Soccer: Now's when Knights must roar

Chinese under-23 international Xiaobin Zhang will face a tight Roar defence. Picture / Kenny Rodger

John Adshead has been in a few scraps in his time. Being a football manager is never easy, especially when you're an underdog. But sometimes the dog can bite.

And the battles don't come any tougher than the one Adshead and his New Zealand Knights face in Brisbane on Sunday against the Queensland Roar.

As an opener to their Hyundai A-League campaign, the Auckland franchise has, according to the odds, been handed the easiest option.

Reality suggests something very different.

Suncorp Stadium will be foreign territory to the Knights, and the crowd, likely to reach at least 15,000, will only add to their nervousness.

So will the memory of the shellacking they received from the Roar at home in their Pre-Season Cup clash.

Little has changed since that 5-0 drubbing at North Harbour Stadium.

The Knights continued on their losing way despite an improved effort against Central Coast, and the Queenslanders just missed a place in the top four.

Coach Miron Bleiberg took some heart from his team's 0-0 draw against hot favourites Sydney City in Cairns in their last cup match.

That was a vast improvement on the 3-0 loss they suffered against the Sydneysiders in May, when the Australian teams were handed the bonus of a series of much-needed matchplay in their quest for a place in Fifa's World Club Championships (duly claimed by Sydney FC).

The Knights had no such opportunity and go into Sunday's match with a pre-season record of three losses.

That and an early-season injury list which reads like something from a horror show promise a baptism of fire for Adshead and his team.

This week's friendly against the Solomon Islands again left more questions than answers.

It will be interesting to see what part Josh Rose plays for the Knights.

The former Brisbane Strikers utility grabbed two goals against the Solomons and in the early game against the Roar made some impact off the bench, but it will need a huge effort from him and his team-mates to pose any real threat to the home side.

Without injured strikers Simon Yeo and Noah Hickey, the Knights' strikeforce has a thin look.

Promising Chinese under-23 international Xiaobin Zhang was pressed forward in this week's practice match but he will be up against it with the well-organised Roar defence.

The league kicks off tonight in Newcastle and Perth, where the Central Coast Mariners will be without key striker Nick Mrdja.

He is likely to be out for at least a couple of weeks with a knee injury. Veteran Scottish import Stewart Petrie takes his place.

Perth midfielder Steve McMahon jnr is likely to play alongside Socceroo Simon Colosimo in the middle of the park.

McMahon, who like his father played for Liverpool, has made an impact but not in the way the Glory fans wanted. He has already copped a red and two yellow cards and missed the pre-season final.

Most attention in Perth tonight will be on striker Brian Deane, who has joined the home team after playing more than 700 games in the English Premier League.

In other games, Sydney FC are expected to make the most of their home advantage to head Melbourne Victory, and Newcastle Jets also appear to have a home-ground edge for their clash with Adelaide United.

THE A-LEAGUE

* Eight privately owned clubs. All have a five-year agreement.

* Twenty-one home and away rounds. First round starts tonight. Round-robin ends on February 5.

* Top four clubs into play-offs culminating with grand final on March 4.

* Three-week break in December to accommodate Fifa World Club Championship and Christmas.

* Each club has a roster of 20 players (including three under 20). Salary cap of A$1.5 million ($1.6 million). Each club can have a marquee player outside the salary cap, subject to approval.

* League's estimated turnover more than A$50 million in the first year.