under aloisi ending up with a rudderless ship with a coach forced there that it's in damage control scared to do anything to stamp his authority.

nah, 007 ... it was long balls over the top for Maclaren to run on to more than not

Ah right but the point still stands. They weren't hoofing it to his head like they are attempting (and failing) to do to Babalj, they were for him to run on to.

Because the squad is down to its bare bones and your midfield is non existent. 

@sub007

Babalj trialling at Roar is probably not ideal for him, there’s 10 players there looking at a new club next year and not wanting to get injured so he’s not going to get much help from them. I’d like to see Babalj/DWH playing close together in a front 2. Anything else is ludicrous imo.

Yeah agree.

So the argument is DWH is no good because the only style Roar know how to play is hoof it to a striker’s head. 
Gee, I have an idea, play with Charles an DWH up front, a four man midfield with Eric left and Leck or Mikkelson right, and try to create opportunities for DWH, similar to those created before Babalj took over. Or we can just continue to play DWH out of position and keep playing Babalj. 
Now that I think about it, why would I even care?

I didn't say DWH is no good. I said he'd be ineffectual in the system that you guys are playing.

I also said I'd like to see them play up top together although that would be impossible now that Henrqiue's injured and Leck is at RB.