Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat is well within his rights to be furious at the FFA after another fixture blunder that could potentially spell disaster for his team.
Speaking in the wake of the FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture announcement, Muscat was less than happy upon learning his side would face the Newcastle Jets away on July third, only three days after they take on Atletico Madrid in the International Champions Cup in Geelong.
Adding to the Victory’s predicament is the fact that they play their first ICC game against Juventus just eight days earlier, leading to a total of three games in 11 days.
While unimpressed at the tough schedule, Muscat was most concerned about the safety of his players. Backing up for the Newcastle match wouldn’t be such a problem during the regular season, but he was quick to stress that his players are not yet match-fit.
It would be highly unlikely that any player who plays all three games would escape without even a minor injury.
Aside from player concerns, Muscat and his coaching staff will have some tough decisions to make regarding player selections and will essentially have to choose which games they will try and win.
While the ICC games are only friendlies, they are against two of the biggest clubs in the world and fielding a weakened side would almost certainly lead to a lopsided result, something that would hurt both the club’s image and the A-League’s standing internationally.
On the other hand the FFA Cup is growing in stature and after winning the competition last year, Victory will be determined to hold onto the silverware – a challenge that begins at Magic Park against the Jets.
Like it or not, Muscat is going to have to either pick one competition to go for or play a mixed side across both.
Obviously the Victory’s chances of winning the ICC are slim and it would therefore make sense to rest key players for the Jets tie, even if it means they miss out on playing in front of an international audience. No doubt close losses against Juventus and Atletico and a win against the Jets would be a favourable outcome.
But herein lies the problem.
In an ambitious footballing country like Australia, the fact that our biggest club is having to potentially decide which games to go for is a disgrace. With Victory’s participation in the ICC, the FFA has a perfect opportunity to showcase the growth of our domestic league.
Good performances and potentially an upset for Melbourne could be the difference between snaring and missing out on international marquees. With the A-League currently competing against the likes of the MLS, Chinese Super League and the rich Gulf Leagues, it needs all the help it can get.
The ICC has provided that opportunity but could actually end up doing more harm than good.
Instead of postponing or even moving the Victory-Jets clash back a couple of days, the FFA has well and truly shot itself in the foot. Fixturing has always raised eyebrows within the A-League and now it has made it almost impossible for Muscat and his players to perform to the best of their ability.
Will it take a season-ending injury to the likes of Besart Berisha to wake the FFA up? Or perhaps a 6-0 drubbing against Atletico Madrid will do the trick? Either way, things need to change and fast.
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