I was determined to avoid another discussion of Perth Glory's tactics this week.  Having complained for so long about David Mitchell's strict adherence to a 4-4-2 formation, I figured it was time to move on and talk about something else.

Unfortunately, Mitch made it impossible to avoid the topic of tactics this week by doing the unthinkable- he mixed up his line-up!  Perth deployed a 5-man midfield against Victory, and the first win for Glory in Melbourne since the A-League's beginnings is there for all to see.  More importantly, the team performance was exceptional and it wasn't left to individual brilliance to secure the result.

For those who missed the match, Perth started with Fowler as the lone striker.  Sterjovski on the right and Howarth on the left provided attacking width while Pellegrino and McGarry were responsible for passing the ball through the middle.  Burns was employed in his typical anchorman role while the defensive four of Sekulovski, Coyne, Harnwell and Neville protecting Velaphi was unchanged.  It was a formation that worked wonders as the Glory bodies in the middle of the park stifled Victory's own crowded midfield formation, and Fowler was able to create the space for Sterjovski, Howarth, Neville and Sekulovski to attack dangerous areas on the counter.

To his eternal credit, Dave Mitchell showed both bravery and technical nous to make the changes from the Fury line-up.  He saw the unique formation of Melbourne best described as a 4-6-0 and realised the key to controlling the game was to have bodies in the middle of the park.  To drop Jelic after a good performance against Fury and to alter an attacking structure that had scored three goals in that match was something that many coaches wouldn't have done, and the rewards Glory reaped will hopefully encourage Mitch to continue his newfound fondness for tactical variety.

The keys to the successful implementation of the 4-5-1 were the performances of McGarry, Pellegrino and Fowler.  It might be easy to point to Sterjovski and Howarth as the stars of the show with their excellent wide play, but really it was the positioning and distribution of the inside players that gave them the space to challenge the Victory fullbacks.  Howarth in particular did not get a lot of support from Sekulovski who had a quieter game, but was often found in dangerous positions after a Sterjovski or Neville run down the right was blocked off and the ball played through the central midfielders.  The class and composure to not lose possession in this high-pressure area of the field is a testament to the technical skills of those inside players.

It shouldn't be forgotten that the Glory performance, though excellent, was by no means perfect.  Velaphi made some excellent saves to earn the team a clean sheet probably not deserved, and some of the tackling by Burns and Neville might've seen Perth playing with less than 11 men on another day. 

At the end of the night though, the fact that a 4-5-1 correlated with a significantly improved performance should be encouraging for David Mitchell to see just what his team can achieve this season.  And the fact the coach was willing to experiment should be encouraging for Glory fans to see just how Mitchell might have what it takes to deliver the club its first title in seven years.  Although it's early days, victory over Victory in Victoria really is a key milestone for the side.

Most Glorious Hero of the Week

Mitch is the obvious winner here, with in my opinion his best coaching performance since moving out West.  A close second was referee Gerard Parsons who had something like a shocker with Glory probably the luckier of the two teams on the balance of decisions.

Least Glorious Villain of the Week

The SBS 'The World Game' panel seem to enjoy bagging out Jamie Harnwell and his technique or lack thereof.  This week was no exception I'm told.  Sometimes strong, determined and passionate players are more entertaining than the more technical types and I for one enjoy seeing Harnwell force the ball however he can across the line for his club.  Give the guy some respect - he is an Australian football icon (well, Western Australian at least)!