Aloisi fires up at Roar defenders

Brisbane Roar assistant coach Ross Aloisi has turned the blowtorch onto the team's leaky defence as it seeks to keep a clean sheet for the first time this A-League season against Adelaide United on Saturday night.

An unrepentant Aloisi tore into the Roar's defensive group for a lack of application during a vocal and, at times, fiery training session on Tuesday at Griffith University.

Brisbane's focus has switched to the back end of the field following a 3-2 loss to Wellington Phoenix that ended their unbeaten start to the season and exposed their defensive issues.

Two of the goals conceded were easily preventable, and Aloisi - the older brother of head coach John Aloisi - hammered home that point as he demanded quicker reactions from his players.

Veteran fullback Shane Stefanutto, who is back to full fitness and in contention to face the Reds at Suncorp Stadium, described it as a welcome "reality check".

"It was just a bit of honesty in terms of our defending," he said.

"I know Ross as a football player and he's exactly like that as a coach. We love Ross because of that.

"If you need to be told something, you need to be told something.

"We're men. We don't take it personally. We want that feedback as well so we can rectify those issues."

Stefanutto said the Roar needed a miserly "Italian-like" defence to plug the gaps exposed by the Phoenix, who repeatedly caught out Brisbane in transition.

"We have high expectations at this club and we have from day one," he said.

"Our aim as a team is always to go out there and keep clean sheets.

"If we just sit there and go, two wins from three games is good, well that's not what it's about."

Yet to feature this season due to a persistent calf problem, Stefanutto, who will retire at the end of the current campaign, admitted he was a long shot to win selection for the Adelaide clash.

"I don't think anyone's position should be certain, that keeps us hungry. It's the way professional sport needs to be," he said.

"I've been on this challenge for three, four, five years now - I've been on one-year deals for a long time, and had many chats with the bosses that say it's 50-50.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."