The making of Muscat

If Melbourne Victory are to give themselves a chance at claiming silverware this season they’ll have to do better on the road. Including the tail end of last season, the Victory have won just one of their past 10 away games which, for a club of their size and reputation, is not good enough. But after their exciting 3-0, 10-man home win against bitter rivals Adelaide last week, an away win on Friday night against the champions Central Coast would go a long way to confirming Victory have put their early season staggers behind them. It will also do their new coach, Kevin Muscat, the world of good as he continues to step out from behind the significant shadow of Ange Postecoglou. Despite his stand-over man looks and simmering volatility which isn’t going to go away just because he’s now a head coach (I presume you all saw that artist’s impression of what would have happened had James Troisi poked Muscat during their sideline contretemps last week?, Muscat, like any coach, player or person on the street for that matter, must have moments of self-doubt, moments when he wonders if he’s got what it takes to make a difference. A win over the Mariners (which Postecoglou never managed with Victory), let alone an away win at a ground where last year the Victory were flogged 6-2, would be just the kind of boost a new coach needs.

Relief from an enduring narrative

For the past month coverage of both Adelaide United and Melbourne Heart has echoed Groundhog Day. As the weekend approaches, hopes are raised within each club, among their respective fans and even among sympathetic neutrals, that the coming round of matches will bring an end to the embattled institutions’ poor fortunes. But then, on Monday morning, after we silence our alarm clocks with an angry thrash, we peruse the media only to see – What? Again? How is this possible? – the same two stories from the previous Monday, which were the same as the ones before that, and the ones before that. What stories? You know, the one about the winless Heart creating plenty of chances but still just needing that bit of luck to get the ball in the net and turn their season around. And the other one about “a work in progress” Adelaide team again failing to get three points despite good possession statistics and hints that their studies at the Institute of Tika-Taka Tech are progressing. But now relief could be at hand! What with the Heart and Adelaide meeting on Sunday in Melbourne these narrative streams, presently stagnating in a mozzie-blown, sludge-infested pond due to a frustrating blockage, could well break free from the detritus restraining them to carve a new course. But for this to happen we need a winner – a draw won’t help them or us. So can one of them please seize the opportunity or must the Monday morning ordeal endure?

The long awaited return of Harry Kewell

Unless in the coming days he’s the victim of a freak accident sustained in the shower, the golf links, or while manning an Xbox, Harry Kewell – so brittle it can’t be long before he’s the subject of a special interview with Mike Willesee – will take the field for Melbourne Heart this Sunday for the first time since the opening round. Quite reasonably, Heart coach John Aloisi stresses that Kewell alone is not going to cure the Heart’s arrhythmia, but Kewell’s mere presence, as much as his undoubted technical ability, may just be the paddle that gets Melbourne’s battlers moving off Shit Creek.

Considering his long convalescence Kewell will lack match fitness to go along with his decreasing pace (not that that stops Alessandro Del Piero who’s slower than a Ferrari on blocks), but the orchestral No10 role he will surely reoccupy mitigates those negatives somewhat. His role, which he has the skills and vision to do well in – though his willingness is yet to be tested given his lack of football in the past 18 months – will be to provide an attacking fulcrum at the head of midfield. David Williams, who’s been ably filling in for Kewell (though perhaps overplaying his hand at times such has been the Heart’s desperation for goals), will return to the left flank you’d think, and he’ll constantly be on Kewell’s radar. Adelaide won’t want to press too high up the pitch. But who’ll start up front for the Heart? As Michael Mifsud finds his feet (which should help him find his shooting boots if they laced on) Golgol Mebrahtu may get the nod. He has a lot of promise; he’s got a nice first touch, he’s strong and quick, but so far he’s been moved about a bit or used in bursts (for he does seem to have a habit of drifting out of games). But perhaps the return of Kewell will have a knock-on effect on his game and that of the entire team. If not, it’s hard to see how the Heart can turn things around without an axe being swung at AAMI Park.

How to win friends and influence people

A striker in form is a compelling sight in football. With self-confidence playing such a vital role in a player’s ability to produce something of note on the park, goals so often beget more goals. Look at Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey (a midfielder rather than a striker, but the logic applies). So far this season he’s got 11 goals in all competitions. But in the five-seasons prior he scored just 12 in total. He’s either signed a Faustian pact or a lot of hard work is coming to fruition. Back home, Newcastle Jets’ Adam Taggart is enjoying his own burst of net-bulging, and it’s no coincidence the 20-year-old has just signed a one-year contract extension. So far the former AIS graduate, who spent two years with Perth Glory watching strikers Shane Smeltz and Robbie Fowler do their thing, is sitting atop the goal-scoring list with six goals including possibly the best hat-trick in A-League history last week against the Heart. Whether you’re a Newcastle fan or not you’ve got to enjoy (oh, OK, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, be that way) his chutzpah and bristling confidence and hopefully he can keep adding to his tally as the weeks go by. The more he gets this season the more chance he has of becoming a World Cup bolter and the better his confidence will be able to endure the times when the goals dry up as they inevitably will. But let’s not think about him, let’s think about us for a moment. As much as we love a judicious slide tackle or a timely goalline clearance, goals excite us. So more please.

Can Perth trouble the Roar?

If their time-added-on loss to the Central Coast wasn’t deflating enough, the Perth Glory will be a few men down when they travel to Brisbane to face a Roar side living up to their (terminally daggy) moniker. The most notable omission from the Glory line-up is captain Jacob Burns who fell foul of the match review committee midweek and was suspended for two matches for “assaulting” Mariners skipper John Hutchinson last start. Not surprisingly, given his early introduction into the line-up after a long period of inactivity, William Gallas has picked up an injury and will also not be playing, while left back Scott Jamieson – who, like Hector, has been taken down by an Achilles – will be even harder to replace, given his excellent contributions this season. So that’s Perth’s captain down and two of their first choice back four out, not what you want when you’re facing an in-form side with a tendency to rack up some scores at home. The Roar look specials.

This week's fixtures

Friday:

Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne Victory, Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford

Saturday:

Brisbane Roar v Perth Glory, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets, Allianz Stadium, Sydney

Sunday:

Wellington Phoenix v Western Sydney Wanderers, Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Melbourne Heart v Adelaide United, AAMI Park, Melbourne