Ruben Zadkovich responds to mounting ‘pressure’ and hints at serious injury to key defender

Even though Glory traveled to Brisbane without captain Adam Taggart, Glory won thanks to a goal from David Williams in the 69th minute at Suncorp Stadium.

Glory and Roar were the only two Isuzu UTE A-League teams without a victory in 2024–25 going into Round 9.

Due to the outcome, Brisbane began the season with just two points from eight games, placing them at the bottom of the table.

After head coach Ben Cahn left, Zadkovich took over as interim manager of the team after joining as an assistant in January 2024.

Although Zadkovich was formally appointed head coach of Brisbane in April for a two-year contract, his first full season in command has started with two draws and six losses in eight games.

During his Saturday press conference following the game, Zadkovich was questioned about his performance as head coach of Roar under mounting pressure.

“Under pressure, I’m fine,” he answered. That’s what I agreed to.

“Let’s remember when I arrived at this club (under really trying circumstances), shall we? When I took over as Ben’s (Cahn) assistant, they had dropped seven of their previous eight games, and a week later, he left.

“I am fully aware of the challenges the club is facing, the situation it is in, and the obligations I have to continue to push and attempt to get through this challenging time.

We have been clear from the beginning that we are going through a challenging time. The emphasis and the aim for our club’s recovery from this predicament must remain unambiguous.

Let me give you a hint: I do everything, every single day, along with my employees and players. Sometimes, that’s just the way things are; it’s not where we want to be, it hurts, but it doesn’t bother me any more because I am the one responsible.

Due to illness, Zadkovich entered Saturday’s match against Perth without his important off-season addition Ben Halloran. He also pointed out two injuries sustained in the 1-0 loss, including Ben Warland’s possible anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

One of the few seasoned center-backs in Brisbane’s roster, Warland joined the team from Adelaide United during the off-season.

“I received a message this morning stating that Ben Halloran has a stomach ailment and is out. He’s a crucial addition to our team and an essential player,” Zadkovich stated.

At halftime, Benny Warland and the other lads are crying since he appears to have suffered an ACL injury.

We strapped it up and simply told him to “get back out there” when (Hosine) Bility popped his shoulder out and it was split 50/50 whether he would return after halftime.

Adam Zimarino and Jack Hingert had clear-cut opportunities that we must have taken, but we rattled the underside of the bar and wasted open goals.

However, as I mentioned before, we expose ourselves to a player like Davey Williams, a top striker who has been one for a long time, at that very moment.

We must accept that as the truth. It’s never easy, and it’s not pleasant. However, I can say that everyone at our club is putting in a lot of effort, and it wasn’t for lack of trying.

As a manager, sometimes that’s the very least you can ask for, and you could see the players giving it their all until the final whistle of the game.

The Roar manager was keen to point out the advantages as he considers what his squad may accomplish in 2025 and beyond, even as he tallied the costs of injuries and inaccuracy in front of goal in the loss to Perth.

Henry Hore, the team’s equal-top scorer from the previous year, will return on a six-month loan to K League 1 team Gangwon FC in January, giving Brisbane a big boost in offensive depth.

Along with Hore’s imminent return, Zadkovich believes the current crop of young players receiving regular minutes at the club will have benefited from their early-season exposure in the Isuzu UTE A-League to help drive the club forward.

“Now, it’s about improving,” Zadkovich said. “How do we improve our processes, how do we improve our recruitment, how do we keep backing some of these young ones?

Let’s not forget: there were a lot of positives. We finished the game with Jacob Brazete, 18 years old, a scholar (scholarship player). Quinn MacNicol, 17 years old, a scholar. Neicer Acosta, (22) years old. Tommy Waddingham, 19 years old. Lucas Herrington, 17 years old. There are a lot of positives amidst all the turmoil of the situation we’re in.

“We’ll focus on those positives but we’ll also focus on the areas to improve as a club, we’ll go through a review and a proper sit-down, and keep pushing.”

Brisbane’s final 2024 matchup is against Western United, who are rising in the standings after crushing the undefeated Auckland FC 4-0 in Round 9.

The Central Coast Mariners (January 3) and Newcastle Jets (January 7) are the next two home games Zadkovich’s team will play in the new year.