Shane Stefanutto says new Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey has been pushing a positive message, though that does not mean he will shirk the tough calls.
Shane Stefanutto says new Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey has been pushing a positive message, though that does not mean he will shirk the tough calls.
Since former coach Rado Vidosic was made technical director, his replacement Mulvey has only overseen a handful of training sessions, as well as last weekend's 1-0 home loss to Perth Glory.
Roar players trained Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ahead of their match against Adelaide United on Boxing Day.
Fullback Stefanutto told reporters that whenever a new manager joins a team, all the players feel they need to impress him.
"Reputations don't mean a thing," he said.
"It's all about us working hard and buying into his philosophies, which are really positive, and the belief will come back I'm sure."
Along with his efforts to build confidence, Mulvey had also had strong words for the Roar players during the week, a move that Stefanutto agreed with.
"Spot on. And I think that's what we need to be honest. We're men and we need to be told the truth," he said.
The former Fury player echoed his coach's insistence that the team only needed a few adjustments to be back to their all-conquering best.
"It's been really positive since he's come on board and I think the atmosphere in the dressing room has been really good, so they're all good signs," Stefanutto said.
"We are creating opportunities. I think it's a bit more of a worry when you're not creating chances.
"Confidence will only come with good performances and good results. The quicker that can happen, the better, then we can hopefully get on a roll."
Stefanutto dismissed Adelaide United's stunning 6-1 loss to Western Sydney last weekend as a blip, but said Brisbane would remain confident because of previous experiences in Adelaide.
"They're talking about not showing up on the day. And it's true in this league. The margins between success and failure are so small, it's ridiculous," he said.
"They don't turn up and they cop six goals. Just like any other team, that if you don't turn up on the day, you will get punished.
"We go down to Hindmarsh and we've had good results there and we've played well there. All of us can have a good feeling there, it's a good stadium, a good surface and they get a good crowd, so it's these games that we look forward to it.
"A good 90-minute performance would be as good as a Christmas present for us because I think we know if we put in a 90 minute effort there's not many teams that can stick with us."