Aloisi 'not to blame' for Roar plight, says Fong

Brisbane coach John Aloisi will not be made the scapegoat for the Roar's nose-diving season, with the club pledging to back him, not sack him.

John Aloisi took charge of Brisbane in 2015 Source: Getty Images

In acknowledgment of the stumbling blocks faced by Aloisi, Roar vice-chairman Chris Fong pointed to issues beyond the coach's control as "strong contributory factors" to the plight the three-time A-League champions find themselves in.

Thursday's 2-1 home loss to Perth Glory, which Fong endured seated next to Glory owner Tony Sage, left Brisbane second bottom with just 10 points from 12 games.

It's the most parlous position they've been in at this stage of any season.

But Fong, and the Indonesia-based Bakrie conglomerate which owns the club, do not "blame" Aloisi for a raft of indifferent results.

Instead they are taking a supportive stance, pointing out that pre-season off-field issues involving the strength, conditioning and treatment protocols went badly awry, leaving Aloisi with an injury list which has crippled his aspirations so far this season.

"We are certainly not blaming John and the reality is he didn't receive the level of support required before a ball had even been kicked, and that's out of his control," Fong said.

"We believe he's the right man to take us forward and we know what's gone wrong and we're addressing it from the top right the way down. Those discussions are ongoing.

"John's has had a fair bit to contend with, especially in suffering the amount of injuries we have.

"We're not holding him responsible for that, or the position we're currently in. There is still a long way to go this season and plenty of points to be played for."

Brisbane's injury curse has seen up to 10 players sidelined simultaneously this season, including pivotal performers like Thomas Kristensen, Eric Bautheac, Corey Brown, Luke DeVere, Brett Holman and Fahid Ben Khalfallah.

Brisbane took third spot and qualified for the Asian Champions League in Aloisi's previous two seasons in charge, proving to Fong that with the requisite off-field backing he has the credentials to recapture the club's past glories.

Aloisi was at loggerheads with recently sacked managing director Mark Kingsman. The shake-up which saw him axed heralded the return of David Pourre for a second stint as managing director.

The club's medical, physiotherapy and conditioning needs were outsourced during Kingsman's reign, creating a treacherous environment for Aloisi to get the best from his squad.

Their training base at Ballymore is acknowledged as below par, with the move to a modern facility next month at Logan flagged by Fong as a significant step forward.

Having tied Aloisi to a new three-year contract in the off-season, Fong has every confidence that Roar will flourish in the long term.

"We certainly believe in John and what he's trying to achieve - we're all working now to make sure the conditions are right throughout the club to give him a platform for the type of success we've enjoyed in the past," Fong said.

"While we certainly haven't written off this season, we're already discussing with John plans for the 2018-2019 season.

"That's not something that's happened in the past.

"Football can go in cycles and we're now experiencing more challenging times but we're totally committed to getting back to where we where."

Since Aloisi's arrival in 2015, the club has been dogged by intermittent internal turmoil, with player payments delayed and threats of intervention from the FFA.

A more hands-on Fong is determined to help deliver long-craved stability.

Taking a holistic approach to what ails the club, Fong is distressed by the type of scheduling which saw Roar face Glory on Thursday night in front of a paltry crowd of just 7031.

"We're not the only team to have suffered from this situation this season and it's something that has to be addressed looking forward," he added.

"The clubs are losing a lot of money as it is and games on dates like this just compound an already difficult problem.

"It has to be looked at urgently by FFA."