The False 9: Round 4 - Too much zero tolerance from Amor

With all due respect to Barcelona great Guillermo Amor, the Adelaide United coach sounds like he is in denial over his side's early-season A-League form.

Source: Getty Images

Adelaide are last on the table, already eight points off the pace after just four rounds, and are the only side yet to register a win and a bona fide goal this season, with their only two goals both being own goals.

But after Saturday's 3-0 loss to Brisbane Roar, Amor said he was "very happy" with his team's performance.

"The players did we what we told them to do,” Amor said.

"We conceded the first goal inside 10 minutes, after that the game was balanced. In the last 20 minutes of the first-half, we dominated the game.

"In the second-half again there was only one team on the field, we dominated as well. This happened until we conceded the second goal."

Referring to their lack of goals, Amor said: "We are working on it. Maybe today they didn’t go in, but maybe the next game they will go in. I only believe in the work. When you work more and more is when things go better and better."

If Adelaide doesn't start getting results soon, the pressure on them will become enormous.

The Reds really need to kick-start their season in Thursday night's home game against Melbourne City.

'Popa' won't back down

Speaking of defiant coaches, Tony Popovic has got an answer for everything and when a pesky media type asked him about the disappointing early-season form of imported Western Sydney Wanderers striker Federico Piovaccari, who is yet to score an A-League goal, he was ready with an explanation.

"He just needs a break," Popovic said.

"He's working very hard, you know, the ball either just goes behind him or just too far in front on the crosses, but once he gets the first goal, he'll show his quality, that's for sure."

As another man with the same initials as Popa once sang, you can stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won't back down.

How did that feel?

Central Coast Mariners no longer wanted Matt Simon, but his old coach Graham Arnold did, and signed him for Sydney FC.

So what happens the first time Simon goes back to his old home ground with the Sky Blues? He scores two goals in a 3-1 win, of course.

"It's not so much revenge," Simon said.

"I've scored a lot of goals there, so maybe I'm comfortable and it felt normal. I was enjoying playing at that field and the pitch was immaculate.

"Going out there and playing for another team that you never thought would happen was a different feeling. I was happy with what I was doing and I felt good."

This calls for a recall of Simon's doppelganger - the character Silas from the movie The Da Vinci Code. False 9 doesn't need much of an excuse.

Quote of the week

Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat displayed that winning mentality after his team ran over Wellington Phoenix and looked forward to the FFA Cup final against Perth Glory at AAMI Park on Saturday.

"Look, make no mistake, there will be eight other teams in the A-League who will be wishing they were in that grand final come Saturday," he said.

"The price you pay for success is a rescheduled (A-League) game, we've got to play in Perth and it's going to have to be during the week.

"Great, I've got no issue whatsoever with that. The FFA can place it in wherever they like, because, it could be a lot easier for you, you wouldn't have a midweek game, but you're also not in the FFA Cup final.

"We take winning trophies very, very seriously and the preparation this week will reflect that."

Since False 9 is in doppelganger mode, let's go back to the well to present "Muscy" and actor Mark Strong, who could pass as twins.

Man of the hour (and a half)

Brandon Borrello's double for Brisbane Roar in their 3-0 win over Adelaide United took him to the top of the competition's goal-scoring list, on his own, after scoring four goals in the first four rounds.

Borrello is now hoping he can parlay his early-season form into a place in the Australia squad for the AFC Under-23 Championship in Qatar in January that doubles as the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

"If I can get among this Olyroos squad that would be great for me," Borrello said.

"It's good for me to get my confidence up so early in the season. It's a credit to the team, we've worked so hard.

"We've got a lot of players up front who can score goals. It doesn't matter who plays where, all the players know their positions and the runs we make. It's working well."

Tweet, tweet #1

Bruce Djite, trying to keep the natives from getting too restless in the wake of Adelaide's poor start to the season.

Tweet, tweet #2

Normally keen retweeter Federico Piovaccari hasn't retweeted anything since September 22, after scoring a goal for the Wanderers in a trial match.

Hopefully he'll break his A-League duck soon and shake the cobwebs on social media.

Tweet, tweet #3

Perth Glory coach Kenny Lowe enjoys a blast from the past and he had a classic 1980s mane during his playing days.

Can't wait for ...

The top-of-the-table clash between Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar at Allianz Stadium on Friday.

Can those terrific young strikers from the Roar - Brandon Borrello and Jamie Maclaren - come up with the goals against the tightest defence in the competition?

The pair have scored seven between them in four rounds, while Sydney has conceded just two in total.

Something has got to give.