A clean-out of the players or a manager who can adapt and get the best out of the men at his disposal? That’s the question the Melbourne Victory board are looking to answer over the coming weeks.
If I was offering them any advice, I’d suggest a potential solution might be sitting right under their nose.
This is likely to surprise a few long time readers of The Round Ball Analyst, who have long known my views on the often-boorish behaviour of Kevin Muscat as a footballer, but something tells me he might just be the Victory manager in waiting.
While the conventional wisdom is that Muscat is on his L or P plates, developing his managerial experience in the background, there’s also an argument that, given the opportunity, he’s unlikely to do any worse than what’s been produced this season by both Mehmet Durakovic and Jim Magilton.
Indeed, it wouldn’t surprise if he does much better than that.
For all his carry-on as a player, there’s no doubt Muscat is a dominant personality, and if there’s one thing you need to manage a big club (by Australian standards) like the Victory, it’s a manager with the strength to handle the many stakeholders, from players, to agents, to the board, to the fans and the media.
There’s rarely been a more divisive figure in the Australian game. Many Victory fans love him. Across the rest of the country though he’s often public enemy number one.
There’s every chance, prancing around the technical area and in the press-room, he could become Australia’s answer to Jose Mourinho, a love-hate figure.
Whether he can be anywhere near as successful as The Special One remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt the Victory’s popularity around the country would plummet even more.
But scratch beneath the surface of hardness and there lurks what seems to be a knowledgeable football man.
This in part could be told from his work for SBS in South Africa two years ago, while it was widely felt the Muscat the player often ran the Victory show under Ernie Merrick.
Meanwhile, in his only appearance as the main man in the dugout, or at least on the plastic chairs, Muscat set his team out in what looked a logical formation, and playing with good organisation. The Victory managed to knock-off the Newcastle Jets.
Whether he would be able to produce this kind of work consistently is another story, but there’s little doubt the ride would be interesting. The mind games, you sense, would flow.
One of his biggest challenges, if he is to get a sniff, would be to distance himself from the friendships he has no doubt formed as a team-mate of many of the players still at the Victory.
Managing the obvious need for a regeneration of the roster remains the biggest challenge for whoever steps into the main-man role next season.
Perhaps the board’s feeling is that Magilton, without the context of having played with the likes of Grant Brebner, Archie Thompson, Tom Pondeljak, Roddy Vargas, Leigh Broxham and Danny Allsopp, is best placed to manage this transition.
Perhaps the feeling is that once Magilton’s regenerative work is done, Muscat, free from the challenge of having to distance himself from mates (one most in Australian football struggle with), can step up.
Yet the dilemma is that Magilton doesn’t appear to have come up with enough answers in his two or so months in charge ().
His default has been to attack the players for their performances rather than give them the confidence and technical solutions to perform better.
This, to me, would suggest Magilton’s not the right man. Going for an inexperienced Muscat might seem a gamble, but if it’s a choice between him and the temporary incumbent, it’s a gamble worth taking.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
MHTID You are taking a simplistic, narrow-minded view of Muscat. I'm reminded of the Coodabeen Champions' song about Dougie Hawkins: watch that left hook, he's from Braybrook. Of course Muskie wasn't from Braybrook, but where he came from, St Albans, was every bit as bad. But he at least he learned to look after himself, and sometimes in professional sport, that counts for a lot. You see a 16 year old smash someone's face in, and draw the very worst conclusions - from your perspective. A manager involved at the highest level might think to himself: here's a kid who can look after himself, a defender or holding midfielder who is going to intimidate his opponents, this is someone who I want on my team. I'm often surprised at some of the views I read on these sorts of forums about what people think the highest levels of professionalism are all about - as if it's all playing keepings up and dribbling round poles and having fun with free kicks. If you want to succeed at the highest levels, you need a hard, cold, calculating edge to you - and that's what Muscat brought to teams - no team succeeds without that edge. I'm reminded of how Holland challenged Spain in the world cup final (a dreary game I admit to you), but Spain ultimately won because they fought fire with fire - they stared Holland down, and then took their chance when it came. That's the kind of edge I'm talking about. I can still remember the technically proficient Gamba Osaka, with the outstanding Endo, taking on a ruthless Man Utd in a World Club cup semi final. In fact, you could argue that Gamba was better on the ball, but they lacked the edge and killer instinct that Man Utd brought to the contest. Everytime there was a corner, you could see Gamba quaking at the sight of Vidic getting ready to nod another one in, almost at will, no one standing in his way. Rooney just needed a sniff from 20m, and bang, it was in, maybe a second, didn't need to touch the ball more than that. Ruthless, killer instinct, no beg your pardons. Back to Muscat, and as captain, assistant manager, and the natural onfield leader of the victory for its first six years, he led that team to all of its success. He kept them focused, made sure they concentrated for the full 90 min, guarded the back third not just with his physical presence, but with hin innate leadership - his troops followed him - he won that silverware for the Victory - anyone who doesn't understand this has a very poor grasp of the game. Now that Muskie is not out there, we see the difference in MV - a rudderless, useless rabble.
Midfielder
Guest
JB Canberra have been asking for a spot for quite a while now and from what I understand have the funds.... WS HHHHHMMMMMMMMMm with the right people is the most logical team in Australia... So no I did take him seriously .. maybe I am naive
jbinnie
Guest
Midfielder - Did you get taken in by that interview last night?. Even as an eternal optimist on the future of the game I thought FL was at his political best,telling people what they wanted to hear and Bozza showed a complete lack of knowledge on how to conduct an investigative interview,either that, or he was told what, and what not, to ask. Pity he didn't take the rare opportunity when it was offering. jb
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Thanks for those kind words - much appreciated. Your lads are right in the mix and this week's game NUJ v BRI will be a sumptuous affair - I can't wait to watch. Good luck.
C'monJETS
Guest
last sentence has a thread of truth, I (maybe others) want to 'hate' MV so that when the jets play, the adrenaline is greater. unfortunately at the moment I just dont hate, I almost hope they do well for the sake of the league which is not the emotion I want. So yes, MV just have to get better/bigger/stronger than any other club, like our own version of ManU, just so supporters of other clubs have a villan, one we love to watch, but with a sence of dred. always good to follow your comments.....
phutbol
Guest
Phillipe Troussier ?
Roger
Guest
Thanks Fuss. Good news :)
Brendo
Guest
Looks like some of my info is out of date. Thx Phil You would assume both Foschini and Franjic have been resigned on low wages so probably the right decision (and pretty much what i indicated above) I had Carlos down as 2013 so must have stuffed up there. I cannot see MVFC extending his contract, so it looks like he is a near certainity to leave.
Midfielder
Guest
The link loads as a download and appears at the bottom of the page ... With FL news tonight that WS is a cert and Canberra is very close and maybe the Gold Coast is still in ... me thinks we may just make it....
Griffo
Roar Guru
I hope you guys can get it finished, it is going to lead the way. Had trouble with the link (not only because I'm not a member of the forum ;-) ). I would have hoped that other clubs were doing something similar or planning to by now, but like everything else it comes down to money. If clubs with 'basic' football operations are losing money right now, having youth facilities then... ...but even with great facilities you still need a plan and structures in place I would imagine. Again from what I have read in the past the Mariners are front runners, along with Heart in early days of youth identification and development. The Jets are working closely with NNSW and ironing out as they go along youth policies but no where near having NNSW youth teams wearing Jets gear under the club's auspices like the Mariners do. Related is the CEO of NNSW a few weeks ago dropped a mention on looking at a location in Newcastle for a facility like the Football Federation Victoria's Knox Regional Centre soccer5s concept. Seems futsal falling by the wayside a bit to soccer5s.
Midfielder
Guest
JB Have a look at this link... it from the Mariners fans forum about the COE ..... http://ccmfans.net/board/index.php/topic/1794-mariners-centre-of-excellence-is-go/page__st__660 ...... hopefully you arrive on page 34 if not go to page 34... Then scroll down until you get to a huge post by a poster called ADZ ... he has a link called environmental-effects.pdf ... god knows how he does it but he linked a Wyong council doc as a PDF web link ... anyway have a read .... I often wonder why MV OR SFC have not done this or gone down this path... ADZ also has listed the changes made to the orginal planning doc and some timings on when things will open... I just hope we can hang on long enough to reap the rewards of this investment ... but we are getting very close to some major openings...
Midfielder
Guest
BES
Guest
Thats an easy one: NO! I prefer the players on my team be allowed to walk off the field after the game rather than be carried off on stretchers.
MHTID
Guest
Much better than Kev's career. What's my refeering career got to do with it. The man could not play pure and simple. I guess it is easier to play than to officiate.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
So, after you refereed Kev 20 years ago ... ... Kev went on to play at Wembley, at Ibrox, at Parkhead, at various EPL grounds. He played in 2 x FIFA u20 World Cups where Australia finished 3rd, 3 Confederations Cups including 1997 when AUS finished 2nd and a Summer Olympics. I guess, life just ain't fair? How did your referring career pan out?
MHTID
Guest
This is the same man who I refereed as an under 16 year old playing for Sunshine George Cross Decided he would his elbow to break an opposition players nose because he felt like it So I duly sent him off, having refereed THE THUG over many years and having sent from the field on more than one ocassion, I would say he would be suited to be a BUTCHER at best
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Kevin Muscat has represented AUS in football at every age group. He's captained the u17 & senior side. When AUS played URU in a WCQ at the MCG in 2001 and Paul Agostino won a penalty, Kevin Muscat was the bloke, who had "the bottle" to take that penalty. That team included technically fine players in Emerton, Skoko, Moore, Kewell, Viduka, Okon & Lazaridis ... but none of them had the stomach for the job. Muscat has probably won more trophies as a pro-football than the whole Melbourne Heart team combined. And, with 51 full senior AUS caps, he'll always be part of AUS football history. Not bad for a hack & thug?
MHTID
Guest
There is no way a hack of a player, a thug of a footballer at best can coach. He definitely could not play and as a last resort he would injure and maim any player concerned. So the best he could do is go away from the game and never come back.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Bondy you've made an interesting observation that "MVFC has drawn most of its games". Which, of course, means MVFC has not been better than, or worse than, the opponent on most occasions. It's interesting to note the level of interest focused on MVFC's 'poor season' yet, until 2 weeks ago, MVFC was right in the mix with NUJ, MHT & SFC for a spot in the finals. So, basically, despite the much-talked about "poor year for MVFC", until 2 weeks ago, NUJ, MHT & SFC had insignificantly better results this year. AUFC is as bad as MVFC this year (also a team with excellent individuals but poor performances this year), yet there is little criticism - from within or outside - of AUFC underperforming season. I know MVFC fans hold the club to very high standards and expect the best. Could it be that the other HAL clubs, too, set a higher benchmark for MVFC than they do for themselves or other HAL clubs?
apaway
Roar Guru
Pim Verbeek and Guus Hiddink fit that description...