Brisbane Roar coach Warren Moon is SACKED…here’s why it went so wrong for the A-League club

Warren Moon has been sacked as head coach of Brisbane Roar after his struggling team plummeted to 11th spot on the A-League Men’s ladder following last weekend’s round 17 matches.

Moon, 40, started the season in promising fashion, losing just once in 10 games, but the men in orange are now winless from their past seven outings.

They have also won just three games this campaign. 

The poor run of results prompted Roar general manager Ante Kovacevic to pull the trigger on Monday, with the decision to relieve Moon of his duties effective immediately.

Moon took the Roar to finals appearances in 2021 and 2022 and leaves with 22 wins, 22 draws and 31 losses from his 75 matches in charge.

Warren Moon has been sacked as coach of Brisbane Roar following a poor run of results in the A-League

Marquee signing Charlie Austin left the club in December after just six months, citing family reasons

Daily Mail Australia has unpacked where it all went wrong for Moon, who took over from Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler towards the end of the 2019/20 season.

Standing down Corey Brown

Amid rumours of recreational drug use – which Brown has vehemently denied –  the Roar released a statement in August advising the immediate termination of the defender’s contract. 

And it was blunt to say the least, just 25 words in total. 

The A-League players’ union then stepped in, led by Professional Footballers Australia co-chief executive Beau Busch. 

The Roar terminated Corey Brown’s contract after rumours of recreational drug use – the fan favourite has vehemently denied the claims, with the matter now before the courts

The matter still remains unresolved, and is headed to the courts.

Brown wore the Roar jersey on 141 occasions across two stints at the club, and the playing group were said to be less than impressed at the messy handling of the situation.

Marquee departing after just six months 

Former English Premier League striker Charlie Austin was tasked with solving Brisbane’s lack of bite in the final third as their marquee signing in the off-season.

The 33-year-old, who scored four goals in 11 games across all competitions, left the club suddenly in December, citing family reasons.

The Roar faithful wasn’t enough to keep marquee signing Charlie Austin Down Under. Instead, he headed back to the UK after just six months

He is now playing for Swindon Town in England’s League Two.

Brisbane had no plan B to replace Austin and a number of listless performances  have followed in 2023.

13 goals from 17 games also tells the story this campaign. 

Signing players at the twilight of their careers 

Offering a recent contract to 34-year-old Robbie Kruse wasn’t a popular move with plenty of Brisbane fans.

Age has caught up with the winger and Kruse can’t be expected to reignite his team’s finals hopes given he is only likely to feature as an impact player.

At 33, Stefan Scepovic’s best days are probably behind him – so  the Roar signing him was puzzling in the eyes of many fans

Journeyman forward Stefan Scepovic may have an impressive pedigree, representing the likes of Sampdoria, Club Brugge, Sporting Gijón and Celtic – but at 33, his best days are also behind him.

Additionally, expensive off-field dramas have engulfed the club in recent years.

In 2021, ex-Socceroos midfielder Brett Holman had to chase the club to pay him $400,000 in withheld insurance money after he suffered a career-ending injury while playing for the Roar against Perth Glory back in 2018.

And Fowler won a six-figure payout for unfair dismissal after taking the matter to FIFA when he and former assistant Tony Grant were sacked in mid-2020.