Melbourne Victory coach Jim Magilton has called for significant changes to be made to the club’s playing squad if they are any chance of experiencing success in the near future.
Melbourne Victory coach Jim Magilton has called for significant changes to be made to the club’s playing squad if they are any chance of experiencing success in the near future.
After much pre-season hype and promise, the Victory’s spluttering 2011-12 campaign never got off the ground and they will now almost certainly miss out on a finals spot for the first time in four years.
And Magilton, who replaced Mehmet Durakovic in January, stressed the Victory had to act as soon as possible to revitalise their roster in what he described would be a “natural turnover” of players.
“There’s no doubt it’s time now that we have an opportunity to look at the roster and maybe change one or two faces,” Magilton said.
“The chairman made a very good point the other night with regards to Newcastle (who) had (played) in the 2008 Grand Final, their turnover (since then) was such that on Saturday (against Victory) they had one player that played in that, we have nine who’s still around (since that time).”
“Whilst loyalty plays a great part in every football club, there has to be a natural turnover.”
“It’s an opportunity now to maybe make those changes, to freshen the place up and to freshen the roster up.”
The Northern Irishman also said it was important the club were careful in their recruitment strategy and that prospective signings shared the same qualities as the players who took the Victory to ultimate success in 2007 and 2009.
“Certainly the people that you bring in have to have the same sort of character that was initially at this football club, which brought them great success,” Magilton said.
“We recognise what great people brought to the club so it’s very important that the due diligence you bring on the new players coming in have that character and strength of resolve that is needed.”
Magilton said new recruits would also need a level of “open-mindedness”, adding: “He’s going to come and he’s going to be coached and he’s going to be developed and (have) a willingness to learn.”
As for his own future at the Victory, the interim boss maintained he would not get distracted by the speculation surrounding the club’s top job and he would continue to act in the best interests of the organisation until he is told his time is up.
“People are getting probably caught up on that (Magilton being on probation) to a large extent,” he said.
“That hasn’t changed so at the end of the day the record doesn’t lie … I’m going to go about my business as I’m constantly trying to do, I’m trying to do what I think is right behind the scenes to make sure my recommendations, whether taken (on board) or not, will be to just try and move the club forward as best as I can.”
“If it doesn’t transpire that it’s me (who will be hired on a full-time basis) then hopefully someone else (who) comes, can say ‘there isn’t an awful lot he could have done other than obviously win a few more games of football’.”
But Magilton intimated he would have a battle on his hands to stay on as the Victory’s manager beyond this season.
“I’m sure there are a number of people out there who’ll want this job no doubt about that, as was the case when Mehmet got it,” Magilton said.
