In Carlos we trust

It didn't take long for the scribes in the press box to put a red line through Melbourne Victory's two-week-old season.

In fact, barely 25 minutes had passed in the first half of the Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar fixture before the cap of the marker was removed.

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Carlos Hernandez celebrates his goals

By that time, the Roar were already 2-0 up, providing a classic case of déjà vu as the Victory found themselves in a similar predicament to last week.

Not only did the game have a similar tone to the match against the Central Coast Mariners only nine days earlier, but their season was beginning to have the same feel as their ill-fated title defence of 2007/08. In that campaign, the Victory started the season with five straight draws and went eight games without a win during the middle rounds. Although they mounted a late season charge, they missed out on the finals by four points.

Back in the press box, you could already hear the proposed headlines declaring Victory's season all but over. That's it. Finito. Begin planning for next season, Ernie, this one's done and dusted...

However, I refused to buy into it - and not simply because it's still very much the early days of the season.

As I sat in my chair, staring blankly at the unfolding play pondering the reasons why this season would be different to that of 2007/08. The answer presented itself via a 20-yard thunderbolt that somehow failed to burn through the roof of the net upon contact.

Right on cue, Carlos.

Carlos Hernandez is arguably the most important component in Victory's title defence this season, and his man of the match performance at the weekend went some way to explaining why his signing - although not technically a new one - was the Victory's biggest transfer coup of the off-season.

Against the Roar, it was Hernandez who single-handedly rescued a point for the Victory. Not only did he get on the scoresheet twice with two fabulous strikes, but he also set up Danny Allsopp's equaliser in the 3-3 draw.

On the right flank, Hernandez received the ball, unmarked, and could've easily kicked the ball out of play as team-mate Archie Thompson lay injured on the turf a few yards to his left. Instead, Hernandez sent a cross Allsopp's way. The Roar defence failed to deal with the delivery, and Allsopp reacted quickest to the loose ball as he shuffled into position and struck a sweet volley that gave goalkeeper Liam Reddy no chance at all.

Tight marking - even multi-man marking - seemed to have no effect on the Costa Rican; the ease in which he turned three Roar players in the middle of the park late in the second half illustrated the point.

While there's no doubt the loss of Kevin Muscat is significant - both from a defensive and leadership point of view - the loss of Hernandez would be even greater.

Granted, Muscat's absence in the heart of defence has the Victory backline looking shaky and uncertain. The makeshift combination of Rody Vargas and Matthew Kemp in the centre didn't exactly intimidate the Roar's attackers, and to be honest, it was the attacking duo of Sergio van Dijk and Henrique that provided the fear factor.

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Fred: Carlos Hernandez's predecessor

While solid defences win you championships, so too does controlling the play and the scoring of goals, in which Hernandez has a PhD.

He provides the vision. He provides the delivery. He provides the execution.

Since the A-League kicked off, we've seen various defending champions fall apart at the seams. This has been largely attributed to the mass exodus of players - or in Melbourne Victory's case in 2007/08, a key player.

That player was playmaker, Fred. Like Hernandez, the Brazilian provided the Victory with an attacking edge few teams could match - or defend against. He had that knack of splitting a compact defence with a perfectly weighted, inch-perfect pass. He could draw two, even three defenders out of position, which created holes in the opposition that the Victory was quick to exploit. He also used his speed to launch swift counter-attacks.

Fundamentally, all meaningful attacks went through him.

In losing Fred to MLS club D.C. United during the ensuing off-season, the Victory effectively lost its mojo. While Hernandez was signed shortly after to fill Fred's shoes, the Costa Rican's fitness was below par during his debut season and he only came good in the final stages of the campaign.

He proved last season what he was truly capable of and helped guide the Victory back to the top of Australian football.

While some haven't always agreed with Merrick's matchday tactics and player selections, very few would've been concerned when he dusted off the chequebook to keep Hernandez in Victory colours.

Not only did that cheque secure Hernandez's services for another three seasons, but it's also going to force those scribes to invest in some white-out.

Luckily, I kept the lid on my marker.