Captain expects coach to stay at Roar
IF YOU believe all the speculation, Brisbane Roar coach Ange Postecoglou has already packed his bags and the taxi's waiting to take him to the airport for a flight to Melbourne and a new job with the Victory.
But Roar skipper Matt Smith, who led his club to A-League history on Sunday as the first team to win back-to-back grand finals, won't have a bar of it.
Smith said he expected the "winningest" coach in Australian football history to be in charge at Brisbane next season.
"People have asked that question over the past couple of weeks," he said.
"But for me, until I've heard it from Ange himself, he's still Brisbane Roar coach.
"He hasn't spoken to any of the players about it and as a side we've been totally focused on the grand final and the Champions League.
"Whatever Ange decides in the off-season is down to him ... for me he's going to be the Roar coach next year."
Brisbane has been the benchmark for success in Australian football over the past two seasons and English-born Smith, who has led the team with distinction during Postecoglou's reign, puts the reason for that success down to one man.
But if the worst-case scenario for the club did arise and Postecoglou did fly south, Smith said he would leave big boots to fill.
"Ange is the reason why the playing group has been playing the way it has," Smith said.
"The culture is driven by him.
"If he does go it will leave a massive, gaping hole.
"But that's not the way I am thinking, it's not the way the boys are thinking and it's not the way the club is thinking.
"As far as I am concerned he is Brisbane Roar coach and we've all bought into his philosophy."
If Postecoglou did make the move to Melbourne Victory some might expect players such as Thomas Broich and Besart Berisha, who the Roar coach introduced to the A-League, to follow their mentor to Australia's sporting capital.
But Smith does not see it that way and does not expect there to be an exodus of players if the Roar coach did decide to call it a day in Brisbane.
"I think it would be hard as the boys are under contract," the skipper said.
"It's all ifs, buts and maybes.
"I can't answer for the other boys, but as far as I'm concerned everyone's here and everyone wants to be here.
"Why would you not want to be at this club?"
