The navy blues are 11 points behind the pacesetting Brisbane Roar, which spanked them 3-0 on Saturday night, and it's hard to see them getting anywhere near the Queenslanders on that performance. Star midfielder Mitch Nichols has been a shadow of the player who was the A-League's standout in the opening 10 weeks of the season, Muscat dragging him at half-time in the loss to Roar on ''tactical'' grounds. In reality it appears Nichols' head and heart aren't where they should be right now since news broke of an offer from Japanese club Cerezo Osaka, which wants to make him one of its January transfer window signings. His coach was simply being diplomatic when it would have been perfectly acceptable to say Nichols' head was not in the right place. Victory has to deal with this issue and quickly, as it could unravel a promising season. Nichols has to be pulled into line, or an acceptable bid extracted from the J-League club.

Muscat also has to prepare his team for a road trip to Newcastle this week with a threadbare defence following Adrian Leijer's dismissal against Roar - the centre half and former skipper's second red card of the season. The coach, who earned more than his fair share of red cards while a player, wasn't best pleased at his experienced defender's brain snap, sharply pointing out that Leijer, who is often clumsy in tackles, had to be smarter when he made his challenges. Losing 3-0 with the game already gone wasn't the most clever time to lunge in and risk a second yellow for a heavy tackle, which is exactly what Leijer did. Victory now only has Pablo Contreras, who missed this game through injury, available this week as a recognised centre back as the club's other option, Nick Ansell, will be away with the Young Socceroos - as will other teammates Jason Geria, Scott Galloway and Connor Pain. Muscat has stuck to Ange Postecoglou's template of possession soccer and passing and moving since he succeeded the now Socceroo coach in late October.

The commitment to a passing game is admirable, but it's not going as smoothly as it should, especially against a side that was simply better at it in Postecoglou's former club Brisbane. There don't appear to be too many alternatives, however, given the personnel at Muscat's disposal. There is certainly no big centre forward who could offer the option of a more direct style when the coach might want to mix it up a little. Muscat is at the start of his coaching career and how he tackles this situation will be an important learning experience for him. The problem is that the 4-2-2-2 formation he inherited from Postecoglou and continues to use is light on for defensive support from the front: neither Archie Thompson (when fit), Finkler, James Troisi or Kosta Barbarouses really puts in defensively. Nichols does, but he hasn't been at the races in the past two matches. This is not a problem when Victory is in the ascendancy in matches, but a major issue when it is on the back foot, as it was on Saturday. Muscat will have to shake things up for the trip to Newcastle, which has the big physical presence of Emile Heskey as an option up front.

The coach might, in extremis, have to use Mark Milligan in the heart of defence alongside Contreras, if the latter is fit. If the Chilean is not available the diminutive Leigh Broxham, who has been a makeshift centre back in the past, may be asked to do so again. Allied to the on-field wobbles come the off-field dramas. Victory had already declared war on the FFA after Postecoglou was poached to become Socceroos manager. Now it finds itself in the dock with the game's governing body over the bad behaviour of a tiny minority of its fans. While the players probably aren't too bothered with that issue, they should be concerned about the sanctions that could cost it championship points. It's another messy scenario Victory and Muscat could do without. No one said it was going to be easy - least of all the fledgling coach.