Brisbane Roar's performances have drawn praise early in the Hyundai A-League season, but coach Mike Mulvey believes the club's culture is most important.
Brisbane Roar's performances have drawn praise early in the Hyundai A-League season, but coach Mike Mulvey believes the club's culture is undoubtedly most important.
The Roar are three points clear at the top and have been lauded for their possession-based style, and Mulvey praised for helping develop their game.
But a hungry and focused squad are the most pleasing aspects for Mulvey, who said his players wanted to protect the culture.
"The single most important thing at our club is the culture. It's more important than strategy," he said.
"It's really important that you've got a good culture and we've got a fantastic culture and it's something the players are very respectful of and also very protective of.
"It's something that helps us try and improve every single day.
"More than them being experienced, they're hungry and they're very focused. They're all fantastic ingredients."
Mulvey has been particularly impressed with two of the Roar's eight performances this season, without telling which ones.
The 2012/13 Westfield W-League Coach of the Year - when he was in charge of the Melbourne Victory before leaving for the Roar - said his philosophies fit well at Brisbane.
If his Roar side continue their fine start to the season, he may be in line for an A-League Coach of the Year Award.
"I've been coaching for quite a while, just probably not in such a public domain and most of my teams have played attacking, possession-based football," Mulvey said.
"I think the DNA that is there in the Brisbane Roar style is something that is closely aligned with my own. I didn't think there would be too much of a change when I came in.
"Every coach has their own way of doing things, but I think we score goals, we make chances and we're quite adventurous, but at the same time we're good at the other end."
Mulvey, who paid tribute to his experienced backroom staff, said assistant Luciano Trani was a key player in the Roar's success.
"Luc brings a depth of knowledge that is very, very important. He's very, very good with his analysis of opponents and our performance," he said.
"He's able to get that to us in a timely manner and it certainly helps with our development.
"He's a football nut. He's absolutely obsessed by the game."