Season Preview – Melbourne Victory (Part A)
Melbourne Victory are hoping to eclipse their two previous A-League campaigns, both of which ended in semi-final defeats at the hands of the two teams that would go on to be champions, Brisbane Roar and the Central Coast Mariners.
Considered by many as the biggest club in the country, the Victory are craving a taste of glory that has been longing the club for the last six seasons. To achieve the coveted toilet seat, the club has made some key changes, all of which look set to make the club a serious contender this season.
These key changes, which will be examined, further below, come in what was quite evidently the clubs biggest issue on the park last season, it’s defence. Victory faired as the second worst side defensively in 2013/14, conceding a staggering 43 goals in the regular season alone.
Simply not good enough, and if the club wishes to improve on last season, it’ll have to focus on keeping the ball out of the net, as opposed to putting it in. Something Victory haven’t struggled with since Ange Postecoglu took over two seasons ago.
2013/14 season: By the club’s high standards, Victory’s 2013/14 season can only be deemed as a failure for the club. On and off the field, Victory struggled, scraping through for a 4th place finish and a semi-final exit from the competition. In the Asian Champions League, Victory performed admirably in a very tough group, but didn’t make it out of the group stages on goal difference.
Preseason: Without using preseason as a huge indicator as how a club will fair during the season, the Victory have showed positive signs on all fronts. They’ve marched through 10 games undefeated, scoring 38 goals and conceding only 2. Including wins against A-League outfits Perth Glory and Adelaide United.
Head Coach: Kevin Muscat. The A-League’s most infamous player turned coach. As the inaugural captain of the club, Muscat has been affiliated with the Victory since it’s inception. He understands the pressures and success the club and it’s fans demand on a yearly basis, so contrary to popular belief, I think he’s the perfect man for the job.
In terms of Muscat as a manager, his game tactically is modelled around the structures put in place by his predecessor, Ange Postecoglu. Which means the Victory will look to play an aggressive high-tempo, high-possession based brand of football.
Arrivals: Daniel Georgievski (from Steaua Bucuresti), Matthieu Delpierre (from FC Utrecht), Carl Valeri (from Ternana Calcio), Fahid Ben Khalfallah (from Troyes), and Besart Berisha (from Brisbane Roar).
Departures: James Jeggo (to Adelaide United), Pablo Contreras (retired), Adama Traore (to Vitória de Guimarães), James Troisi (to Atalanta – loan spell ended), Tom Rogic (Celtic – loan spell ended), and Francesco Stella (released).
In an exodus of talent, the most notable departures for the Victory are James Troisi and Adama Traore. Troisi led Victory in both goals and Assists last season while Traore was one of the Victory’s most consistent performers and one of the best left-back’s in the league. He also won Victory’s prestigious ‘Victory Medal’ prior to departure.
However, one could make a solid argument that the signings made by the club in the off-season are the best of any team in the league. To solidify the club’s defence, they’ve added two players with UEFA Champions League Pedigree in Daniel Georgievski and Matthieu Delpierre, added another Socceroo in Carl Valeri to strengthen the midfield and a player with Ligue 1 experience in France, Fahid Ben Khalfallah as another attacking-winger.
Key Player: The most notable signing remains to be the signing of former Brisbane Roar marksman Besart Berisha. He has proven himself in the A-League and adds another dimension to the Victory’s attack. After a solid pre-season, scoring 8 goals, Berisha is set to cause headaches for defences around the league.
What he’s still doing here: Andrew Nabbout. Aside from his heroics in his debut against Sydney FC, Nabbout hasn’t really shown much. With competition increasing for those two attacking wing positions, Nabbout will be competing against the likes of Barbarouses, Pain, Thompson and Khalfallah. He’s unlikely to see much playing time as a result of this.
Prediction: After a stellar off-season for the club, I think this year is the year Victory will finally go all the way. I think they’ll finish second on the ladder to Adelaide United, but go on to win the Grand Final.
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