jw1739

TBH I don't understand why we're still playing him. For 60 minutes yesterday he was a virtual passenger in a team that needs a win to restore confidence, keeping one of the NYL boys off the field. Pointless. Can't see M. getting back into the seniors in what's left of the season. Pay him out and he can go home. Would save laundering his kit if nothing else.

Not quite true. John Batman was actually born in Rosehill, Parramatta in the colony of New South Wales. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Batman

I don't think JvS should be making decisions that might impact on next season at all. What ever the reason(s) for his leaving, whatever his contribution to the club, whatever we think of him individually and collectively, and so on and so forth, he has decided that he is leaving his position as Heart senior coach at the end of this season. As has been pointed out elsewhere, our new senior coach will want to do at least some things differently, to establish his mark on the Heart and to display his own qualities as a senior coach. So to sign a player or players based on JvS' opinion is not the way to go. Ange Postecoglou took a year to clear the dead wood out of Brisbane before he could do what he wanted to do there. Our new coach - whoever he is - will want to do the same at Heart. I like JvS, I'm sorry he's chosen to leave. But let's face it, our results have been mediocre, and at least one of our signings laughable. Change means change, so let the incoming coaching team make the decisions for the future.

http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/publications/symbols/factsheets/national_colours.pdf I don't believe that Melbourne has any 'offical city colours.' The city flag may feature the red cross on a white background, but I'm struggling to think whether I've ever seen that flag flying anywhere...over the Town Hall perhaps? The last two city logos appear to have no connection whatsoever with red and white. The new one makes me think of Fed. Square, the previous one made me think of Greece (that lovely little grecian column etc.). I think we chose red and white stripes because we wanted a 'traditional football jersey.'

I think you'll find that we will start next season with only two of our current imports - Germano and Fred. We should have a set of criteria for all our signings, not just imports. This is a complex issue that you've raised here. If we take Fred as an example. Yes he's a good player, but was he a good signing? Similarly (yes, I realise they're not imports) but let's consider 'crowd pulling power.' Last night Craig Goodwin outshone Harry Kewell - by a country mile. But who would be the better signing? My head hurts. Perhaps this weekend I've watched too much football with not enough goals...

I think that's what I'm saying in my comment on the NYL match today, only not as succinctly. If other teams have picked this up, then so should have our own coaching team.

May I suggest a picture with the words 'Tot ziens JvS'? Means 'see you later' or, roughly, 'good-bye' in Dutch.

The final score was 2-1 to MV. This was a most disappointing result, considering the flow of the game, in which we had the majority of possession but were unable to create any real clear-cut scoring opportunity. Very much like the senior team in fact. The NYL season and the A-League season have mirrored each other almost exactly - good results up until the end of December, and then a complete reversal since then so far. Today MV's scoring opportunities could be counted on the fingers of one hand, yet they seemd to score with ease when they got a shot on target. Heart, despite being down to 10 men, dominated but could not convert. I need to think about it more carefully, but off the top of my head there's a flaw in the method we are using. Our build-up tends to be slow, so by the time we get forward the way ahead is congested with bodies, and hence the number of clear-cut opportunites to shoot for goal is very limited. Conversely, when the opponents get the ball our defence is so far forward that we are very vulnerable to the quick counter-attack. Anyone else got any thoughts on this?

Well done Ando. Nice to hear. BTW, think every Heart supporter in the ground loved the Yarraside banners just before KO. Well done everyone.

Their tee-shirts had the 'AXF' logo on the back - AXF is one of Heart's 'partners' - see http://www.footballa...art/ourpartners and http://axfgroup.com.au/. The little triangular signs around the Heart's bench and technical area carry their logo. Good to see these young people supporting the Heart. Melbourne is a very international city, and we come here from all over the world. Huge potential for both financial and grass-roots support, as well as players, for the Heart by forging links with our various communities.

Certainly did. I'm right behind the Heart bench. There was a break in play during the second half when Colosimo went to the sideline and JvS was serving it right up to him, and Colosimo didn't even look him in the face. Body language said it all. From JvS' gestures it was about Colosimo not moving the ball forwards quickly enough. Overall I thought this was a great game. Not disappointed at all with the result. Lots of positives for us. IMO we tend to be too critical of some of our boys. They know what mistakes they've made, and that's what the coaching panel is there for - to hep them and develop them into better players. Jeez, lay off Eli Babalj a bit - yes, he held the ball too long, but he hasn't yet turned 20 for goodness' sake. And who else do we happen to have for that position? Worm, Srhoj and Sarkies all worked and worked and worked. All the Worm-haters out there ought to realise he actually got poor service from Marrone last night - Marrone keeps turning inside and not feeding his winger. Good was superb. Reid's cameo was a gem - reckon we should look seriously at him for next year. Williams is still work in progress but he certainly lifted a notch last night. Let's start looking at some positives - Rome was not built in a day. And look at the crowd - only 200 short of the Christmas derby and more and more red and white around the stadium. The club is growing. But the night belonged to Craig Goodwin. A credit to the young man himself, his coaches, his team-mates and the club that he could play his first match in the seniors, go the full 94 minutes, fit seamlessly into the team as if he'd played there all his life, and be the man-of-the-match. Congratulations Craig.

You could try @Jdidulica ... don't know what else to suggest except your first suggestion of going to the Membership Tent and pleading your case. As I recall, you're not the first...something for Heart to think about...they need an emergency contact on home match days. Wish I could help further. Come on folks, any other ideas out there?

1300ALLHEART Don't know if they will answer on a Saturday. You could try tweeting Scott Munn @Scott_Munn...

Great post there. The only impediment I see to Arthur Papas is that he would have to be appointed over Ante Milicic. That's why I went for them both as assistants to someone else for an interim period. Otherwise, your logic is compelling. Everything about AP fits with what the Heart is all about. It's essential that we get him back from Newcastle whatever way we can - assistant or senior coach doesn't matter. Just get him back.

I wouldn't have a problem with AM if we can't get Ange. But don't we want something more than continuation of style? Don't we want improvements in the actual results that we obtain? Whatever the reasons - and we can debate those until the cows come home - we have been thumped by Adelaide, Perth and Wellington during recent weeks. Journeyman teams that we should be able to beat fairly easily. IMO our next coach has a challenge to turn our undoubted talents into a winning culture.

The FFA website (and Ticketek) still shows a KO of 7.30 p.m. If the time has been changed, then this is clearly misrepresentation and selling something under false pretences. I bought my tickets some time ago. If the KO time is changed to 9.30, I will get home about 1.00 a.m. I doubt that my wife will want to go under those circumstances. My mates all have to work the next morning. Bloody FFA - I try to be positive about what they do but this is just not good enough.

Doesn't he have a bit of a weight problem?

He's allegedly playing for Hume vs. Northcote on Sunday. Interesting to speculate. If Heart are indeed planning to sign him for next season, and if the FFA do introduce the 3+1 rule for next season, because we already have Germano and Fred contracted for next season then that would mean that all of Worm, Terra and Maycon would have to be released at the end of the current season. Hmm.

Need to be careful with Mate IMO. Hasn't looked comfortable at all in recent matches. If we ask too much of him there's a risk of burn-out. This is something our new coach needs to think about for all our younger players next season.

From the Heart website on the squad for the derby: 'Brazilian striker Maycon is the other inclusion to the squad, offering depth and variation in attack through his tireless work ethic and strength.'

Agreed. Last season, yes, perhaps. Remember that? We were going to play 'down the wings, with width, and possession football in midfield.' This season - pump it long and hope.

Not sure who was actually responsible for the final decisions (or recommendations to the Board?) on recruitment - JvS or JD? In any case it wasn't a matter of cutting loose a Taseski or an Ibrahim - they were and are under contract - it was a case of 'Why the hell did we sign Maycon and David Williams when blind Freddy could see we needed experienced defenders?' Neither Maycon nor Williams added anything that we didn't already have in the squad, as many people said at the time.

That's indeed a very powerful point Tesla. I guess I was really paraphrasing Peter Sidwell's comment rather than validating it. In fact, we could mount an argument that JvS has actually failed to attract anyone of note, certainly if we consider overseas players and his off-season scouting in Europe. For example, you have to admire Postecoglou for getting Broich...and we got Maycon?

Peter Sidwell has been quoted as saying that JvS was worth a lot more to Heart than just his coaching ability. IMO the Board will want his successor to have not necessarily the same but a similar 'X-factor' that will encourage quality players, young and mature, to want to play for the Heart. The Board was very happy to appoint Ante Milicic as an assistant to JvS, and they wouldn't have done that if they didn't think he was a good fit for the club's philosophies, but I doubt that at this point in time they would see him as JvS' successor. Not yet anyway. They'll value Ante for being there during the transition period and the support he'll give to the incoming coach, and that will stand him in good stead in the future. Just a personal opinion.

Sash, he was player/coach of Sydney United for the 2009 season. United finished on top of the ladder, but were eliminated in the play-offs. TBH, I don't think he has any real senior experience as a stand-alone coach. I would suggest that the Heart Board has a very clear set of criteria that they will use for JvS' successor. I doubt that Ante would satisfy those at the present time. Neither would John Aloisi. JA is very raw. He showed it at the NYL game against Brisbane when we lost 5-1 - I won't elaborate except to say the language he was using was not what I expected from a NYL coach. I would think that Ange Postecoglou is definitely on Heart's radar. And I hope we get our finger out and get Arthur Papas back to Heart. If not he'll be poaching some of our youth players, such as Craig Goodwin and Jeremy Walker. Ange as senior coach, with Arthur and Ante as assistants. That's my "A-team"...