City Football Group (CFG) [Owner of Melbourne City]

[HEARTinator]

43 minutes ago, haz said:

Good thread about us on the Manchester City forum. Fair amount of discussion with over 260 pages

https://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/threads/melbourne-city-fc-thread.296381/page-269

Can’t get over the fact that some over there give a fcuk about what’s happening over here. I certainly don’t give a toss about what ManCity  is doing or NYFC. Call me insular and ungrateful to CFG.

[Jacques Le Cube]

Interesting video. It mentions Simon Pearce's role in the alleged FFP breaches.

 

[haz]

28 minutes ago, HEARTinator said:

Can’t get over the fact that some over there give a fcuk about what’s happening over here. I certainly don’t give a toss about what ManCity  is doing or NYFC. Call me insular and ungrateful to CFG.

Just percentages man.

0.01% of their supporter base is well over 100 people.

[HEARTinator]

2 minutes ago, haz said:

Just percentages man.

0.01% of their supporter base is well over 100 people.

Yes, your probably right. I'm just feeling on edge these days

[Jovan]

29 minutes ago, haz said:

Just percentages man.

0.01% of their supporter base is well over 100 people.

There probably is only less than 10 regular posters in that thread.

[jw1739]

20 minutes ago, Jovan said:

There probably is only less than 10 regular posters in that thread.

Similar problem with this forum. Even if there are 50 regulars - which I doubt - and they are all members - which again I doubt - that's only 0.5% of our 9650 members.

[citypool]

Those guys on the Manchester city forum they must be Aussies living in England 

[belaguttman]

15 hours ago, jw1739 said:

Similar problem with this forum. Even if there are 50 regulars - which I doubt - and they are all members - which again I doubt - that's only 0.5% of our 9650 members.

So each regular poster here speaks for 500 empty seats

Edited December 8, 2018 by belaguttman

[Jovan]

47 minutes ago, belaguttman said:

So each regular poster here speaks for 500 empty seats

Well with the amount of multis continually liking their own posts and discussing points with themselves you need to add a factor of 3 or 4 so in effect each poster represents around 2000 empty seats.

[jw1739]

19 hours ago, HEARTinator said:

Can’t get over the fact that some over there give a fcuk about what’s happening over here. I certainly don’t give a toss about what ManCity  is doing or NYFC. Call me insular and ungrateful to CFG.

You don't have to be in the UK to participate in the Blue Moon forum - you can be anywhere. Just as we used to have people on here (such as Falastur) who live in the UK, and a current member who resides in Cyprus.

[Shahanga]

5 hours ago, Jovan said:

Well with the amount of multis continually liking their own posts and discussing points with themselves you need to add a factor of 3 or 4 so in effect each poster represents around 2000 empty seats.

My secrets out!

truth is my multis are:

@haz

@kingofhearts

@Jovan

and of course @strider

[haz]

26 minutes ago, Shahanga said:

My secrets out!

truth is my multis are:

@haz

@kingofhearts

@Jovan

and of course @strider

and @CityGirl

[fensaddler]

I am @Spartacus.

[jw1739]

On 28/11/2018 at 2:27 PM, Bob Latchford said:

If the cap gets binned, I can see CFG making a decent play at the a-league and trying to keep players like Bart in the squad well past this season, as he's far too good to be playing in Australia in the first place. 

IMO there's not a great deal of evidence to support this view. In general terms the quality of our marquee players since the takeover has not been outstanding, and this is one area where we could outspend all the other clubs if the owners really wanted to dominate the league. There is no cap on the allowed spend in the coaching area either; we could have brought in a whole football department of world-class manager and coaches, together with a top CEO and other back-room staff, if we wanted to, but again the owners have not done that. We did see expenditure on City Football Academy, first for men and later for the women and junior sides, initially giving us an advantage over the other clubs, but I cannot cannot see the recent statements by Marwood saying the the focus in the immediate future will be return on the investment already made in Melbourne as holding any likelihood that the purse strings will be loosened any time soon.

[Tommykins]

14 hours ago, jw1739 said:

IMO there's not a great deal of evidence to support this view. In general terms the quality of our marquee players since the takeover has not been outstanding, and this is one area where we could outspend all the other clubs if the owners really wanted to dominate the league. There is no cap on the allowed spend in the coaching area either; we could have brought in a whole football department of world-class manager and coaches, together with a top CEO and other back-room staff, if we wanted to, but again the owners have not done that. We did see expenditure on City Football Academy, first for men and later for the women and junior sides, initially giving us an advantage over the other clubs, but I cannot cannot see the recent statements by Marwood saying the the focus in the immediate future will be return on the investment already made in Melbourne as holding any likelihood that the purse strings will be loosened any time soon.

But surely the stuff you've mentioned about Marwood is in someway related to the introduction of the Frank Lampard rule and such - they clearly wanted to use an advantage when they saw the opportunity to get one and were largely rebuffed and have, by all accounts, been very active behind the scenes.

The reason I think that there will be major investment if the rules change is that in every facet apart from Senior Mens football, where we can outspend the competition, we're doing so and reaping the benefits in terms of on the pitch performances.

In every year bar one we've topped the division since we've had the Melbourne City moniker at a youth level - we've got 5 players in the Australia under 17's team and 7 players in the under 2-'s, it's easy to think that this is purely a ploy to identify and sell off the next Arzani (and there certainly is a component of that which exists, no doubt) but having a foundation of players that can enter the senior ranks is only ever going to be a good thing for us and it's not something that they're capable of doing in the US due to the college system that exists there. 

The womens is even more stark, there is no financial benefit to having a womens team at all, yet we end up outspending everyone comfortably and have a team with 5 Matilda's from the best crop of players that the game has ever seen.

While I'm sceptical of if Melbourne City would dominate without a salary cap, if they had the chance to flex their financial muscle in a more meaningful way, they would.

 

[Imtellingyou]

We attack only via Wales. The same single channel strategy as with Arzani last year. It pretty much summarises what's the Group interest here. Pushing transfer of young player. 

[belaguttman]

41 minutes ago, Imtellingyou said:

We attack only via Wales. The same single channel strategy as with Arzani last year. It pretty much summarises what's the Group interest here. Pushing transfer of young player. 

I think that's all down to Wazza, not specifically a direction from CFG. Wales, or Bruno, it's just as ineffective

[jw1739]

2 hours ago, belaguttman said:

I think that's all down to Wazza, not specifically a direction from CFG. Wales, or Bruno, it's just as ineffective

Bela, it may not be a specific direction from CFG, but surely CFG must be condoning it, otherwise we would see a change?

 

6 hours ago, Tommykins said:

But surely the stuff you've mentioned about Marwood is in someway related to the introduction of the Frank Lampard rule and such - they clearly wanted to use an advantage when they saw the opportunity to get one and were largely rebuffed and have, by all accounts, been very active behind the scenes.

The reason I think that there will be major investment if the rules change is that in every facet apart from Senior Mens football, where we can outspend the competition, we're doing so and reaping the benefits in terms of on the pitch performances.

In every year bar one we've topped the division since we've had the Melbourne City moniker at a youth level - we've got 5 players in the Australia under 17's team and 7 players in the under 2-'s, it's easy to think that this is purely a ploy to identify and sell off the next Arzani (and there certainly is a component of that which exists, no doubt) but having a foundation of players that can enter the senior ranks is only ever going to be a good thing for us and it's not something that they're capable of doing in the US due to the college system that exists there. 

The womens is even more stark, there is no financial benefit to having a womens team at all, yet we end up outspending everyone comfortably and have a team with 5 Matilda's from the best crop of players that the game has ever seen.

While I'm sceptical of if Melbourne City would dominate without a salary cap, if they had the chance to flex their financial muscle in a more meaningful way, they would.

I don't think that the women's team as of this season is anywhere near the first year when we had two of the best female players in the world in Fishlock and Little, and also we had Beattie from Manchester City and De Vanna, and a fantastic record all season. The ladies were also coached by Joe Montemurro, now with Arsenal and doing very well indeed there - Rado Vidosic isn't even on the same scale as Joe.

Your last paragraph actually proves my point. We do have the chance to flex our financial muscle, and can have an unlimited spend on marquees, coaches and all backroom staff - but we have chosen not to do so.

[haz]

I mean hey, at least we aren't Brisbane

[belaguttman]

6 minutes ago, haz said:

I mean hey, at least we aren't Brisbane

Wazza is the British Bambi

[jw1739]

15 minutes ago, haz said:

I mean hey, at least we aren't Brisbane

...whose solitary win this season was beating us 2-0.

[malloy]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

Bela, it may not be a specific direction from CFG, but surely CFG must be condoning it, otherwise we would see a change?

 

I don't think that the women's team as of this season is anywhere near the first year when we had two of the best female players in the world in Fishlock and Little, and also we had Beattie from Manchester City and De Vanna, and a fantastic record all season. The ladies were also coached by Joe Montemurro, now with Arsenal and doing very well indeed there - Rado Vidosic isn't even on the same scale as Joe.

Your last paragraph actually proves my point. We do have the chance to flex our financial muscle, and can have an unlimited spend on marquees, coaches and all backroom staff - but we have chosen not to do so.

For me the evidence that they will spend is that they are positioning themselves to control the game in Australia. Two of the four elected to the new board of the FFA were CFG backed and one is the chairman. We also have Didulica in charge at the PFA. I largely see the non-spending as CFG pushing a point with the former FFA board regarding that if they don't get benefits then the league won't get the benefits of having CFG invested in a team. 

That being said if it is true I hate the club being used so overtly as a political tool when it far from aligns with what we want from the club. We of course already are a political tool for the Sheik, but the overall vision of what CFG wants for its club's i.e. attractive football and competitive is not dissimilar to what many of us want from Melbourne City. Also throw into the mix Australia's best talent coming through our ranks (albeit that it shouldn't be at the expense of the success of the club).

[citypool]

Do these stupid idiots at the club have any plan in place how to continue to attract members when team 11 comes in with their sexy new stadium 

[HEARTinator]

9 minutes ago, citypool said:

Do these stupid idiots at the club have any plan in place how to continue to attract members when team 11 comes in with their sexy new stadium 

NO. Out to lunch.

[Chris p]

23 minutes ago, citypool said:

Do these stupid idiots at the club have any plan in place how to continue to attract members when team 11 comes in with their sexy new stadium 

Does anyone actually believe what team 11 are saying ? if I had a dollar for everytime a club owner announced grand plans for world domination

[playmaker]

9 minutes ago, Chris p said:

Does anyone actually believe what team 11 are saying ? if I had a dollar for everytime a club owner announced grand plans for world domination

I think what concerns people is that we are likely to lose out the most when another club enters Melbourne seeing that we have woeful membership numbers and self destruct at every opportunity. Hence people will jump on the opportunity to follow the romance of a new club.

My only hope is that they poach Munn and Petrillo to give us a chance to redeem ourselves over time.

[mus-28]

8 hours ago, Chris p said:

Does anyone actually believe what team 11 are saying ? if I had a dollar for everytime a club owner announced grand plans for world domination

Team 11 are doing everything Heart did in the early days, but doing it 5 times better. They're constantly engaging clubs where the future supporters will come from and keeping them in the loop, making them feel like their support matters and constantly asking for feedback.

 

CFG dropped the ball with their club engagement, preferring to focus on City in the Community not grassroots clubs where people already have a love for the game.

[jw1739]

11 hours ago, Chris p said:

Does anyone actually believe what team 11 are saying ? if I had a dollar for everytime a club owner announced grand plans for world domination

I doubt that anyone wholly believes what any of the various bids are saying. All are going to put their best face to the camera in the hope of being chosen, and that's completely understandable.

3 hours ago, mus-28 said:

Team 11 are doing everything Heart did in the early days, but doing it 5 times better. They're constantly engaging clubs where the future supporters will come from and keeping them in the loop, making them feel like their support matters and constantly asking for feedback.

Despite the 5-years that Victory had with sole access to the Melbourne market, Heart - even with its questionable "identity" - was able to come in and establish a fan-base, with big Derby crowds (only one less than 25,000) and an average non-Derby attendance of 7,200 in Season 2013/14.

I see Team11/Dandenong/Casey as a bit like Western Sydney. Very big multicultural immigrant population, in a specific part of the Greater Melbourne area and with no clear major sporting outlet, and ultimately hoping to build a stadium right next to a transport hub. IMO they will be able to establish an adequate supporter base very quickly, and I think that they will take supporters away from City. Although we now have an identity, it's the wrong one.

[Harrison]

3 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

I doubt that anyone wholly believes what any of the various bids are saying. All are going to put their best face to the camera in the hope of being chosen, and that's completely understandable.

Despite the 5-years that Victory had with sole access to the Melbourne market, Heart - even with its questionable "identity" - was able to come in and establish a fan-base, with big Derby crowds (only one less than 25,000) and an average non-Derby attendance of 7,200 in Season 2013/14.

I see Team11/Dandenong/Casey as a bit like Western Sydney. Very big multicultural immigrant population, in a specific part of the Greater Melbourne area and with no clear major sporting outlet, and ultimately hoping to build a stadium right next to a transport hub. IMO they will be able to establish an adequate supporter base very quickly, and I think that they will take supporters away from City. Although we now have an identity, it's the wrong one.

I can’t remember quite where I read this (either in the Crawford Report or the PFA’s report) but they suggested that we go with three Sydney teams (north, south, west) and two Melbourne teams (south east and north west). It would have been interesting to see how that model worked instead of the one team, one city model. Appeal to a specific area and embed a team into that community so that those supporters have a strong cultural tie to the club. 

IMO the distinct geographical/cultural model would’ve worked better. Then the option to introduce a city-based team in each big city could’ve presented itself. 

In saying all that, it seems that FFA are finally implementing that geographical model, just after they’ve done the big city teams. I think Team 11 will be a big success, as will either of the South Sydney/NSW bids. 

[jw1739]

3 hours ago, Harrison said:

I can’t remember quite where I read this (either in the Crawford Report or the PFA’s report) but they suggested that we go with three Sydney teams (north, south, west) and two Melbourne teams (south east and north west). It would have been interesting to see how that model worked instead of the one team, one city model. Appeal to a specific area and embed a team into that community so that those supporters have a strong cultural tie to the club. 

IMO the distinct geographical/cultural model would’ve worked better. Then the option to introduce a city-based team in each big city could’ve presented itself. 

In saying all that, it seems that FFA are finally implementing that geographical model, just after they’ve done the big city teams. I think Team 11 will be a big success, as will either of the South Sydney/NSW bids. 

IIRC it was the PFA report. 

[Shahanga]

Personally I’d like to see FIFA pass a rule saying that owners of one football club can’t have interest in another football club.

sadly I know this will never happen.

Edited December 16, 2018 by Shahanga

[haz]

6 hours ago, Shahanga said:

Personally I’d like to see FIFA pass a rule saying that owners of one football club can’t gave interest in another football club.

sadly I know this will never happen.

There is a rule, it is just worded very very badly.

[HEARTinator]

Listening to some blues can help during these crap times.

 

[Blackout]

I've largely lost interest in the Club these days due to CFG's persistent ignorance/uninterest in Melbourne as anything other than a side project.

After reading the comments above about the forum being relatively measured compared to Facebook, I had a look at the last month's engagements by the club. Fuck me! The club is completely tone deaf and are two steps removed from reality, and the supporters are certainly letting them know about it.

On the flipside, if anyone is studying PR, Melbourne City is an excellent example of what not do with fan engagement.

[citypool]

How’s New York City fc doing compared to us?

[CityBoyz]

6 hours ago, citypool said:

How’s New York City fc doing compared to us?

The same we do every year get eliminated in the SF won nothing 

[citypool]

15 hours ago, CityBoyz said:

The same we do every year get eliminated in the SF won nothing 

Yeah but off the field? I heard the atmosphere at games are better, more fans, David villa ect why are we run like a farm and their fans enjoy a better run club?

[Dylan]

5 hours ago, citypool said:

Yeah but off the field? I heard the atmosphere at games are better, more fans, David villa ect why are we run like a farm and their fans enjoy a better run club?

It is the local managment is the issue. If anything I would rather have CFG have less control

[CityBoyz]

6 hours ago, citypool said:

Yeah but off the field? I heard the atmosphere at games are better, more fans, David villa ect why are we run like a farm and their fans enjoy a better run club?

Let’s wait and see who CFG pick for NYC marquee since Villa has left. It will see where they are ranked in the group to what kind of marquee they will get considering they have already had Villa, Lampard and Pirlo 

[Tommykins]

You get three marquees in the MLS, since the departure of Lampard and Pirlo they're marquee's have looked much more decidedly like ours.

Maxi Moralez - Signed from Leon in Mexico, good European pedigree but certainly nothing amazing

Jesus Medina - Young gun from Paraguay who been okay, but is seen as lacking in ambition given he's only 21 and hasn't proved a whole lot.

Crowds are down significantly (29k first season, have settled at about 23k now), can't speak to the atmosphere.