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Saturday 3 March 2012

Victory fails to take their chances but Aussie Coach of Jets making gains

Gary van Egmond has one Championship under his belt and looks like he has the craft to give this years title a little shake.

As he builds his team around him it was the quality of the goals that took my eye.

Ruben Zadkovich spreading 40 yard balls, player movement off the ball and young Jacob Pepper a local lad tapping home not once, but twice. Nice.

Melbourne Victory are out of the A-League. Not Mehmet Durakovic, uber British Coach Jim Magilton or Harry Kewell could save them.

They've improved since Magilton came. Mostly because Ernie Merrick's legacy of Grant Brebner and Leigh Broxham have not played.

But with Kevin Muscat on the bench as Assistant Coach it has been their miserable defensive record that has let them down. Muscat has been arguably the best player in the previous six A-League seasons and his loss more than any of the fabled recruits has seen the Victory's demise.

They had many many chances to win the game v the Jets but three goals conceded in the first half makes it difficult to draw never mind win and they needed a win.

Kewell missed a penalty, Archie keeps missing and Carlos Hernandez and Juan Carlos Salarzano also missed. That's a lot of talent - missing.

And if they all miss you can be sure the likely lads down the other end will be conceding at will - as they have been all season.

A lot not to like about Melbourne this year. Not least there unfulfilled promise.

But with another Aussie Coach taking them to the cleaners you just wonder if Jim Magilton is really the man for the job.

Has he shown us real signs he's shoe-in. The pro-British football media will talk him up - he's mate of some and others just want to see a Brit do well to shut you know who up.

I don't think Jim is a certainty or has shown us enough thus far. Mind you anyone who removes the visionary Merrick duo of the Killer B's in centre midfield must be worth another thought.

Victory in transition.

And he won't have much room to move with a Salary Cap in place you wouldn't think.

Victory have a lot of work to do - for next season - and it starts now. But is Jim the man or is their an Aussie out there, like Van Egmond who could give you so much more with so much less?

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