MELBOURNE Victory sacked coach Mehmet Durakovic today and appointed Kevin Muscat caretaker coach for tomorrow's match against Newcastle.

A new permanent head coach is expected to be named within the next 48 hours and it will not be Muscat .

In announcing Durakovic's sacking at a press conference today, Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro said: "After 14 games the club is in a position which is not acceptable and change is required.



"With 13 games left, we still think the club can have success this season.



"Kevin Muscat will be caretaker for (tomorrow's match) against Newcastle and he took training this morning.



"The appointment of a new head coach is imminent and an announcement will be made in the next 24 or 48 hours."



He said Muscat was not a candidate.



Di Pietro said Durakovic was given the job on the back of encouraging results in the Asian Champions League but A-League results this season had been diasappointing.



"We gave Mehmet every opportunity to achieve success this season but we found we were inconsistent and without direction,'' he said.



When asked how the club could be so far down the path towards a new head coach when Durakovic was sacked only today: Di Pietro said: "Mehmet has been under review as a coach for some time and there has been no rash decision-making."

While Victory's record of three wins, six draws and five losses this season is a poor record, it is the nature of the losses that are most concerning.

The team has been competitive against bottom sides Gold Coast, Perth Glory and the Rini Coolen-coached Adelaide United, but consistently outplayed by top sides.

Victory's nine-man board has been divided on Durakovic. In late November he was thought to be hanging on by a thread before the home match against Gold Coast.

But the board insisted on sticking by Durakovic and reassessing his position mid-season.

Victory threatened to gain some momentum after a convincing win over Wellington Phoenix with the attacking trio of Harry Kewell, Archie Thompson and Carlos Hernandez starting to click.

But it returned to its disjointed self in three losses since with Durakovic persisting with the narrow diamond midfield, which has left teams raiding Victory down the wings and over-running it late in games.

Victory appointed Durakovic, Victory's youth team coach, after the team's improved performances in the Asian Champions League when he took over from Ernie Merrick.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE APPOINTED AS VICTORY'S NEXT COACH? SEND US YOUR SUGGESTIONS.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=17a921610f" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Melbourne Victory&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Originally published as Victory axe coach Durakovic