City in the headlines

[jw1739]

FFS how many more times is this crap going to be trotted out?

 

First Milicic and now Foxe - oh what great guys they are - pity they've never actually achieved anything that they can be measured by. What do we stand for - what does any football club stand for? We need an identity - what identity does any A-League club have?

 

For a club that all these media wankers think has never done anything right we sure get talked about a lot.

[tigerou812]

If both JA and HF had these great qualities we shouldn't be last should we. Talk is cheap actions define who you are and all we got is talk from both of these clowns. 

[Melburnian]

Best and only thing worthy in that article is the change of ownership is done.

Him working with the FFA he'd have the inside word.

This is great news.

[kingofhearts]

We should applaud Foxe for falling on his sword? Fuck off. He knew he was going to be sacked next anyway, he just saved a bit of face by leaving by his own 'free choice'

[tigerou812]

One of the biggest problems we have with football in this country is this mates club mentality. Foster, Slater etc they all give me the shits. They stick up for their mates and carry on like they are football gods really pisses me off. Football experts my arse. 

 

Feel better now that's off my chest.

[Peter]

If we start to win trophy's and develop players who sign for higher profile clubs in top overseas competition and have a club with facilities where the wheelie bins are used for rubbish - we might then have the identity that is being spoken of. Melbourne is big enough to support two top clubs well.

I am looking forward to hearing from our new owners.

[Murfy1]

It's nice that these A-League pundits believe in recycling. They say the exact same stupid cliches about Heart every time.

 

Rubbish article.

 

If good and 'strong willed' personalities were so important in football, Heart would be a raging success. We've had so many former captains and so called 'competitors' and 'strong willed' personalities in our teams, but they have gotten us no where. In our first season, we had the spine of the previous season's champions (Sydney 09-10), Bolton, Colosimo, Aloisi, as well as the only Australian to captain a European team to win a league in Skoko, and a former A-League team captain in Matt Thompson. We also had JVS and Jesper Olsen coaching the team.

And for all the alleged 'positive characteristics' of Aloisi and Foxe, the season and a half they coached Heart were an absolute train-wreck. So much for the benefits of having 'strong willed' personalities as coaches.

 

Success comes from having experienced, knowledgeable coaches, like Mike Mulvey. It's SKILL and COMPETENCE that leads to success, and no amount of personality can make up for lacking those qualities.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Murfy1

[mstam]

One of the biggest problems we have with football in this country is this mates club mentality. Foster, Slater etc they all give me the shits. They stick up for their mates and carry on like they are football gods really pisses me off. Football experts my arse. 

 

Feel better now that's off my chest.

 

What a joke of an article and highlights the mates club that exists in Australian football, lets all roll over for these bums as we all know nothing unless we have been a socceroo!!!

[mstam]

Heart have erred in letting Foxe trot

 

 

Honesty. Loyalty. Perspective. Understanding. Intelligence. Intuition.

 

All qualities Hayden Foxe has in abundance. Funnily enough, they're same qualities Melbourne Heart need to develop in order to create the type of culture the club has been lacking. The pity is Foxe and the Heart have now parted ways, but then that's a measure of the man. John Aloisi was sacked. Foxe wasn't, but he still chose to go with him. In a country where full-time coaching jobs are in desperately short supply, Foxe walked away from his role as assistant because of his principles. The way he saw it, Melbourne Heart's woeful results were a shared responsibility, as he and Aloisi were fundamentally on the same page. It may be time-honoured practice in most major football countries that the no.2 follows the no.1 out the door, but the fact is we don't see it very often in the Hyundai A-League.

Nonetheless, the unheralded departure of Foxe goes down as another missed opportunity for a team which might be about to join New Zealand Knights as statistically the worst in A-League history. At times likes these, the team could do with the sort of honest virtues embodied by Foxe. And as we all know, the club itself is also in need of an identity.

Pressed on Fox Sports last weekend what exactly the Heart 'stood for', former player Josip Skoko drew a deep breath before eventually replying: 'Umm, I've got to say it's sort of a family club.'' Not exactly a convincing endorsement from someone employed as a Heart ambassador.

Depending on your interpretation, a 'family' club could be construed as a weakness as much as a strength. Certainly there's a legitimate view that the Heart's biggest problem over their short journey is that they've been way too nice.

In a result-orientated business, accountability - both in the dressing room and the front office - seems to have been in short supply. Foxe, like Ante Milicic before him, possesses the sort of strong-willed personality which might have given the team, and the club, what it's been missing. A hard-nosed approach. Now we'll never know.

It's no co-incidence both Foxe and Milicic have been heavily influenced by Tony Popovic, arguably the meanest hombre we've got in the coaching ranks. And when you look what Western Sydney Wanderers have achieved in half the time, it's hard not to wonder what might have been for the Heart if their decision-makers had chosen the boot room as the best place to build the culture of the club.

As it is, we're about to find out if a change of ownership brings a change of direction. The word is the new owners will be publicly unveiled the day after the home game against Newcastle Jets, and it will interesting to see what message they will take to the world.

Living in the shadow of Melbourne Victory - especially without a defined geographical base - isn't easy, but if the Heart truly aspire to become a successful club in their own right, then they have to change their tune. Being a 'development' club - which was their original charter - won't cut it in a market dominated by the AFL and, in football terms, saturated by the Victory.

No, what Melbourne Heart need to do is convince those fans they have, and those they wish to embrace, that they're a serious club with serious ambitions. The only way to do that is to get the right people involved. Losing the likes of Milicic, and Foxe, doesn't help.

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/cockerill-opinion-display/Heart-have-erred-in-letting-Foxe-trot/82451

 

Shame he doesn't mention in his list of 'achievements' how Foxe had only coached at U13 level before? Joke of an appointment and found out in the end

[belaguttman]

WARNING: THIS STORY COMES WITH AN EMETIC WARNING!

Heart have erred in letting Foxe trot

 

 

Honesty. Loyalty. Perspective. Understanding. Intelligence. Intuition.

 

All qualities Hayden Foxe has in abundance. Funnily enough, they're same qualities Melbourne Heart need to develop in order to create the type of culture the club has been lacking. The pity is Foxe and the Heart have now parted ways, but then that's a measure of the man. John Aloisi was sacked. Foxe wasn't, but he still chose to go with him. In a country where full-time coaching jobs are in desperately short supply, Foxe walked away from his role as assistant because of his principles. The way he saw it, Melbourne Heart's woeful results were a shared responsibility, as he and Aloisi were fundamentally on the same page. It may be time-honoured practice in most major football countries that the no.2 follows the no.1 out the door, but the fact is we don't see it very often in the Hyundai A-League.

Nonetheless, the unheralded departure of Foxe goes down as another missed opportunity for a team which might be about to join New Zealand Knights as statistically the worst in A-League history. At times likes these, the team could do with the sort of honest virtues embodied by Foxe. And as we all know, the club itself is also in need of an identity.

Pressed on Fox Sports last weekend what exactly the Heart 'stood for', former player Josip Skoko drew a deep breath before eventually replying: 'Umm, I've got to say it's sort of a family club.'' Not exactly a convincing endorsement from someone employed as a Heart ambassador.

Depending on your interpretation, a 'family' club could be construed as a weakness as much as a strength. Certainly there's a legitimate view that the Heart's biggest problem over their short journey is that they've been way too nice.

In a result-orientated business, accountability - both in the dressing room and the front office - seems to have been in short supply. Foxe, like Ante Milicic before him, possesses the sort of strong-willed personality which might have given the team, and the club, what it's been missing. A hard-nosed approach. Now we'll never know.

It's no co-incidence both Foxe and Milicic have been heavily influenced by Tony Popovic, arguably the meanest hombre we've got in the coaching ranks. And when you look what Western Sydney Wanderers have achieved in half the time, it's hard not to wonder what might have been for the Heart if their decision-makers had chosen the boot room as the best place to build the culture of the club.

As it is, we're about to find out if a change of ownership brings a change of direction. The word is the new owners will be publicly unveiled the day after the home game against Newcastle Jets, and it will interesting to see what message they will take to the world.

Living in the shadow of Melbourne Victory - especially without a defined geographical base - isn't easy, but if the Heart truly aspire to become a successful club in their own right, then they have to change their tune. Being a 'development' club - which was their original charter - won't cut it in a market dominated by the AFL and, in football terms, saturated by the Victory.

No, what Melbourne Heart need to do is convince those fans they have, and those they wish to embrace, that they're a serious club with serious ambitions. The only way to do that is to get the right people involved. Losing the likes of Milicic, and Foxe, doesn't help.

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/cockerill-opinion-display/Heart-have-erred-in-letting-Foxe-trot/82451

on the other hand the expectation of the sale the day after the Newcastle game is great news

[Murfy1]

Lol this club. The official FFA twitter account has just tweeted:

 

NOTE: @MelbourneHeart has contacted us disputing the basis of Mike Cockerill's opinion piece... (1/2)

 

 

...in that both Ante Milicic and Hayden Foxe left the club of their own accord - http://ffaus.co/1f7hdlx  (2/2)

 

 

 

Always focused on the small and petty things.

[Melburnian]

The other thing from the article which I agree with is the Skoko thing. It was embarrassing when he was asked that question.

Ambassador my arse. What is this crock? What exactly are these ambassadors actually doing?

It was another show of no professionalism. What do we stand for Josep? Ummm well we are a family type club, I enjoyed my time there, really felt like home and yeah." Fucking embarrassing.

Too many ploys without substance by the club. Please let it be true and we can fuck all this shit out the door.

[Murfy1]

A follow up development to Cockerill-gate. 

 

A tweet said:

 

What's Mike Cockerill been smoking? #aleague? http://ow.ly/siqyp

 

And Munn tweeted in response:

 

he forgot to check the facts with his boss. Given he is paid by FFA who also poached our staff has conveniently been forgotten

 

And then the first person tweeted:

 

I've never quite understood league owned "media companies" like this. Factually incorrect speculation damaging to the brand.

 

And then Munn responded

 

just crazy. @ffa had access to clubs staff salaries and used that to poach staff for wanderers. Unethical and inappropriate

Edited January 6, 2014 by Murfy1

[Dylan]

Ooooo cat fight

[Embee]

The other thing from the article which I agree with is the Skoko thing. It was embarrassing when he was asked that question.

Ambassador my arse. What is this crock? What exactly are these ambassadors actually doing?

It was another show of no professionalism. What do we stand for Josep? Ummm well we are a family type club, I enjoyed my time there, really felt like home and yeah." Fucking embarrassing.

Too many ploys without substance by the club. Please let it be true and we can fuck all this shit out the door.

 

That was soft as shit wasn't it?

 

I mean, that question is stupid anyway, but at least have an answer for those sorts of things.

 

If I was him I would have simply said "Sorry Bozz (or whoever asked that stupid question), but I don't really see the relevance of that question. You tell me what any club in this league stands for. We stand for winning and we stand for supplying our fans with the best product every week, unfortunately we aren't delivering on either of those goals at the moment which has resulted in the club making appropriate changes to once again work towards making those goals a reality for this great club", not perfect, but better than the tripe he came out with. After a spiel like that he could have started talking about how much he enjoyed his time here.

 

Ambassadors should be selling this club to people, what a woeful effort from Josip, painful to watch.

Edited January 6, 2014 by King Malta

[LR9]

Ooooo cat fight

[Melburnian]

The other thing from the article which I agree with is the Skoko thing. It was embarrassing when he was asked that question.

Ambassador my arse. What is this crock? What exactly are these ambassadors actually doing?

It was another show of no professionalism. What do we stand for Josep? Ummm well we are a family type club, I enjoyed my time there, really felt like home and yeah." Fucking embarrassing.

Too many ploys without substance by the club. Please let it be true and we can fuck all this shit out the door.

 

That was soft as shit wasn't it?

 

I mean, that question is stupid anyway, but at least have an answer for those sorts of things.

 

If I was him I would have simply said "Sorry Bozz (or whoever asked that stupid question), but I don't really see the relevance of that question. You tell me what any club in this league stands for. We stand for winning and we stand for supplying our fans with the best product every week, unfortunately we aren't delivering on either of those goals at the moment which has resulted in the club making appropriate changes to once again work towards making those goals a reality for this great club", not perfect, but better than the tripe he came out with. After a spiel like that he could have started talking about how much he enjoyed his time here.

 

Ambassadors should be selling this club to people, what a woeful effort from Josip, painful to watch.

Exactly.

I'm dumbfounded by some of the things the club Have done. This ambassador crap takes the cake. LaPaglia and now Skoko declare they are ambassadors and both I have no clue what they are doing. It's just.... I dunno what else to say. Shambles.

[Ando]

Fuck LaPaglia, he's a WSW sycophant if there ever was. 

[Melburnian]

Fuck LaPaglia, he's a WSW sycophant if there ever was.

Yep and our ambassador. Go figure.

Amateur decisions from top to bottom at our club.

[Embee]

 

Fuck LaPaglia, he's a WSW sycophant if there ever was.

Yep and our ambassador. Go figure.

Amateur decisions from top to bottom at our club.

 

 

Given he's basically a C-Grade celebrity there's still a good chance most people won't know we gave him that role.

 

Can be our embarrassing little secret.

[marn11]

Scott Munn going out all guns blazing on Twitter. Entertaining at the very least.

[Melburnian]

Scott Munn going out all guns blazing on Twitter. Entertaining at the very least.

Going out with a bang?

[KD.]

 

Scott Munn going out all guns blazing on Twitter. Entertaining at the very least.

Going out with a bang?

 

Thinking exactly what i am thinking

[KD.]

 

 

Scott Munn going out all guns blazing on Twitter. Entertaining at the very least.

Going out with a bang?

 

Thinking exactly what i am thinking

 

[marn11]

That's what I meant. Certainly not pulling punches on his way out.

[belaguttman]

Yes, another sign perhaps that the sale is looming

Edited January 6, 2014 by belaguttman

[Peter]

The other thing from the article which I agree with is the Skoko thing. It was embarrassing when he was asked that question.

Ambassador my arse. What is this crock? What exactly are these ambassadors actually doing?

It was another show of no professionalism. What do we stand for Josep? Ummm well we are a family type club, I enjoyed my time there, really felt like home and yeah." Fucking embarrassing.

Too many ploys without substance by the club. Please let it be true and we can fuck all this shit out the door.

I am not opposed to the family club thing as long as it doesn't become, or rather remain, incestuous as seems to have been the case recently. We need results and success and while the family club is a good starting point, it is time for the foundations to be re-laid and the results to come.

 

[Melburnian]

The other thing from the article which I agree with is the Skoko thing. It was embarrassing when he was asked that question.

Ambassador my arse. What is this crock? What exactly are these ambassadors actually doing?

It was another show of no professionalism. What do we stand for Josep? Ummm well we are a family type club, I enjoyed my time there, really felt like home and yeah." Fucking embarrassing.

Too many ploys without substance by the club. Please let it be true and we can fuck all this shit out the door.

I am not opposed to the family club thing as long as it doesn't become, or rather remain, incestuous as seems to have been the case recently. We need results and success and while the family club is a good starting point, it is time for the foundations to be re-laid and the results to come.

It wasn't the Family Club thing I am pissed off about. It's the fact when the question was delivered he looked like he had no idea. That's not a problem if he wasn't an ambassador.

If he is selling the club, as a job, surely he would know how to answer this question instead of making the point for the guy asking the question. We don't know. As a club we have no clue. What are they telling these representing the club?

I wish they asked the question, what exactly do these Heart ambassadors actually do?

I love Skoko. One of my all time favorite players. This is not a go at him but the club in these Stupid things they do.

[Dylan]

Its funny that if we were winning then none of these questions would be asked. 

 

Id like to see what other clubs say if they are about and they would say.... 'Success, attractive football, youth, winning'.....Just like every other football club

Edited January 6, 2014 by Dylan

[jw1739]

Scott Munn going out all guns blazing on Twitter. Entertaining at the very least.

Munn is in fact quite right.

 

Every player contract has to be registered with FFA, so having one league club owned lock stock and barrel by FFA, and effectively administered by them, is entirely improper.

 

It is very likely that WSW has been privy to all sorts of information about other the clubs.

 

Imagine the uproar that would occur if an EPL club was owned by the Football Association...

[Dylan]

Well that Escalated  quickly 

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1177970/Heart-accuses-FFA-of-poaching

[belaguttman]

Agree, but OTOH we can see the advantage of FFA developing a functional and successful franchise that they can sell as a going concern as opposed to the poverty private model they tried at Heart. WSW has been the only successful one of the 4 startup franchises and I think that FFA control hasn't been coincidental to that. There does have to be a way of guaranteeing some professional boundaries between the club and FFA though

[Melburnian]

Well that Escalated  quickly 

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1177970/Heart-accuses-FFA-of-poaching

Bang.

[jw1739]

Agree, but OTOH we can see the advantage of FFA developing a functional and successful franchise that they can sell as a going concern as opposed to the poverty private model they tried at Heart. WSW has been the only successful one of the 4 startup franchises and I think that FFA control hasn't been coincidental to that. There does have to be a way of guaranteeing some professional boundaries between the club and FFA though

Bela, it should have been done by having WSW run by an "administrator", an independent person privy only to the same level of information about other clubs as the other clubs are about each other.

 

This should occur each and any time FFA takes control of an A-League licence. It's not specific to WSW. I recall the same situation when Ange was coach at Brisbane.

Edited January 6, 2014 by jw1739

[LR9]

[belaguttman]

 

 

Imagine the uproar that would occur if an EPL club was owned by the Football Association...

 

Yes but they have clubs, we have franchises that try to fool customers that they are clubs.

[Murfy1]

Well that Escalated  quickly 

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1177970/Heart-accuses-FFA-of-poaching

 

 

Heart accuses FFA of poaching

 

6 January 2014   Philip Micallef

 

Melbourne Heart has launched a scathing attack on Football Federation Australia, claiming the governing body used its controlling position to poach players and staff from clubs to set up Western Sydney Wanderers in 2012.

 

The accusation comes in the wake of the sacking of John Aloisi and the resignation of his assistant Hayden Foxe last week.

An opinion piece appearing on the FFA website poured scorn on the club for allowing Foxe and previous assistant coach Ante Milicic to leave the club.

 

Milicic is now Wanderers head coach Tony Popovic's assistant.

 

The article drew a sharp reaction from Heart.

 

”The article is based on inaccuracies because Foxe and Milicic both wanted to leave the club and there was not much we could do about it,” chief executive Scott Munn said.

 

”We alerted FFA that the story was wrong but they still went ahead with it.

 

”We find this very disappointing because two years ago FFA were the ones who took advantage of their knowledge of the salaries of everyone at the club to poach our staff, in this case Milicic.

 

”FFA keep telling clubs to be careful about their spending and then they go and give Milicic double what we paid him because they knew how much he was on.

 

”It was not just us but all other clubs. That's how they created the Wanderers.

 

”We take exception to this because we believe it is unethical and inappropriate.”

 

FFA makes it clear that it does not necessarily agree with opinions expressed on its website but Munn said he is unconvinced.

 

”The writer forgot to check the facts with his boss,” Munn said.

 

”He is employed by FFA, the governing body that has poached our staff, but this fact was conveniently overlooked in the article.”

 

FFA was unavailable for comment.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Murfy1

[Murfy1]

Munn seems to be looking for a fight.

 

He's conveniently forgetting that the main reason that Milicic is no longer at the club is because Heart stupidly made Aloisi head coach instead of him.

 

No other factor is really important with regards to Milicic.

 

It should be said as well that Heart seem to be cheap with staff in general, even when compared with other A-League clubs (beyond the Wanderers): 

Off the field Heart has an alarmingly high turnover in staff, which can probably be attributed to paying some of the lowest wages in the A-League

 

(http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/melbourne-heart-not-desperate-to-sell-but-the-soon-it-happens-the-better-for-the-club/story-fnk6rlg0-1226791569149)

 

The low wages can almost certainly be attributed to the penny pinching Board, much more than what the FFA have recommended.

 

 

Going down swinging, and looking for others to blame. I can't wait for this chapter of Heart's history to end.

[Melburnian]

Well said Murfy1

[HEARTinator]

LOL, the best thing about all this bullshite is that we're gonna be sold hopefully to a bunch of people who are prepared to put in the hard yards to achieve on field results. The choice of JA has been calamitous. I reckon we're all struggling to convince casual football fans to come to HeartFC games at the moment because they're likely to be saying "why should I go and watch a bunch of farken LOSERS!" Well it's hard to disagree with the sentiment. Sidwell OUT, Munn OUT -- the sooner the better -- counting down the days right now. Will get excited about games when these tossers are thrown out.