Marwood says...

[Heart_fan]

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/frank-lampard-was-never-likely-for-melbourne-city-says-brian-marwood-20150303-13trdg.html

 

Former England superstar and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was never a likely option for Melbourne City, Brian Marwood, the football administration officer for the club's Abu Dhabi-controlled owner, City Football Group, has revealed.

 

And while Marwood stopped short of agreeing that the David Villa signing – where the Spanish World Cup winner played only four games for City – was a "disaster", he admitted that both the Melbourne club and the CFG had learnt plenty of lessons from an experiment that left a sour taste in the mouths of many City fans, especially those who had swelled the club's membership in the expectation that Villa would play 10 games for the Melbourne team.

 

Results in the first half of the season, when City struggled badly for form, were unacceptable, Marwood said. But coach John van 't Schip's job was not dependent on making the finals.

 

"We will assess it in the summer. We will take a view. We are happy with JVS and the group. We have a lot of faith in the staff. And when you are on the inside you know what they have to work with in terms of the dynamics of certain aspects," said Marwood, an English League winner with Arsenal in his playing days.

 

--------

 

Hadn't seen this posted but it has many interesting comments about a range of subjects. I appologise if its been posted in one of the other topics.

 

This part was very interesting later in the article:

 

While City will still consider sending big-name players who are probably in their twilight years to Melbourne, it seems more likely that they will send younger players from the under-21 squad over for training or to play a season if they fit into the team dynamic. Currently a youngster from Manchester City's under 21s, James Horsfield, is training with van 't Schip's team to gain experience and develop his football.

 

Seem's like that shared mentality with CFG is starting to occur with such player movements.

 

But this part sums it all up so well:

 

He readily admits that the Melbourne club did not make the most of the opportunities that it was presented with at the start of the season.

 

"Certainly the results in the first half of the season were poor, not acceptable," Marwood said. "We didn't capture the momentum earlier in the season when membership went to 10,000. We had nearly 16,000 to David's first game. But because the results weren't there ... people used to say at first that it was always same old City in Manchester and I heard it here too, that Melbourne City will take you to the point, then disappoint you. But hopefully symbols like the new training ground will show that we are here for the long term."

Edited March 3, 2015 by Heart_fan

[jw1739]

Bloody good post Heart Fan. Many thanks. Sort of positive stuff we need to read.

[Jovan]

Bloody good post Heart Fan. Many thanks. Sort of positive stuff we need to read.

Agree x 10.

 

Why don't they send out this sort of stuff earlier. 

[HEARTinator]

Very, very interesting and it appears that Marwood and others are viewing Melbourne City's progress through a range of different angles - crowd numbers, the failed Villa experiment, JVS' position, etc. Very happy with this and good to know that pressure has been on our club to get it's act together. No wonder JVS seemed to be sweating a little more in recent times. And his future as the gaffer is not guaranteed even if the team makes the 6 

Edited March 3, 2015 by HEARTinator

[Heart of Melbourne]

Top post but I could have told you the villa situation was a disaster.

[HEARTinator]

Top post but I could have told you the villa situation was a disaster.

 

Agree and at least it's not being swepted under the carpet pretending it wasn't a sh!t thing to have happened. I think it also means that they'll work a little harder to retain these extra supporters.

[malloy]

Top post but I could have told you the villa situation was a disaster.

Agree and at least it's not being swepted under the carpet pretending it wasn't a sh!t thing to have happened. I think it also means that they'll work a little harder to retain these extra supporters.

It is good to have some one senior acknowledge that something was shit and say it was unacceptable.

[jw1739]

 

 

Top post but I could have told you the villa situation was a disaster.

Agree and at least it's not being swepted under the carpet pretending it wasn't a sh!t thing to have happened. I think it also means that they'll work a little harder to retain these extra supporters.

It is good to have some one senior acknowledge that something was shit and say it was unacceptable.

 

It's not so much what Marwood is saying, but that he is saying it. For me that's what is important - keep the communications coming.

[Harrison]

Marwood says CFG are happy with JVS and that his job is not dependent on making the finals.

I took that to mean he will probably stay even if we finish seventh.

And by 'when you are on the inside you know what they have to work with in terms of the dynamics of certain aspects' I thought he might have been alluding to the contracted players JVS had to work with.

Seems to point to him keeping his job.

[bt50]

Marwood says CFG are happy with JVS and that his job is not dependent on making the finals.

I took that to mean he will probably stay even if we finish seventh.

And by 'when you are on the inside you know what they have to work with in terms of the dynamics of certain aspects' I thought he might have been alluding to the contracted players JVS had to work with.

Seems to point to him keeping his job.

Not necessarily, but it's certainly enabling them to keep their options open and not back themselves into any corner.

[NewConvert]

I took it to mean options are open, that they won't be frivolous with the coaching staff and that they recognise that this is a long term rebuild, or at the very least not a one season rebuild.

[Tony999]

Read between the lines. JVS will be gone. Next!

[jw1739]

 

Marwood says CFG are happy with JVS and that his job is not dependent on making the finals.

I took that to mean he will probably stay even if we finish seventh.

And by 'when you are on the inside you know what they have to work with in terms of the dynamics of certain aspects' I thought he might have been alluding to the contracted players JVS had to work with.

Seems to point to him keeping his job.

Not necessarily, but it's certainly enabling them to keep their options open and not back themselves into any corner.

 

He is quoted as saying" We will assess it in the (English) summer. We will take a view."

[Tommykins]

Having spent a bit of time on the bluemoon forum, I can tell you, quotes like this from the big boys are rare as hens teeth, even to Man City.

[belaguttman]

 

 

 

Top post but I could have told you the villa situation was a disaster.

Agree and at least it's not being swepted under the carpet pretending it wasn't a sh!t thing to have happened. I think it also means that they'll work a little harder to retain these extra supporters.

It is good to have some one senior acknowledge that something was shit and say it was unacceptable.

 

It's not so much what Marwood is saying, but that he is saying it. For me that's what is important - keep the communications coming.

 

Its not just saying it that's important, it's fixing it!

He implies that he'll fix it but I'll believe it when it happens.

Edited March 3, 2015 by belaguttman

[Heart_fan]

As Tommykins said, I think the most surprising thing was that he said anything at all.

Based on previous observations from Man City fans, I was expecting complete silence on such topics, but he certainly have a frank and open interview there.

It makes you wonder what they will do to try and maximise the moment at the start of next season, as they will need to work hard to keep some existing members let alone building the numbers after the Villa experiment.

Interesting times ahead.

[silva10]

It seems clear to me that they have not decided about JVS, but I think he is under very severe pressure. Regardless of Marwood saying that his future doesn't depend on him finishing in the top 6, realistically a fade out will see him being replaced. Even a winning run may not save him if they feel there is a better way to go.

[M13]

It seems clear to me that they have not decided about JVS, but I think he is under very severe pressure. Regardless of Marwood saying that his future doesn't depend on him finishing in the top 6, realistically a fade out will see him being replaced. Even a winning run may not save him if they feel there is a better way to go.

 

Progress is the key, as long as the team is improving he´ll be safe.. as soon as the team are getting stale he´ll be gone.

 

And yes, It´s a bit odd that a top CFG executive speaks out.. but then you lads got to sit down with Simon Pearce once, something that I´m still stunned by.

Even among Manchester City fans it´s few that know that he´s No 2 on the CFG board, the amount of fans that have had a chat with him or any other board member is probably microscopic given that no board members live in Manchester, and few in the U.K

But Simon likes Australia, worked in Sydney for years and keeps a keen eye on Melbourne.

Edited March 3, 2015 by M13

[belaguttman]

The problem for JVS is that there has been little sign of progress in team style nor tactical evolution by the coach. There has been some improvement in team resilience, coming from behind to win games is new (and welcome) but the team is still too anxious on the pitch and has brittle confidence. In his defence there have been a lot of injuries, unexpected early departures (Villa) and arrivals and this has made it difficult to have a settled lineup required for steady progress but I'm not convinced that JVS has either done enough nor has the ability to take us to the top

[n i k o]

Marwood has said all the right things, he won't say that top 6 is a benchmark or anything like that becasue it wouldn't be fair to JVS or the players to bring unecassary pressure into an already quite stressful environment. That doesn't mean though they haven't sat down and said that with the current team we should without doubt make the top six, behind closed doors of course.

I'm sure the style of play we're playing will also be a key factor in their decision as well as they want to play the City way. But if keeping a high possession and having barely any chances on goal, like many games earlier on, isn't their thing then JVS job will be on the line. Unless they decide that he has been seriously hampered by the playing squad or other external factors, either way it's going to make for an interesting offseason.

[silva10]

 

It seems clear to me that they have not decided about JVS, but I think he is under very severe pressure. Regardless of Marwood saying that his future doesn't depend on him finishing in the top 6, realistically a fade out will see him being replaced. Even a winning run may not save him if they feel there is a better way to go.

 

Progress is the key, as long as the team is improving he´ll be safe.. as soon as the team are getting stale he´ll be gone.

 

And yes, It´s a bit odd that a top CFG executive speaks out.. but then you lads got to sit down with Simon Pearce once, something that I´m still stunned by.

Even among Manchester City fans it´s few that know that he´s No 2 on the CFG board, the amount of fans that have had a chat with him or any other board member is probably microscopic given that no board members live in Manchester, and few in the U.K

But Simon likes Australia, worked in Sydney for years and keeps a keen eye on Melbourne.

 

 

I am in the UK mate! So I didn't get the chance to sit down with Simon Pearce lol

 

Anyway, yes CFG will want to see progression, but where will they take their starting point from?

 

Maybe this was always a season of consolidation and that they felt that the play offs would be a bonus. If so, it is entirely feasible that JVS will get another season. It will all depend on what their expectations where this season.

[KSK_47]

Great post and very interesting use of language. Reading between the lines, to me it was basically an admission that they have really fucked up a lot of things since taking over, but more importantly they want to fix it sooner rather than later.

As someone who has had to witness some of the most baffling acts of idiocy go on at this club and then be given a sugar coated response when the decisions were questioned, this is really appreciated.

[Falastur]

My interpretation of this, perhaps like others, is that the comment that JVS' job doesn't rely on making the top 6 is like saying a house doesn't rely on foundations to stay upright. Well it's true, it doesn't - it can fall over with firm foundations, and it can stand upright even if it's just a pile of bricks on the ground - but JVS will be assessed on the kinds of things which usually affect league performance anyway. They'll want to see that he's proving that he can shape a team to play the football they want, that he can handle players both big(ish) and small, that he has a vision which he is showing he can implement, and that his performances in the technical area are conducive to taking the team to the top of the league. Realistically, a manager who can't manage a good team out of the bottom 4 will not pass those tests, so if they decide that he had the resources to make the playoffs and failed for reasons under his control then he's probably going to be dispensed with. Of course, because they are examining these standards and not just his league position, it also means he may be sacked even if he reaches the play-offs. It also means that if they see the right thing in him then he may, as indicated, be retained, but it all depends on them seeing the right thing in him.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Falastur

[Jimmy]

As someone who has had to witness some of the most baffling acts of idiocy go on at this club and then be given a sugar coated response when the decisions were questioned.

Ahhh. The magic of David Lyon.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Jimmy

[KSK_47]

As someone who has had to witness some of the most baffling acts of idiocy go on at this club and then be given a sugar coated response when the decisions were questioned.

Ahhh. The magic of David Lyon.

I was referring to Sidwell, but yeah he hasn't really helped either

[mjake1234]

As someone who has had to witness some of the most baffling acts of idiocy go on at this club and then be given a sugar coated response when the decisions were questioned.

Ahhh. The magic of David Lyon. So true. But he was/is not alone in the lack of vision, commitment, passion and member interests that was Heart.

Come on City.

[Kiro Kompiro]

He talks about being on the "inside and the dynamics" JVS has had to work with, and later mentions there are are players out of contract at the end of the season.

 

What I see here is that, yes, the performances in the first half the year were unacceptable, but no its not all JVS's fault as there are players who are not up to it and thankfully they are off contract at the end of the season.

 

I don't know who these players are exactly,  but if I were them i would be very, very nervous right about now.  Overseas junkets are nice, but they were going there with a view to playing better, not as a holiday.

[Kiro Kompiro]

My interpretation of this, perhaps like others, is that the comment that JVS' job doesn't rely on making the top 6 is like saying a house doesn't rely on foundations to stay upright. Well it's true, it doesn't - it can fall over with firm foundations, and it can stand upright even if it's just a pile of bricks on the ground - but JVS will be assessed on the kinds of things which usually affect league performance anyway. They'll want to see that he's proving that he can shape a team to play the football they want, that he can handle players both big(ish) and small, that he has a vision which he is showing he can implement, and that his performances in the technical area are conducive to taking the team to the top of the league. Realistically, a manager who can't manage a good team out of the bottom 4 will not pass those tests, so if they decide that he had the resources to make the playoffs and failed for reasons under his control then he's probably going to be dispensed with. Of course, because they are examining these standards and not just his league position, it also means he may be sacked even if he reaches the play-offs. It also means that if they see the right thing in him then he may, as indicated, be retained, but it all depends on them seeing the right thing in him.

 

yes but he also says:

 

"We will assess it in the summer. We will take a view. We are happy with JVS and the group. We have a lot of faith in the staff. And when you are on the inside you know what they have to work with in terms of the dynamics of certain aspects,"

 

and

 

"The plans we have, the academy, the first team, we have an interesting summer coming up. We have a number of players who are out of contract."

 

I think he is saying its not al JVS's fault, and there will be player changes in the off season, with some of those off contract to be gone.

[Shahanga]

Marwood says CFG are happy with JVS and that his job is not dependent on making the finals.

I took that to mean he will probably stay even if we finish seventh.

And by 'when you are on the inside you know what they have to work with in terms of the dynamics of certain aspects' I thought he might have been alluding to the contracted players JVS had to work with.

Seems to point to him keeping his job.

Exactly. I know everyone interprets stuff how it suits them, but I thought it indicated that top 6 wasn't the key issue & the tone seemed to be pro retention.

[jw1739]

FWIW I interpreted it differently. I thought that it meant that there was no particular number in mind (that is position on the league table) but rather that everyone (coaches and players) would be assessed on inputs - what they are putting into their roles - rather than the specific outcome of where we finish, which, like the NYL, could be decided on just a couple of goals.

[Jovan]

From one article we have had at least half a dozen interpretations on what he and CFG intend. That's probably why we don't get much out from those up top.

Whatever happens we can all be sure that in 12 months well be in a better position than we are now. But then again.......

[Deeming]

FWIW I interpreted it differently. I thought that it meant that there was no particular number in mind (that is position on the league table) but rather that everyone (coaches and players) would be assessed on inputs - what they are putting into their roles - rather than the specific outcome of where we finish, which, like the NYL, could be decided on just a couple of goals.

 

That was also my interpretation. You have to assess the team and JVS based on the other A-League teams' performances and where we finish in relation to them. This year the top of the table is very close there are lots of good teams without any one standing out above the rest. The team that finishes 4th this year will be a lot better than the team that finished 4th in years gone by. So it is more understandable that we finish lower this year compared to years when there has been 1-2 good teams and the rest of the league was playing poor. 

[Harrison]

He says a few different things like 'we will take a view' and 'we are happy with JVS'. It could mean anything really.

I certainly hope they will not just base the decision on whether we make the finals. As was said above, if CFG don't like JVS's direction then his contract will be terminated. I suspect that's why he has remained as coach despite our performance. Perhaps they see positive developments taking place.

For what it's worth, I suspect they do see positive developments, all things considered.

[Heart_fan]

I don't think there have been a lot of positives this year, with many missteps and a general lack of confidence still there in the manager, players and fans alike.

To fall back to MH type crowds is dissapointing as we all want to see this club succeed after years of failure on and off the pitch. As Marwood made clear, he also felt the club failed to take advantage of its moment this year.

Let's hope some success is the medicine we need to get some excitement and confidence into our fans, which will hopefully bring the crowds in.

[Moraiwe]

I get the impression that the only reason they feel the Villa experiment was a failure was because we didn't win matches and thus gain bigger crowds.  No acknowledgement at all that selling memberships while giving the impression that Villa would be here for 10 games was in any way a bad idea.  They've not only failed to generate the buzz they'd hoped for, they've diminished trust.

[Attack11]

Great article, for me this article tells me exactly what I want to know and that is, all decisions made by the Melbourne City owners is about football and results.. Finally we have people in the right position that understand that football performance and results are what make members, and supporters tick...

He mentions that momentum was lost during the early part of the season... with regards to membership numbers and attendances.. Very important comment.

He also mentioned that the team takes the supporters on a ride only to let us down which leads to the reference of same old, same old..

So he must be referencing our 5 game run earlier in the season ...

Great article and also great to see that the observations are spot on..

[agoalie]

he can make these kinds of statements in australia because it wont be reported like it would be over in the UK. if he said this about Man City then it would be major news for a chief to talk like this. However with football being a 'fringe'  sport in the mainstream he can get away with it. Its very reassuring to here someone in his position to admit errors and what is happening and it is what us supporters have been wanting since the take over. Hopefully this communication continues in a sense albeit on a more positive note.

[Kiro Kompiro]

he can make these kinds of statements in australia because it wont be reported like it would be over in the UK. if he said this about Man City then it would be major news for a chief to talk like this. However with football being a 'fringe'  sport in the mainstream he can get away with it. Its very reassuring to here someone in his position to admit errors and what is happening and it is what us supporters have been wanting since the take over. Hopefully this communication continues in a sense albeit on a more positive note.

 

 

I hate being that guy, but you bring down to this.

 

HERE as in "over HERE" or "over tHERE"

 

HEAR as in hear with your EAR.  See its got the "ear" in it, whereas "here" does not have an "ear" in it.

[n i k o]

I get the impression that the only reason they feel the Villa experiment was a failure was because we didn't win matches and thus gain bigger crowds.  No acknowledgement at all that selling memberships while giving the impression that Villa would be here for 10 games was in any way a bad idea.  They've not only failed to generate the buzz they'd hoped for, they've diminished trust.

"And while Marwood stopped short of agreeing that the David Villa signing – where the Spanish World Cup winner played only four games for City – was a "disaster", he admitted that both the Melbourne club and the CFG had learnt plenty of lessons from an experiment that left a sour taste in the mouths of many City fans, especially those who had swelled the club's membership in the expectation that Villa would play 10 games for the Melbourne team."

[thisphantomfortress]

Things agoalie can do;

Sew

Make flags

Keep clean sheets

Things agoalie can't do;

Spell

Learn the correct words to songs