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Aiden ONeill been named captain of his team in Belguim https://x.com/ozhubfootball/status/1814925999970394508?t=6UgHUq4lE_GSr5hyB1Wnaw&s=19

Gone to Auckland. Hope he gets regular football there as I reckon we did him dirty.

I’m not saying that all this is right, but a promise is a promise and if the club has indeed backtracked I can sympathize a little. On the other hand the financial market for the league has changed. Like in the normal world, these situations are the order of the day. All speculation of course. MCFC aka Mutual Consent Football Club.

Excellent choice. Deep roots in the club, played at higher levels and a proven international.

As a latino the existing NSL clubs were very ethnically based and could not communicate nor relate to them. Then when I returned to live in Oz, my brother in his ever gentle ways put a gun to my head and said you are becoming a Heart member. So that was when I acquired a new way of living in pain. I did not mind when CFG took over. When the Essendon drug scandal became public I drifted away from AFL (I will probably go once a year these days) and started following football world wide. Will I go and see a second division team? Maybe.

I agree that AAMI Park is not ideal, but if the club does in fact move out to Casey or Dandenong for home games, that would be it for me. Travelling 2 hours plus for a game (which the move would add) isn't really inspiring for me personally.

I'll wait till season's end to see whether he wants to return to Siberia for a life changing opportunity.

Need to get this guy out of the club before it disintegrates. His next job should either be in a firm of receivers, or on a remake of the film "Exodus."

Hey cmon. There are heaps of mates he can still sign.

Plays with his heart, has passion and emotion, and busts his gut for 90 minutes. Hopefully counteracts the sterility of the club and can put a fire to the on-field performances. Good choice

According to transfermarkt we are a 88% chance of signing Angel Di Maria......... Start the thread

So did Vidmar.

Actually, they have been re-instated to Ligue 2. Ajaccio (who finished 15th in Ligue 2) were administratively relegated to the Championnat National for financial reasons, and so Troyes were reinstated back in Ligue 2. Kind of justice served on Hamza Sakhi, who walked out on City, as he now finds himself in the Championnat National.... The long arm of CFG perhaps...??

My father took me to South Melbourne games for the 91/92 92/93 and 93/94 seasons at Middle Park . I never thought of the NSL as a proper league like AFL (at the time I followed Western Bulldogs). I'll never forget the tram rides back to City after the games. As my father loathed AFL this was our only chance to see sport together. The fact that the main rivalries were all based on a real hatred for the opposition purely because of where they were from ethnically, always struck me as weird and something I feel has no place in modern Australia sport. I can't remember why we stopped going, but around that time I lost all interest in sport when starting High School and didn't get back into it until my late 20's. My closest club is Melbourne (Knights) Croatia. I have zero interest. Horrible club run by and for horrible people. Their little active group is known not to like outsiders as well. When I found out about the A-League starting, I was quite keen to know more, but once MV was announced I couldn't believe it - stupid name, ripped off the VFL state of origin jumper, etc. I did go to one MV game before Heart came about (to give the benefit of the doubt) against the Glory at Docklands. They won 2-1 and the wife beater scored. Despite the larger crowd than I ever saw at an NSL game something didn't feel right and here I am now...

Probably got the same story as a lot of Ethnic football fans here… My old man, his old man and relos supported South Melb since they came here. When the NSL died they said they’d never support Vic, but wait till the second Melbourne team enters - foundation supporters since I’m the only one that still goes to games, most of them lost interest when the league started going downhill…

England-born. Occasionally watched football in Hobart (along with the other 30 or so spectators with their dogs wondering what the hell I was looking at) and then in Melbourne from time to time South Melbourne when they played at Bob Jane Stadium. Also occasionally watched the old VFL. Liked the cut of Heart's jib when they started, and my late wife and I joined as Foundation Members. As per @moops remained loyal with the change of ownership, but have gradually gone to a cheaper membership as the club has moved to an overt business model. However people dress it up, some of the old ethnic clubs still give the feeling that "anglos" are not really welcome. Not all - for example when South played at Bob Jane, and I have enjoyed the occasional visit to Oakleigh - but at Bentleigh Greens yes, and I will certainly never go back to Melbourne Knights/Croatia. At this stage of the game I am against the NSD/NST as I think it risks bringing the game down like a house of cards.

A lot of NPL clubs were social clubs for different ethnicities, I didn't find an attachment to any of them and felt like I would be invading their space so to say. I did play for Springvale White Eagles for a season but work got in the way, so maybe my perception was wrong. The A league came along and changed that, I never gravitated to Victory, I just followed Australian football in general and when Heart came along I liked their pitch and became a member. That said, the A league has changed the landscape of the NPL, it's more ínclusive' though I hate the term. I'm a pretty loyal person, so even with the change of ownership I stayed on board with City. I like the sound of the 2nd division and hope we can have p/r, it will be great for football in this country and maybe unite football for once, but I'm not putting any money on it going by past leadership.

It's hard to develop from the bench, we've played too few young players over the past two seasons and now we are paying the price

No thanks. He has not done well as a manager anywhere. Was a first team coach under Ange at Celtic. Maybe that’s the kind of role he should be looking at

Unfortunately the list a lot longer if you look past these two seasons Every season we’ve had crucial visa player fall outs. The guy is just massively overrated and this club needs the broom and fresh start.

IMO the thing that the club needs to think about - and won't of course - is to stop pissing off its rusted-on supporters and especially those who have been with the club since the Heart days. There comes a time when "enough is enough." Sure, the club will survive as a business - if it wishes to - because its owners are very rich. But football is nothing without the fans. Absolutely nothing.

IMO if we do that it will be "the end" for a whole lot of existing members and other supporters. AAMI Park is central. Not all our supporters come from the metro area, and to come into the city and then have another hike to some suburban location or to Cranbourne will be "a bridge too far." Also, don't forget that all those Foundation Members and early-season Heart supporters who got behind the club at the beginning are now a lot older, and their circumstances are a lot different now. They won't welcome change. And it's a bloody sight harder to get support back than it is to lose it.

i'm a auto renewal. had previously gone to a 3 game flexi this season (from active bay). in part to save some money (afterall i missed a bunch of games last season so that meant i was wasting money) and am rather indifferent given some of the performances last season but didnt want to break the consecutive season member element. with all the bullshit the last month or so i am so glad. i hate the idea of walking away all together, but i worry about the club in terms of non-rusted on members. how can they afford to keep doing all this bullshit???

When you look at the departures, both players and staff (just the ones we know about), since the end of 2022-23, the club appears pretty much a basket case - as evidenced by our poor season in 2023-24.

what a farce. if true i just wonder why the club couldn't stand it's ground for once for fuck sake. the guy has sale value at the very least given the performances last season.

The only one who connects with us is Ryan in membership, bless his socks. He always comes over as a genuine fan, and a genuine person.

When 10 players depart the squad (that's the tally now) ...it really tests the resolve of the kind of fan who came here for Melbourne Heart and has really no time for CFG / no interest in Manchester City.....

So if you're a city fan you see Bruno and patty at victory Arslan good and maclaren have gone And they put a manager who lost us the final still in charge. Why would you get a membership next season?

Loan extended for another season. Excellent news. He needs a good preseason and run of games to get back to the level he was.

He’s called a rat when the club breaks their promises? It’s not like he didn’t live up to it last season.

I think that’s exit for us, trip to Perth in less the two weeks and we barely have a senior squad available.

We need more than an Angel - we need a miracle from the Lord himself.

Yes, we're preferable to a gulag, at least.

We're a disillusioned lot, aren't we?

The league? What’s stopping them from doing this and acting like a real local football club in preseason?

Wouldn’t mind a trip to Somers St

I think it's a good choice. He has passion, he's vocal, he's a defender so he can see most of the field, he's a senior player, and he'll expect a high standard from his teammates. JMac had the personal passion, but he was quiet on the field and seemed to be burdened by the weight of the captaincy.

Too many wogs in the npl.

My Melbourne home is in South Melbourne, but I was never attracted to shouting "Hellas" at South Melbourne games. It felt like there was no place for me in the NPL I feel more at home watching the Myrtleford Savoys in our local league

Anglo heritage, arrived 13 years ago looking to find ways of putting down some roots. Heart had a lot in common with my home town club I'd supported since my youth - red and white, not very big, not notably successful, not the obvious choice, so perfect fit. Stuck with them even though I've no positive vibes about Manchester City, and have felt somewhat uncomfortable since. But football is all about tribal loyalty. Tried Western first season when they played in Geelong but never really gelled, and then they left Geelong so my local link went. Also tried North Geelong Warriors who play very close to me, but pretty Croatian and never felt either open hostility or any welcome, so that never took off either. There's not really much else down Geelong way in footballing terms.

Played soccer as a kid but played AFL and was my main love from age 5, always followed Richmond Tigers since then 1973, still follow them. Returned to soccer in my Kate 30s when my sons started playing for Lilydale Eagles in Churches League and jumped onto Heart around then from their first season. Also started following Hull due to my Tigers allegiance in the AFL. Started playing seniors for Lilydale which I still do at age 56. I've never had any allegiance to NPL although sort of semi followed Sunshine George Cross as I'm part Maltese. Will keep with City necause you do not change teams

CCM did as much business as us and with key players the prior transfer window and it seems this window they are losing the same amount again, though their backline will be decimated this coming season, Hall, Farrell and Kaltac have all been sold I think, Vukovic has retired, Balard has gone to Portugal iirc one of their dm's and Nisbet is gone. They shouldn't be anywhere near the top with those losses but I wouldn't be surprised, they seem to have their shit together now. I didn't think they would be as good as they were last season, but three men's trophies is a good haul. I wonder if winning the Asian cup if they are automatically in for the Asian champions league and one extra spot is now open for Aussie teams? I have no idea. We just didn't adapt, we lost key players who brought us certain things and those that replaced them couldn't do the same. But we persisted that they try, instead of tweaking things to better suit what we had. CCM seemed to do that better than us, turning into a strong defensive unit, where they were a lot more attacking before.

And it was inevitable - I updated the squad this afternoon... But, THIS IS the sort of signing that will lift the club and supporter spirits. Bloody good news at last.

"Multiple players to overseas contracts?" I'd like to see the statistics on that. And how, for example, we compare with Central Coast and Adelaide. And to be careful that we don't include in those statistics players that we obtained from other clubs in the first place. But the telling point is that we are now fielding an "old" squad - and recruiting older players such as Souprayen and Jeggo - which is not consistent with being in a "development league."

In fairness, the last four left at the end of their agreed loan period - that is agreed between City and their parent club - but the first four walked out on contracts, which is far more important IMO. However, you also have to factor in departures from the club's coaching staff, and overall it is not a good picture. And when you consider the resources backing City, supposedly the "benchmark club," it looks even worse. It is at a time when the rest of the league is fighting for survival that we should be winning everything in sight with marquee and designated players, and the best coaching staff.

It actually makes me sad reading this thread. Kudos to everyone still trying to make a difference at this level.

We are referred to as consumer or retail customer, not fans.

Just for anyone's interest, Mazzeo played a full game for the VPL team on the weekend in their 2-1 win against WU. Others to feature include Patrick Beach as GK, Sulemani, Durakovic, and Shillington had the full 90. Memeti with a brace. Lots of yellow cards given. Diamanti is listed as coach, wonder where he is at with his badges

https://www.mcfcaustralia.com.au/melbourne-city-fc/ and I quote: One of the hallmarks of Melbourne City’s approach is their emphasis on community engagement. Beyond the confines of AAMI Park, the club actively reaches out to fans... Hahaha

I love how the MVFC press release today did not mention his previous A-League club, not once. LOL. This will be very interesting to watch. My suspicion is that he will be found out. IMO his predecessor Monsieur Erick presented him with a strong, title-winning squad on a plate when he got the top job at City. As for his new job, cut-price salary gets cut-price coach. If he truly was so talented, and events at Troyes were way out of his control, surely CFG would have found another internal posting for him.