Season 2015/2016 (start planning now)

[Murfy1]

'Ruthless' Melbourne City set for major off-season changes

 

May 9, 2015

 

Michael Lynch

 

 

For most teams, climbing off the canvas and getting to within 90 minutes of an A-League grand final would be considered a wonderful season.

 

But not for Melbourne City, last year's wooden spooners who made it as far as this year's semi-finals before crashing out of contention thanks to a 3-0 loss to cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory on Friday night.

 

Now that Melbourne's "second team" is owned by one of the world's richest football businesses, the Manchester-based City Football Group, reaching the last four of the competition is regarded as a mere pass.

 

And that is why blood is set to flow at the Latrobe University-based club in what is sure to be a busy off-season as new personnel are brought in both in administration and the football department, and players are culled and replaced.

 

"There will be a fair amount of ruthlessness in decisions that will be made about players in the next few months," one insider said in the wake of City's season-ending defeat.

 

"People won't just be retained because they might be good blokes."

 

City need to take the next step, and that means bringing in quality imports, getting improvement from its promising youngsters and adding some excitement to build up its fan base, which still lags Victory's by a considerable margin.

 

John van't Schip and his coaching staff and football manager, John Didulica, who oversees recruiting and list management, will remain, but they will be bolstered by another layer of administration in the football management structure.

 

City will bring in football staff — working in health and fitness, strength and conditioning and other ancillary areas — to assist, with many of them coming from the UK, perhaps some from Manchester but others from rival Premier League clubs who see the chance of a move to Australia as a career-enhancing opportunity.

 

City has several players who are off contract who will not be part of the set-up next season, while even some who are in the last year of their deals could find themselves moved on if moves to other clubs can be engineered.

 

Those off contract now include goalkeeper Tando Velaphi, who has just forced his way into the starting line-up in the second half of the campaign, Iain Ramsay, Massimo Murdocca, Jonatan Germano, Rob Wielaert, youngster Paulo Retre, forward Mate Dugandzic, injured Irishman Damien Duff and Dutch veteran and injury replacement player Kew Jaliens, along with young French winger and another injury replacement in Harry Novillo.

 

It is hard to see Ramsay and Murdocca having much long-term future at the club as it rebuilds to go forward. Dugandzic has featured regularly when fit and could be thrown a lifeline, while Retre is still young and might get another opportunity. Velaphi has had his chances in the A-League and has never managed to cement himself as a long-term number one at any club.

 

City's foreign line-up will change completely. Duff wants to return to Ireland, Wielaert is 36 and will not be part of the squad next season, Germano is a decent player but simply gets injured too often and is too much of a risk. Only international marquee player Robert Koren, who has a year left on his deal, is likely to still be at the City Football Academy in Melbourne's northern suburbs next season although Novillo, who takes players on and brings some excitement, might be retained.

 

Melbourne Victory has shown how important it is to get visa players right: Fahid Ben Khallfallah, Besart Berisha, Kosta Barbarouses, Gui Finkler and Matthieu Delpierre are the core of the team that is favourite to win the grand final and are all regular starters when fit.

 

City, with the resources at its disposal, can certainly trawl far and wide to find quality overseas imports and that is something it definitely needs to get right if it is to improve on its showing next season.

 

Of the players still under contract the likes of back up goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne, defender Jason Hoffman and striker David Williams could find themselves moved on if deals could be done with other A-League clubs.

 

The core of the City side next season will be captain Patrick Kisnorbo, young defender Connor Chapman, youngster Ben Garuccio, who has been injured for much of the season, another youngster in Jacob Melling, who missed the finals because of a knee injury, and Aaron Mooy, by far the club's best player all campaign.

 

Socceroo frontman Josh Kennedy is also under contract as City's Australian marquee player, and his situation is interesting. The tall striker has struggled for years with back problems and joked this week that the long Australian off-season (some five months) could either make him or break him.

 

City needs to find some consistency if it is to take the next step. 

 

There were some excuses this season as van't Schip could rarely pick the same team as he was hit by a series of serious injuries to key players.

 

Koren, who needs to offer more than he did this season, missed the first half of the campaign through injury, while several others, including the likes of James Brown, Garrucio and Dugnadzic, missed large chunks of the campaign.

 

That lack of continuity hit City hard. They need to find the right blend and stick with it – and if all played with the commitment and heart of Kisnorbo they would be harder to beat, week in week out.

 

It should be a fascinating off season in Melbourne's northern suburbs, City's Australian base.

 

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/ruthless-melbourne-city-set-for-major-offseason-changes-20150509-ggxu6m.html

[Tesla]

Replace JVS.

Sign wingers.

Win the league.

[malloy]

Ffs Lynch better not be right when he says JVS will be retained.

[Torn Asunder]

CFG definitely need to be ruthless.

Reading between the lines, EPL level football department people and new administration coming into the Latrobe operation ... it will be a take over of operations

[HEARTinator]

Lynchy is saying a lot of stuff there. He's either making up a load of BS or has some inside info. The blokes who've been responsible for the shit recruiting seem untouchable  

[n i k o]

Replace JVS.Sign wingers.Win the league.

Wingers although needed simply won't cut it. Our defence is not good enough. Three of the four at the back need to be removed from the starting eleven.

[Thrillhouse]

New coach and new marquees are dead obvious

A lot of preparing the squad will probly depend on Mooy staying or going

 

With our visa spots what would you guys rather see, 1 or 2 more expensive players like duff in the cap with the other spots used on cheap players like safuwan or just go with 4 fairly equal visa players? 

And how much would novillo be on?

[Murfy1]

For what it's worth I am pretty confident that Koren won't be around next season. There's just been too much noise about City bringing in a star player next season like Drogba for me to believe that Robert Koren, who will be 35 before next season starts, will be retained. Also I'm sure CFG isn't blind and can see that Koren simply isn't doing what a marquee has to do.

 

So that's at least one change that Lynch's reporting above is underestimating..

Edited May 9, 2015 by Murfy1

[Tesla]

And how much would novillo be on?

Not sure how much he is on, might have taken a pay cut as he was desperate for a club, but surely he'd want at least $300,000. Even that seems low, he is a young EU player, taxes and cost of living are high in Australia.

[Shahanga]

I wouldn't offer more than 150k and that's a stretch .

The guy can ask what he likes but he couldn't get a game in Europe.

[KSK_47]

So if what the article says is true and JVS does stay surely he has absolutely no excuses not to bring the premiers plate to Bundoora next season.

Edited May 9, 2015 by KSK_47

[Tesla]

I wouldn't offer more than 150k and that's a stretch .

The guy can ask what he likes but he couldn't get a game in Europe.

Well if he went back to the French second division, he'd probably be better off earning the equivalent of $200k than earning $300k in Australia when you compare cost of living. Wouldn't surprise me if $200k is about the average salary in the French second division, Novillo certainly wouldn't be above average, maybe he'd be below average and you can argue he wouldn't even get the equivalent of $200k in France. So maybe he would stay here for $250k or something.

There's a reason there aren't many EU players in this league and if there are they are usually crap. And if they aren't crap, they are old (Broich). It just doesnt work out financially.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Tesla

[HEARTinator]

I wouldn't offer more than 150k and that's a stretch .

The guy can ask what he likes but he couldn't get a game in Europe.

 

Novillo played in Ligue 2 France. He's shown to be lively but not clinical. As a visa spot, get someone better.

[malloy]

And how much would novillo be on?

Not sure how much he is on, might have taken a pay cut as he was desperate for a club, but surely he'd want at least $300,000. Even that seems low, he is a young EU player, taxes and cost of living are high in Australia.

Some one on this forum has previously stated that an injury replacement has to be on the same wage as the injured player.

If this is true then the fact that Novillo is Duff's injury replacement should give a pretty good indication of his current wage.

[fidrildid6]

 

City will bring in football staff — working in health and fitness, strength and conditioning and other ancillary areas

 

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/ruthless-melbourne-city-set-for-major-offseason-changes-20150509-ggxu6m.html

 

 

Excellent

[Tesla]

And how much would novillo be on?

Not sure how much he is on, might have taken a pay cut as he was desperate for a club, but surely he'd want at least $300,000. Even that seems low, he is a young EU player, taxes and cost of living are high in Australia.

Some one on this forum has previously stated that an injury replacement has to be on the same wage as the injured player.

If this is true then the fact that Novillo is Duff's injury replacement should give a pretty good indication of his current wage.

Yeah, has to be upto or less than the injured players wage AFAIK, and that's part of my thinking as well as I assume Duff would have been on at least $300k.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Tesla

[rass]

I don't think there's anything really in that article that couldn't have been known without spending half an hour reading this forum...

[bellydrum]

Sounds good to me. Looking forward to some new signings.

[sheepdog]

If we lose mooy, which is a strong possibility, along with hopefully losing koren, I am tending to lean towards acquiring a quality mid as marquee.

if he stays than yes, go all out for marquee striker. We have the money afterall.

[agoalie]

Get rid of Kennedy, give as much money to Nathan burns as he wants. Sign vukovic and mclaren. Find some quality international full backs. Get rid of Koren, use marquee spot for a great midfielder. And most of all, sign players that fit the system, not players who are "good" but play them out of position.

[Murfy1]

 

 

 

And how much would novillo be on?

Not sure how much he is on, might have taken a pay cut as he was desperate for a club, but surely he'd want at least $300,000. Even that seems low, he is a young EU player, taxes and cost of living are high in Australia.

 

Some one on this forum has previously stated that an injury replacement has to be on the same wage as the injured player.

If this is true then the fact that Novillo is Duff's injury replacement should give a pretty good indication of his current wage.

 

Yeah, has to be upto or less than the injured players wage AFAIK, and that's part of my thinking as well as I assume Duff would have been on at least $300k.

 

 

Correct, the injury replacement player can't be paid more than the injured player. 

 

After that though it's all speculation. There's no reason why Novillo would necessarily have to be paid as much as Duff was earning.

 

I personally think Novillo would have been on a deal significantly less than Duff; it's not like Novillo has a glittering history playing in the Premier League. But at the same time, Novillo wouldn't quite be a real budget buy like Safuwan on minimum wages.

 

 

So who knows the exact financial situation with Novillo. But I'm sure Melbourne City would offer him a contract inside the cap that the club can afford, that doesn't break the bank. And then Novillo can take it or leave it, and we'll see what happens.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Murfy1

[Shahanga]

CFG definitely need to be ruthless.

Reading between the lines, EPL level football department people and new administration coming into the Latrobe operation ... it will be a take over of operations

Sounds very positive.  Our injury situation was woeful and this business of players "not turning up" was bullshit.  

 

I doubt Lynch will be 100% right in his (tipped off) predictions (for one i suspect there are a couple of decisions not finalised, as is the nature of these things) but the theme is clearly that we need to get a LOT better and they intend to provide the resources to achieve this, which is a welcome breath of fresh air.

 

I wonder about changes in the admin side as well?  We will see.

[Jimmy]

Get rid of Kennedy, give as much money to Nathan burns as he wants. Sign vukovic and mclaren. Find some quality international full backs. Get rid of Koren, use marquee spot for a great midfielder. And most of all, sign players that fit the system, not players who are "good" but play them out of position.

I don't know what sort of salary cap you think we're working within but good luck.

[Jimmy]

As long as Luke Wyman is retained I'm happy.

[Pete Heartspur]

 

CFG definitely need to be ruthless.

Reading between the lines, EPL level football department people and new administration coming into the Latrobe operation ... it will be a take over of operations

Sounds very positive.  Our injury situation was woeful and this business of players "not turning up" was bullshit.  

 

I doubt Lynch will be 100% right in his (tipped off) predictions (for one i suspect there are a couple of decisions not finalised, as is the nature of these things) but the theme is clearly that we need to get a LOT better and they intend to provide the resources to achieve this, which is a welcome breath of fresh air.

 

I wonder about changes in the admin side as well?  We will see.

 

"One insider said" = I can write whatever I like and not be held accountable for anything that is incorrect!

Edited May 9, 2015 by Pete Heartspur

[Tesla]

Honestly the most important thing to sort out first is the manager.

It wouldnt surprise me if almost any player in our squad turned into a handy player under a new manager.

Either way, it's important the manager chooses who he wants and doesn't want.

That's what's worrying when you hear Novillo has begun negotiating with the club. Does it mean JVS is staying or does it mean the club is deciding who tko keep befoire a new manager is appointed? Either way, it's not good. Especially since JD is incompetant.

[Tony999]

CFG definitely need to be ruthless.

Reading between the lines, EPL level football department people and new administration coming into the Latrobe operation ... it will be a take over of operations

Sounds very positive. Our injury situation was woeful and this business of players "not turning up" was bullshit.

I doubt Lynch will be 100% right in his (tipped off) predictions (for one i suspect there are a couple of decisions not finalised, as is the nature of these things) but the theme is clearly that we need to get a LOT better and they intend to provide the resources to achieve this, which is a welcome breath of fresh air.

I wonder about changes in the admin side as well? We will see.

"One insider said" = I can write whatever I like and not be held accountable for anything that is incorrect!

Well l know who that "insider" is.....

It's the Greek construction worker!

[silva10]

Well even I could predict there would be big changes this pre-season.

 

I don't know anything about the Aussie media, so no idea what contacts he may have within the club. However, unless it is JVS himself or someone close to him I would be very suspicious of him being retained.

 

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised that CFG are still considering their options with regard to their manager.

[NewConvert]

Honestly the most important thing to sort out first is the manager.

It wouldnt surprise me if almost any player in our squad turned into a handy player under a new manager.

Either way, it's important the manager chooses who he wants and doesn't want.

That's what's worrying when you hear Novillo has begun negotiating with the club. Does it mean JVS is staying or does it mean the club is deciding who tko keep befoire a new manager is appointed? Either way, it's not good. Especially since JD is incompetant.

 

In an ideal world the manager would be confirmed or replaced then the negotiations begin with the players. However players are entitled to begin looking for clubs as soon as their contract ends (or even earlier) and since we don't know what Novillo's  French contractual status is the club may well need to do two sets of negotiations. BTW this is quite normal in the business world - I've lost count of the number of negotiations I entered with suppliers before our potential customer awarded a contract; they are all contingent on winning the contract anyway. Also in larger businesses it is extremely rare for a manager to have the team that they want, there are always hang overs from previous regimes or the board want particular people in certain positions.

 

I certainly would like an early statement that either JVS will be retained or whether there will be a new manager. Hopefully this will happen after the players gala night this coming Tuesday.

[Dylan]

 

CFG definitely need to be ruthless.

Reading between the lines, EPL level football department people and new administration coming into the Latrobe operation ... it will be a take over of operations

Sounds very positive.  Our injury situation was woeful and this business of players "not turning up" was bullshit.  

 

I doubt Lynch will be 100% right in his (tipped off) predictions (for one i suspect there are a couple of decisions not finalised, as is the nature of these things) but the theme is clearly that we need to get a LOT better and they intend to provide the resources to achieve this, which is a welcome breath of fresh air.

 

I wonder about changes in the admin side as well?  We will see.

 

 

 

Ripamonti is gone already.

 

 

FWIW I reckon that all the of the players coming off contract wont be resigned and Hoffman, Redmayne and Williams will be off loaded, Koren gone too.

 

But that will all come to naught if JVS is retained and we will just have another season of being the absolute shittest team in transition and fuck around at the top of the box before passing back to Kisnorbo, along with our classic lines of 'We were unlucky' 'we have injuries' 'its the players fault, they are mentally fragile'

Edited May 9, 2015 by Dylan

[Falastur]

Honestly the most important thing to sort out first is the manager.

It wouldnt surprise me if almost any player in our squad turned into a handy player under a new manager.

Either way, it's important the manager chooses who he wants and doesn't want.

That's what's worrying when you hear Novillo has begun negotiating with the club. Does it mean JVS is staying or does it mean the club is deciding who tko keep befoire a new manager is appointed? Either way, it's not good. Especially since JD is incompetant.

 

CFG favour the continental European method, with the manager having little or no influence on who is signed, the Director of Football doing all of the recruiting. Who the manager is may make little difference to who is signed. The difference between CFG and the rest is that the ideals of the playstyle come from above and is dictated to the Director of Football, in the same way that the DoF usually dictates the playstyle to the manager. CFG is, if anything, more willing to sack its DoFs than its managers. I wouldn't be surprised if Didulica headed for the exit, regardless of JVS' fate.

 

Well even I could predict there would be big changes this pre-season.

 

I don't know anything about the Aussie media, so no idea what contacts he may have within the club. However, unless it is JVS himself or someone close to him I would be very suspicious of him being retained.

 

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised that CFG are still considering their options with regard to their manager.

 

It could go either way. Bear in mind that CFG like giving time to managers, long enough at least to say that they let the manager prove their worth before dispensing with them when they fail to meet targets. They got their fingers burned with the way Hughes and Mancini were sacked and I think they're trying to be more tentative now - it's easy to claim that Mancini was sacked because he failed to retain the league/win the FA Cup, but it was nothing to do with that - he would've stayed if he hadn't fallen out with just about everyone at the club right down to the tea ladies. For all the talk of Pellegrini being sacked, unless he'd finished 5th he would never have been sacked unless Guardiola became available, and Soriano and Txiki have such a hard-on for Pep that they would have got rid of Pellegrini before he played a single game if they could've got their #1 manager at the time. Pellers was always just keeping the seat warm for Pep.

 

Not trying to put on the dampeners, just trying to put reason to the possibility in case it comes true, but it may be that (Melbourne) City's sudden turn of form (relatively) in the last four months, beating Brisbane Roar to 5th and then beating Wellington, may mean that they feel the need to give him another season because he achieved what he was meant to achieve. He can legitimately claim now that he has the ability to be better than a 10th place manager, and if he puts the blame entirely on the level of quality of the players he may be able to brow-beat CFG into giving him one more year. That said, if he's not challenging for the title in 12 months' time he's surely gone.

 

Of course, this is assuming he doesn't go. It's still entirely possible that he will be dispensed with.

 

The other interesting question in all of this is what happens if Pep doesn't come to Manchester and then Khaldoon holds his inquest and sacks Soriano. Would CFG sign another man and then get him to do the post-mortem on Melbourne City's season? Would Khaldoon do it himself? If that happens, the whole situation could turn on its head.

[Dylan]

I get the sense that next season is the season the club is really going to push the independence from the FFA hard. We have that City TV thing coming to Melbourne you mentioned Falastur, so I doubt we will feature much on those FFA/A league things and this year we dont have any merch on the aleague website which is funny because it looks really obvious that we arnt on there. Plus I noticed this final series that there was alot less content from the FFA on us. Now that might be just because we fell into the finals and probably didnt deserve to be there, but who knows. Oh and there was that small thing of the CFG inviting all the owners and CEO's to Abu Dhabi to talk about an independently run league. 

[Kinnibari]

Well the FFA made their stance on the management of the aleague pretty clear in the whole of football plan they just released.

[Murfy1]

Michael Cockerill reporting today ....

 

And with Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City back in the market for genuine star power next season, the possibilities are exciting. Among those potentially on offer are Didier Drogba, Andrea Pirlo, Tomas Rosicky, Miroslav Klose and Xavi Hernandez. Now that's a marquee. 

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/sydney-fc/time-for-marc-janko-to-prove-his-marquee-status-in-aleague-showpiece-20150510-ggy5uo.html

Edited May 10, 2015 by Murfy1

[Thrillhouse]

The way I see it is we must use the marquee spot on a striker, we've never had anyone clinical up forward

We had the most shots on target this season and still scored fuck all

[hakz7]

Inb4 Grant Holt.

[Imperial Pints]

Cfg's recruiting in the last couple of years with Man City has been abysmal. Last year's epl title really papered over the cracks given Chelsea, Arsenal & Liverpool shit the bed.

I'm hopeful of us signing players in their prime, rather than former stars in their mid thirties who'll only be here for a season or two.

[Peter]

Cfg's recruiting in the last couple of years with Man City has been abysmal. Last year's epl title really papered over the cracks given Chelsea, Arsenal & Liverpool shit the bed.

I'm hopeful of us signing players in their prime, rather than former stars in their mid thirties who'll only be here for a season or two.

CFG Out!

[haz]

Michael Cockerill reporting today ....

And with Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City back in the market for genuine star power next season, the possibilities are exciting. Among those potentially on offer are Didier Drogba, Andrea Pirlo, Tomas Rosicky, Miroslav Klose and Xavi Hernandez. Now that's a marquee.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/sydney-fc/time-for-marc-janko-to-prove-his-marquee-status-in-aleague-showpiece-20150510-ggy5uo.html

Would take Rosicky

[Dylan]

 

Michael Cockerill reporting today ....

And with Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City back in the market for genuine star power next season, the possibilities are exciting. Among those potentially on offer are Didier Drogba, Andrea Pirlo, Tomas Rosicky, Miroslav Klose and Xavi Hernandez. Now that's a marquee.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/sydney-fc/time-for-marc-janko-to-prove-his-marquee-status-in-aleague-showpiece-20150510-ggy5uo.html

Would take Rosicky

 

 

 

Id say we would have more of a chance with xavi given the Barcelona connections at CFG. I still wouldnt be suprised to see Lampard walk through the door at preseason