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There could have been no better initiation to the A-League for Melbourne Victory’s new manager Jim Magilton than last night’s rousing match against bitter rivals Adelaide United at a very boisterous AAMI Park.
For football players a change of manager is like having a new girlfriend and the Victory players were going to make sure their first night together was going to make the stadium move.
Step forward, Harry Kewell, the sexiest footballer at Victory and his wing man Archie Thompson. They had the place rocking after six minutes as Kewell, starting on the left as an attacking midfielder, waltzed past two limp challenges and delivered a killer cross for Thompson to tap in.
Magilton added to his formidable attacking arsenal by playing Hernandez behind Thompson and Danny Allsopp on the right as he set up team in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Broxham and Brebner sharing defensive midfield duties.
After 30 minutes Magilton probably thought the A-League caper was a doddle. Victory played with vim and at a speed not out of place in the English Championship. His team should have been further in front as some lovely one touch football was cutting the Adelaide rearguard to ribbons.
Adelaide United, on the other hand, started the game nervously. They could not deal with Victory’s initial barrage of shock and awe. But as they settled a familiar pattern began to emerge. Melbourne Victory midfield lost control of the game, retreated behind the half way line and tried to pinch goals on the break.
The second half began the same way as the first with Victory failing to kill off the match with Allsopp being the major culprit by failing to put away a header from another sublime cross by Kewell.
This was the queue for Adelaide’s Dario Vidosic to become the most influential player in the second half. The attacking midfielder, who played at the pointy end of a midfield diamond, first supplied the deadly corner which resulted in Sergio Van Dijk equalizer.
And then with the game becoming more stretched Vidosic began tormenting Victory’s sluggish, tiring midfield duo of Broxham and Brebner. Further forward Carlos Hernandez was out of gas and had to be subbed as Magilton tried to plug a midfield which started to resemble Swiss cheese.
Magilton’s first match in charge will be remembered for two acts which are symbolic of Melbourne Victory’s season.
Firstly, Kewell’s dazzling run and venomous drive against the crossbar. A potent reminder of Victory’s over reliance on individual brilliance to get results.
Secondly, Kewell asked in the closing minutes of the match to impersonate a bollard by standing in middle of the pitch in an effort to preserve a point. Another reminder of a star studded squad built on sand.
Jim Magilton has the rest of the season to prove himself. He has the same squad with the same limitations that Mehmet Durakovic had to work with. Will it end up being like football manager’s Groundhog Day?
Athas Zafiris is on Twitter @ArtSapphire
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