NICK YALLOP is a Melbourne Victory blogger for BPL. Click here if you want to join our A-League blog network.

Let's get the good news out of the way first. Soccer in Melbourne is much better off for the wonderful new rectangular stadium, AAMI Park.

The ground outshines Etihad Stadium on every level and has given Melbourne's large soccer following a place to call home. It is a ground that even neutrals should visit because there is no better place in Melbourne to get an intimate view of elite sport.

While it seats nearly 30,000 people, the purpose-built stadium feels much smaller, as if you're watching a suburban game. It will surely attract a few more fans to the "beautiful game".

Sitting just above the parochial Blue and White Brigade at the northern Swan Street end, I was amongst Victory's most die-hard fans and they were in full voice throughout the night. Undoubtedly the A-League's most passionate and vocal supporters' group, the BWB were vocal from beginning to end, their chants were trapped beneath the cavernous bubble roof and echoing around the ground.

The seats, painted in various shades of green, complemented the fluorescent turf, making the stadium look fantastic. Not that you could see too many bare seats. The ground was filled with the ubiquitous blue and white, with more than 20,000 fans there to see Victory's first home game at AAMI Park.

Unfortunately the palpable excitement generated by the new stadium was not matched by a satisfactory Melbourne Victory performance.

While Victory started very well, and shaded Perth on possession throughout the match, their cute passing triangles rarely led to a shot, let alone a goal. Ernie Merrick's sides have always tried to unlock defences using neat passing movements through the centre of the pitch, and then relying on the dependable finishing touches of Archie Thompson or Danny Alsopp.

With Alsopp gone to try his luck in Washington D.C. - via Qatar - and Thompson injured, Victory found it very difficult to break down a disciplined Glory defence, led by their overly aggressive captain Jacob Burns.

The first half saw Victory repeatedly trying to find their way to goal with intricate passing, but not being able to land the killer blow. Up front, youngster Mate Dugandzic was very lively, dashing around from left to right, receiving and giving passes, but I can't remember him having a shot. I certainly can't see Merrick's logic in leaving such an inexperienced striker one-out all night.

Melbourne's attack was particularly impotent in the second half, with their best chances coming from long-range shots from Carlos Hernandez and young midfielder Diogo Ferreira, when the game was all but lost.

Having said that, Victory dominated the first half and should have levelled in the 39th minute, but Surat Sukha's close-range left foot shot was parried onto the post by Glory keeper Velaphi. The resulting corner saw Hernandez raising his arms, urging the fervent northern end to lift their team to an equaliser. Unfortunately, we couldn't.

Thai international Sukha was excellent at right back in the first half and his withdrawal at the main break - he was replaced by midfielder Billy Celeski - was puzzling. Sukha linked well with Tom Pondeljak and Leigh Broxham, overlapping to provide numerous crosses and the aforementioned chance. He looked a different player to last year, when he lacked confidence on the ball. With him on the right, Victory looked dangerous, a quality they lacked in the second half when Adrian Leijer moved to right back.

Leijer is a central defender, not a full back. With himself, Vargas and Muscat in the team, Victory are hamstrung. Three centre backs don't go into two and it means they lack the forward thrust a wingback can provide.

This problem raises the question: how wise was it to give Kevin Muscat another year? I dare say most Victory supporters question whether Muscat, now 37, can still be competitive at the top level. I wondered that for much of last season, when he often failed to keep up with nimble strikers.

Muscat has personified Melbourne Victory since the A-League began, and, while being the heart and soul of the team is worth something, last season should have been his last. It would have been sad to see him leave the game after missing a penalty in the Grand Final shootout, but not all fairytales come true. I get the feeling Muscat calls the shots, and if he wants to play, he'll play.

Back to the game, and on Saturday night Perth played a very physical brand of soccer: waiting for Victory to come to them and then pouncing on the counter attack. It is the best way to combat Melbourne's slick passing, but at times it was too physical and the referee was far too lenient on a number of very dubious tackles in the first half.

Playing the enforcer at the heart of Perth's midfield, Jacob Burns didn't let any Victory player pass without a forceful challenge. It wasn't always pretty but Perth put away their chances - including a thunderbolt from Mile Sterjovski just after half time - and Melbourne didn't.

Next week against a North Queensland outfit that just defeated the reigning premiers, Sydney, Victory supporters will be hoping that our team can find a path way to goal so that we can walk away from the magnificent new stadium a little happier.