Jamie Maclaren

[JMSTEP123]

23 hours ago, InMyHeart said:

If we are a serious club regardless of what offer we get in Jan we will not sell him till the end of the season.
DO NOT SELL HIM IN JAN

Hows his skin folds?

He is happy here and happy to build the season for the club it seems. Of course, football is business but he knows more than most the a move to a bigger club may be a move backwards in his career - as was his last stint.

Not to say if he keeps up this form there wont be countless offers. His family is here and perhaps an increasing value on his contract. He can play with purpose and ease and build confidence in himself again. 

Will be one to watch. City kept Mooy longer than warranted for the hopes of the season. Perhaps they may consider the same here if they want the title. He is making that possible for us alone this season.

[Nate]

Sell him in January, and the club will have proven it hasn't and won't ever learn and that may be the final straw for me.

I don't expect him to be here for the 2020-21 season but we're in the best position to push for our maiden title since the days of Mooy/Fornaroli/Novillo and to sell him mid-season means I'm done for good.

[jw1739]

34 minutes ago, Nate said:

Sell him in January, and the club will have proven it hasn't and won't ever learn and that may be the final straw for me.

I don't expect him to be here for the 2020-21 season but we're in the best position to push for our maiden title since the days of Mooy/Fornaroli/Novillo and to sell him mid-season means I'm done for good.

I'd say that might be the end for quite a few people. We just can't keep pushing away our best players and starving fans of success.

However, one point I'd make is that IMO this Forum tends to start fretting about possibilities that are too far into the future. We'll never enjoy supporting this club if we keep doing that. We've got no influence over club decisions - we know that - so I say sit back and enjoy the success we're having at the moment.

[NewConvert]

Does McClaren have a say in this? If a big petro offer comes his way, he would be crazy not to consider it.

This will always be a problem for the A-League as clubs with better cash resources/incomes can come a knocking.

[jw1739]

17 minutes ago, NewConvert said:

Does McClaren have a say in this? If a big petro offer comes his way, he would be crazy not to consider it.

This will always be a problem for the A-League as clubs with better cash resources/incomes can come a knocking.

Absolutely he does, irrespective of his current contract. The argument is that there's no point in keeping a player who is unsettled and wishes to move, and so the usual has been for our clubs to ask for a transfer fee and when that is forthcoming to release the player.

In the past, however, the fees received have been minimal,  and so our clubs don't really see a hell of a lot of benefit from transferring players. 

[bt50]

My take from the conversation I had with him at last years POTY was that he would basically only go overseas again if it was an offer he couldnt refuse; and by that he was at pains to say that didnt mean financially, but as in who/what league he played for.

I took that to mean that if the PL or one of the big leagues came knocking then he would prob go, but he had no interest in going for cash/to go sit on the pine somewhere as he loved being back home with family, and had got a good enough deal with City to set him up long term.

[Nate]

13 minutes ago, bt50 said:

My take from the conversation I had with him at last years POTY was that he would basically only go overseas again if it was an offer he couldnt refuse; and by that he was at pains to say that didnt mean financially, but as in who/what league he played for.

I took that to mean that if the PL or one of the big leagues came knocking then he would prob go, but he had no interest in going for cash/to go sit on the pine somewhere as he loved being back home with family, and had got a good enough deal with City to set him up long term.

I guess the big thing will be whether he's in Socceroos contention by the time the 2022 Qatar World Cup rolls around (if we've qualified) and whether or not he feels he needs to go to a bigger club to cement his place in the squad, or in the starting XI. 

But good to know he's happy and settled here otherwise, that's a big win for us and it's obviously showing right now with his league-best form.

[GreenSeater]

Just give this dude a blank cheque and give him whatever he writes on it, absolute animal

[bt50]

5 hours ago, Nate said:

I guess the big thing will be whether he's in Socceroos contention by the time the 2022 Qatar World Cup rolls around (if we've qualified) and whether or not he feels he needs to go to a bigger club to cement his place in the squad, or in the starting XI. 

But good to know he's happy and settled here otherwise, that's a big win for us and it's obviously showing right now with his league-best form.

If he's banging 25 goals a season in here he's a lock for the Roos striker. He'd be mental to go overseas.

[moops]

Lucky to have him, way above A League level, though it boosts the A league just him being here.

[Embee]

We're probably the only club in the league that can afford to turn down a stupidly good offer for a player in January.

Can't see us selling our best player mid-season, especially if we have a chance at silverware.

[Imtellingyou]

Maclaren is better than Taggart. However, with Taggart's current scoring rate in league and Socceroos,  he will probably get starting advantage next year and for Copa America. . K-league is better than A-league. That's the point about possible January transfer to the stronger competition. Although, it's unlikely that he would get starting spot and regular goals in better leagues. 

[kiko]

This just in:

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/i-m-not-better-than-the-a-league-maclaren-rejects-exit-talks

amazing news

merry Xmas everyone

Go City

[Imtellingyou]

... decision was hard to make ... once in a lifetime offer ...

Hopefully he will stay after he would receive offer from bottom EPL club.

[Imtellingyou]

Jamie is great this season overall. However, should our top marquee be someone who can be more influential in the games like last night or Adelaide. (I'm not talking here about Florin who got upgrade based on the contract clause). Sydney has Le Fondre who can score, Ninkovic can assist, Barba is always handy. I can't see this in City. Grant vs Jamo.  Again, not comparable.  Having golden boot is not mandatory for winning the competition. 

[playmaker]

He is the last player I would be pointing the finger at.

[moops]

3 hours ago, playmaker said:

He is the last player I would be pointing the finger at.

Quote

[Imtellingyou]

Last night Sydney performance clearly shown that he should be aided by the real marquee value in the middle. 

[Imtellingyou]

Jamie did nothing.  He was meekly jogging.  Jamie doesn't score on the big stage. As socceroo and international he must create goal scoring opportunity in one on one with Lesiotis. City's selection of him as the most expensive player shows club level of ambition. Small stage kings.

[Imtellingyou]

The secret weapon for the big matches is yet to be unearthed. The club doesn't suit him, okay, let's change the club.

[HEARTinator]

Nice article here and plenty of reasons for JMAc to want to cement a longer term future at the club here in Melbourne. Hope we don't do a Bruno/Kilkenny on him 

Let's give him some service tonight lads !

 

https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/exclusive-home-comforts-maclaren-534942/page0 

EXCLUSIVE: HOME COMFORTS MACLAREN

By William Olson Dec 4 2019 3:27PM

No current Australian striker in the A-League or abroad is playing with better goalscoring statistics than Melbourne City marksman Jamie Maclaren – and he credits the comforts of home for that form.

Maclaren, 26, grew up in Sunbury in Melbourne’s north-west - a suburb better known for rock music festivals, wineries, produce, and being the ancestral home of The Ashes, than for breeding international-class football players.

The prospect of being close to family and friends again weighed heavily as a factor for Maclaren to ink a long-term deal with Melbourne City in the offseason as he sought to come back to the A-League after highs and lows overseas in Germany and Scotland.

And the link between Maclaren’s peace of mind and his red-hot footballing form is clear for all to see.

“Having been on the road for the last 10 years, I haven’t been able to visit family as I’ve had to make sacrifices around that. But it’s all been worth it,” Maclaren said ahead of their Friday night match against Perth Glory at AAMI Park.

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“I’ve come home as a bigger man and a more mature person and player, and having a close support network around me now has me in a better place where you’re just starting to hit your prime as an athlete,” he added.

Twelve years have passed between when Maclaren played in the youth team setup at the Green Gully Soccer Club in Keilor Downs, a 20-to-30-minute drive from his family’s home.

Enhancing his skills at Green Gully, highly regarded as one of the finest youth football academies in Victoria and perhaps in the whole of Australia, exists as one of Maclaren’s most vivid childhood memories.

“When I was a young player growing up, playing for Green Gully was such a privilege because as a Sunbury boy, it was a bit for my dad to drive, but we also had other players who came further out – some came from Geelong, others came from Shepparton, and so forth. As a result, we had the best team in Victoria in the U13s and U14s for those three years,” Maclaren said.

And at Melbourne City, in the club’s posh and modern training academy setup in Bundoora in Melbourne’s north, Maclaren notes that it isn’t only head and shoulders above what he had at his disposal playing in previous A-League tours of duty for Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar, but also in Europe for German Bundesliga 2 club SV Darmstadt 96 and the Scottish Premier League’s Hibernian.

Specifically, Maclaren pays great tribute to the quality of recovery facilities and the medical staff at Melbourne City that only saw him miss just a couple of league fixtures from a recent hamstring injury that could have easily seen him sidelined for several more matches.

“They look after me very well and make sure that things on and off the pitch when I go home that I am doing all the right things, including all the little things like taking my dog for a walk and making sure that my legs are always moving and always keeping myself active,” he said.

And yes, the dog. That dog, named Simba, is an 18-month-old German Shepherd that he picked up while playing for Hibernian, and Maclaren loves having Simba home after the routine six-month quarantine interval after he returned to Australia as yet another calming influence that blends into his game.

Moreover, Maclaren cites the selfless dedication of his girlfriend Iva – who stayed behind in Scotland to administer Simba’s required injections and veterinary visits – in looking after Simba overseas as a mark of great respect in a human being and an animal, and his relationships with both of them.

“She had to sit [in Edinburgh] by herself, and she had a great support network around here, apart from my aunt and uncle, and do everything with this dog, which is great,” he said.

As for Simba – who he admits “barks with an accent and has his own passport” – Maclaren adds: “He’s adjusting well, too. He’s starting to swim, which is what he’s going to have to do in Australia because it can be a bit hot.”

Maclaren, Iva, and Simba all now reside in Coburg, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, a community that Maclaren ranks favorably with his upbringing in Sunbury for domestic experiences and melting-pot qualities alike.

“I grew up in Sunbury, which was relatively quiet then, but has grown massively in the way of population and infrastructure in recent years,” he says. “And now I feel lucky that I am in a position that I can go back and visit Sunbury whenever I want.

“I live in Coburg now. It’s nice to be closer to training and closer to home, close to the stadium and close to the restaurants, shops and cafes, and being able to walk my dog without having to be bitten by a snake or to chase kangaroos.

“Both of my parents are naturalised Australians – my mother is from Malta and my father was born in Scotland. The older I’m getting, you see regions such as Keilor Downs and Sunbury and Coburg having a lot of multicultural communities forming,” he adds.

“That’s what’s great about Melbourne – you have the Turkish side, and you have the Middle Eastern, and the Greeks, the Italians, and the Maltese. Sure, they do have their own pockets, but they do mix, and it’s so great to see that, even if Scotland and Malta are [geographically] nowhere close to each other.”

Having the familiar combinations of career, culture, and home comforts that being in Melbourne has helped Maclaren settle in quite nicely at Melbourne City and AAMI Park, as well as at home in Coburg, training in Bundoora, or being able to see family and friends in Sunbury.

“This is my homecoming,” he says.

“When I was playing in Brisbane and Perth, and used to come to Melbourne [to play against Victory or City], I was always bombarded with messages asking me for tickets. Now I am able to call Melbourne my home, again, and be able to give back to a city that made me, in a way. And that makes me proud to be a Melbourne boy.

“I do love being here."

[IssySG]

I'd just like to give this thread a bump so we can all spend some time showing respect to the King of Melbourne. I'll get us started.

 

22 games this season. 19 Goals, 4 Assists. We are not worthy.

[mattyh001]

Can't believe this thread hasn't had a post since June 2020 so... Bump?!?!?

 

On a side note, he is the sideline / boundary reporter for the Geelong v Glory hole game tonight. Wtf, seriously? Fox can't be fucked finding anyone else so they hire a current aleague marquee? 

[The Aardvark]

1 hour ago, mattyh001 said:

Can't believe this thread hasn't had a post since June 2020 so... Bump?!?!?

 

On a side note, he is the sideline / boundary reporter for the Geelong v Glory hole game tonight. Wtf, seriously? Fox can't be fucked finding anyone else so they hire a current aleague marquee? 

Fine with me. Means he gets another income stream which makes it harder for an overseas club to poach him. 

[mattyh001]

2 hours ago, The Aardvark said:

Fine with me. Means he gets another income stream which makes it harder for an overseas club to poach him. 

I'm actually super supportive of the game finding Chris Judd Visy outside the cap like sponsorship deals for our (bigger) players to keep them here.

what i don't get is how the fuck he wound up doing these types of gigs.  I cant see them paying much. 

it feels like Fox are being super bare bones with their commentary because they cant be fucked spending money on our game.

[neio]

I actually think it was good by Fox, they obviously can't get commentary out of Sydney to here, so they did what the could. I'd much prefer to have people covering the game who are actually there then from a studio in Sydney 

[jw1739]

My reservation about it is that I don't think it's a particularly good idea to have a current player commenting publicly on the performances of other current players.

[Shahanga]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

My reservation about it is that I don't think it's a particularly good idea to have a current player commenting publicly on the performances of other current players.

I agree. 
I just can’t see it working.

[Imtellingyou]

A current marquee player as a sideline reporter.  What a joke. Another disrespect of the game. 

[jw1739]

31 minutes ago, Shahanga said:

I agree. 
I just can’t see it working.

 

20 minutes ago, Imtellingyou said:

A current marquee player as a sideline reporter.  What a joke. Another disrespect of the game. 

Presumably City gave their approval - which surprises me because the club (and CFG) are pretty tight-lipped about everything.

The more I think about it the less I think of it overall.

[rayv36]

AFL and BBL have current players do guest commentating, we (A-League) aren’t special it’s just a thing Aussie sports do. 

[Imtellingyou]

Approved or not, it was inappropriate.  Similar to when Ange was commentator, whilst being A-league coach.

[fensaddler]

Don't have a problem. I don't see any great conflict of interest, Mac was articulate and came over well. He needs a career after football like everyone else. 

[CityBoyz]

2 hours ago, fensaddler said:

Don't have a problem. I don't see any great conflict of interest, Mac was articulate and came over well. He needs a career after football like everyone else. 

Agree seen current afl players last year being a special comments on games not the first in a sport and won’t be the last. Good learning experience to get media training for life after football 

[Bannon]

think yall are bitching too much, rather a current good player commentate then archie or half of the other rabble doing it.

[HeartFc]

Why don't we just mic up players and get them to commentate while they play, BBL styles. 

[Nate]

4 hours ago, fensaddler said:

Don't have a problem. I don't see any great conflict of interest, Mac was articulate and came over well. He needs a career after football like everyone else. 

This, and being a current player gives everyone a far better insight imo than hearing 1997 Oceania Footballer of the Year, Mark Bosnich providing his pretentious special commentary. 

His level of articulation versus Archie Thompson's is incomparable too.

[Tommykins]

He's actually pretty decent to listen to in general, tbh. His post game interviews are by a wide margin the most interesting of any of our players I'd say. 

[Missing_Moy]

It’s not like he’s going to say yeah we are playing Perth next week our plan is to play super wide and hit them on the counter. 

[Shahanga]

Look we are only talking about this trivia because there are no (not many) games on. It’s basically the silly season now.

My problem with current players is that they may be more sensitive to current relationships and events, so censor what they say, rather than be full and frank.

Mind you boundary commentators are generally pointless anyway.