It is easy to dislike Melbourne Victory. For everyone but their supporters, Victory can come across as the smug know-it-all you just wish would leave the party early.
Call it envy, call it pettiness, call it what you will – as a Sydneysider now living in Brisbane, there’s little I enjoy more than watching Victory crash to defeat.
In fact, there’s no team I love to see lose more than the boys in navy blue and even among the most casual of A-League supporters, I doubt I’m in a minority of one.
But increasingly Victory defeats are looking a thing of the past and after succumbing 4-2 to a rampant Adelaide United back in Round 10, the Victorian giants have since picked up seven points out of a possible nine.
It would have been maximum points were it not for an heroic performance from former Victory goalkeeper Michael Theo at AAMI Park and suddenly Ange Postecoglou’s side are looking the team to fear most.
Crucially the Victory have added some mettle to their undoubted attacking flair, snatching pulsating late victories against city rivals Heart and a thrilling 3-2 win over the Newcastle Jets.
And for those who doubted Postecoglou’s ability to get the best out of players, how else to explain the scintillating form of Kiwi youngster Marco Rojas?
The former Wellington Phoenix wizard has scored nine goals and added five assists in a career-best burst of form, despite only featuring on the periphery of the Victory squad last season.
Perhaps the exit of Harry Kewell has helped, but Rojas’ transformation from bit-part player to key figure is nothing short of remarkable and goes a long way to showing how vital a role confidence plays in driving match-winning performances.
His first goal against Newcastle was stunning but it was his Messi-esque second, in which Rojas sensationally jinked the ball up on the turn before pirouetting and smashing an unstoppable volley past Mark Birighitti, which cemented Rojas’ reputation as the A-League’s best and brightest young star.
How the Socceroos could do with such an outstanding young talent – but if All Whites fans are having the last laugh in that department, spare a thought for Wellington Phoenix supporters.
Having chipped in to fund Rojas’ trial with the Phoenix, they’re now forced to suffer the ignominy of watching New Zealand football’s brightest talent turn out for Melbourne Victory.
It’s all part and parcel of what makes Victory the club rival fans love to hate – the Collingwood or Manly of the A-League, if you will – but it’s an absorbing narrative and one which gives the competition a wonderful sense of drama.
And with Rojas stealing the limelight, he’s helped the likes of Nathan Coe, Mark Milligan and Billy Celeski transform the Victory from a side which capitulated 5-0 to Brisbane Roar in Round 2 into an outfit which suddenly looks capable of beating anyone.
They’ll face a stern test against Western Sydney Wanderers on New Year’s Day in what is arguably the match of the round and with further away trips to Perth, Adelaide, Gosford, Brisbane and Wellington still to come, there’s no guarantee Victory will finish in the top four.
What can be assured is that Postecoglou won’t rest until he’s made his mark on his home town.
You get the sense the once-maligned Young Socceroos coach would love nothing more than to make Victory the biggest club in Asia.
They’re certainly on the way to becoming one of the most attractive, at least in terms of their football, even if most A-League fans approach Victory’s results with a mixture of schadenfreude and envy.
But if Postecoglou’s reign in Brisbane taught us anything, it’s to take heed of the machine he’s clearly capable of assembling.
He could even spell out his New Year’s resolution in six simple words.
Beware the rise of Melbourne Victory.
The Bear
Guest
If you're looking for the most consistently performing club in the History of the A League, it would have to be the Mariner's. Just remember that Hitler was well supported too!
mahonjt
Guest
Shame on you!
mahonjt
Guest
we are only up and down with trophies (we have 5 official ones) - all the rest is up sadly for others. We can be more hated. Just gove us a chance!
mahonjt
Guest
You should try harder to hate us. Maybe its becasue you are our bogey team? There is still time to hate us. Just be patient!!!
mahonjt
Guest
Wow - name calling at the expense of the human dignity of intellectually disabled persons. That will ensure you are as popular as MVFC soon! Your opinion on my opinion rates highly among opinions. KUTGW etc...
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Silly boy----We are talking about SFC (the beautiful harbour city football club) and who is this man you speak of; Frank Lowy...?
The Bear
Guest
An up and down club..with plenty of deluded fans. Is that hateful enough :)
apaway
Roar Guru
Maybe I'm in the minority, but as a SFC fan, I actually LIKE the Victory. They have played the best football in the league this season, are great to watch, have magnificent support, and have the best coach in the league. And all this after that 3-2 win at Allianz? I must be getting soft...
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
My belief - in the club - will never falter. I attended every home match in the previous 2 A-League seasons and all 3 ACL matches played in Melbourne. MVFC's season ticket holder churn is around 20%, which is similar to the churn experienced by 100 year-old clubs in other sports in AUS.
The Bear
Guest
How was your belief when your resources and management wasted the last few seasons?? Money and time well spent??
Titus
Guest
Yeah, it kind of make you wonder, is MVFC the most hated team or is SFC?
Minister for Information for the Democratic People's Republic of Football
Guest
You live in Sydney and support Victory ? Please explain. Are you a Victorian expat or are you morally challenged?
mahonjt
Guest
Sure - we may lose him before or after his 5 year contract. But that doesn’t matter. This club will benefit from his presence long after he has left because we have the resources and management capacity to do so. I think Ange would be a great manager of a big OS club (better than a NT manager as much as I would support that). I and my Melbourne comrades don't live in the fear of Ange leaving - just in the optimism of our club continuing to lead this league by nearly every measure. It is this belief and optimism that personifies our club. It is this same believe and optimism that rival fans hate, even though the salary cap keeps squads even we believive in our league leadership role. Despite all of this - I think WSW will be giving us a run for our money in 5 years - at least I hope so. The league will benefit from a strong Sydney club.
mahonjt
Guest
You have seen our crowds and the ASC documents and sports brand value analysis reported in the press over the past couple of years havent you? Melbourne Victory by any measure is the biggest club in the competition - and byseveral measures more than twice the size of its nearest rival. Western Sydney 5 years from now will give us a good shake if it and its fans can 'maintain the rage'. I, for one, welcome that. The rest of you can fight over the scraps. Come one - give me some hate!!!!
Ballymore
Guest
However my opinion of them has softened, due to my hope that AP keeps being successful.
Ballymore
Guest
I dislike MVFC because of the way the club and fans carry on about being "the best" and "biggest" when this is no longer the case. When they won Grand Finals 6-0 they could say what they like. Good for them. However, when their team goes from varying degrees of hopelessness (as was the case in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012) these comments are painful, and seem to be coming from people living in the past.
The Kebab Connoisseur
Guest
MVFC is the biggest soccer team in the biggest soccer city in Oz. Forget that Sydney talk rubbish. The numbers tell no lie.
David V.
Guest
Easy to dislike Melbourne Victory. Even easier to make fun of Sydney FC for their laughable failures.
David Heidelberg
Guest
I realised in about V3.0 of the league that we were broadly disliked by many fans across the competition. I dismissed the Sydney fans, for understood the Sydney psychology well enough to dismiss it as the ramblings of a club and ‘supporters’ experiencing their ‘born to rule’ ambition unrealised You realised that after only two seasons were completed, despite th fact that SFC wee the inaugural HL Champion? Typical tard,
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
I think it just means the Adelaide supporters all partied too hard last night and are currently comatosed in swags and on beaches throughout the state and are unable to reach a sufficiently conscious state to post.