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2021-22 Season and Fixtures


jw1739
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2 hours ago, fensaddler said:

And now this weekend's match against Perth has been postponed because there's so much covid in Perth's squad. I suspect all this buggering about with fixtures is why we barely seem bothered to talk about matches any more...

Anecdotally I would say that a few former regulars on here have also left, or are posting far less often. It's difficult to maintain momentum and interest in the club, first because this season is a natural let down after the double, and second because of COVID. Out of "our gang" of members and regulars, only one couple has attended this season, and then I think only twice; the rest of us are in "voluntary lockdown" and haven't been at all. We maintain regular contact via email and there's disappointment with the squad changes that have taken place and the team selections, much as expressed on here. C'est la vie.

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19 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

Anecdotally I would say that a few former regulars on here have also left, or are posting far less often. It's difficult to maintain momentum and interest in the club, first because this season is a natural let down after the double, and second because of COVID. Out of "our gang" of members and regulars, only one couple has attended this season, and then I think only twice; the rest of us are in "voluntary lockdown" and haven't been at all. We maintain regular contact via email and there's disappointment with the squad changes that have taken place and the team selections, much as expressed on here. C'est la vie.

I completely agree with everything you have said. I'd also add that winning the league last season may have caused a little bit of a case of been there done that mentality. 

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Every single result this weekend involving the top six or seven teams has helped us. We're now genuinely, unarguably second. We're coming into form whilst others are beginning to falter. Western simply cannot keep winning bullshit 1-0 matches all season. They are this seasons Mariners, early season bolters who falter as time goes on, but a lot less likeable. Victory are beginning to show cracks and Macarthur seem to have issues with morale. The form team coming up on the rails is arguably Nix.

Meanwhile we're getting key players back, and both Florin and Leckie appear to be finding hot streaks of form. A long way to go yet, but we've had a very good week. Another two like that before the end of the month and we'll be clear on top.

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11 hours ago, fensaddler said:

Every single result this weekend involving the top six or seven teams has helped us. We're now genuinely, unarguably second. We're coming into form whilst others are beginning to falter. Western simply cannot keep winning bullshit 1-0 matches all season. They are this seasons Mariners, early season bolters who falter as time goes on, but a lot less likeable. Victory are beginning to show cracks and Macarthur seem to have issues with morale. The form team coming up on the rails is arguably Nix.

Meanwhile we're getting key players back, and both Florin and Leckie appear to be finding hot streaks of form. A long way to go yet, but we've had a very good week. Another two like that before the end of the month and we'll be clear on top.

Sydney are also in form. Gosh western United hosting a grand final would be an embarrassment 

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  • 2 weeks later...
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36 minutes ago, The Aardvark said:

Rumours that this Saturdays derby will be postponed due to Victory's ACL commitments the following week. Not like they've known about if for 5 weeks or anything. 

I heard this too.

What a fukn balls up...

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8 minutes ago, HughJass said:

You want to game to improve in this country...... but how many time can you shoot yourself in the foot before you are left with no feet 

I think we should move to winter, and schedule a longer season, back to 33 matches, observe international breaks etc. etc. Better for players and the quality of the League, and integrated with the rest of football in this country.

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Only got announced formally 17 minutes ago on our website, not on Victorys, although Victory have been responding to tweets about tickets for it before that. What a shambles. 

Also the statement the club has put out says that we have a rescheduled game instead, but fucked if i know the details of it. 

I really try to support this league but man they make it so hard. Just so consistently incompetent. Don't worry about a second division guys just get your shit sorted first. 

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Move to a 9-10 month season March to December, plenty of time to fit in the matches, enough room for the occasional midweek/rescheduled match, cup matches, ACL etc.  Regular league schedule Home and Away, 33 league matches, stop digitising absolutely everything and focus on getting fans back in to the grounds, KISS principle. It's a lot easier to keep people interested than it is to get them back after they've drifted away. We can't blame COVID for ever.

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3 hours ago, neio said:

I can't see how we get our remaining 10 games in before April 9. Gives us 31 days to complete, with every chance of no game this weekend. Meaning 9 in around 26. Absolutely ridiculous schedule 

I don't see us winning the league let alone achieving much in the finals with this ridiculous fixture. Either we forfeit our A League season or we forfeit the start of the ACL campaign. Unlikely to have success in both... 

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3 hours ago, mattyh001 said:

am i missing something, can't Victory just fly out either late Saturday night or Sunday morning?

Quote

Under Japan’s new vaccination requirements, only fully vaccinated Australian travellers who have received a booster are not required to quarantine or isolate on arrival.

With more than 90 per cent of the Victory squad having had Covid-19 in recent weeks, several players are yet to receive their booster for health reasons, which means they must spend three days in quarantine on arriving in Japan.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/quarantine-requirements-in-japan-force-derby-between-melbourne-and-city-to-be-postponed/news-story/3ce8fb4f8c43666ba8fc2f3e0c6c5284 

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38 minutes ago, MHFC-FAN said:

I don't see us winning the league let alone achieving much in the finals with this ridiculous fixture. Either we forfeit our A League season or we forfeit the start of the ACL campaign. Unlikely to have success in both... 

By not rotating the squad, not using the full extend of the salary cap it was always going to be difficult to have success in both competitions. 

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1 hour ago, MHFC-FAN said:

I don't see us winning the league let alone achieving much in the finals with this ridiculous fixture. Either we forfeit our A League season or we forfeit the start of the ACL campaign. Unlikely to have success in both... 

IMO it would not be in our interests to forfeit the ACL. We've already incurred AFC's displeasure pulling out last season. Someone explain to me why the A-League season can't be extended...?

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2 hours ago, jw1739 said:

IMO it would not be in our interests to forfeit the ACL. We've already incurred AFC's displeasure pulling out last season. Someone explain to me why the A-League season can't be extended...?

Yeah I meant more a game or 2 of the group stage? Not ideal either way. I would say it would probably be tied into the TV deal probably dictates when the season is to finish? 

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8 hours ago, MHFC-FAN said:

Yeah I meant more a game or 2 of the group stage? Not ideal either way. I would say it would probably be tied into the TV deal probably dictates when the season is to finish? 

If that's the reason it demonstrates how these "deals" are a two-edged sword. I'd like to know where all the money goes from these "deals" as well, because I don't seem to see any real improvements or changes.

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54 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

If that's the reason it demonstrates how these "deals" are a two-edged sword. I'd like to know where all the money goes from these "deals" as well, because I don't seem to see any real improvements or changes.

To Pucci of course 

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I've been probably overly supportive or the unbundling the FA restructuring and the new A Leagues. I was also super optimistic of Paramount and channel 10 bringing soccer to a new level,  but like everything that I've seen in Australian spccer from my earliest memories (late 70s) it one fuck up after another. 

Its an endless cycle of hope, glimpses of what could be, then the realisation that the game is and will always be a minority sport. 

As an individual I'll continue to play, coach and support, currently 3/4 times a week as soccer is part of my soul, but I'm just over the all the fuckwits inside and outside the game.

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1 hour ago, Jovan said:

I've been probably overly supportive or the unbundling the FA restructuring and the new A Leagues. I was also super optimistic of Paramount and channel 10 bringing soccer to a new level,  but like everything that I've seen in Australian spccer from my earliest memories (late 70s) it one fuck up after another. 

Its an endless cycle of hope, glimpses of what could be, then the realisation that the game is and will always be a minority sport. 

As an individual I'll continue to play, coach and support, currently 3/4 times a week as soccer is part of my soul, but I'm just over the all the fuckwits inside and outside the game.

Yes, it is sad. Being a minority, and even remaining so, should not mean that we remain locked in the cycle to which you refer. Minorities, of any type, can be strong, resilient, vibrant, and show natural growth by having the right focus, making the right decisions and setting the right milestones and objectives. Migration to this country could bring all of these attributes to football, simply by natural growth. We have all the ingredients, but the cake never rises. IMO the clubs are as much to blame as the League and Football Australia. Melbourne Heart is the perfect example. If we think back to those first four seasons, the fanbase was growing, the Southern End was a blaze of colour and noise, the Christmas Derbies were a "calendar event," matchday brought a sense of excitement and anticipation, the wife changed dinner-time just to go along with you as well. Now a match is about as exciting as Adelaide on a wet Sunday afternoon.

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35 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

Yes, it is sad. Being a minority, and even remaining so, should not mean that we remain locked in the cycle to which you refer. Minorities, of any type, can be strong, resilient, vibrant, and show natural growth by having the right focus, making the right decisions and setting the right milestones and objectives. Migration to this country could bring all of these attributes to football, simply by natural growth. We have all the ingredients, but the cake never rises. IMO the clubs are as much to blame as the League and Football Australia. Melbourne Heart is the perfect example. If we think back to those first four seasons, the fanbase was growing, the Southern End was a blaze of colour and noise, the Christmas Derbies were a "calendar event," matchday brought a sense of excitement and anticipation, the wife changed dinner-time just to go along with you as well. Now a match is about as exciting as Adelaide on a wet Sunday afternoon.

This all started going down hill when Lowe and Gallop turned their backs on supporters. No denying the bad apples within some of those groups but the manner in which it was done was terrible. 

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27 minutes ago, n i k o said:

This all started going down hill when Lowe and Gallop turned their backs on supporters. No denying the bad apples within some of those groups but the manner in which it was done was terrible. 

You're not wrong, it was definitely the catalyst for the collapse of active support which as of now, has never been weaker. 

Just begs the question what the current group are doing differently. Is there a clear vision? Who tf knows.

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1 minute ago, Nate said:

You're not wrong, it was definitely the catalyst for the collapse of active support which as of now, has never been weaker. 

Just begs the question what the current group are doing differently. Is there a clear vision? Who tf knows.

In fact, what IS the vision for the A-League? What IS the vision for its constituent clubs?  What IS the vision for Melbourne City? That's my point. If you don't have a vision, an objective, some targets, you're highly unlikely to get where you want to go. It's like getting into your car and driving off in it without knowing where you want to go - it's highly unlikely that you won't get where you think you might want to be, and you're likely to make a hell of a lot of mistakes getting there.

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53 minutes ago, Nate said:

You're not wrong, it was definitely the catalyst for the collapse of active support which as of now, has never been weaker. 

Just begs the question what the current group are doing differently. Is there a clear vision? Who tf knows.

Judging by the events that occurred in our active section last game not much.

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57 minutes ago, n i k o said:

Judging by the events that occurred in our active section last game not much.

Touche. 

I know the problems concerning the A-League are complex and plentiful but ffs, fixing active is so easy and would solve a lot more problems in turn (atmosphere, attendance, TV optics, general enthusiasm in the league etc.)

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4 hours ago, n i k o said:

This all started going down hill when Lowe and Gallop turned their backs on supporters. No denying the bad apples within some of those groups but the manner in which it was done was terrible. 

This.

Even the City days with Fornaroli and Mooy were exciting, buzzing. There’s nobody left or interested of the group I used to go to the football with.

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2 hours ago, Nate said:

Touche. 

I know the problems concerning the A-League are complex and plentiful but ffs, fixing active is so easy and would solve a lot more problems in turn (atmosphere, attendance, TV optics, general enthusiasm in the league etc.)

I reckon so too, on paper. There reality and difficulty is the active support previously happened as organically as possible in a franchise driven league. To now invite and rebuild active support would mean management would need to be willing to most likely bring back those unwanted individuals and 'trouble' that they fought against in the first place. If they try to curb this happening it may be a significant hurdle as they attempt to control elements of active support. Which in turn could lead to active support again turning their back on the league. 

 

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2 hours ago, Mr MO said:

This.

Even the City days with Fornaroli and Mooy were exciting, buzzing. There’s nobody left or interested of the group I used to go to the football with.

I was thinking that too. Of the present playing group, who is an "exciting" player, someone who would cause you to want to go to a City match?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interestingly it was mentioned this week that City had requested to have the 2 games of this week postponed but this was denied by the APL - and now we still end up playing 2 games after the ACL group stage anyways.

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