Victory long ball specialists

Melbourne Victory love the long ball. Hands up all those who disagree.

Okay Ernie you can put your hand down now and read with me!

Michael Lynch from The Age says,

"Merrick likes his team to play the 30 metre pass....."

I wish Michael it was only 30 metres!


The sight of the talented Kevin Muscat lifting his head to float the ball 40 or 50 yards to the head of Danny Allsopp in the Asian Champions League or Allsopp and his mate Adrian Caceres being caught offside again and again as, one can only assume,team-mates are told to pass it, pump it, float it or just hoof it long by Coach Ernest Merrick left me dumbfounded.

Did Ernie learn nothing from the season just gone? Did he not read the Victory forums this season?

Thank God the long ball playing Grant Brebner was injured for Asia.

Michael Lynch from The Age wrote what many many fans having been saying for Ages.

Melbourne played a lot of long diagonal balls into the channels which were comfortably dealt with, and it struggled to keep the ball.

Merrick likes his teams to play 30-metre passes into space for the strikers to run on to. It's a style that suits a counter-attacking team when the forwards are quick and develop a good understanding — as Thompson, Allsopp and Brazilian Fred did in 2006-07. But A-League sides largely worked them out last season and it has cut little ice in the ACL.

Thing that's gets me is when a tactic doesn't work....ever, can't a Coach change to plan B.

Ernie could be on the nose.
Can Melbourne afford to risk leaving him in the job for Season 4?