Kevin Muscat barks orders at a Victory training session. Source: Getty Images
KEVIN Muscat won't let his ego get in the way of a Melbourne Victory team he says has already forged out its own identity.
How Victory set up under Ange Postecoglou was distinctive.
Its 4-2-2-2 formation made for attacking, attractive football and after three games this season Fox Sports Stats have the club at the top of several key statistical measures.
The question now is if the game plan will change under Muscat?
All times EDT.
- A-LEAGUE
- Friday: Western Sydney Wanderers v Adelaide, 7.30pm, Fox Sports 1 HD
- Saturday: Perth v Sydney FC, 5.30pm; Newcastle v Central Coast, 7.30pm; Fox Sports 1 HD
- Sunday: Brisbane v Melbourne Heart, 5pm, Fox Sports 1 HD
- Monday: Melbourne Victory v Wellington, 7.30pm, Fox Sports 1 HD
Kick Off, 6.30pm (EDT) Friday: Patrick Zwaanswijk joins Tara and Harps to preview the round.
Shootout, 7.05pm (EDT) Sunday: William Gallas gives his first television interview since signing with Perth Glory; Bruce Djite and Michael Bridges join Adam and Boz in the studio, and there will be a cross to the Mirror's Darren Lewis in England.
Saturday morning
- Barcelona v Espanyol, 6.55am, Fox Sports 2 HD
Saturday night/Sunday morning
- Chelsea v Newcastle, 11.35pm, Fox Sports 1 HD
- Fulham v Manchester United, 1.50am, Fox Sports 1 HD
- Viewers' Choice: West Bromwich Albion v Crystal Palace; West Ham v Aston Villa, Stoke City v Southampton, Manchester City v Norwich
- Hull v Sunderland, 1.50am, Fox Sports News
- Arsenal v Liverpool, 4.25am, Fox Sports 1HD
- Rayo Vallecano v Real Madrid, 5.55am, Fox Sports 3 HD
Sunday night/Monday morning
- Tottenham v Everton, 12.25am, Fox Sports 1 HD
- Cardiff v Swansea, 2.50am, Fox Sports 1 HD
But the new boss, formally announced as coach for both this season and next at a press conference in Melbourne on Thursday morning, said things won't change under his tutelage.
"One thing's for sure (about) the last 18 months this football now has an identity, a certain DNA that's expected from Melbourne Victory when they perform now," Muscat said.
"My ego doesn't tell me that I need to fracture what's happened in the last 18 months and rebuild it, I believe I was integral in implementing the football philosophy (here) at the moment and I intend to improve that as time goes on."
In matches against Heart, Adelaide and Brisbane Victory passed forward 54.4 per cent of the time - ranked No.1 in the A-League - starting from the back with goal keeper Nathan Coe.
A reason Postecoglou was so keen to bring Coe back from Denmark was the shot stopper's ability to use his feet.
He went to Nick Ansell eight times against Brisbane last week and central defensive partner Adrian Leijer three times, whose distribution to screening midfielders Mark Milligan and Leigh Broxham is then crucial in driving the team forward.
James Troisi (third in the A-League for passes completed in the opposition half) and Mitch Nichols (11th) are given license to roam in the midfield and are a big reason why Victory ranks No.1 for through balls (43) in the first three rounds.
Archie Thompson and Kosta Barbarouses patrol the left and right flanks respectively and the importance with which Victory views domination of the wings is illustrated in the fact it is also ranked No.1 for total crosses (88) so far this season.
Victory has made 1400 passes at an accuracy of 82.5 per cent, second only to the Roar in both measures.
The pass-heavy game forces opposition sides to commit more players to midfield areas to contest the ball which in turn pulls their defensive line higher up the field.
When the game plan isn't working as well Victory players have a tendency to get flagged offside.
Victory led the league for offsides last season with 92 and already Thompson tops the standings with 12 offsides so far this campaign.
But when on song Victory is able to create a plethora of strike attacks with the likes of Thompson, Barbarouses and Troisi getting in behind the defensive line.
And Muscat said the club's fans should expect the hallmarks of this game plan to remain for the rest of the season.
"I've been part of the journey since the start and I believe that the players have come to the football club in recent times based on how we do things and how we want to play," Muscat said.
"I believe that members have joined the football club based on how we play and the style and philosophy we do have. So from that part I don't foresee it to be a change at all.
"Expect entertaining football and everything that you've seen previously and as time goes by then I'd like to improve that, I want to improve that.
"But at this point in time it's business as usual, everyone understands what's required of them."
HAVE you checked out the Fox Football Podcast yet?
The latest addition to the Fox Sports' football stable has enjoyed a bumper start, in at #2 on the iTunes charts for sports pods in Australia.
Host Adam Peacock is joined this week for episode three by Simon Hill and Brenton Speed in the studio, and on the phone by Daniel Garb from London.
There's no shortage of fodder for the gang to discuss - from the Sydney derby, the Sky Blues woes, the latest from the EPL and Europe and a look to this weekend's domestic action - and none of our pundits are short of an opinion.
For your mid-week fix of football talk and fun - who knew Simon Hill had such a repertoire of accents - the Fox Football podcast is your place to go.
You can check it out here at the iTunes store, subscribe, and share your rating!
And if you're an Android user, you can find the pod on the iPP Podcast Player app.
31 Oct, 2013
-
Source: http://www.news.com.au/national/melbourne-victory-identity-wont-change-under-newly-appointed-head-coach-kevin-muscat/story-e6frfkp9-1226750326137?from=public_rss
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
