Good afternoon. Its derby week of course and what a build up its been so far. The other mob has been talking themselves up at every opportunity, just begging for attention while Victory are taking a very levelheaded approach. Its quite different from what we’ve seen in the past but its good to see the boys are focused and aren’t getting ahead of themselves.
Petar Franjic said this week:
You probably just take it week to week. Obviously it’s a big game in terms of the clubs and supporters and whatnot, but you don’t want to start not focusing on the game at hand. It’s a big game and we’ll take it as it comes.
I woke up to the news this morning that the game is completely sold out which is excellent. Not only is it great news for the A-League but its also a good sign for Melbourne Victory. Despite the teams patchy form this season everyone is still willing to come out and support them, even the members who have to purchase tickets. Well done everyone! I have no doubt that Swan Street will be a sea of navy blue tomorrow night.
Looking at the squad, we’ll be without Billy Celeski this week after the red card he received against Wellington. There is a chance that Matthew Kemp will also miss out due to a muscle strain but I doubt he’d make the team anyway. Everyone else is available for selection but I think Durakovic will stick with mostly the same line-up as last week. The only change to the match day squad I expect to see is Brebner to replace Celeski.
This game could go either way. We are hitting some form and should create plenty of chances but Durakovic does have some tough decisions to make, particularly defensively. Our full backs in Foschini and Fabio have been pressing pretty high up the pitch and overlapping frequently. We can’t afford to be caught out against teams that have a lot of pace up front, especially on the wings. I’ll be watching Fabio closely who has looked a little shaky at times when defending. He has a huge job to do.
On the flip side we can be just as dangerous going forward. We need huge performances from Thompson, Hernandez and Kewell and we must take our chances. The midfield battle is also very interesting. If Hernandez can dominate and control the play then we’re half way there.
Thats all from me for today. If your still looking for more entertainment in the lead up to the game the latest Victorycast is sure to entertain, if you haven’t listened already. Kick off is 8pm tomorrow night. Fire up folks!
COME ON MELBOURNE!
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I don’t like to put pressure on individuals, but this is a time for the players to perform, especially Harry Kewell. We need their complete determination and passion to succeed this season (and this match). Even if Durakovic fielded the best team in the world against Melbourne Heart, it would be a poor performance without the effort.
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We need to keep control of the ball for the full 90 minutes as it is obvious that the players lose hope when we do not have the ball, even if it is for a mere five minutes. We know that Melbourne Heart like to keep and pass the ball around for excessive periods of time and this tactic will be Victory’s greatest challenge tomorrow. I have said it before, and I will say it again, these matches are for the superstars to shine and produce on the pitch. There can be no excusses, no wasted balls and no backing off. GET TO THE BALL FIRST! This is where Archie, Kewell and Hernandez need to stand up and take the weight.
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As long as we have our amazing fans, and the team, as a whole, including coaches, players and other staff put in a solid effort we should be the bigger team in this match.
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Lets show this fanboy club (who has a cheer squad of 15 year olds and uses MVFC’s chants) who they are playing; 2 league titles and 2 champions trophies.
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We have the best records in the A-league asnd we should not let this teram walk over us. I could honestly write another few thousand words on this topic, but I know what I want to expect, its to to hand it to Melbourne to do te talking on the pitch, where it counts the most.
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UP VICTORY. THERE’S ONLY ONE TEAM IN MELBOURNE.