Mulvey wants a year to prove himself

Brisbane Roar coach Mike Mulvey wants to be judged on his performance in 12 months after being re-signed for a further two years.

Brisbane Roar coach Mike Mulvey wants to be judged on his performance in 12 months after being re-signed for a further two years.

Mulvey had been given the job on an interim basis last December and, despite not producing markedly improved results from his predecessor Rado Vidosic, has now been entrusted with the position for the next two seasons.

The decision comes at an unusual time, with the club just eliminated from the AFC Champions League at the first hurdl
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e, losing on penalties to Buriram United in a one-off playoff in Thailand on Wednesday.

Mulvey told media on arrival at Brisbane airport from Thailand that his appointment to the full-time role had not come as a surprise, despite the result against Buriram.

“I’m thrilled. Brisbane is my home town and to be given the opportunity to build some momentum and get the club back to where it belongs, is a great feeling for me,” Mulvey said.

“What I ask is that I’m judged in 12 months time with regards to a full pre-season, settling of my own squad, and then moving forward.

“There will be changes through the playing squad. That’s for the future. Right now we’ve got to give these players the best opportunity to do the best they can.”

Asked if he had been concerned about his future at the club after Brisbane lost two crucial encounters in the past week, to Buriram and Sydney FC, Mulvey said he was never worried.

“For my future? No. My future never came into it,” he said.

“It really isn’t about me, it’s about the club. And if I can bring some qualities to the club that will help it improve, then that’s great.”

“I was extremely disappointed (with the shoot-out loss). It’s a terrible way to lose a game. We do want to compete in Asia at the very top level.

“But if I’m truthful about the whole thing, we’re probably not equipped well enough to compete deep into the tournament this year in terms of our depth.

“While we’re very, very disappointed, we know we’ve come back to the A-League, which is equally important to us and we want to be aiming towards getting to the finals from now on.”