MVFC Blog

“We simply were not at the races” Victory’s stand-in captain Grant Brebner said. Sad, but true.
Another disappointing match and one that comes at time when many fans will start to feel the season is fast moving beyond reach. The loss to Central Coast could be disregarded as an unfortunate series of events. Last week’s match against Sydney was tight and by all accounts one that we just as easily could/(should?) have won. But this one just never looked right. It was the chance to get right back into the thick of it and everything fell apart. Where has it all gone wrong?
For me, our current problems are the same problems we’ve suffered all season - lack of cohesion. At the start of the season it was because some players were returning from injuries or only freshly signed. Now, it’s because of the constant disruption in the line-up. Nary a week has gone by where the line-up remained the same as the week before. We can only hope that the rest of the season sees some consistency return to the fray. Let’s not forget we have an Asian Champions League campaign to launch into once the A-League season is over!

The disruptions have however uncovered some very talented players in our squad; players like Vasilevski and Ryall, in my books, now have a strong claim for a first team spot, regardless of who is fit at the time.

The match against the Roar wasn’t all about Melbourne though. In fairness, the Roar have really been putting in some great performances of late and are in a very confident state. Kruse in particular tore us apart at times. Despite the fact that he plays for an opposing team - he is an exciting player to watch. We were fortunate enough that Zullo wasn’t able to make it, or we may indeed have suffered even more at the hands of Queensland. One thing has become very clear this year - the standard is improving. Some of the football being played by the younger players in the league in particular is really a vast improvement on last year. Add to that a good crop of imports and the standard has definitely seen a lift. Melbourne meanwhile has struggled to replicate last year’s form. Robbie Slater never fails to tell us that it’s Fred we’re missing. Of course we are missing him - but last year’s team wasn’t just about Fred either! In defence, we’ve lost Leijer and Piorkowski is sorely missed with his current injury woes. A lot has rested on Vargas’ shoulders this season. Too much. We need a consistent defence first and foremost and that is not a good fortune we have had.

In the next couple of weeks we take on Wellington and Perth, the only two teams placed below us on the ladder. These are must win matches without a doubt. Perhaps a couple of wins in a row will provide some much needed confidence for the final leg of the competition.

Your thoughts?