In the back of the mind of every Melbourne Victory supporter is the knowledge that at the moment, this kind of success comes at a price.
Every time Marco Rojas taps in a ground cross from Archie Thompson, the ‘Kiwi Messi’ inches closer to making that move to Europe that will rob the Victory of one of their best and most important players.
That’s how it works. The best young players go.
The same is, or should be, applicable to coaches and it will be soon.
Let’s be real – Ange Postecoglou is a gem. Melbourne’s pursuit and capture of the supercoach last off-season has the potential to go down in history as the best decision the club has ever made.
But every time his men put together a play that showcases the lethality of the false nine system, every time Postecoglou faces a camera and captures attention by speaking honestly and truthfully about the game, every time he waxes lyrical in The Age about his idea of the future of the game in Australia, the coach brings forward what is cruelly inevitable.
It’s hard to imagine Postecoglou staying at Victory for a Sir Alex-like spell, put it that way. He’ll have bigger fish to fry soon. He’s too good.
He just seems driven to succeed and hungry to improve himself. He has a clear idea of how he thinks football should be played and he’s made it happen it in two different ways in two different clubs, starting from scratch.
He has the Midas touch and it’s hard to see it going away.
Naturally, with Holger Osieck’s contract expiring after Brazil 2014 – and with fans feeling their love of the game being tested with every underwhelming Socceroos performance – it seems as if the national team job will be there for him, if he wants it.
Even though it’s probably time to look on our own doorstep for a replacement, I think it would be a disaster if Postecoglou were to leave Victory to take on that particular responsibility.
I know, I know. I’m getting way ahead of myself. Victory haven’t exactly won anything yet and Holger’s not going anywhere in a hurry.
I understand. But I just can’t see Postecoglou doing anything but succeeding in his current role.
To my mind, Victory play the best football in the A-League. It’s aggressive and clinical and mesmerising and really, really hard to stop once it gets going.
Why take him away from his real work?
This is Postecoglou’s vision, but only version one. Silverware may come yet this season but it seems to be a widely accepted fact now that it won’t be until next year that Victory will be ‘scary’ good.
Just wait until he sinks his teeth into some of the new recruits he’s brought in. Let his system smarten up for another 12 months and watch how much more versatile and potent it will be then.
Consider also that the A-League, which can thank Postecoglou for its recent tactical revolution because of his work at Brisbane Roar, will again have to adapt and advance to keep up.
Then wait until his dream of a top-to-bottom Melbourne Victory academy comes true, and the club starts pumping out players designed to have the characteristics and tendencies that allow the facilitation of Angeball en masse.
Postecoglou looks like he’s about to do all the things I’ve loved doing and creating on Football Manager, except for real.
And some people think it’d be a good idea to break this up for a green and gold pipedream?
Sure, the national team could do with a bit of a spritz. But Ange? No way. Not yet.
It’s not that he’s not up to the Socceroos job, either. Far from it, even if there is a chance that the dynamics of international football and the lack of regular training might make it much more difficult for him to try and teach a squad to play his way.
It’s just that he’s worth more if he keeps doing what he’s doing, for all of us.
He’s worth more in a club role, winning titles with Melbourne Victory as they become a bonafide powerhouse with not only an inbuilt footballing philosophy, but with a production line of players to match.
That hurts to say as a closeted Adelaide United fan, who personally much preferred things when Victory were a laughing stock with Jim Magilton for a coach.
But it’s hard not to just smile and enjoy the show when the Postecoglou-era Melbourne Victory gets going.
No doubt he’ll be the right option in the future, but Australian football is better off with him continually lifting the benchmark in the A-League, rather than gilding the national team lily.
Let’s hope when the time comes to find a new Holger, FFA understands that they should probably let this good thing keep going and look elsewhere.
Spikhaza
Roar Guru
Agree with you here... The rises are really good in Business terms, that's quite a percentage jump each season. The problem is 12k to 16k and 8k to 12k inside suncorp is like adding drops to a dam. It's a real shame ballymore isn't more conveniently located, it would suit the roar - looks good with 14k in there and then for a big game you can pull 20-24k (which looks great) and then move GF to suncorp. Even at Reds and Broncos games, which attract ~35k per game on average suncorp doesn't look all that great, with the top section only starting to get people in once your above 37k fans.... Perhaps Ange was expecting what happened with the Reds? They went from 17 -> 24 -> 31 -> 35 in successive seasons. It's just a shame the football market didn't really gain heaps from the Roar's success, which would come down to quite a number of factors
mahonjt
Guest
You have absolutely no concept of the global football labour market - and if you did you could make these same comments about all but a handfull of leagues around the world. You are the worst kind of EuroSnob - and ignorant one. As to your comments about referees - well the less said about that the better. Why do you even bother. Just stick to the SBS site and/or some fantastic Spanish language ones.
mahonjt
Guest
In a word - yep!
Lucan
Frank Arok wanted to play Scotland in the heat up in Darwin. Sincerely believe we would've rolled the Scots had Frank's request been met.
Elly
Guest
Competing in the ACL is a huge financial nightmare for any A-League club. Gate takings and prizemoney are rather pathetic, and AFC-imposed sponsorship restrictions add an extra level of agony. Adelaide United's desperate act of seeking sponsorship from Clive Palmer for their ACL campaign is a classic. If I was a player, I'd understand economy flights on those shorter journeys where you're not practically travelling straight from the airport to the pitch. Admittedly, those are the exception. Most flights are to Asian countries long-haul with minimal recovery time before playing.
Elly
Guest
Can I add Robbie Kruse to the list of A-League attacking exports?
Elly
Guest
With the AFC having recently reduced the A-league's spots in the ACL from 2.5 to 1.5, getting to Asia has suddenly become a lot tougher. :-(
Elly
Guest
This, of course, assumes that both MVFC and the FFA seek to employ him, or in Victory's case, continue to employ him. A likely assumption, but far from a given. He can pick from what's offered to him, but that's it. He may want to move to Europe, for example, but that doesn't automatically mean a European club will pick him up.
clayts
Guest
Pure speculation
Ian
Guest
yes, the crowds this season have stayed on even with the poor performances. i've been happy with the average crowd figure. i guess the lack of response reflects its a valid point.
Ian
Guest
thought i wouldnt get a decent reply. yeah, i left the 'Australian' in there. well done. i think the australian sporting record more than matches the one extra trophy victory have. it is victory after all that boast they are the best.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Not about the coach but a future(well current)Socceroo,Tom Rogic is starting for Celtic against Inverness tonight,lets hope he makes enough of an impression to get on the pitch against Juve.
stu
Guest
I like this. However if it ain't broke why the need to move on and rebuild?
stu
Guest
Actually, you talked about AF in your article to which i responded to form my reply. In regards to my comments, we may well have his characterisitics on the record, wheras your belief stated above is purly just that, a belief. Time will tell who is correct.
Football United
Guest
Brisbane can have the right to the best ever team in the league when they win more than 4 a league trophies
Evan Askew
Guest
Ferguson has in fact managed Scotland before he was Manchester United Coach. He coached Aberdeen to two league titles a Scottish Cup, a European cup winners cup and Super cup before taking over Scotland after Jock Stein died. In fact he was the coach of Scotland when we had to play them in 1985 to qualify for Mexico 86 when we were sold out by our own federation who played it in Melbourne at night time in our winter. We should have played it in Brisbane or Sydney during the day.
Evan Askew
Guest
Yeah it pissed me off with the southern media going on about Brisbane crowds not being big enough. The fact of the matter is about 8k per game in the 2009-10 season when Ange took over from Farina, if you take out the 1st game of the season against Gold Coast. They would have being higer than what they were in the following season if it wasn't for the crappy weather whcih culiminated in the 2011 floods, but still they averaged 10k which was an improvement on what they were. And I would say they increased the following season as well, most crowds were around 12 to 14k, except for a few 10k crowds in the 5 game losing streak and the games which attracted 15 to 20k such as the Melbourne Victory, 36 game unbeaten streak and Sydney FC games. In fact now we are roughly back to where we were in season 2 of the A league which is at a time when the game as a whole was attracting record crowds. And this after the failed expansion with the Gold Coast, the ticket price fiasco and the frustrating performance up to the appointment of Ange, and the frustrating performance post Ange. Plus the fact that football is a respectable fourth behind Leaguem AFL and the Reds in attendences I would say the club has recovered well after the dark days of 2009-10. No, the reason for Ange leaving wasn't anything to do with crowds and if it was then I think he is being unrealistic to the position of football in Queensland.
Vince Rugari
Expert
Very true. He needs to succeed in Asia to take the next step, whatever that next step is. I think you can tell just how much he wants it.
Vince Rugari
Expert
I hope that's a joke.
Vince Rugari
Expert
Well, I'd say it's impossible for a Scottish club to hold an Australian sporting record, but maybe that's being picky...