Rd. 15 - Tue. 22nd January 2019 vs. WSW, AAMI Park, 7.50 pm.

[neio]

The one thing I will say about Wazza is that he seems to have a good feel for when a young player is ready. Arzani was made to wait, and he timed it perfectly. Atkinson was ready when he came, some were calling for Najjarine last season but he has to wait. Now Najjar, I don't think he will start, but he will see some minutes

[Mr MO]

1 hour ago, bt50 said:

I wouldnt. Im not prepared to write the kid off, but he's been given extremely good opportunity in quite a few games now and has shown very little for it. Needs to earn a start now imo.

I wish we could apply that rule for Atkinson.

[Afif Adam]

I really hope we sign someone, transfer window has been dead this season for the HAL

[jw1739]

I think that tonight's match will tell us a lot about what the real state of affairs is within the club.

We've seen two senior players depart (Caceres and O'Halloran) and one senior player suspended, apparently irreconcilably (Fornaroli). Jamieson, our captain, and now Brattan have spoken out about the Fornaroli situation. The playing group is not united behind Joyce.

It would not surprise me if we see a lack-lustre performance tonight. Hopefully we'll win, but I'm not confident that we will.

[belaguttman]

15 hours ago, rass said:

Yep, certainly hasn't rocked my world yet.

To be fair to any of our forwards, it's hard to look good or to be effective under Wazza's system. You're likely to have 2 or 3 defenders marking you that you need to pass, then, very few passing options from teammates, with very few players allowed to commit forward. There'll be almost no supporting runs. Who would do well under this system, even Bruno struggled

[rass]

Just now, belaguttman said:

To be fair to any of our forwards, it's hard to look good or to be effective under Wazza's system. You're likely to have 2 or 3 defenders marking you that you need to pass, then, very few passing options from teammates, with very few players allowed to commit forward. There'll be almost no supporting runs. Who would do well under this system, even Bruno struggled

Hmmm, the only comparison i can make with him is Arzani. Arzani took on his marker at just about every opportunity and you always felt like something could happen when he was on the ball.

Najjarine just doesn't have this x factor in my opinion yet. I don't think this is a case of Wazza or structure - it's just where they are at as players.

[belaguttman]

Just now, rass said:

Hmmm, the only comparison i can make with him is Arzani. Arzani took on his marker at just about every opportunity and you always felt like something could happen when he was on the ball.

Najjarine just doesn't have this x factor in my opinion yet. I don't think this is a case of Wazza or structure - it's just where they are at as players.

Yes, he did, despite having Wazza yelling at him every time to pass the ball. Perhaps Najjarine's problem is that he listens to Wazza too much

[rass]

2 minutes ago, belaguttman said:

Yes, he did, despite having Wazza yelling at him every time to pass the ball. Perhaps Najjarine's problem is that he listens to Wazza too much

I'd just put it down to confidence in one's own ability - arrogance if you wish. Arzani had it is spades - not sure with this lad yet.

[belaguttman]

Just now, rass said:

I'd just put it down to confidence in one's own ability - arrogance if you wish. Arzani had it is spades - not sure with this lad yet.

Arzani rates him, he thought that Najjarine is better than he was

[Dylan]

18 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

I think that tonight's match will tell us a lot about what the real state of affairs is within the club.

We've seen two senior players depart (Caceres and O'Halloran) and one senior player suspended, apparently irreconcilably (Fornaroli). Jamieson, our captain, and now Brattan have spoken out about the Fornaroli situation. The playing group is not united behind Joyce.

It would not surprise me if we see a lack-lustre performance tonight. Hopefully we'll win, but I'm not confident that we will.

I think the real clincher will be if nothing changes and the window shuts.

[bt50]

8 minutes ago, belaguttman said:

Yes, he did, despite having Wazza yelling at him every time to pass the ball. Perhaps Najjarine's problem is that he listens to Wazza too much

Think thats grossly unfair tbh. He often urged him to make the pass when it was clearly the better option, to think about what he was doing and not be so predictable, but he was clearly being picked in the side to take blokes on too. Trying to improve players weaknesses to make them better players is what coaches do.

At the minute Najjarine has shown himself to be far better defensively than Arzani, which is a good thing, but he's still picked as an attacker so until he actually shows something in the aspect of the game, he's not really doing his role. IMO he's had ample opportunity this season.

[Dylan]

3 minutes ago, belaguttman said:

Arzani rates him, he thought that Najjarine is better than he was

When he was in the youth team and had Joe looking after him :haha:

[Jovan]

Not going tonight. 

First week back at work and too many good reasons not to go.

[jw1739]

5 minutes ago, Jovan said:

Not going tonight. 

First week back at work and too many good reasons not to go.

TBH, I could not countenance not going. I don't think the club pays much attention to what the attendance is - some attention, but not a lot. IMO if there's a beef with the club, write to them and calmly explain what it is you're on about.

I just wrote to them about being unable to hear the questions whenever a video is released of an interview with Joyce - e.g. the pre-match presser for tonight - and suggested the use of a roving microphone so that we could hear the questions. Will action be taken? I don't know, but I think that's the best way to approach these things. If you're a season-ticket holder you do have a right to raise issues with the club.

IMO match protests work if the media picks them up. But I don't think staying away does so.

But each to his own.

15 minutes ago, Dylan said:

When he was in the youth team and had Joe looking after him :haha:

That's probably close to the truth. Joe Pala is our longest-serving "Assistant Coach" and IMO he has a good record with the Academy boys. Really like what he's done for the club.

[Afif Adam]

club could care less about attendance, as long as the guy in my dp is happy

[n i k o]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

I think that tonight's match will tell us a lot about what the real state of affairs is within the club.

We've seen two senior players depart (Caceres and O'Halloran) and one senior player suspended, apparently irreconcilably (Fornaroli). Jamieson, our captain, and now Brattan have spoken out about the Fornaroli situation. The playing group is not united behind Joyce.

It would not surprise me if we see a lack-lustre performance tonight. Hopefully we'll win, but I'm not confident that we will.

It's also been evident that players like Bort have been getting frustrated out on the pitch as of late. Tiny little signs of cracks appearing within the playing group. 

[HeartLand]

1 minute ago, Afif Adam said:

club could care less about attendance, as long as the guy in my dp is happy

They wouldn't care to much about members coming to games, theyd obviously prefer us to come. But they don't make much money off memberships. They have our money already whether we go to the game or not.

It's the general public buying tickets that they make the money off. Honestly surprised considering the shit time slot they haven't done a kids go free promo or something like that for tonight's game.

[jw1739]

Just now, n i k o said:

It's also been evident that players like Bort have been getting frustrated out on the pitch as of late. Tiny little signs of cracks appearing within the playing group. 

I thought I saw that against Perth. A few gesticulations and a little bit of chat between players. Particularly when someone didn't run for the return pass.

They're only human, like us. Some of them probably thinking about next season.

[citypool]

Credit to the lads in active that are trying to create an atmosphere and all the fans that will attend tonight 

[Afif Adam]

24 minutes ago, HeartLand said:

They wouldn't care to much about members coming to games, theyd obviously prefer us to come. But they don't make much money off memberships. They have our money already whether we go to the game or not.

It's the general public buying tickets that they make the money off. Honestly surprised considering the shit time slot they haven't done a kids go free promo or something like that for tonight's game.

agreed, I always fantasise the day where we can break into the second level of AAMI week in and week out ...only time we've successfully done that is when we won the cup.     

nowadays, pre game crowd build up is depressing to the eyes and matchday experience is even worse...if anyone has been around the club long enough you should have the right to feel ashamed at how underachieved this club has been. It honestly hasn't been all gloomy days in the takeover of Heart,  though in the 2015/16 season many of us thought it was the breakthrough season where players like Mooy , Fornaroli and Novillo displayed attractive/ fast paced football..crowds averaging at 10,000 and occasionally higher.  who would've thought coming into the 5th year of Melbourne City would mean away fans will outsing the hosts 

In retrospect , when WJ was appointed as head coach it is now evident that our club can't and won't have nice things, as they would be sold for profit .

 

 

[Jovan]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

TBH, I could not countenance not going. I don't think the club pays much attention to what the attendance is - some attention, but not a lot. IMO if there's a beef with the club, write to them and calmly explain what it is you're on about.

I just wrote to them about being unable to hear the questions whenever a video is released of an interview with Joyce - e.g. the pre-match presser for tonight - and suggested the use of a roving microphone so that we could hear the questions. Will action be taken? I don't know, but I think that's the best way to approach these things. If you're a season-ticket holder you do have a right to raise issues with the club.

IMO match protests work if the media picks them up. But I don't think staying away does so.

But each to his own.

That's probably close to the truth. Joe Pala is our longest-serving "Assistant Coach" and IMO he has a good record with the Academy boys. Really like what he's done for the club.

It's not a protest, I just CBF tonight. 

I'm not really fussed if Wazza stays or not or if Bruno ever plays again. We will get another manager and striker, eventually. 

 

[jw1739]

24 minutes ago, Afif Adam said:

agreed, I always fantasise the day where we can break into the second level of AAMI week in and week out ...only time we've successfully done that is when we won the cup.     

nowadays, pre game crowd build up is depressing to the eyes and matchday experience is even worse...if anyone has been around the club long enough you should have the right to feel ashamed at how underachieved this club has been. It honestly hasn't been all gloomy days in the takeover of Heart,  though in the 2015/16 season many of us thought it was the breakthrough season where players like Mooy , Fornaroli and Novillo displayed attractive/ fast paced football..crowds averaging at 10,000 and occasionally higher.  who would've thought coming into the 5th year of Melbourne City would mean away fans will outsing the hosts 

In retrospect , when WJ was appointed as head coach it is now evident that our club can't and won't have nice things, as they would be sold for profit .

Our best season for attendances was actually 2016/17, when our non-Derby average was 9,417. Our lowest crowd that season was 7,745.

That was the season we won the FFA Cup.

Of the players we had that season, only the following remain:
Osama Malik;
Dylan Pierias;
James Delianov;
Luke Brattan;
Bruno Fornaroli (suspended);
Dean Bouzanis (on loan to PEC Zwolle);
Denis Genreau (on loan to PEC Zwolle).

Edited January 22, 2019 by jw1739

[citypool]

Did anyone see the 50% off for any sporting ticket post Melbourne city just did on Facebook? 

[fensaddler]

43 minutes ago, citypool said:

Did anyone see the 50% off for any sporting ticket post Melbourne city just did on Facebook? 

Late but a good idea. 

[belaguttman]

1 hour ago, Jovan said:

It's not a protest, I just CBF tonight. 

I'm not really fussed if Wazza stays or not or if Bruno ever plays again. We will get another manager and striker, eventually. 

 

If we win, we win, if we lose, we lose

[Torn Asunder]

The comp as a whole needs a lift.  Independent league, no salary cap, fuck of Wellington, promotion league till we get 20 teams, then ongoing promotion / relegation playoffs ... blah, blah, blah, etc, etc!  

I'll be there tonight, and looking forward to it.

[HeartLand]

1 hour ago, citypool said:

Did anyone see the 50% off for any sporting ticket post Melbourne city just did on Facebook? 

They did it for the game on the weekend, but they also didn't mention it on facebook until the game of the game. Very weird marketing 

[jw1739]

[bt50]

Galekovic
Delbridge Bart Good Pierias
Griffiths/Baccus 
Brattan Florin
McGree Wales 

SUBS Malik Najaarine Birra Najjar Jamo

Reckon we'll freshen it up a little bit tonight given the workload of the past three weeks.

RDL and prob Baccus to rest completely
 

[Tony999]

3 hours ago, citypool said:

Credit to the lads in active that are trying to create an atmosphere and all the fans that will attend tonight 

Yep! Agreed! Why would you stay away because of Wazza? 

[belaguttman]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

Good idea, however, if they'd publicised that a week ago then people may have retained their tickets

[CityWildcat]

I've been to every home game this month and will be there tonight.

A tip for my Active buddies in desperate need of something to sing about tonight:

''THEY'VE got Kamau / Brooooceeee Kamau / I just don't think they understand......

(fill to suit)

I take back what I said the other week about our youngsters up front being full of threat.  I was full of shite.  The Glory result was pretty respectable defending given their form, but up the other end we couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo in terms of goals.  As we all know. 

Curtis Good played well though.  I'm pleased for him. 

This striker drought is wearing even me down.  It's like the Heart days.  

We are in great danger against Phoenix, in the two matches coming up, if you ask me.

I'm not confident we will improve on a 0-0 draw tonight.  But hope  springs eternal. 

See (a very few of) you there.  

 

[Harrison]

Good teams can rest senior players and secure three points every week in busy periods. 

We must do this, considering we have to travel to Wellington on Saturday. 

Hopefully we see some youth players get some minutes tonight. 

[Shahanga]

I’m not going.

Ultimately a mid week game is a colossal pain in the arse to attend and if I was to suck up the hassle for it, it wouldn’t be to watch Joyceball.

Easier to watch on Foxtel in my living room.

[HughJass]

I love midweek matches but after Saturday I'm not going to bother tonight if city are not going to have a shot on target I can't justify going into work tired 

[neio]

[haz]

4 minutes ago, neio said:

Probaly the best we can put out. I'm happy that it seems that Ritchie is back at RWB. Looking at the bench I doubt Najjar will get a run.

Ritchie > Atkinson

Florian > Wales

Brattan/Griffiths > La Rocca

[Tommykins]

Having typically followed teams that have played about 2 games of attractive football across their entire history, I've never understood the football doesn't look good therefore I'm not going crowd. 

Not a bad line up, really hope to see Najjar. 

[dconder13]

1 minute ago, haz said:

Probaly the best we can put out. I'm happy that it seems that Ritchie is back at RWB. Looking at the bench I doubt Najjar will get a run.

Ritchie > Atkinson

Florian > Wales

Brattan/Griffiths > La Rocca

Richie was at RWB on the team sheet last week also

[rass]

Yep, probably strongest we can go at the moment. No Najjarine on the bench I see.