Best start to season since NSL glory days

According to devoted Melbourne Knights fan and a keen amateur statistican, Micky Jovanovic, the Knights' remarkable undefeated start to the 2008 VPL season is the Sunshine based club's best start to a league season since the championship winning 1994/95 National Soccer League season.

That year, the Mark Viduka led Croatian backed outfit defeated Adelaide City in a memorable Grand Final at Adelaide's Hindmarsh Stadium to claim its inaugural NSL title.

Despite losing Viduka to Dinamo Zagreb the following year, the Knights captured back-to-back titles, defeating Marconi in the season decider at Melbourne's Olympic Park.

Could this year herald the arrival of a new age of on-field domination at Somers Street?

According to Jovanovic, the commencement to this year's campaign ''is our second best start overall since 1984 and the third time we've been undefeated by Round 8, the other times being 1994/95 (7 wins, 1 draw) and 2002/03 (2 wins, 5 draws).''

Tonci PRUSAC

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COACH CHRIS TAYLOR: Being on Top Brings Different Pressure

Following last Sunday's gutsy win at home against bitter rivals South Melbourne, the Knights have risen to the lofty heights of first position on the VPL standings.

The well deserved 2-0 victory coupled with a loss by Oakleigh has placed the Knights in an excellent position, not that coach Chris Taylor is taking the top spot for granted.

''It is both good and bad; good in terms of achieving success on the field and winning games, bad because the added pressure of everybody wanting to beat the Knights might have a negative effect'', said Taylor after last Sunday's match.

Concerns have also been raised by the current injury problems at the club with several first team players.

''At the moment, we are struggling with a few injuries and we are nursing players through injuries and just trying to get them through matches'', an exasperated Taylor said.

A short four day turnaround now awaits the Knights, who will travel to the Oakleigh Cannons on Friday evening (tonight) for what promises to be a blockbuster.

''We have three tough games in succession with Oakleigh, the AIS and Green Gully, and all three are just behind us in the table, so it will be a huge challenge for our side in the next few weeks'', Taylor explained.

With some early season problems in regards to conceding poor goals and sluggish starts seemingly over, Taylor and his side certainly look the goods to continue their fine form in the future.

''Our cheap goals against problem and also our slow starts to matches have been worked on at training and it is good to see that it seems to be behind us'', Taylor concluded.

Josip LONCARIC