I think the writing is on the wall for Mehm

As a Melbourne Victory fan, I've noticed a few newspaper articles this week beginning to speculate on the future of manager Mehmet Durakovic.  I have to agree.  Durakovic's major problems are that the team tactics seemed to have changed twice already this season and that the glittering array of attacking talent has not in any way gelled.

On paper Melbourne Victory looks the team to beat in the A-League.  On the field it would seem that Broxham, Leijer, Vargas and Covic are having to do too much to keep the goals out, whilst the 'talent' struggles to string together more than three passes most of the time.  Wonder why Fabio and Kemp didn't get forward on the weekend against Perth?  Well we never had the ball long enough for them to run that far!  Except when we were playing lots of predictable balls across the back.  So we reverted to Merrick's counter-attacking game plan.  Incredible given that we were playing against 10 men for almost an hour!

It helps only the opposition that Kewell, Thompson, Rojas and Hernandez basically refuse to defend.  That's why we've seen Pondeljak return to the line-up in recent weeks as he runs both ways.  That only leaves the back four plus Broxham and Celeski/Brebner to defend.  I'm staggered we haven't coughed up more goals.  In a league that has emulated the AFL with the forward pressure, this malaise is going to hurt the Victory and soon.

So we have to start looking at the manager/coach.  Surely the slow ball movement and defensive laziness have to be blamed on this group.  Mehm even mentioned that they weren't fit enough to go the distance after the Perth debacle.  Well Mehmet, that's all on you!  If they're not fit seven games into a 27 game season, what hope do we have?  We were pretty lucky against Brisbane as it is public knowledge that they have been doing heavy training loads to build extra stamina for a good crack at the Asian Champion's League next year.  It would seem that Melbourne's training consists of looking at pictures of Kewell's new house!

My point is this.  Durakovic has until about Christmas (maybe not that long) to start winning matches or his New Year's resolution will be to find a job without using seek.com.  Both workrate and combination are lacking from the Victory's play.  Deficiencies in those areas fall as much on management as on players after a six month off season.  Lastly if Durakovic gets the sack, why should Kevin Muscat get to stay, let alone be the next manager as so many seem to think?