Western Pride head coach and technical director Kasey Wehrman says his side will seek to add a touch of Brisbane Roar flair to the hard-working performances that epitomised the club’s debut National Premier Leagues season.

Following a slow start to the campaign, Pride found their feet with a series of impressive performances in the back half of the season – accounting for eventual Grand Finalists Olympic FC and Brisbane City to finish in eighth position.

The rapid development of Pride's playing stocks resulted in Werhman being offered an extension to his role as Technical Director and senior Head Coach at the Ipswich-based Pride for another year.

Werhman, who will also spend the summer assisting Brisbane Roar National Youth League coach Jeff Hopkins at Ballymore, says Pride will be fighting for silverware next season.

"We’ve lost four or five players through work commitments and injuries and stuff like that, so we’re looking to rebuild in a few areas, but we want to be a team next year that is higher up on the ladder and fighting for those top four spots. So, hopefully bigger and better next year," Wehrman enthused.

The former Socceroo and Australian youth representative also said he would take what he learns at Roar and tailor it to suit the set-up at Pride.

“I wouldn’t say we’ll be like Barcelona, we’ll always be a hardworking team and we reflect the area we come from,” Werhman explained.

“We work hard from start to finish and I think if we didn’t do that this year we probably wouldn’t have the results we had,” he continued.

Wehrman, who was honouews as the National Soccer League Under 21 Player of the Year in 1997 with that year's Grand Final winning Brisbane Strikers outift, emphasised Pride’s commitment to developing and promoting young local talent in the western corridor.

“We want Ipswich boys. We want to show local people that it can be done with Ipswich players and we’ve done that this year.”

“A lot of the results we got were from grinding hard and working hard and being patient, sticking in there and holding on. If we can keep that and put a little bit of flair to it then we’ll be even stronger next year.”

Wehrman admitted that after more than a decade outside of Queensland football, the most recent season had offered a learning curve to his burgeoning coaching career.

“I’d been away, playing overseas for ten years and then two years in Newcastle, so I’m still getting used to the Brisbane scene again and getting used to the players in the NPL and the different styles of football that each team plays.”

Wehrman’s new role at Roar will afford him an up close look at some of the National Premier Leagues most promising talents.

He explained that he would be an eager pupil at the two-time A-League Champions, willing to assist and learn as the situation demanded.

“I will assist Jeff Hopkins with the youth team along with Joel Smith. But where I can I will help out a little bit with the senior boys as well, but not so much because there’s a lot within the youth team role as well.”

“It keeps me busy enough and I’m getting good experience as well listening in on the meetings with (Roar head coach) Mike Mulvey, (football director) Ken Stead and (goalkeeping coach) Jason Kearton.“

Despite none of his Pride progeny linking up with the Roar youth programme this season, Wehrman said he was encouraged by the uptake of National Premier Leagues players in the National Youth League.

“There’s a fair few boys from around the area and a lot of NPL players that will also get their chance,” Wehrman explained.

“There’s a lot of QAS boys at Roar as well. And then obviously the youth team boys are all in with the senior team boys at the Roar training”

Wehrman will test his growing tactical prowess against Mulvey and the rest of the Roar coaching team this Wednesday afternoon in an exhibition game against the A-League club in Toowoomba.

Pride will be hoping to continue their recent giant-slaying form, warming up for the match with a 1-0 win over Olympic FC in a friendly hit-out last Friday night at Goodwin Park.

Pride’s top goalscorer in NPL Queensland last season, Peter Drager, netted the winning goal in the opening ten minutes.

Meanwhile, Roar also come off the back of a 1-0 win – defeating Melbourne Victory in a pre-season exhibition at Prides North Ipswich Reserve home ground on Saturday courtesy of a late goal to Queensland Academy of Sport product Kwame Yeboah.

Match Details:

Western Pride v Brisbane Roar
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Toowoomba Grammar School (Old Boys Oval)
Kick Off: 3:15pm

 

Words: Michael Flynn (Football Queensland)
Image: Keith Eigeland