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R3 vs Wellington Phoenix AAMI Park Saturday 21/10 5:35pm


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2 minutes ago, Murfy1 said:

"MELBOURNE City’s Osama Malik has been cleared to play in Saturday’s home clash with Wellington Phoenix after his bruising derby cameo."

 

"Fellow midfielders Luke Brattan and Neil Kilkenny are fully fit and available, Tim Cahill is training fully after returning from Socceroos duty and marquee super sub Marcin Budzinski pushing for selection with his stunning strike."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/osama-malik-reveals-apology-from-rhys-williams-after-derby-tackle/news-story/201d4be12ea8951c67a43828b976e05e

 

So, our midfield options are: Malik, Brattan, Mauk, Kilkenny, Budzinski, Carussca, Cahill. Maybe Jabobsen.

 

We've got enough midfielders for 2 midfields. Big selection headache for Joyce this weekend.   

Based on form Mauk has to keep his spot, which leaves the rest to fight over the other two. I'd drop Malik to the bench, shift Bort right and Jako in the middle of defense. Then if Malik is fully fit he should be rewarded with a start. Brattan would then be my option besides him, gives us some creativity as I feel we will be doing more of the attacking.

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I sense that Wazza will keep an unchanged side if he can, and make minimal changes if he has to make any at all. Winning is going to be the priority this season, not pretty football or "giving someone an opportunity because they've trained well" a la JvS.

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8 minutes ago, playmaker said:

Budzinski needs to start. His goal and opportunity on goal last game showed enough that he is a potential match winner every week. We can't leave a CAM with his scoring potential on the pine. 

I think that will depend on his fitness. I agree with an unchanged lineup. If malik is fit malik plays. Loving his form this season, hes a completely different player.

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I agree with the unchanged side, so Malik - Brattan - Mauk in midfield.

 

The last game's bench was Bouzanis, Cahill, Budzinski, Carrusca, Tongyik. So the likes of Kilkenny will need to fight to make the bench, or miss out.

 

Also if the captain Jakobsen isn't needed in midfield (and presumably gets moved back into defence), then someone of Jamieson, La Rocca, Schenkeveld, Muscat needs to be dropped. La Rocca and Schenkeveld have been a super solid pairing throughout all our 2 season games, so I don't like the idea of splitting up that pairing. Jamieson provided a team high 41 passes last game (more than twice as many as Mucat and with good passing accuracy). However Muscat was strong in defence, with 2 good tackles (other defenders only registered 1 each) and 5 interceptions (La Rocca had the high of 7, the other defenders had 1 each).

The defence is arguably the toughest to pick (how to change something that's been working so well?). There are probably a few very good possible lineups, but I'd like to see:

Jamieson - Jakobsen,  La Rocca, Schenkeveld

 

We'll learn a bit about Wazza with how he solves this selection headache.

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TBH im enjoying the back 5 with the jak moving into DM when needed. Found it interesting that mauk said he preferred playing as a box to box mid. Always thought he preferred no.10 role.

Guess we might see ourselves playing a lot without a CAM this season. Bart was huge as a CB so dont really want to push him to RB, leaving muscat as the RB.

That being said, the likes of muscat keeping a kilkenny or brattan out im not a fan of.. but if the system works the system works.

Edited by Hazzaverx
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New City dads revel in fatherhood

gettyimages-862592716.jpg?itok=j0T2UYuF&mtime=1508302715

AAP

18 OCT 2017 - 3:58 PM

If you're looking for secrets behind Melbourne City's sharp start to the A-League season, June 5 is a good place to start.

The otherwise inauspicious date - four weeks after the grand final, and two weeks before Warren Joyce was appointed coach - holds special meaning for two City midfielders.

It's the day Nick Fitzgerald and Luke Brattan became fathers for the first time.

And both believe it's sparked an upturn in their own form.

"I've been really happy away from the pitch and that's carried onto the pitch," Fitzgerald said on Wednesday. "There's definitely a link."

Fitzgerald, with son Harrison at Etihad Stadium, laid off both assists in last Saturday's 2-1 Melbourne derby win.

Brattan missed the match after a training incident last week, but impressed in City's opening night victory over Brisbane Roar.

The two-time Roar grand final winner said his baby girl, Amaya, brought balance.

"It's a fantastic distraction away from football," he said.

"We get caught up in football a lot. Thinking about it all the time. Everyone tells you your life is going to change and it does but it's very rewarding.

"The sleepless nights are tough (as are) sicknesses. Your priorities change but I think it makes you a better person. It makes you a better footballer."

Brattan says he's available for City's round three date with Wellington Phoenix on Saturday night.

"I hate missing any game. I hate missing training so to miss that game was tough," he said.

"It was the coach's decision. I got kicked in training but I said I was fine. It is what it is."

At AAMI Park, City will gun for three straight wins to start the campaign for the first time in their eight-season history.

They blew a similar opportunity last year when nemesis club Perth Glory completed a smash-and-grab 3-2 win.

Brattan said the club had a chance to show improved maturity against the Nix.

"We've got to learn from last year," he said.

"We had a couple of good games last year at the start and it went to our heads a little bit.

"We've got our fair share of critics and being at a big club they're going to continue to hang around until something goes wrong.

"We've got to keep the momentum going ... (and) work extremely hard.

"That's shown in the first two games it's going to pay off."

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/10/18/new-city-dads-revel-fatherhood

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The side that we field has to be the best 11 players who can play the tactical game plan. I suspect that Wazza will be keener on a more possession-based game against Nix who doesn't keep the ball as well as the visit0rs. He's said that the team have trained to play a variety of formations that presumably reflect a variety of styles so I wouldn't be surprised if the formation, tactics and lineup were all different

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6 minutes ago, bt50 said:

Durante ruled out for three months, Rossi very much touch and go as well for the Nux this week.

Unfortunate. 

Can anyone tell me though, what is it about the nux and not being able to string together a competitive side. Last time they looked half good we beat them away and theyve never recovered..

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Melbourne City squad vs Wellington

Melbourne City FC Squad: 1. Dean Bouzanis, 2. Manny Muscat, 3. Scott Jamieson, 5. Bart Schenkeveld, 6. Osama Malik, 7. Nick Fitzgerald, 8. Neil Kilkenny, 9. Marcelo Carrusca, 11. Bruce Kamau, 13. Stefan Mauk, 17. Tim Cahill, 18. Eugene Galekovic, 21. Ruon Tongyik, 22. Michael Jakobsen, 25. Iacopo La Rocca, 26. Luke Brattan, 27. Marcin Budzinski, 44. Ross McCormack

Ins: 8. Neil Kilkenny (promoted), 26.Luke Brattan (promoted)

Outs: Nil

Unavailable: 23. Bruno Fornaroli (ankle)

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Still 2 to be omitted that's some serious squad noting no Fernando and Bruno covered by Ross. 

Who gets cut let alone starts? 

Maybe Ruon only because we have 2 backups in Jakobsen and Malik already and the other probably either promoted players Brattan or Kilkenny. 

To think a fit Brattan or Kilkenny can't make a match day squad would be just crazy talk 3 weeks ago but in the light of where we at its highly likely. 

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31 minutes ago, Jovan said:

Still 2 to be omitted that's some serious squad noting no Fernando and Bruno covered by Ross. 

Who gets cut let alone starts? 

Maybe Ruon only because we have 2 backups in Jakobsen and Malik already and the other probably either promoted players Brattan or Kilkenny. 

To think a fit Brattan or Kilkenny can't make a match day squad would be just crazy talk 3 weeks ago but in the light of where we at its highly likely. 

Ruon and Killa for mine, purely on balance. Regardless of the fact that prob everyone here rates Killa above Malik, dropping him after his first 120 or so mins of the season would send a shocking message to the group imo.

For mine Bratts gets the nod over Killa based purely on his performance in Round 1. Jako and Malik provide defensive cover from on the pitch if needed too, so Tongyik is a waste of a sub imo.

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Cahill: Competition will only make us better

melbournecityfc.com.au

3 hrs ago

 

When Socceroos saviour Tim Cahill has to work for his spot in the squad, you know you have an incredibly competitive team.

After the forward’s heroics against Syria the week before, Cahill came off the bench in the Melbourne Derby to guide his side through the final minutes of the contest, rounding out the 2-1 result at Etihad Stadium.

Despite playing 120 minutes on Tuesday night, Cahill understood Warren Joyce’s decision to start him on the bench and says whether it be anyone in the team or himself, they are focused on producing on the park.

“I wanted to start [in the Derby] because obviously you come back and you want to be involved in the derbies,” Cahill said.

“I also knew that the 11 starting played unbelievably the week before. You know when you look at the bench, the fight for starting positions is going to be tough, but we complement each other because when you come on you have to make a difference.

“I always say, whether it’s five minutes or 95 minutes, you have to give everything and I think that was the difference the other night. [Marcin] Budzinski came on in the 42nd minute and scored so every single player played their part.

“Importantly, we won a massive game that we won’t take lightly and we will take that confidence with us into the next game. Derbies mean everything to the fans and it’s something we can give back to the fans, with a reward for sticking with us and building that fan base throughout that game.”

Saturday’s match against Wellington will see Cahill and City head into the contest unchanged and with the fight for places heating up, the Socceroos all-time leading goalscorer says it can only be good for the Club.

“I feel we can only get stronger, because we’re improving,” he said.

“Training is still ramping up even more, we’re gelling well as a group and we’ve got a lot of players who can play [in the first XI] and a bench that is just as strong as some of the starting line-up players.

“We know we’re going to need all of the players throughout the season to contribute to the games.”

 

https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/cahill-competition-will-only-make-us-better

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On 10/16/2017 at 8:29 PM, neio said:

I watched Wellington yesterday and defensively they are all over the shop, I honestly couldn't work out if it was a back 3 or 4 for large parts of the game. Galloway started as a RB, then was a LB, then was a LM but no one replaced him at RB. Then they took Mullen off and Durante got injured, and for last 10 minutes absolutely no idea who was supposed to be where

It took me back to the good old days of last year when we couldn't decide who was supposed to be where 

i was at the game as i was in sydney on the weekend

they started with a 442

then went to a 343 

coach was trying to win by changing structure

i think there coach is tactically good

not scared to change things up mid game

 

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City 3-1 

Starting XI 

                                                                                   Fitzy                 McCormack              Kamau

                                                                                                             Budzinski

                                                                                                      Malik(If fit) Mauk

                                                                      Jamieson            Jako               La  Rocca                  Bart

                                                                                                                Galekovic 

Bench: Bouzanis, Muscat, Kilkenny, Carrusca, Cahill

 

Goals

City: Fitzy, McCormack and Budzinski

Wellington: Krishna 

 

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7 hours ago, Forever City said:

Starting XI 

                                                                                   Fitzy                 McCormack              Kamau

                                                                                                             Budzinski

                                                                                                      Malik(If fit) Mauk

                                                                      Jamieson            Jako               La  Rocca                  Bart

                                                                                                                Galekovic 

Bench: Bouzanis, Muscat, Kilkenny, Carrusca, Cahill

 

Agree with all of this--but what about Brattan? He was solid in Round 1, and apparently Brattan barely missed the derby because of a fitness concern (and is fully fit for tomorrow).

 

So the one change I'd make is to put Brattan into the midfield in place of Budzinski--put Brattan next to Malik and play Mauk as the no 10---and put Budzinski on the bench and drop Carrusca (if Warren Joyce hasn't deemed him good enough to even make one substitute appearance over the first 2 rounds, then I reckon Carrusca can at least sit out of the match-day squad this round).

 

Great competition for places ATM.

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The 2 games that have been won so far have been from primarily a very strong defensive set up followed by some neat finishing. 

So going into the game today with so many options it's very intriguing on the starting lineup. I think the back 4 will be unchanged. That is Jamo Bort La Rocca and Muscat. The question then arrises what to do with Jakobsen and 1 of the 2 holding mids. Does Brattan come in as a recognized number 6 or do you reward Jakobsen with another start in what is a new position for him. And where does that leave Kilkenny what's the point of Kilkenny and Brattan on the bench? Malik if fit must start and so to the front 3 of Fitzy Kamau and Ross. So that then leaves the Mauk Budzinski conundrum. For me Mauk needs to start but after his performance and goal Budzinski looks like a player that can unlock a packed defence as Wellington are likely to be. The final dilemma is Carusca when are we going to see his ability? Probably then only genuine playmaker in the squad he could even be dropped from it totally. 

So many choices as long as they made with the right intentions and based on fair parameters then a development of healthy strong competitive squad will result. 

I'm becoming a fan of Wazzas methods and can see another strong result today. 

 

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3 hours ago, Jovan said:

 

I'm becoming a fan of Wazzas methods and can see another strong result today. 

I'm very impressed how quickly he's turned things around since the Cup disaster.

I wouldn't want to see Jako in goals, but apart from that I reckon he'll deliver whereever he plays, so I think it's right back for Jako this week.

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