It is somewhat fitting that Kevin Muscat’s final game in an official capacity with Melbourne Victory is on the Asian stage.
Despite his brilliant, 14-year stay at Australia’s biggest club and his indelible role in shaping the very identity of the Victory and its incredible on-field successes, Asia is the one frontier he failed to make a mark on – either as a player or a coach.
If that is the worst you can say about Muscat, then it’s safe to assume that history will reflect kindly on the former Socceroo’s incredible spell in Melbourne.
As a player, Muscat divided fans thanks to his win-at-all-costs methods. He did not mind the odd bone-crunching, ligament-snapping tackle if it meant winning a game of football, or even just making a mark on his more skilled opponents to stop them from making an impact.
If he did not play for your team, he became an instant figure of hate. If he played for your team or even better was your teammate, he was a figure to rally behind. A person who instantly inspire you to look 20 per cent better.
Even his fiercest detractors need only consider the record of Victory with and without Muscat in those early, formative years to see the difference he made.
But even the most imposing and brilliant on-field leaders struggle to make great managers – one only needs to study the managerial career of Roy Keane to understand that.
Muscat’s finest hours in football have come as Victory manager, which he took on with the unenviable task of replacing Ange Postecoglou.
The treble of 2015 ranks as one of the greatest feats of any coach in Australian football.
As a manager, he has shown a keen eye for talent, proven himself as a master manager of men and a shrewd tactician.
You would back him to go to almost any A-League club and make a success of it.
AAP Image/Darren Pateman
But what next for Victory?
The reality is that despite Muscat’s incredible record as a player and coach for Victory, there is still room for the club to grow.
One might even argue that the signs of this season demonstrated that his reign was becoming somewhat stale.
Whoever replaces Muscat will be tasked with continuing the proud traditions of domestic success he has had an irreplaceable role in creating, but the club will surely be looking for a coach who can take that success to the continental stage.
Only cross-town rivals Melbourne City – a club which to date has undelivered on potential – has the financial backing required to challenge Victory off the park and on it.
No one could say that Muscat’s final season in charge went to plan. As important as the former captain has been to the club, his reign was threatening to turn stale.
Their next coach will need to do more than just deliver the same. He will need to recapture the club’s A-League crown and find a way to forge a new path in Asia.
Victory cannot afford to fall into the trap so many clubs do when a dynasty such as Muscat’s come to an end by trying to replace the outgoing legend with the most like-for-like replacement.
Jim Magilton was the first and to date, only foreign coach of the club – not including nationalised Scot Ernie Merrick – but these days the prospect of the A-League and indeed Victory will be a much more tempting one for far more qualified foreign managers.
Victory chairman Anthony Di Petro claims his email is blowing up with CVs from all around the world.
He and his board must do whatever it takes to lure the best possible manager from the world’s best possible leagues to bring fresh ideas and fresh continental success to Victory.
David V
Guest
Scrapping the salary cap and a more open league system might help make the A-League more competitive in Asia. That said, the ACL seems to struggle to capture much imagination both in Australia and elsewhere. It may be because it's lacking the rich tradition and mystique of its European, South American and African counterparts, with their legacy of legendary winning teams that defined football on those continents.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
there is the big issue if you see nothing wrong with do bothing bludge a thon import Reza then thats the A-league's biggest problem
Matsu
Roar Rookie
Oddly enough, I find myself agreeing with Nemesis for once. The people who talk about wanting their teams to "perform well in the ACL" can only be casual fans. Anyone who has watched a large quantity of ACL play (beyond the games of their own -- ALeague -- team) knows what a disruptive and essentially pointless endeavour it is. I can only think of two occasions in its history when the winner was a team that could reasonably be described by ANYONE -- even the most blinkered loyalist -- as "the best team in Asia" (and no . . . none of those was a J.League team). Far too many factors, which have nothing to do with football, determine how a team performs. Put it this way... how many people (who do NOT live in western Sydney) think that WSW really benefitted in a concrete way from their ACL title? I see absolutely nothing wrong with teams who give the ACL no regard. That certainly includes Sydney's latest outing, where they had just won a League title two days earlier. Certainly, they were playing an extremely understrength Frontale. But then, that is almost ALWAYS true of J.League teams that travel to Australia. The Sanfrecce squad that faced Victory on Wednesday scored three goals, all by men who barely make the squad for an "important" match, and even elevated two players (including Dohi, who played the final 8 minutes) from their youth team! What does that say about the "competitiveness" of the ACL? A-League fans need to focus on ways to build the quality and "popularity" of their domestic game. ACL is essentially a waste of effort, time, and energy.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Muscat is one of the key problems in terms of being properly competitive in football. There is a laxness, foreign players come here and are treated like royalty and allowed to slack off. You have two so called professional sports which are really a joke and let their players indulge themselves off the field and thats rubbing off to the A-league. Japan and Korea hard work is valued, China they have money to buy players but they do have a similiar indulgence problem. Delude yourselves into thinking your doing a great job because you win against other jokers, while the standards here are in decline. Its becoming a holiday league , the only thing foreign players will be telling how slack it is here, and that will attract foreign players but mainly ones who want to slack off.
MarkfromCroydon
Roar Pro
Here’s an idea! Let’s hire a manager who has managed in the J League. It seems to me the Japanese, Korean and Chinese leaves are bounding ahead of us. Let’s learn from them.
R King
Guest
So according to your logic Man City didn't win the treble this season because the Community Shield was played last year.
josh
Guest
No, I was chuffed when they beat Guangzhou after their fans made that 'Jacksons Landing' picture.
josh
Guest
Yes but teams since have had the benefit of FFA scheduling.
Nemesis
Guest
I don't see anything wrong with what Sydney FC did last night. The Starting XI contained an Iranian international plus players who might even start at other A-League clubs. The embarrassment was how uncompetitive this group of Sydney FC players were. From what is reported, their opponents also had a 2nd tier team for this match and won 0-4 after travelling 10 hours. Melbourne Victory recently fielded a reserve & youth team in the ACL home match and got a 1-1 draw against the most expensive squad in Asia.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Josh - just a stab in the dark here, but wouldn’t you be furious with SFC no matter what they did?
At work
Roar Rookie
Fair enough you want to claim it, but it’s not how I see it. Pretty sure there was plenty of discussion on this at the time though so I won’t harp on any further.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Good point
Redondo
Roar Rookie
I guess so but didn’t the Wanderers have a pretty dire A-League season when they won the ACL?
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
It would help, though as both Wanderers and Adelaide have shown you can go a long way with some tactical nouse and club logistical understanding, the combination of which provides those precious away wins needed to escape the group stage.
josh
Guest
I'd be furious if my team treated the ACL with as much contempt as Sydney FC did last night. I would be telling the club my 0.02 - you can celebrate the GF win Wednesday night, go home rest up and be ready to play Tuesday night. It was unacceptable.
Nemesis
Guest
This is how the history books will record it 2015 A-League Premiership: Melbourne Victory 2015 A-League Championship: Melbourne Victory 2015 FFA Cup Winner: Melbourne Victory Call it what you want. 2015 was a year when Melbourne Victory won all 3 domestic trophies.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
What an unpleasant comment.
Nemesis
Guest
No wonder the majority of the Australian football community thinks A-League fans are plastic. I don't want the A-League teams to be humiliated in ACL, like Sydney last night but I don't wish them success. Honourable 3rd place finishes is fine. Having said that, last night's result made me smile.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Refocusing on ACL success would definitely do a power of good, but changes to the salary cap might need to happen first. Squad strength and depth are critical factors for performing well in 2 competitions.
At work
Roar Rookie
Also may I be pedantic and state that Victory didn’t win the treble in 2015. They may have held all 3 trophies for a while, but the season they won the double they only went as far as the quarter finals in the FFA Cup. They then won the FFA Cup the year after.