What’s the matter with Marcos?
When it was announced that Marcos Flores had signed with Melbourne Victory, every supporter of the club became full of excitement, optimism and expectation with the biggest signing ahead of the upcoming season (of course, Del Piero, Heskey and Ono were yet to come). They did so rightly; just view his highlights of his time with Adelaide on YouTube and it is easy to understand why this man won the Johnny Warren medal. He oozes class. The fact that Victory snatched him from under the noses of Adelaide United made the coup so much sweeter for its fans. He had become a fan favourite before stepping onto the pitch.
Fast forward to the halfway point of this A-League season and Victory has three foreign players that find themselves in incredible veins of form. Kiwi Marco Rojas has nine goals while Brazilian Gui Finkler leads the league in assists. Ivory Coast full back Adama Traore is having a standout season and is arguably the best left back in the league.
Flores is not in this list and it is concerning for Melbourne Victory. The Argentine midfielder has scored one goal with no assists and is starting to come under the spotlight. As a marquee player, it is not enough. He has had flashes of brilliance throughout the season, giving us a glimpse of the potential everyone knows he can reach. He has provided some excellent passes going forward and his goal against Wellington in round 5, a tidy finish with the outside of his foot after some interplay with Finkler, showed what he is truly capable of. So far he has not shown enough of it.
Flores’ form has been overlooked with Melbourne Victory currently one of the form teams this season but after the 2-1 defeat to Western Sydney, his poor form was glaringly obvious. He knows it too. Flores is guilty of trying to play the perfect, near impossible passes too often and this can only be attributed to him feeling under pressure. He looks tense on the field and while no one can question his passion, at times he does not look like he is enjoying himself.
As much as I hate to say it, he is in the starting line up on reputation and not on form. If he was not the maquee player, I do not think he would be starting in the side.
Now with the injury to Gui Finkler, which will rule the Brazilian out for the remainder of the season, Flores’ performances will be analysed closely by the football community. It is a perfect time for Flores to prove himself and more importantly, to deliver. If he does, Victory’s front line, which is already the most powerful in the league, will hit frightening new heights that will strike fear into any team. Everyone knows what this man is capable of and in a season that has not yet seen him perform to his best, everyone is expecting.
For Flores to turn things around, he does not need to do much. He just needs to make the right decisions and to make the right passes. The magical through ball with the outside of his right foot is not always the right choice, particularly for a player under pressure. These are choices out of frustration with himself. Once he completes the simple passes, he will grow in confidence and I am certain we will begin to see the best of Marcos Flores again. If Melbourne Victory is to challenge for the title, he will have to.
Follow Beau on Twitter @BeauB93
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