MHFC vs WSW @ Parramatta Staduim on Sat 7/12/13 @ 5:30pm

[Nate]

Okay, so because I'm fucking retarded and thought the game was at 7.30 until I checked just after 6, I missed the first half but from the first half highlights and what I saw in the second half, Aziz and Kisnorbo were our standouts today whilst Mifsud, Redders and Mass held their own. 

 

Gol Gol was useless in the second half and we looked a far more composed unit when Harry came on but I guess a 1-1 draw against WSW away isn't too bad at all. Grab 3 points away against Sydney and maybe we can get something from this season, who knows. 

[DieHardRed]

That was a great result 

WSW - they have dropped two points for sure 

[Tonyboozeadams]

I agree that it was an improvement. But only slightly, which means we have gone from bollocks to below average. A point away against WSW is a good result but we should've been flogged.

 

Great game by Redmayne. Migliorini was terrible in defence. He seems to struggle with the pace of the game, lost track of players while marking and should've come  back more.

 

Kewell added some composure and placed some very good passes in the midfield. problem is that we gave the ball straight back to WSW after that.

 

We have stopped playing long balls and instead seem to just hoof the thing in the air. There was about 4 times in the 70th minute that we just smashed the ball high or long when there was no defensive pressure on our players. WTF?!?!

[kingofhearts]

Gol gol needs to be brought off the bench, he performs so much better in a 30 minutes spurt compared to having to run out a whole game. The bloke needs to work on his fitness!

 

Need a win desperately though, draw still not good enough. Migilironi is fucking lazy as, his defensive marking was shocking today, he would be gone by now if germano was fit and on the park.

 

Kewell looked good, hopefully he will start next week, still don't know what we will do with Misfud. The poor bastard runs his guts out and gets lobbed balls kicked to him all day. A really bad signing.

 

Spewing garuccio didn't get a run today , wonder what happened to mate?

[mulhollanddrive]

Redmayne is the best thing to come out of the season. 

[Nate]

Redmayne is the best thing to come out of the season. 

Agreed, clear standout.

 

 

Migilironi is fucking lazy as, his defensive marking was shocking today, he would be gone by now if germano was fit and on the park.

Also agree with this, he's not a defensive midfielder and I still don't know why Gerhardt hasn't been implemented into the starting defensive midfielder role because whilst Mass makes up for Migliorini's lack of defensive pressure, Mass gets outmuscled waaay too much (hardly his fault) and as I said last week along with Simon Hill and Harps, all of the opponents' attacks come straight through the middle of the park and with ridiculous ease.

[Murfy1]

Wanderers held to a draw in their Heart-land

 

By John Greco

 

Dec 7 2013 17:26

 

HARRY Kewell's return wasn't enough to deliver a breakthrough win for the Melbourne Heart who held on for a 1-1 draw against Western Sydney on Saturday at Pirtek Stadium.

 

In a pulsating clash, the Heart withstood a late onslaught from the home side to come away with a hard-earned point and perhaps halt the pressure on coach John Aloisi for another week.

 

Things started well enough for them as David Williams gave them a shock lead seven minutes before the break when his cross from the left somehow found its way into the far corner of Ante Covic's net.

 

But they could only hold the advantage for six minutes before Aaron Mooy, who had earlier fluffed two good chances, made the Heart pay for some shoddy defending.

 

The classy midfielder was left unmarked just outside the box, receiving the ball and turning before burying a shot past Andrew Redmayne into the bottom corner.

 

The second half belonged to the Wanderers with Youssouf Hersi, Labinot Haliti, Mooy and Matthew Spiranovic - whose header hit the post - all going close to snatching a late winner.

 

Kewell, who hadn't featured for the Heart since round one, came on with 18 minutes left and showed some nice touches which augurs well for the Heart going forward.

 

While they will count themselves unlucky not to have got all three points, the Wanderers' winless run has now stretched to three games.

 

Without a win this season, the Heart took the game to the hosts early on and almost took the lead inside 10 minutes through Golgol Mebrahtu.

 

Iain Ramsay's cross from the left allowed the young striker to ghost in between Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Adam D'Apuzzo but he couldn't hit the target with his volley.

 

The Wanderers were also creating their share of chances but struggled to really test Redmayne, with Mooy twice failing to hit the target from good shooting opportunities.

 

Their best chance of an enterprising first half came from a corner 10 minutes before the break, only to be denied by some super work from Heart defender Aziz Behich on the goal line.

 

Behich first hacked away Iacopo La Rocca's header and then had to stay alert to block another effort from Mark Bridge who deflected on Jerome Polenz's shot on the rebound.

 

Williams' goal came just minutes later as the Heart made the most of that let-off, but they couldn't hold on to the lead very long before Mooy struck a minute before the break.

 

The chances kept coming early in the second half as first Michael Mifsud went close as he blazed over from close range, while Hersi flashed a shot across the face of goal but just wide of the post.

 

It was all the home side from that point on as the Heart were happy to hold on for a point and they did just that thanks to some inspired goalkeeping from Redmayne and a bit of luck as Spiranovic hit the post with a late header.

 

Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Mooy 44)

Melbourne Heart 1 (Williams 38)

Crowd: 14,549 @ Pirtek Stadium

 

 

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/289825,wanderers-held-to-a-draw-in-their-heart-land.aspx

Edited December 7, 2013 by Murfy1

[Murfy1]

Western Sydney Wanderers extend winless streak with Heart stalemate

 

Dominic Bossi

 

December 7, 2013 - 8:33PM

 

For the first time since claiming their first ever professional win, the Western Sydney Wanderers have failed to win in three attempts and are in danger of losing touch with A-League pacesetters Brisbane Roar after being held to a 1-1 draw by cellar dwellers Melbourne Heart.

 

"We controlled the game but they fought hard, they came with a game plan to really slow the play down from the outset and it jsut wasn't to be today," Wanderers coach Tony Popovic said.

 

After surrendering first spot in the league in recent weeks, the Wanderers showed immediate intent on keeping up the chase with the Roar and almost broke the deadlock in the fifth minute.

 

Stand-in captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley showed the determination that has kept Michael Beauchamp out of the starting lineup with a diving header from an Aaron Mooy free kick.

 

It was powered low and hard into the corner of the net but a superb reflex save by Heart keeper James Redmayne prevented an opener.

 

Under intense pressure from the hosts, cracks began to appear in Heart's defence and only last-gasp interceptions denied the Wanderers an opener after the half hour mark.

 

An Iacopo La Rocca header from a corner was cleared off the line by Aziz Behich, who then denied Jerome Polenz on the follow up.

 

The ball ricocheted back into the path of the German defender who hit the net with his second attempt, though to the dismay of the home crowd, it was the outside of the goal.

 

The Wanderers were made to rue those three point-blank misses after falling victim to a sucker punch goal in the 38th minute.

 

David Williams whipped in a cross from the left aimed at the pint-sized Michael Mifsud, who drew the attention of every Wanderer in the box, so much so that they ignored the curling cross which bypassed everyone into the corner of the net.

Just as the visitors looked on course to go into the break with a shock lead, it was third time lucky for Aaron Mooy who hit the back of the net after two earlier misses.

 

The Wanderers playmaker drilled a low left-foot shot into the far corner of the goal beating the outstretched arms of Redmayne and eliciting a deafening roar from the crowd of 14,549.

 

The visitors almost restored their lead a minute after the restart when Michael Mifsud easily turned his marker inside the box and had time and space to apply a simple finish.

 

Instead, he opted for power over placement and blazed his close range shot over the bar.

 

Just as the game had fallen stagnant, the A-League's liveliest player caught the Heart defence napping.

 

Hersi had been quiet for most of the second half but on the hour mark, he beat Behich and Rob Wielaert with a darting run into the box and slammed a right-foot shot with some venom but couldn't hit the target from an acute angle.

 

Both coaches introduced their marquee players into the game as Melbourne Heart were firmly against the ropes.

 

Popovic went in for the kill while John Aloisi looked to a trump card that hadn't been available since round one.

 

The entrances of both Shinji Ono and Harry Kewell were met with rousing applause by the home fans, a mark of respect for a club icon and a local hero.

 

The two stars sparked life into the two sides, but struggled to carve open clear chances.

 

Fluid play fell victim to close pressing and it was no surprise that the Wanderers two best chances late in the game came from set pieces.

 

Topor-Stanley powered a header inches high from a corner, while another long shot from Mooy ended up with the fans.

 

They came even closer from their next set piece as Spiranovic glanced a header onto the upright, but for all their pressure and determination, they just could not find a way through.

 

Aloisi praised Harry Kewell for his influence as a subsitutute in stabilising Heart's side to help clinch a hard earned draw. 

 

"We know what Harry can do, he just lifts everyone around him. Just him walking out on to that pitch, his teammates lift and that's the reason why we got him at our club," Aloisi said. "It just showed in that short glimpse of him coming on for 15-20 minutes, the game just turned."

 

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/soccer-match-report/western-sydney-wanderers-extend-winless-streak-with-heart-stalemate-20131207-2yydq.html

Edited December 7, 2013 by Murfy1

[billyheart]

Good thing we injured Juric The last time we played. Wouldn't have been the same result if you swap him for Haliti.

[Tonyboozeadams]

Hersi was pretty shite tonight. Could've won the game for them

[KSK_47]

Not sure if its because my expectations have become so low, but I am pretty happy with tonight's result. Some woeful patches but some decent ones too which is an improvement on being woeful for the entire game. I agree that it is delaying the inevitable (ja being given the arse) but for the time being its just nice not to be humiliated for once... oh wait we just broke the record for worst away record in hal history didn't we. Hmmmm. Once again this club has managed to make me feel ok about being terrible.

[True Until I die]

gotta give full credit to Massimo murdocca. Brilliant game mas- I cant fault you effort and commitment

as for 'arry- stop talking about the RBB support and start focusing on the heart boys-

"where's our famous, where's our famous, where's our famous Harry Kewell?"

[sheepdog]

"You can't even beat us and were SHIT"

Chant of the night and yes made it back to city in one piece. Few hairy moments but all good.

Huge appearance from the travelling supporters well done lads

[mattyh001]

"You can't even beat us and were SHIT"

Chant of the night and yes made it back to city in one piece. Few hairy moments but all good.

Huge appearance from the travelling supporters well done lads

Certainly was the best of a number Sheepdog haha !!!! Mind u the chant about Wanderers cheering about hitting the post was gold.

Still laughing at the fact even the Wanderers were cheering us on.

[belaguttman]

Very pleased to not lose for two weeks in a row. And looked at on its own, a point against WSW away is a solid, good result.

 

Pretty good first half. if we play that well weekly, we should stop being pushovers. In the main, we just did many little things right, and players like Behich, Murdocca and Kisnorbo played closer to their potential. It was a pleasure to see Behich play like he has in seasons past. And just in general our intensity was impressive in the first half, and if the players keep having a go like that I'll be much less critical of the players and coaches.

 

However, our intensity dropped after the WSW goal right at the end of the first half, and our second half was a level below our first half performance, with only a small bump in improvement after Kewell came on. Perhaps our tactics were exposed for being rather ineffective after our intensity dropped by that notch after the goal.

 

I'm just a bit weary that this is as good as it gets under Aloisi. Also, I was hoping to see the team try a bit more for a win in the second half, but we barely had a shot or two in the second half. When Aloisi is subbing off a striker for Gerhardt in the last few minutes, Redmayne is booked for time-wasting and commentators are calling a draw a 'massive result' for us, things aren't as they should be, and I believe we need to keep prodding the club to aim higher and achieve more.

 

Nonetheless, as I said, on its own a point away against WSW is respectable, for any A-League team really. Hopefully now we kick on and get some of that momentum that Aloisi has long said we'd have after getting a few points, and get a real solid win next week against Sydney in Sydney. Then I'll admit I've underestimated the coaches and some of our players, and I'll be heaping praise on Heart.

It's the same pattern every game, opposition coach adjusts to Aloisi's tactics at half time. Aloisi doesn't anticipate it and doesn't adjust. Tonight we were lucky and didn't cop our usual 1 or 2 penalties that a pedant like Ben Williams would have awarded against us but if we are celebrating a performance like that then we are in for a lean season. Yes it was improved over the previous 10 games but we now have Aloisi's first honour, The NZ Knights Cup and we still haven't won a game and are still playing dire long ball football

Edited December 8, 2013 by belaguttman

[tigerou812]

We went from dire to very bad. Still got no time for JA. Longs balls with this team. Pass the ball on the ground how had can it be other teams are able to do it. We are just so predictable.

[n i k o]

Right now under JA it's about incremental steps forward. If your thinking things will automatically change and we will play amazing football you will be sadly disappointed. From the second half against Adelaide to the end of the game tonight there has been positive steps taken in our play. Yes yes of course it's not up to the level that we want, it's not up to the level that the players or the club want either. But let's think realistically, from 2-0 down last week no one in the world would have backed us to come back. We did. Before the game tonight no one could seriously back us to get a result or that we'd go up 1-0 or even hold out a wsw team for a full second half. But we did. Sport is about confidence. It builds and builds as you do better, even if it's small steps. Come sydney next week, let's hope confidence is even higher and we will be even better.

Edited December 7, 2013 by n i k o

[Nate]

Just took a look at the league ladder for the first time in quite a while and wow, didn't realise there was such a gap in points between the top 7 and the bottom 3!

Going to be hard to make the finals from this far behind, it's going to take a major plummet in form from a few teams and a rapid increase in ours.

[HEARTinator]

Honourable draw tonight but it's not finals football we're playing at the moment. We're still miles away from that. JA needs to find a better structure if he wants to persist with Mifsud. At the moment, bombing balls over the heads of our midfield in search of a little bloke is fooken crazy. Somehow we got away with it tonight. Maybe WSW were so dumb struck with our tactic it took them time to compose themselves. They could have put the game beyond our reach but credit to the boys for gutsing it out - and Redders for saving our bacon. I'll be prepared to say that we've turned the season around when we start using our midfield as an attacking weapon rather than seeing it as a no-go zone.

[Libero]

Redmayne for captain. 

[Herman Cain]

Right now under JA it's about incremental steps forward. If your thinking things will automatically change and we will play amazing football you will be sadly disappointed. From the second half against Adelaide to the end of the game tonight there has been positive steps taken in our play. Yes yes of course it's not up to the level that we want, it's not up to the level that the players or the club want either. But let's think realistically, from 2-0 down last week no one in the world would have backed us to come back. We did. Before the game tonight no one could seriously back us to get a result or that we'd go up 1-0 or even hold out a wsw team for a full second half. But we did. Sport is about confidence. It builds and builds as you do better, even if it's small steps. Come sydney next week, let's hope confidence is even higher and we will be even better.

 

Noone is expecting automatic change and amazing football.  Incremental improvement is fine in some circumstances (see Ange at Roar and Victory), but Aloisi has had a year and a half and has shown no sign that he is capable of producing it.  Instead, we've seen incremental deterioration.  Playing poorly but snatching a couple of lucky draws isn't a strong enough sign of incremental improvement for me.

[n i k o]

Firstly ange had been coaching for over a decade when he came on with roar so making that comparison is pointless. Secondly our 'poor play' as you put it has seen us take two draws from situation where we had no right to. We had many good patches tonight but also with patches where we weren't good. This is as opposed to playing whole games where we have played terribly the whole match through. No matter how you look at it that is progress.

And 'lucky draws'??? Please man don't start with luck, cause the amount of unlucky shit that has happened to us this season is beyond belief. Every team in the whole league would have to finish the whole season to catch up to the amount of unlucky shit that has happened to us so far this season.

[Embee]

Tonight was by no means perfect but it was certainly an improvement.

 

No one's saying that this is enough though, it's simply an improvement that needs to be built upon if we are to get any better than we are now.

[n i k o]

I like to think the silent protest last week has been the catalyst in our improved form.

[wombegongal]

Firstly ange had been coaching for over a decade when he came on with roar so making that comparison is pointless. Secondly our 'poor play' as you put it has seen us take two draws from situation where we had no right to. We had many good patches tonight but also with patches where we weren't good. This is as opposed to playing whole games where we have played terribly the whole match through. No matter how you look at it that is progress.

And 'lucky draws'??? Please man don't start with luck, cause the amount of unlucky shit that has happened to us this season is beyond belief. Every team in the whole league would have to finish the whole season to catch up to the amount of unlucky shit that has happened to us so far this season.

 

Sometimes I think we are unlucky, but we are unlucky so often that it's clear that we make our own luck. Last week we score 2 and then the ref hands us a third. When you are up and about things go your way. Ange's teams rarely get punished by referees because he has conned them into believing they don't play physical football. So 'luck' to me is a by product of something else (strategy, pressure, attitude whatever). At times tonight we were what some describe as 'lucky'. I think plucky would be more accurate. Tonight we put in a plucky performance. I'm not sure there is a clear way forwards yet but there were some brief glimmers of hope and certainly the players look like they have had the kick up the ass they needed. Onwards to next week hoping 'luck' continues to go our way.

[LR9]

I thought Aloisi's subs were poor. I have no idea where Kalmar, Williams and Kewell were playing an the last 25. 

 

All structure fell away, and we were just hanging on for dear life (see shot and saves tally).

 

I would have liked to see Kewell brought on for Golgol at around 55 shifting Williams to the right, Garrucio on for Ramsay at around 65 and Gerhardt on for Migliorini at around 80 to help control the game and kill WS's tempo.

[Libero]

 

 

I would have liked to see Kewell brought on for Golgol at around 55 shifting Williams to the right, Garrucio on for Ramsay at around 65 and Gerhardt on for Migliorini at around 80 to help control the game and kill WS's tempo.

 

I agree in theory, but Kewell was not match fit.

 

he shouldnt have played. 

Edited December 7, 2013 by nicotera5

[ThePolo]

Just took a look at the league ladder for the first time in quite a while and wow, didn't realise there was such a gap in points between the top 7 and the bottom 3!

Going to be hard to make the finals from this far behind, it's going to take a major plummet in form from a few teams and a rapid increase in ours.

Definently need a win before we can even think of finals

[Nate]

 

Just took a look at the league ladder for the first time in quite a while and wow, didn't realise there was such a gap in points between the top 7 and the bottom 3!

Going to be hard to make the finals from this far behind, it's going to take a major plummet in form from a few teams and a rapid increase in ours.

Definently need a win before we can even think of finals

 

I know, I know but even sitting where we are on the table, if we're not at the very least aiming for the top 6 in a 10 team league irrespective of our position, then what are we as a club even doing in the competition.

[DieHardRed]

Have to agree with JA comment post game - " a few weeks ago we would have come here and lost" 
Very true ... 
Looking forward to next week = You betcha 

[jw1739]

I largely agree with the logic that's being put forward above. But small incremental steps with a team of players many of whom won't be here next season is taking a very short-sighted view, and it's looking at a result from a very narrow perspective. I just can't see that what we are doing is good for the club in the longer-term. We have a toothless attack and a porous defence, are playing a horrible style of football under a novice coach who shows no signs that he is learning anything or intending to change in any way whatsoever and seems to have abandoned any thoughts of promoting emerging young talent, have played 14 league games without a win and just taken (or is it equalled?) the HAL "record" for the longest run of away games without a win.

Hardly cause for celebration.

[Heart Inaugural]

played 14 league games without a win and just taken (or is it equalled?) the HAL "record" for the longest run of away games without a win.

I 'believe' we've now broken the record:

 

 

The Heart has gone 15 games, stretching back to last season, without a win away from home and is fast approaching the all-time record of 17 held by the defunct New Zealand Knights from the early days of the national competition.

 

^ The above from Ray Gatt was written the day before our November 3rd loss to Brisbane (3:0 away), our November 24th loss to Newcastle (3:1 away) and our draw to the Wanderers yesterday leaving us with 18 games winless away from home and the worst away record in Australia.

[Melburnian]

Take a bow everyone involved in that record.

Shocking.

[japiedog]

at least we are the best at something !!!!

 

Looking forward to Sydney next week... a nice weekend in the Harbour town, oh and a match to attend

[hakz7]

JA uses an under 10's tactic as when we kicked off, straight away we hoofed a long ball to no avail (obviously) instead of keeping possession.

[kingofhearts]

Due to JA's steller coaching, we are now tied for last

 

Progress

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[jw1739]

Due to JA's steller coaching, we are now tied for last

 

Progress

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

The Wellies have a game in hand...

[Defibrillator]

I largely agree with the logic that's being put forward above. But small incremental steps with a team of players many of whom won't be here next season is taking a very short-sighted view, and it's looking at a result from a very narrow perspective. I just can't see that what we are doing is good for the club in the longer-term. We have a toothless attack and a porous defence, are playing a horrible style of football under a novice coach who shows no signs that he is learning anything or intending to change in any way whatsoever and seems to have abandoned any thoughts of promoting emerging young talent, have played 14 league games without a win and just taken (or is it equalled?) the HAL "record" for the longest run of away games without a win.

Hardly cause for celebration.

Watched the replay just now and couldn't agree more JW. The only cause to celebrate anything last night was the score, and anyone who thought we deserved that is deluding themselves. We were very lucky and came up against a flat WSW side who couldn't put us away. The "incremental steps" are to obtain a level of play and discipline that you would see in an U15 side - the fact we require improvements in such basics as passing, covering, tracking back and positioning is a huge indictment on a coach who has been there for nearly 2 years. These are core principles for any successful side.

There is so much wrong with this team it is laughable. The skill errors I just couldn't believe. Passes being missed that were no longer than 3 metres defied belief. A structure that allowed a big hole between the DMs and the back four, with Mooy having exploited this several times before the goal is really piss poor. And can someone tell Mifsud what we all know - if the shot is not on target then you're wasting everyone's fucking time. From a striker of his supposed calibre it is appalling how many times he's missed the target in the last month. And Hoffman's selection is incredible. The guy doesn't even know how to jockey with someone running at him - incredible really.

Agree on the above posts about Aziz - looked good and we did look better with Harry on the park - the trade off being Kalmar looks so bereft of confidence he seems to have fallen away badly. We look at least threatening with the ball on the deck.

So sorry to swim against the tide, but that was the same old shit with a bit of luck. The future still looks bleak to me if we continue down this path. Only papering over the cracks at the moment really.

[belaguttman]

After leaving a huge hole in the most dangerous scoring area on the pitch and copping 3 against Jets, the same problem recurs again (and again) and we cop another one against WSW. Aloisi says at the presser he was yelling at the players to close the space before Mooy scored, what was he (not) doing during training all week?

I'm still yet to see a single Heart player playing at the level they reached under JVS yet alone improve.

Edited December 8, 2013 by belaguttman

[mulhollanddrive]

I'm amazed that the only place I read or hear about criticism about MH, is on here.

 

The media for some reason love us.

 

EG. SEN this morning - Mel McLoughlin and Brett Phillips saying Heart have improved and played well to get a point and heading in the right direction, but where are WSW at, are they meeting expectations?  LOL.

Edited December 8, 2013 by mulhollanddrive