The Mystifying Move of Mark Milligan

A Victory member’s perspective on the former captain’s move to the Middle East and its impact on the club, the player and the national team. 

It’s the unfortunate nature of football under a salary capped system that you get punished for success. We have seen it recently with the Wanderers and the massive turnover of players after their Asian Champions League success and now it is the turn of the current A-League premiers and champions to suffer.

Milligan’s last 6 months have been outstanding, in fact, he couldn’t have planned to raise his personal worth anymore than he did over this time. Since his suspension midway through the season for an elbow on Terry Antonis, the midfielder has played an essential role for the Socceroos in their Asian Cup triumph; a potential man of the match performance had it not been for the terrific game of Trent Sainsbury.

Resisting mid season burnout, the Sydney-born Milligan lead from the front for the Victory through to the end of the season, filling in at centre back when required and as acting playmaker for the absent Finkler in a spell of fixtures. It was back in the heart of midfield where he put in his best performances, epitomised with his capturing the Joe Marston medal as best afield in the Grand Final.

In the Green and Gold and in the Melbourne blue, there’s no doubting that he has deserved a big money move. In steps the cash-strapped club of Baniyas from the United Arab Emirates, the former home of one-time Socceroo Nick Carle, and suddenly there is a vacancy of an Australian marquee and grand final winning captain at the Victory.

The decision can’t have been easy for the 2012/13 recipient of the Victory Medal, who will be earning a salary in the Middle East that will be many times larger than what the Victory was able to pay him; a once in a lifetime opportunity to set up his wife and family with enough money to live comfortably for years to come.

The move does however put his position in Postecoglou’s Socceroos team in question. Leagues in the west of Asia receive far less attention from Australian media and Postecoglou has stated that the quality of football over there “is a slower pace” and that he wants the Socceroos to play a “high-intensity, high-tempo kind of game”.

Ange’s inaugural squad consisted of only one Middle Eastern based player, Mark Bresciano, a national team legend who’s form and minutes on the field have curtailed ever since he made the move to the west of Asia from Europe, with the playmaker now struggling to get into the national team starting 11. Another case in point is current Sydney FC captain Alex Brosque. He was a regular in the Socceroos side while playing in Japan, but then didn’t get a call up from the national boss after his move to the Gulf. Sasa Ognenovski and Matt Spiranovic suffered similar fates during stints in the Middle East, while Brett Holman is an example of a player axed by Postecoglou from the national setup after his move to Al-Nasr in the UAE.

As for the club themselves, Melbourne are set to receive a transfer fee in the range of $1m, according to a statement from the club, but are left with a massive hole in their squad which was looking to go from strength to strength after the club’s most successful season to date. It isn’t as simple as buying a like-for-like replacement either, as only an Australian player can be bought in outside of the cap and signed as a marquee, with influential striker Besart Berisha filling the club’s international marquee position.

Mile Jedinak wouldn’t move back to the A-League, while other home-grown midfield candidates include Chris Herd, who would be a risk given his injury record, Josh Brilliante and James Holland, who would all be unlikely to return from Europe to Australia. Victory could aim to pinch Luke Brattan from the Roar, though such a move would also be tough to pull off. Trouble with payments of Brisbane Roar players (see here) could influence McKay or Brattan into leaving, or one of the younger talents from the north-east such as Devante Clut.

A midfield two of Valeri and Broxham would be of a good enough quality to compete at the highest end, though depth is an issue coming into the 2015/16 season, particularly with the added strain of Champions League fixtures. Questions still remain surrounding Rashid Mahazi, who’s ability is still unproven at the top level. As deep screening midfielders, the trio also offer Victory little in terms of flexibility of formation, leaving Muscat constrained to a double pivot in the middle of the park. A midfield signing would allow for more depth, quality and flexibility in the middle of the park, something necessary for the club to follow on with it’s success going into next season.

A visa signing would not currently be possible with the five foreign player positions already filled (Besart Berisha, Gui Finkler, Matthieu Delpierre, Kosta Barbarouses and Fahid Ben Khalfallah), so a major reshuffle would be necessary to bring in a foreign midfielder to replace Milligan. Valeri may have to take more responsibility in the middle of the park next season in a more creative role, while Muscat and his team will be searching far and wide for a solution to replace Milligan in the middle of the park.

As for Milligan’s other position, captaincy, this may be an easier problem to solve. The club has multiple solid options to take on the leadership, from influential centre half Matthieu Delpierre to vice captain Leigh Broxham, as well as outsider options Carl Valeri and Besart Berisha.

Personally, I would test out whether the likes of Herd and Brilliante would be interested in a return to Australia on a marquee contract. If that were to prove unsuccessful, I would invest in a young Australian midfield talent who would play behind Valeri and Broxham and inject youthfulness into the squad along with Galloway, Geria and the likes.

Only time will tell to what extent Milligan’s move affects his own career and the fortunes of the national team and the Victory, but one thing is for sure, it will be one of the biggest moves of the A-League off-season and proof that the FFA needs to encourage larger growth in clubs so star players are not lost overseas.

Milligan leaves the Victory with 80 appearances and 15 goals from 2011/12 to 2014/15, a championship and premiership medal and Joe Marston medal.

What would you do in the situation if you were Muscat and the brains trust of Melbourne Victory? Vote below and let me know in the comments below.

Image source : @BaniyasClub on Twitter.