Dark cloud hangs over Melbourne Victory
The dark cloud hanging over the Melbourne Victory continues to linger as the performances on the field worsen.
The dark cloud hanging over the Melbourne Victory continues to linger as the performances on the field worsen.
A record-loss in a Melbourne Derby succumbed Victory to their seventh defeat in 10 games and leaves them rooted to the bottom of the table.
After 10 games, this is the club’s worst start to the season and the side’s boisterous supporters are continuing to voice their displeasure with the current state of affairs – on and off the field.
Melbourne Victory coach Grant Brebner is facing a mountain of pressure in his first full-season in charge and is staring down a mammoth task of turning his side’s fortunes around.
“It simply wasn’t good enough,” Brebner said.
“We make no excuses for it; it was an unacceptable night … it was humiliating.”
Brebner said from an on-field standpoint this was “rock bottom” for the club and described the situation as “uncomfortable.”
He did, however, say he takes full responsibility for their poor performances despite the finger being pointed at the Victory board.
“I would say that the finger should be pointed at me for the sake of the football club,” Brebner said.
“I have always said that I take the blame for nights like tonight and I am not wanting to blame anyone else,
“I am the head coach of this football club, I am the one who needs to look at the game tonight, analyse the game and come up with reasons why that happened, it’s not finger pointing, it’s not about scapegoating – it’s the reality.”
Melbourne City, on the other hand, have hit a purple patch as they recorded their third straight win after a slow start to the season.
Last season’s runners-up backed up their wins over last season’s champions Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers with a smashmouth performance which may have delivered the KO blow to Victory’s season.
Their coach, Patrick Kisnorbo continues to play a straight-bat about the side’s prospects despite arguably the best performance of any side in the league this season.
“For me, it’s another game for us,” Kisnorbo told the media.
“The important thing is our performance and how we executed that.”
City scored five of their six in the second-half as they absolutely ran through Victory’s haphazard defence.
Kisnorbo said they made some small tinkers at the break which allowed for them to find spaces and gaps in between the back four.
“We spoke about a few things at halftime and we can change it and exploit spaces,” Kisnorbo said.
“We did that and it was working with other players and they got in those positions which created chances and goals.”
NCA Newswire
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