For much of the season they have looked just about unstoppable, but, over the past fortnight, Adelaide United and the Western Sydney Wanderers have highlighted the chink in Melbourne Victory’s game – taking on an opposition with a more robust approach.
It’s not the first time this season it’s happened, but it’s certainly first time it’s happened on consecutive weekends.
Using varying degrees of tactical force, Adelaide and the Wanderers have proved that if you can disrupt the Victory by pressing as a unit, congesting the midfield, and getting in the back of their two speedy wide-men you can suffocate them and deny goal-scoring opportunities.
Much of Postecoglou’s game-plan is build around getting bodies and ball in motion, and channelling it through the middle of the park.
Once there, you will inevitably see a crafty ball-player like Marcos Flores or Billy Celeski, or Gui Finkler in the past, play an incisive pass in behind the opponent’s defence, where speedsters Archie Thompson and Marco Rojas inevitably pounce.
Postecoglou likes them to go quickly and expose teams that have not transitioned swiftly into defence and set their defensive structure up.
Thompson and Rojas often take a gamble defensively, happy to let their opposition fullbacks go forward, waiting for the play to break down.
Occasionally, when an opponent has decided to drop off and sit on the edge of the 18 yard box, the Victory have shown they have enough quality and creativity to play in front of a defence, either scoring from distance or playing through them.
Space is Melbourne’s best friend, and if you give it to them, either in behind or in front of the defensive line, you’ll get punished.
In the past fortnight we have seen both Mike Valkanis and Tony Popovic deny them the space and opportunities through a more combative and calculated approach.
Adelaide played right on the edge in round 20 at Hindmarsh, deciding to intimidate a Victory side missing its most physical midfielder, Mark Milligan, who was away with the Socceroos.
Valkanis did a couple of things tactically different that night, making a surprise choice at right back in Osama Malik. He did a great job pushing high on Victory’s wide men.
What Valkanis also did though was flip his midfield triangle around, leaving Jon McKain alone at the base and having Dario Vidosic and Marcelo Carrusca higher, as attacking midfielders.
What this did was allow Adelaide to press Melbourne higher. Jeronimo Neumann, Evan Kostopoulos and Iain Ramsey worked with Vidosic and Carrusca to really get in the face of the Victory and not let them build through the first wall.
They did this by placing pressure on holders Francisco Stella and Jonathan Bru whenever they went looking for the ball.
They weren’t afraid to concede fouls either, sharing them around, playing right on the edge.
Indeed, five yellow cards to nil in the first half told its own tale.
On the few occasions Victory were able to play through the first line, Adelaide remained compact, not playing too high or too deep.
It was perfectly executed and reminded me much of the way Popovic had disrupted the Victory back on New Year’s Day at Parramatta Stadium.
Having been totally outplayed by a ten-man Victory a few weeks earlier at Wanderland, Popovic showed he is nothing if not a quick learner.
Primarily he realised that you have to stop the supply to the two wide men by pressing high, giving them no space in the middle and then having your fullbacks tight on Thompson and Rojas, or whoever steps in their place.
Earlier, in round eight, the Wanderers had been guilty of giving Finkler too much space in the middle and dropping off whenever the ball got to the wide men.
By round 14 Popovic had made some tactical changes. Iacopo La Rocca was now partnering Mateo Poljak in one of the most physically intimidating midfields in the league.
It is a tactic the Wanderers manager has used in a number of occasions this season, primarily when he feels he needs a more robust and defensive approach.
The idea, quite simply, is that the Wanderers refuse to be intimidated by anyone.
When they need to play, Aaron Mooy will partner Poljak. When they need to be more solid, La Rocca will slot in.
When both were missing from the midfield against the Central Coast Mariners five days later, it was no huge surprise to find Daniel McBreen riding roughshod over a midfield featuring Mooy, Shinji Ono and Jason Trifiro.
So, in the blockbuster at AAMI Park on Saturday night, it was perhaps no surprise to find La Rocca and Poljak partnered up again, especially with Michael Beauchamp back in defence.
It suffocated the Victory, who were rarely able to pick up any loose ball in the midfield, while Flores was often ambushed when he ventured into Poljak and La Rocca’s world.
Winning the physical and tactical battle first appears to be the Wanderers motto.
This then allows the likes of Ono, Mark Bridge and Youssouf Hersi to shine and create higher up.
If all are on deck at Bluetongue in a fortnight, we should be in for an almighty arm-wrestle that could go a long way to deciding the Premier’s Plate.
But before then the Mariners host the Victory this week knowing that if they can rattle and unsettle them physically, they have every chance of winning and remaining atop the league.
Graham Arnold hasn’t always got it right tactically, particularly against the Victory.
Only in their most recent outing in Tasmania, last month, he made the almost fatal decision of dropping off and not applying any real press in the first half.
Only poor finishing and lots of luck spared him that night.
It will need to be a different approach on Saturday night, and he can learn much from the way Valkanis and Popovic have gone about it.
One option might be to start Mitchell Duke up front and play McBreen as physical number 10, as he did in the 2-0 win at Parramatta.
Certainly, Postecoglou will be looking for a solution to problems of the past two weeks.
Whatever transpires in the run-in to the finals, the past fortnight has thrown up another fascinating twist in the title race.
Realfootbal
Guest
The quotation is somewhat misused. It was originally used to refer to a corrupt organisation, the increasing odiousness of each layer of the onion being the heart of the metaphor - the deeper you went, the worse it got.
Bondy
Guest
Wishful thinking Mr Tannous, fussballs team will have the final stake put through them this weekend ,then onto the west. Lol. I have to say it would make great interest for the HAL if the Victory were in a GF against The West,you possibly couldn't top that for a HAL season. This finals series could be massive if Sydney pull their finger out.
Tony Tannous
Expert
Wow, thanks Michael, appreciate the kind sentiments. Great last line as Ian also points out. As you say, it's all about a willingness to learn, and the more you watch, read & listen the more you'll pick up. Glad you enjoyed this one. It's been a long battle to try and help in the education of Australia about the finer intricacies of football, but it's one I continue to enjoy, thanks again
Tony Tannous
Expert
Thanks Gobouten for the kind words. I think you're spot on about the Victory depth, clearly evident that they missed Milligan against Adelaide. And they haven't really been able to fully fill for Finkler. Agree they're still a work in progress, Mullen's another decent capture & I think they can do with more quality & depth up top, both through the middle & out wide.
Tony Tannous
Expert
Wow, but it could all change if you guys can win on the weekend & Glory knock off WSW, although the latter is less likely to be honest. Then the WSW go to CCM the following weekend & if they draw & you guys win you're right back in the mix. Don't lose the faith...
Ian
Guest
"Football really is like an onion. The more layers you peel away, there more you find there is to discover. It will be decades before I can understand football like this, if ever, but even so, I can still enjoy it at my simple level and continue to learn." great line. learning is part of the journey (old chinese proverb). and i'm loving the journey
Michael_Newcastle
Guest
Tony, what a fabulous analysis. I am so glad that we in Australia can have a more intelligent discourse on football like this. It shows that we are growing up as a football culture. I hear people in Europe easily dissecting games, tactics and players yet here it is rare. If only there were more insightful analyses like yours. Yeh, I know there are fellows with Foxview and sticks pointing at giant screens for certain lovely plays, but that still isn't up there with this kind of understanding. I only wish I could watch a game of football with you and have you explain to me all the things I can't see for myself. To see how coaches respond to technical changes and challenges mid way through a game, to see why great coaches really are great and why others are simply "lucky". Football really is like an onion. The more layers you peel away, there more you find there is to discover. It will be decades before I can understand football like this, if ever, but even so, I can still enjoy it at my simple level and continue to learn.
Ian
Guest
no doubt MV get the fees. also no doubt MV has played some high quality football. no doubt above is you can't accept MV lost to the better team on the day without an excuse depriving the other team of having any talent. that's all. Good for Rojas and New Zealand if he gets a decent offer and accepts it.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
And, I'm eternally grateful to the NIX. But, they're coming to watch MVFC & MVFC will receive the transfer fees &/or commissions from all transfer fees paid for Marco.
Titus
Guest
Great news! Wellington Pheonix really unearthed a gem there.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
You should have used the Christian Name rather than surname ... Marco & Marcos ... easily confused or can be blamed on the keyboard ;-)
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
Well my credibility has taken a hit. Rojas and Flores both have south American roots so you can see why. I .... sorry, no excuse :)
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Whilst rival A-League fans can't seem to accept MVFC's high-quality football, it's nice to see Euro clubs are impressed. Today, it's reported that representatives from AZ Alkmaar, Red Bull Salzburg and Fortuna Dusseldorf are flying to Gosford to watch Marco Rojas playing against CCM. Already, scouts from Liverpool and Juventus have been to watch our MVFC superstar.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I've watched 20 MVFC match this season - on TV or at the stadium. I don't think I've seen Flores take a single free-kick or corner. Finkler took all the set pieces and, since Finkler's injury, Rojas has been taking both corners & free-kicks. But, I agree, MVFC's free kicks have been impotent since Guy Finkler got injured. I'm pretty sure Finkler still has the 2nd most assists in the A-League - even though he hasn't played for the past 10 matches - so it shows how much we miss his creativity through the midfield, his free-kicks & his corners.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
I think it will be more of the same from the Mariners too. Without Archie Melbourne are much less potent on the counter attack so it gives teams more licence to press and Melbourne really need to offer more of a threat from set pieces. Teams like the Wanderers have Cole, Mooy and Ono all capable of taking free kicks. Flores has been pretty underwhelming in that role. Leijer used to be a real threat in the air and they have Milligan so they should look more dangerous than they do. With so many young players in their team they seem more vulnerable than most to absences of key players (Milligan and Archie). Lets not forget they have lost Ansell and Finkler for the season so they haven't had a great run and it's only Ange's first season so they started the season with a lot of players I don't think Ange would have signed (Allsop and Velaphi come to mind).
Gobouten
Guest
Great work Tony, it's good to see you back at your best analysing matches and tactics. It's a topic that's never likely to attract the number of comments that more 'sensational' topics do, but I'd prefer quality over quantity any day of the week. I believe that what we are seeing at the moment is the prototype of the team that Ange is envisaging, with the defense the obvious area in need of work, although depth also appears to be an issue, albeit a difficult one to fully solve in a league with small squad sizes, a salary cap and a smaller number of games played each season than many other leagues. It was always going to take a little time to assemble the right personnel for his plan, given that players are on multi year contracts, but I've been really impressed with what he has been able to do in his first season there with a mix of existing players and a few smart recruits. Surely the best of these recruits has to be Milligan and I think that his absence is one of the main reasons that MV struggled on Saturday. I believe that he is the key to this Victory team in the same way that Paartalu was for Ange's BR, although I think that Milligan is a better and more rounded player.
Punter
Guest
In both cases both AU & WSW played better football than MV on the day.
Ian
Guest
a lot of goals are scored by sloppy defending. or mistakes by a defender. MV did not lose because MV made a silly error. AU and WSW played a better game of football against their opponent. its called football. as for a list of injured players. well documented that archie already had a hamstring injury during the week before the reds game. it was not a new injury. AP said it himself in the post match presser after that game. he was not taken out by a reds player. his hamstring played up and he was subbed. no need for 'pure football fair play' discussions quick ones - milligan was suspended for 2 matches for violent conduct on a heart player. flore$ and archie carded for diving this year. nothing fair there. Ange made a similar comment after the reds game - not pretty or similar. the opposition does not have to 'allow' MV to play how they wish to play. that is ridiculous. if every team could play exactly how they want to then you may as well not have an opposing team. good to see as usual MV fans saying they will win everything. i heard it at the beginning of this season/last season and now you've called it for next season. then we can listen to the excuses next season when both trophies don't come MV's way. if MV do not win a trophy with Ange, that will be considered an epic fail.
tk
Guest
The same approach was successful against the roar last year but the opponents must be fit enough to play it for 90 minutes otherwise victory will score goals late like the roar used to.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I wish it were a Freudian slip, Tony. But, for me, this season is beyond hope for MVFC. I can't see us bridge the 7 point gap (6 points plus CCM has massively better goal difference) in 6 matches. We've been at least 5 points behind CCM for the past 12-15 games & haven't closed the gap. If we're lucky, we may win the A-League's consolation prize and grab the end-of-season knock-out trophy ... but, knock-out football is a lottery; any team from 1 to 6 will have a chance.