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The Victory continued their pre-season preparations by labouring to a 1-0 win over Victorian Premier League outfit Bentleigh Greens on Tuesday night.

It was a performance which included some of the components which made Postecoglou’s Roar so easy to watch – plenty of possession and movement off the ball – but some which the Victory boss knows need more work.

“It was ok. Nothing spectacular,” Postecoglou said after the win. “That’s the stage we’re at. We’re still rebuilding and we’re trying to do things a certain way, and we’re taking small steps each time.”

The game was settled by a goal shortly after the break from the unlikely source of Matt Foschini, who had come on at half time.  He was set up by a typically jinking run from Archie Thompson who had robbed his Bentleigh opponent of the ball. His cut back was missed by several onrushing players, only for Foschini to arrive in perfect position on the edge of the box to blast the ball home.

“It’s about trying to build a style of play that’s going to be successful during the year,” Postecoglou said. “We’ve had to really challenge the players to do it in a certain way.  We’re struggling with certain aspects of it but that’s part of the process too.”
Postecoglou says he isn’t sure how long it will take.

“There’s no real measure or timing on it at this point. We want to be ready for Round One, obviously, but we can’t focus on that just yet. All we can focus on is putting down small pillars in our foundations,” he said.

21-year-old defender Sam Gallagher impressed in the first half after his move from Central Coast.

“Sammy went ok,” Postecoglou said.  “He’s new to the place and he’s trying to adapt to the football we play. But he’s a young player and we have to be patient with him. It’s not easy playing defence in our team, as we always try to play out from the back, which challenges the players, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Postecoglou was also impressed with Foschini, who provided attacking impetus from right back in the second half.

“Yeah, ‘Fish’ is going well,” he said. “He’s eager to learn and get an understanding of his role in our team, and he worked hard tonight. He was very effective going forward.”
It was a fluid attacking system employed by the Victory, with Thompson often drifting out to the left wing or into a central midfield position, while Jimmy Jeggo often popped up as a makeshift striker.

“Jimmy’s developing. He’s a willing participant in the process, and that’s the key, we want to find players who are willing to adapt and play the kind of football we want to see. Jimmy’s at the forefront of the guys who are thirsty for knowledge to understand how we’re going to play.”

Postecoglou says the players have embraced his footballing philosophy, but they haven’t got it down pat just yet.

“There’s no secret about how we want to play. We want to be fluid and that means very few players in set positions, and you need lots of movement all across the park,” he said.

“It’s not mindless movement though, it has to be structured. At the moment it’s a little ad hoc at times. But the players have to be prepared to venture out of their comfort zones and recognise that our structure will support that.”

It’s a far cry from the disjointed performances seen under Mehmet Durakovic and later Jim Magilton last season, where it appeared there was no defined football system.

And Postecoglou knows his plan works – it’s just a matter of time.