The Melbourne City Thread

[BILC]

That doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Again, the combined memberships of Victory and City make up about 1% of the population. So, where are all these people that fill the MCG every time Liverpool, Juventus, or Manchester City (soon enough) come to town, coming from? Yes, Victory has done very well with its supporter base since the league started. But the Melbourne market isn't even close to being tapped. And if Melbourne City is able to offer its members things like discount/priority tickets to watch when Manchester City and New York City come to town, along with a consistently better product than Melbourne Victory, the difference in membership totals between the Melbourne teams will close rapidly. If a Melbourne City membership guaranteed a season ticket holder a seat at Etihad to see Melbourne City v Manchester City, the club would probably get a few thousand additional members right there.

Even non-soccer fans were interested in the Liverpool game, just for the spectacle.

Probably go close to filling the G if the Dallas Cowboys came to town, but I don't see a Melbourne NFL franchise working too well.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Even non-soccer fans were interested in the Liverpool game, just for the spectacle.

Really? Do you know anyone that doesn't give a stuff about soccer that went? From memory, tickets weren't exactly cheap.

Probably go close to filling the G if the Dallas Cowboys came to town, but I don't see a Melbourne NFL franchise working too well.

Talk about apples and oranges...if Australia had the infrastructure and talent level to support a gridiron league that I guess was the equivalent of mid to above average D1 NCAA level (which would probably be a similar gap to A-League and EPL/Serie A), then yes, people would go to see it.

 

[Flapjacks]

I know plenty of people who don't give a stuff about the a-league, have a mild interest in the EPL but shelled out to go watch Liverpool v Victory.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I know plenty of people who don't give a stuff about the a-league, have a mild interest in the EPL but shelled out to go watch Liverpool v Victory.

I bet you wouldn't seriously consider them 'non-soccer fans' though, unless they were tagging along with one or more die-hards. People who don't care about soccer don't pay $60-185 to go and see Steve Gerrard and Luis Suarez play in a Mickey Mouse exhibition, because it follows that if they don't care about soccer, they wouldn't care about Gerrard and Suarez either. And if they do care about those players, but apparently not about the A-League, well David Villa is going to be in town for a few months, yeah? Damien Duff is also signed (as a non-marquee) and is - by an absolute mile - the highest profile Irish footballer that has ever played in the A-League...probably handy to recruit a few Irish ex-pats that 'don't give a stuff about the a-league'?

 

[Flapjacks]

I'd call them avid sport fans with a mild interest in the EPL but wont follow it religiously week in week out but their attention is high when the World Cup is on if the EPL title is going down to the wire ala City a couple of years back. Soccer would rank well below AFL & Cricket for them

People will turn out for a big event, that's why Galaxy vs Sydney drew 90k. People are drawn to the status of an event

I wouldn't call myself a basketball fan but if a Heat or Spurs came down under and played the Melbourne Tigers id be there in a heart beat for the spectacle and to say I was there when.

Of course not everyone is like that and I also know people who are die hard EPL supporters, went to the Liverpool v Victory games and couldn't give a stuff about a-league

 

[Joker91]

Does anyone know when the City v Victory tickets go on sale?

And how long does a membership usually take to arrive once purchased?

 

[BILC]

Does anyone know what times they train?

I'm in Bundoora so wouldn't wind wandering down to watch Villa run around.

 

[SM]

Keen for the game this weekend, there'll be about 10-15 of us rocking up in Hull City shirts to sing for Robi, but we're not in the Melb. City area unfortunately.

 

[treegreen]

Doesn't look like we've improved much.

Anyone know why David Williams wasn't playing?

 

[pantskyle]

Doesn't look like we've improved much.

Anyone know why David Williams wasn't playing?

Calf.

Expected draw. Will take time.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Damien Duff could be the bargain signing of the season. In the salary cap and was fantastic last night.

Lot of improvement. Lots more to come. Exciting times.

 

[Flapjacks]

Anyone know why Koren didn't play?

 

[Gentlemen]

Anyone know why Koren didn't play?

Heard commentators say calf injury?

Duff tho <3

 

[sverik25]

Just thought I'd check in with my fellow City supporters.

Thoughts on last night?

The first half in a way reminded me a lot of Heart from years gone by, having more of the play but failing to take the opportunities (like Dugandzic). When Sydney scored first after the break I thought, here we go again.

But then Villa happened.

A draw is okay IMO, we were possibly even a bit lucky to get away with that after their late shot that hit the crossbar. Move on to next week looking for a win against the Jets.

 

[treegreen]

I think replacing Archibald for Hoffman, Murdocca for Koren, Brown for Villa and Dugandzic for Williams will improve the team a hell of a lot.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Just thought I'd check in with my fellow City supporters.

Thoughts on last night?

The first half in a way reminded me a lot of Heart from years gone by, having more of the play but failing to take the opportunities (like Dugandzic). When Sydney scored first after the break I thought, here we go again.

But then Villa happened.

A draw is okay IMO, we were possibly even a bit lucky to get away with that after their late shot that hit the crossbar. Move on to next week looking for a win against the Jets.

That pretty much sums it up. An away point against a good Sydney side is a decent result in and of itself. The problem with it is that many of us have seen similar results all too many times in the past. It's a par for me and a statement needs to be made against Newcastle at home.

Duff, Villa, Paartalu, Mooy, Wielaert and Kisnorbo all outstanding and Brown wasn't too shabby either. Koren into the midfield, Duff into the starting lineup, Hoffman into defence, Williams either in for Dugandzic or playing as a super sub, with Garuccio and Germano hopefully available soon as options at fullback...that lineup should prove reasonably tough to beat.

 

[eth-dog]

Not a fan of Mate playing centrally. Also not a fan of the 4-3-3. Next game:

Redmayne
Hoffman - Wielart - Kisnorbo - Ramsay
Paartalu - Mooy
Dugandzic - Koren - Duff
Villa​

 

[pantskyle]

Not a fan of Mate playing centrally. Also not a fan of the 4-3-3. Next game:

Redmayne
Hoffman - Wielart - Kisnorbo - Ramsay
Paartalu - Mooy
Dugandzic - Koren - Duff
Villa​

Yep. He is a shocking striker. Needs to be on the wings.

 

[eth-dog]

Yep. He is a shocking strkker. Needs to be on the wings.

Weak in the air and not strong enough to hold the ball up.

 

[Joker91]

Not a fan of Mate at all. Very selfish player imo.

 

[eth-dog]

Not a fan of Mate at all. Very selfish player imo.

Given he had more goal assists last year than any other player on the roster...

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Yep. He is a shocking striker. Needs to be on the wings.

I had absolutely no faith in him being able to convert that opportunity. Pretty much like I'd have almost no faith in us being able to stop a similar chance had it happened at the other end.

 

[U roo]

I thought we really dominated the first half on Saturday and should have had at least one on the board. But unfortunately as was the case a lot last year we came out quite flat after the break. For us to be considered a strong team this year a total 90 is needed each week. But all in all getting a point against what will be a strong side was encouraging as was D Duff first performance thought he was just about our best.

 

[Horts]

Dominated the first half, how we didn't go in 1-0 or 2-0 up still has me wondering, a little worried too as it was the same story last year.

Second half was 50/50, thank god we drew, if we lost that I would've been ****ing filthy.

In the end if someone told me we'd go to Sydney round one and steal a point off them at home then I'd take it, hopefully we take more advantage of our chances next week!

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Dominated the first half, how we didn't go in 1-0 or 2-0 up still has me wondering, a little worried too as it was the same story last year.

Second half was 50/50, thank god we drew, if we lost that I would've been ******* filthy.

In the end if someone told me we'd go to Sydney round one and steal a point off them at home then I'd take it, hopefully we take more advantage of our chances next week!

Bolded is absolutely the case. If we could somehow have the last couple of years of Melbourne Heart performances erased from our memories, I think most of us would have been delighted with Saturday night. Unfortunately most of us remember that the last two years started with pretty promising results and ended with us in the bottom two.