Last week’s A-League opener not only exposed some of Melbourne Victory’s frailties, but it also revealed the club’s legion of fans may not be patient enough for Ange Postecoglou’s plans.
The sounds of frustration, and perhaps even anger, from the blue half of the bumper crowd were inescapable in the final 30 minutes of the exciting match. As the Heart snuffed out each of Victory’s attacking raids, howls of discontent rained down at Etihad Stadium.
Of course, being the Melbourne Derby, it was completely expected the Victory fans would be disappointed and annoyed with a loss to their brief but bitter rivals. These were emotions they became all too familiar with last season under Mehmet Durakovic and Jim Magilton. But the fact it all came flooding back in the very first game, in what was meant to be a very promising season, raises some questions.
The Victory fans’ apparent lack of patience is twofold: patience within the course of a game, and patience over the course of a season.
The most obvious tactical change Postecoglou has implemented with Victory is the preference to pass the ball out of defence rather than just lumping it long. It was one of the cornerstones of his successful system at Brisbane Roar and he has brought it south with him.
Yet on Friday night many Victory fans were jeering this very tactic almost from the get-go, especially when young goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas and his defence exchanged short passes. “What on earth is this keeper doing?” and “Just get rid of it!” were phrases this contributor constantly overheard at the game.
Unfortunately, the Victory fans seemingly didn’t see the benefit of such a tactic. Had they been as patient as the players themselves, they would have seen that the ploy aims to draw opposition players to the ball and create an open midfield to exploit.
It also seems the disgruntled Victory fans did not, or were reluctant to, recognise the terrific impact John Aloisi’s own tactics had on the Victory’s frustrating performance. The Socceroo legend had his Heart charges harrying and pressuring their opponents to a level rarely seen in the A-League before.
While the Victory have adopted a Barcelona-like passing game, the Heart countered it with a Barcelona-like pressing game. The first half-hour of the Derby saw the Heart follow something almost identical to the Catalans’ six-second pressing rule, in which they have six seconds to win the ball back.
The effect of this was that the Victory players rarely had a free passing option or had little time to even spot one.
It’s understandable the Victory fans want to see immediate success. After all, the club has recruited well, and no more so than with Postecoglou – a man who set a new benchmark for the quality of football in the A-League. The new Victory coach has also had an entire, and very lengthy, preseason to drill his system into the squad.
Postecoglou clearly conveyed in his post-derby press conference that he expected his side to have adapted to the radical change of style. But in reality, even he must know a handful of preseason friendlies against Victorian Premier League and State League sides aren’t going to fully prepare the Victory for the cut and thrust of the A-League, and especially not a Melbourne Derby.
Their style will settle over the next five rounds or so and it would be a surprise if Melbourne Victory aren’t still considered contenders at the end of the season.
But will the Victory supporters, who have been brought up on a culture of success, have the patience to put up with any pain in the meantime?
Nathan of Perth
Roar Rookie
It's also about not tripping as people pass to you. Or not passing so as to force massive momentum changes from the passee.
Philip Coates
Roar Guru
Nelson, you are dead right - it is all about the speed of distribution. Heart constantly pressed, often with three or four people attacking the player with the ball. The only solution is quick thinking and quick ball movement (no player can run as fast as the ball can travel) which would render those attacking players out of position, but our (Victory) ball movement was slow. This was especially true of Thomas who took so long to make his mind up when taking goal kicks or playing the ball out of defence, which let Heart man-up on each Victory defender putting them under pressure and causing mistakes. The game plan is fine, but it requires players who can pass the ball and it requires the ball to be in constant motion if you are being pressed in defence. I question if Leijer is up to it. He's an old style 'hoof' player and his distribution has never been good. I think he should relinquish the captaincy so he can concentrate on his game. Foschini is also not capable in my opinion. That leaves us with a vulnerable defence (just the same as last year) trying to execute a more complex strategy than we employed last year. (Now I'm feeling depressed!)
Philip Coates
Roar Guru
Hi Bondy, thanks for your concern. All is well. I've just had my head in my hands since Friday's match and rendered speechless (actually I've been away and quite busy), but back now and will get back into the swing of things shortly. Cheers, Philip
AVictory
Guest
I thought I forgot him! Was going off the top of my head :) The difference is that playing the ball out from the back and keeping possession instead just banging it long randomly meant that Heart's defense didn't have the time to regather and deal with it. The quick passing from the back ensured this, had Thomas hesitated and walked around his box for a few seconds, and then given it to Milligan who could have also taken a few touches and not knowing what to do, would have meant that the space and opportunity was already lost, every second counts. An attack starts from when you first get the ball, not just the final stages of it (Flores, Archie, Rojas).
TomC
Roar Guru
Don't quite see the distinction, but it was Traore who played it to Flores.
AVictory
Guest
Ange wrote a column in The Age, I think this is highly relevant to this thread. http://www.theage.com.au/sport/a-league/style-of-game-will-not-be-changing-20121011-27fnj.html Also note, Victory's only goal for that game wasn't created by Flores. It was created by the Heart. They played the ball long and Thomas collected it, from there it was quickly distributed to Milligan, then Flores, Thompson, Rojas. The goal started with the Heart.
Bondy.
Guest
I hope phil coates is ok, I havent seen him around for a while.
Roger
Guest
Yep, we're loving it :) Well, most of us anyway.
Damiano
Guest
Too many fans? What club ever felt too many fans would hold it back?
Rellum
Roar Guru
“What on earth is this keeper doing?” and “Just get rid of it!” were phrases this contributor constantly overheard at the game. I have been hearing those sort of comments for years. That sort of stuff is a symptom of the resistance to change(conservatism if you will) and the battle of philosophies that characterize the games direction at the moment.
Roger
Guest
From a Victory fan's perspective, although I hate losing to MH, I understand that it will take time. I have little expectations for the first half of this season, and few expectations for the second half - except that I hope to see a clear strategy implemented and built on. For this season, the results don't matter as much as a clear strategy does.
Nelson
Guest
"Yet on Friday night many Victory fans were jeering this very tactic almost from the get-go, especially when young goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas and his defence exchanged short passes. “What on earth is this keeper doing?” and “Just get rid of it!” were phrases this contributor constantly overheard at the game." Thomas and Leijer's distribution was terribly slow and they were indecisive. We the fans know that we (the team) are going to be playing it out from the back, we just wanted them to do it quicker considering the press being implemented by the opposition.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
Always next year... But seriously if I was a victory fan I would be like a pig in ....well whatever pigs like to be in. Home town boy coaching a side who will play good football in time and who isn't afraid to mix it with the media and give the fans a good story to read and talk about.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
The MVFC fans I know are not at all frustrated with Ange's strategy. Just disappointed with the players' ability to execute the strategy on Friday night. 1 match over and only 26 matches to play ... maybe there's time to salvage something from this season?
TomC
Roar Guru
I share the author’s amazement at the Victory fans' frustrations at losing the opening game of the season against their cross-town rivals. Can’t they see that there is a bigger picture here? Football games aren’t about winning. They’re about playing the right way. Ideally, as close to Barcelona as possible. And Victory fans need to understand that there is only one right way to play football. How dare they prefer other styles of games? Haven’t they been listening to Craig Foster? Don’t they realise that their two titles under Merrick were just flukes of good fortune, as opposed to Postecoglou’s two titles which were the outcome of patience and planning and brilliant expressions of total football? Postecoglou’s inspired tactic of trying to make Matt Foschini, Adama Traore, Adrian Leijer, Leigh Broxham and Laurence Thomas play like Barcelona could only have been countered by the devious John Aloisi making his own players play like Barcelona. There was so much Barcelona out on the pitch last Friday night I’m sure I heard the two coaches shout instructions to their players in Catalan. Yes, if there’s one thing holding back the Melbourne Victory it’s the fans. There’s just too many of them. If the rabble who don’t understand Postecoglou’s brilliant gameplan had gracefully decided not to show up, then the author and I would have been able to watch the match in the proper spirit: surrounded by a hundred or so like-minded fellows nodding approvingly every time Thomas passed the ball sideways to Foschini, and breaking into polite applause on the rare occasions the Victory moved the ball past the halfway line.
Ian
Guest
well the second half of the 2010 season doesn't count as ange took over mid way through so lets say it was 6 months. he had players there didn't want and couldn't dispose of them immediately. the defensive lapses must have been a concern for MV fans. but you would think over time they will improve unless there are issues with a couple of players on skill level. i'm not saying there is but that's what would stop the system being implemented if it didn't improve. of course calls for 'get rid of it '(the ball) are ridiculous. its better to try and keep possession than just to get rid of it for the sake of it and risk losing possession with wayward passes. Jesse - well done on your article- i enjoyed reading it.
Bondy.
Guest
Postecoglou has pedigree who else has ?. I wouldnt necesarily be evaluating to strongly any HAL coach or team for a few weeks yet no patterns have occured, they the victory may run a consistent third all season.
AVictory
Guest
I had some people around me calling out in my bay. They are clueless and represent a minority. The majority of fans I've talked to have been in praise of Ange and expect the new style of football to takes a while to implement, everyone knows it took 9 months with the Roar, why should this be any different?