HEARTinator

Exactly. The inference that some people wanted to be like Victory was spurious nonsense and missed the main point - which you have made well.

Popovic has his eye on him already

But the point remains. Players exited under him, team stability was shit house yet our overlords stood by. The central point is that our foreign management are not 'invested' in the our club - in hearts and minds. They don't suffer any anxiety over what's happening down under because their main focus is elsewhere. Like win silverware?

I know it's unpopular to 'look next door' but this is 100% true. Our problem under CFG is that our owners have no affinity with Australia, Melbourne or our team. The whole exercise is 'sports washing' and each team in the stable is simply a 'trophy' with Manchester being the prize. At least with Di Pietro he is 'invested' in his team and will not sit idly by while things turn to shit. That's the difference between Tard management and us - Wazza in charge for 2 years is proof. Should have been shown the door after one season.

Fellow inmates, I give you the MOTM this Saturday. We'll have 80% possession and lose to a Hoffman screamer

And this is the core of our recruiting problem ATM. Simply observing our games as a casual watcher it would be hard to identify who are our visa/marquee players and who are our locals. If you watch Sydney you would quickly see that Ninks commands the midfield and that le Fondre is a force in the front. Castro for Glory would easily catch the eye and Toivonen for the Tards likewise. These guys can influence a game. I don’t quite see the same with our squad.

NO YES

Dropping points in a winnable game. That’s our season 2019/20.

Bouzanis you hero!!!!

We have such a uniformly skilful side. It’s hard to tell who the difference between the bog standard locals and the visa and marquees.

Good goal though

Good work JMac to Noone to goooooool

Utterly predictable

Well that would be interesting. CFG oil money gets trumped by WU pesos. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/danish-twist-to-o-neill-s-looming-switch-to-k-league-20191231-p53nwa.html Rojas return Former Johnny Warren Medallist Marco Rojas could be back in the A-League next week. The New Zealand international left Danish club Sonderjyske last week and is understood to have received a flurry of offers from A-League clubs. The Hairdryer understands Western United are the front-runners to land his signature.

A winter comp would align with the rest of the Australian football pyramid and allow for prom/rel in the future (?). Fox Sports ratings being down? The advent of streaming services may have made it difficult to judge this. Kayo and Telstra's 'My Football' might hide the real numbers of people watching - don't know for sure. However attendances at games has been on the decline. Average attendance per season: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-League_attendance 2005–06 10,956 2006–07 12,911 2007–08 14,610 2008–09 12,180 2009–10 9,793 2010–11 8,429 2011–12 10,497 2012–13 12,347 2013–14 13,041 2014–15 12,511 2015–16 12,326 2016–17 12,294 2017–18 10,671 2018–19 10,411 Not sure that playing games in winter in parallel with AFL/NRL will help those figures. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/jason-culina-it-s-not-possible-to-perform-as-well-in-summer-as-in-winter-20200108-p53pvc.html Jason Culina: 'It's not possible to perform as well in summer as in winter' By Jason Culina January 8, 2020 — 6.27pm It was 20 years ago but I will never forget the feeling of training in the European winter coming from the Australian summer. I joined Ajax from Sydney Olympic in 1999. The pace of play and technical standard was a class above but almost instantly, I felt I could operate quicker. In the Australian summer, I could make three or four sprints before I was out of breath. By the time my first winter in the Netherlands arrived, I was sprinting eight or nine times. If I really needed, I could probably make a 10th before being out of puff. In Europe, players are fitter, stronger and faster. That's just the reality, we are not yet up to the quality of Europe. In saying that, it's a hell of a lot easier playing in cooler conditions and 99 per cent of players will agree. Whether it was in the Eredivisie, UEFA Champions League or international games, I could not only perform better and faster in European winters but my recovery was also a lot better and quicker. I could play two, three games a week at a high level in Europe but in the A-League, I would lose up to four kilograms after games in heat and take days to recover. Performances suffer but not as much as the wellbeing of players. It's not just the heat of the Australian of summer that takes it out of you but the rock hard fields at that time of year. We have to train on them every day and it takes a toll on players' joints, knees and their backs. As I learned, the older players feel it the most. My career was almost ended by a serious knee injury in 2011 that was caused by wear and tear. There wasn't a single factor or incident that caused the injury but the hard conditions in Australia might have accelerated the deterioration. If I had my time again, I would have managed my work loads and wellbeing differently. My attitude was always to train, train and train. The more I trained, the better I played. That was how we worked on the softer grounds and cold winters of Europe but I shouldn't have applied the same intensity daily in the A-League. In hindsight, I would have skipped a training session here and there because of my age and the hard pitches. I should have been smarter as a player. Over seven years with the Socceroos, I played games in South America, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. I experienced heat, humidity, harsh winters and altitude but the most difficult climate I've had to work in might well be the Australian summer. A one-off game in the humidity of South East Asia poses challenges but the weekly grind of playing and training in heat, on hard pitches and having to travel great distances frequently makes the A-League very, very difficult. You simply can't extract the same kind of performance out of yourself playing here in Australia compared to how you will play in Europe. The human body is not made for that. It’s like a car, if it overheats then it doesn’t perform as well. When I played on the Gold Coast, sometimes we trained at 7am in the morning just to avoid the peak of the heat. If we didn't, we would be absolutely wrecked by the weekend and not able to perform in games. That's why we should start talking about moving back to a winter competition. Whether we like it or not, the A-League is in the entertainment business. If you are putting something on TV screens, you want it to be good quality. Fox Sports ratings are down and that's purely because not enough people think it's entertaining. If moving the competition to winter helps to improve the quality, you will get more people watching. At the end of the day, football players are entertainers and if we can’t entertain, people won’t watch. That’s the way it works. In my opinion, moving towards a winter league makes sense. It realigns us with Asia, youth football and fixes some issues we have with the Australian league. It obviously means we compete with other codes like rugby league and AFL but we are already competing with cricket, basketball and other sports in summer. If we believe in our sport then we shouldn’t care about who we compete with. Now is the time to start the conversation about moving the A-League to winter. Jason Culina played for PSV Eindhoven, Ajax and FC Twente in the Netherlands. He made 58 appearances for the Socceroos and was part of the 2006 and 2010 World Cup campaigns and played for Gold Coast United and Sydney FC in the A-League.

Sounds like BS but happy to run with it for the moment Welcome Kiwi Messi

Looks like it! English translation from: https://www.unosantafe.com.ar/union/javier-cabrera-es-el-primer-refuerzo-union-n2554990.html Javier Cabrera is the first Union reinforcement Leonardo Madelón confirmed the arrival of the Uruguayan striker who comes from playing at Melbourne City in Australia 09:43 AM - Monday, January 6, 2020 Maximiliano Cuadra's departure forced Leonardo Madelón to find him a replacement outside. A tip that plays for Lucas Gamba-style bands and for that reason the DT noted the name of the 27-year-old Uruguayan Javier Cabrera who is currently in Melbourne City in Australia. The rojiblanca leadership began to initiate steps for the charrúa point and in the last hours the operation was completed. This was confirmed by Madelón on Monday when he spoke with the press. Cabrera had continuity in Argentine soccer with the Argentinos Juniors jersey in the 2017/2018 season. There he played 26 games and scored a goal. After passing through the Bug, he was in Toluca and Montevideo Wanders. And finally he joined the Australian cast where he played nine games and converted somewhat. So, the coach will now have an alternative on the outside. The team has three points that are more to play in the center as Troyansky, Mazzola and Bou, and for that reason the coach wanted a fast player outside and Cabrera was chosen.

Brillante. Continues to consistently work hard for the team, provided good drive and did very little wrong.

It appears to be an endless debate but the current rules: https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/rule-changes-2019-20-handball-penalties-sustitutions-wall-free-kick-4824 Handball Many in the game believe greater clarity is needed for referees when it comes to handballs, therefore the IFAB has re-worded a number of rules. It stresses that a deliberate handball remains an offence but that the following scenarios will result in a free-kick even if accidental: if the ball goes into the goal after touching an attacking player’s hand or arm a player gains control/possession of the ball after it touches their hand/arm and then scores, or creates a goal-scoring opportunity a ball touches a player’s hand/arm which has made their body unnaturally bigger the ball touches a player’s hand/arm when it is above their shoulder (unless the player has deliberately played the ball which then touches their hand/arm) However, the following will not usually be a free-kick unless they are one of the above situations: the ball touches a player’s hand/arm directly from their own head/body/foot or the head/body/foot of another player who is close/near the ball touches a player’s hand/arm which is close to their body and has not made their body unnaturally bigger if a player is falling and the ball touches their hand/arm when it is between their body and the ground to support the body (but not extended to make the body bigger) if the goalkeeper attempts to ‘clear’ (release into play) a throw-in or deliberate kick from a teammate but the ‘clearance’ fails, the goalkeeper can then handle the ball Delbo was deemed to have used his arm to stop the ball even though he appears to be using his arm to cushion his fall (which is not an automatic free kick according to above). We see one thing the refs see something else. VAR solves nothing in cases like this. It just adds another layer of officiating and another set of eyes with their own interpretation of the same situation. And kills the momentum of the game.

Nux defeat CCM 2:1 and Retre with 2 goals for SFC who lead AU 2:0 at 36 min mark.

First half very good and pretty much played WU out of the game with 3 nil being a good reflection of possession and chances on goal. Somewhat flatter start to the second half but the Bouzanis howler was the start of 2 penalty goals against us and a red card. By that measure surely Bouzanis was the most influential player on the pitch! Some notable moments: Windbichler kept Berisha in check. He did a good job. Wales making marauding runs down the wing were good to watch just his final finishing needs work (as usual). Brillante good again - he is very consistent. Luna's goal from a dink from Noone was a highlight. Berenguer good. JMac did what JMac does - poaches. Kurto's brain fade. Bouzanis replied in spades. Diamanti's first half left foot shot was pure class. Kept the ball down and forced a save. Worthy of any football competition in the world.

Beath LOLz https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/jan/02/david-squires-on-what-is-in-store-for-the-a-league-in-2020

But my point is that he found a home in a team environment and a winning culture that we did not provide. That's the point. If we had those things none of us would be making a song and dance about him staying. He's a good squad player. Players like that are needed in every team. The best team in the HAL reckon he's worth keeping.

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. Watch every A-League match live on Kayo Sports - click here for a free two-week trial! “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."

Paolo signs 2 year extension to his SFC contract. Excess to requirement at La Trobe, signs extension with silverware winning team. Add Redmayne and it says all you need to know about where we are at. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/retre-rejects-rival-offers-to-remain-with-sydney-fc-20200102-p53oef.html Retre rejects rival offers to remain with Sydney FC By Dominic Bossi January 2, 2020 — 5.40pm Another piece to Sydney FC's squad jigsaw for next season has fallen into place after Paulo Retre signed a two-year contract extension. Having flourished as a versatile utility player over the past two-and-a-half seasons, the 26-year-old opted to remain at the club until the end of 2022 in favour of playing for any of their rivals. Retro had offers but said he couldn't imagine playing elsewhere, citing Sydney FC's culture and team bond as major factors behind his decision to stay. Retre's retention always loomed as a potentially challenging signing for Sydney FC. The league leaders had nearly half their squad coming off contract as of December and all had received offers from rival A-League clubs. Of those, few would have experienced a rise in value greater than Retre. Signed initially as a utility, Retre has chalked up more than 60 games for Sydney, playing anywhere from attacking midfield to left and right fullback. Other clubs were potentially offering him a more settled position but Retre instead chose to become the seventh player to sign with Sydney in the past month. He says the reason so many of his teammates are rejecting offers elsewhere is because of the team environment at the club and their winning culture. "The boys are looking to stay around and it obviously has to be for a reason," he said. "We have a great culture here, a winning culture, and I can’t think of playing another two years with another group of boys. It’s been great to sign on for another two years." Sydney were put through a rigorous training session on Thursday with coach Steve Corica more vocal and demanding than usual. He is seeking to ensure his players don't become complacent or cocky after beating Melbourne City in dramatic circumstances last weekend, playing more than an hour with only 10 men. "He was getting into us that it was fantastic to win the game and everyone was really happy after the game but everyone has to keep going, we can’t rest on our laurels," Retre said. The Sky Blues can extend an A-League record for the most consecutive home wins should they beat Adelaide United at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Saturday evening. Sydney's 2-1 win over Melbourne City last weekend was their ninth straight at home, bettering Melbourne Victory's streak in 2008 and Perth Glory's run in 2014 of eight consecutive home wins. "I didn’t even know that was a record – we don’t really think much about it – but it’s been fantastic playing at Jubilee, Leichhardt and all the other stadiums,” Retre said. "Hopefully there will be a nice turnout like there was against Melbourne City. It helped us, it was basically a 12th man that were helping us get through the game." Meanwhile, Wellington Phoenix is set to announce the signing of Australian youth international Brandon Wilson. The midfielder had his Perth Glory contract terminated upon request and is expected to move to New Zealand, according to sources close to the player. Wilson was one of the four Olyroos players banned from playing internationals for a year by Football Federation Australia for his role in the Cambodia scandal last March.