Torn Asunder

JA is under massive pressure at the moment and I really can't see him lasting much longer in the role ... In thinking ahead the key thing we'll be able to attribute to him in the future (due to the position he has put the club with our lack of success on field and such an unacceptable philosophy and approach in general) is the galvanising response of Heart supporters who are collectively saying enough is enough. There is genuine passion and belief in the Red and White by those who support Heart. As supporters we absolutely fkn care about the club ... To us its not a job or a hobby, it's an integral part of our lives. To us it matters that we are being pitied, to us it matters that the truth is not being acknowledged. We, the supporters, are the rock that will forever underpin the club. Right now we are weak on the pitch but our unity is growing stronger in the stands by the week. There is frustration that what we signed up for is not being delivered ... an outcome that is not acceptable, nor should it be tolerated. Anyone who wears the Red and White of Heart, be it a player, a fan or an employee of Heart must do so with pride and honour and will always be accountable to the true supporters of Melbourne Heart FC. "All for one and one for all, Side by side we'll never fall"

RW & MM were more truthful in their assessment of our team in their brief post match interviews than JA has been during his entire tenure as coach. The players want to win ... those with experience no why we are not winning ... Change is inevitable

I feel sorry for you, meeting with the club and talking about those issues that are important, but not being able to talk about the Aloisi shaped elephant in the room. It will be a rather large elephant I think. I will do my best to ensure that the current "vibe" of the forum with respect to JA is put on the table at some stage during the evening. In terms of supporter group types, I'm not sure myself what that entails ... What I do encourage though is for supporters to e-mail through current concerns and tie back to the topic of membership growth

“@MelbourneHeart: Fan Rep Group: meeting Tues night to discuss supporter group types & membership growth. email feedback: fans@melbourneheartfc.com.au”

If you are on twitter, send a tweet to the club ...

Holloway has had good success at CC level where coaching cleverly and getting the best out of your players wins games. In the EPL this alone is not enough as you need world class players. With a mediocre squad and coming up against the best players in the world, it wouldn't matter how good a coach you are, eventually you end up at the relegation end of the table.

I've had this discussion with others who have pointed out the same thing. I will ask the question next meeting.

We have the players and the talent to beat anyone in this league, home or away ... and we have some fantastic young up and coming players that really could tear up the comp. But as a team we play with an apparent sole focus on defensive structure and therefore with no adventure or creative attacking freedom, and dare I say it, we don't play to win and we dont play with heart. Who knows, maybe if trust was given to some of the young players and if we actually played to win, and like it really genuinely meant something to wear the red and white, and if our team culture was to be winners, and that it is not good enough to lose without having a crack, then maybe things would turn around. I know new members who are slamming the club right now for our putrid efforts. Change is needed, and members need to let their voices be heard. Accepting this if it continues will destroy careers and define our club for years and that is not good enough. End of rant.

His words, not JA's... This bloke is a champ and hearing him speak reminds me that good defenders generally make better managers than strikers

Ian Holloway ....

WIELAERT is captain material ... he played like a champ and spoke well after the game. Our right side was weak and as BG has said, this screwed our whole shape. Golgol struggles when it's hot ... ffs play him as an impact sub in these types of games Mifsud looks good but needs service - he got frustrated a few times and the commentators said he was coaching on the field. Mauk also looks promising. In general pretty poor. Wont win any new fans with that display. Could have been 2 goals down at half time if not for the woodwork. Disappointed - yes, but not overly... maybe we are one step closer to the inevitable.

At the last Rep group meeting I suggested that the PA should be turned down ... response - not necessarily possible?? and volume controlled by the stadium managers I also suggested a shortened custom version ... response - it would cost $$$ (too much) to get a custom recorded version not sure the answer but there there is definite disconnect around the ground at present with the song. I favour the idea of Yarra Side signing it, without music or perhaps the version that is played is a 'chant' version. If someone could produce this, maybe the club would consider trying it??? I am in a position to present these types of ideas back to the club...

JA is coaching not to lose, or even to go behind and I reckon he knows his jobs on the line. His 1st real test will come when we go behind a goal...

#whereiswalker?

The word is Ang is favourite for coach.... Perhaps this should have been a prediction for Brazil...

Some great posts on here people .... I guess we should be OK with the fact that we got a point. Kisnorbo and Wieleart look good together and HK has still got his touch. My thoughts .... I dont really understand why in a salary capped competition, in the first game of the season against our arch rivals, JA chose to implement such a negative game plan, based on only stopping the Tards from playing, whilst trying to pinch a win on the counter attack. I dont think we would have won any new fans on that performance. Why the fear? Its not as if we were playing Arsenal or Barcelona ... we were playing a team missing their captain and best midfielder, and that included a bunch of kids, inlcuding a debutant ... and there we were, afraid to try and dictact any type of tangible control over the match. JA was rather pleased with himself after the game, saying something along the lines that we cant expect everygame to be free flowing, with lots of attacking intent ... again, we are in the A-league where there are really on two teams that are generally better than the rest in CCM and WSW. To be honest, I'd rather us win (or lose) by generally playing better than our opponent. Yes, one pass and one goal can win a game, but it should be more than that. The club has the following on its website ... "Building on the work of foundation coach John van 't Schip, Melbourne Heart FC is led by Socceroo legend John Aloisi, who has made the transition from player to Head Coach over a three-year period. Bringing a wealth of experience, Aloisi espouses the virtues of a holistic approach to football, promoting a technical brand of the game while working to develop the next generation of Australian talent, with the Club boating a genuine commitment to providing a pathway for emerging talent." If holistic, technical and developing the next generation of Oz talent means that we are going to play mainly negative football, without going out their to take the game by the scruff of the neck and win, and by playing the likes of Hoff over Walker, then god help the club ... We have some good players on the books now ... surely there are no excuses with regards to a fearful approach. One thinks maybe JA knows he is coaching for his job. CCM next week will be interesting because GA is a smart cookie and he wont let JA have the upperhand tactically if we try and sit back again like we did against the tards.

...makes perfect sense to freeze out Walker, a young kid with geniune potential and raw talent who was one of our shining lights last year (remeber him taking it to ADP and directing Garcia during a game) to turn the Hoff into our No 1 RB. Good job JA. Definitely a move that aligns with the founding ethos of the club and will certainly send the right type of message to all supporters

JW, the FRG was informed that the club is aware of restrictions and permit requirements relating to activities outside the stadium, and yes there would be red tape to negotiate. This is not an insurmountable hurdle, however....

... An expert from the FRG newsletter... "The FRG also discussed pre-match and half-time entertainment. We were really supportive of the Club’s plans to improve the experience of fans out on the concourse, before they enter AAMI Park. We talked about digital interaction and engagement, music and incorporating food or merchandise stalls in that area. We also thought about using The Bench Café as a way of encouraging fans to congregate before the game. The FRG felt that any player appearances before the match would be hugely appreciated by fans, and would definitely increase excitement before kick-off. Half-time entertainment is limited by time constraints – any activities held at this time need to be just 7-8 minutes in length. The FRG agreed that half-time entertainment should focus on just one or two activities, as well as using the screens to engage and interest fans. Finally, the FRG spoke about the fact that SBS are increasing their coverage of A-League football this season, with televised Friday night matches and a new TV program on Thursday nights. This will hopefully mean that some Melburnians are watching A-League football for the first time – this is a fantastic opportunity to build Heart’s profile, and the FRG are hoping that SBS will provide great coverage of our many Friday night matches." What do people think about activities, etc outside the stadium and inside the concourse before the game? Also, 1/2 time? ...and Heart's profile on SBS?

Caught the last 10 minutes of the 1st half and all of the second... If the game was won by the number of sideways passes b/w the back 4 and back to the keeper, we would be assured of winning the league title. Here are some of my observations. PG, (who defintely picked up some form of injury) and Kisnorbo are quite similar in that neither can play out from the back. Hopefully Wielart or Vrankovic are paired with one of these two, or we will see a lot of long balls and back passes to the keeper this season. Hoffman tried really hard at right back and seemed to be enjoying himself ... but really offered nothing. The only highlight for me watching him up close was when he was passed the ball, and Kisnorbo told him "Forward, forward!" ... and he turned and passed it straight back under very little pressure. Apparently Walker was being rested ... Mate and Aziz seem to be under done fitness wise, and Williams seems low on confidence. The new Italian guy seems the best bet in midfield ... he can actually take the ball under a bit of pressure and still make a quick forward / positive pass. Ramsay is good. Murdocca tried hard but had little impact. Both of the youngsters who played in midfield (Retre and Shroen) need further development and I cant see them getting much of a go this year in the senior team. The goal we scored came on a break and was lucky and messy. Adelaide are not all that impressive but against us they were able to dominate midfield / possession, force us back easily, and look dangerous when going forward. I hope JA can turn things around when the real stuff starts in a few weeks ... if not, then a riot will be in order

Ben G in the young socceroo squad for Asian cup qualifiers http://m.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/young-socceroos-selected-for-afc-u-19-qualifiers/75725

I call it as I see it

My view is that for a club song (whatever it may be) to work, YS needs to lead the way, not an over amped PA.

But but Peter, we have a representative group! They speak on behalf of the supporters, but they can't tell you what happens in the meetings because what happens in rep group stays in rep group. Just a hunch, but I get the feeling the rep group is a way for the club to out-source it's communication with supporters by having reps carry the work load of doing the Q&A and sifting questions, comments and ideas. Reps might be able to set me straight if my hunch is wrong. Hey Peter, the club do the grunt work in terms of setting the agenda and bringing topics, etc to the FRG for discussion

Please, panic merchants, calm down. To understand the FRG and how it operates, please read the Terms of Reference (posted earlier in the forum). Cadete, I understand the club is working to bring a Senior member of YS into the FRG, which if it happens, will be fantastic, as everyone surely agrees that YS is an awesome an important component of the club's being, especially when it comes to creating atmosphere ... YS are a really important part of everything the club is about. As i already said, the songs stuff is being run by the club. Anyone with an opinion on the matter should simply just email the club. Not being privy to YS's dealings with the club, I can only assume that the club will speak with YS before any songs are locked in.