Same as Rose. Solid af defensively, not great on the ball, fills a key role. Adds some proper steel to the line up.

How skilled is BF. The way he uses his arms without ever being called for a foul - simply amazing. If other players try it they give a free kick away but he just has this magic and the refs never call it. Maybe it has to do with his stature and low center of gravity. I tried to get the team I coached to swing their arms like he does but the refs just call foul. Will have to ask him to come to my club and explain how he does it. 

the recruitment of manny muscat and josh rose makes more sense when they slip into 3 at the back like they did against the tards.

both are good one on one defenders. excellent in fact. but all around muscat should not be in the 11.

I have never, ever seen Victory dominated like they were on Saturday night by City. City blew Victory off the park!

I don't know much about Calazo and Brandan's backgrounds?

However, if they are keeping the likes of Caceres, Chapman and Malik on the bench, they are pretty good players. They both performed  very well against Victory.

Brandan made Geria look silly at times. Before the game, I fancied Geria for a Socceroos RB position, but he was made to look inept by Brandan at times.

City's performance was the best I've seen them play.

I was also concerned about JVS selling the players he did and the players he bought. Cahill, Brandan, Calazo, Kilkenny and Jakobsen have made a significant difference.

Rose and Muscat are both very experienced full backs too.

JVS  implied that after last season's review that City needed to recruit more players who were better off the ball than they had.

As part of the current team personnel they have, he is currently doing well as part of a collective City unit.

On Saturday I saw the first half of City Youth team play the Tasmanian senior team.

 Tassie won 2-1, but City played them off the park. Tassie barely touched the ball!

Is there a reason Tasmania werent following the official national curriculum ? 

So how did Tassie get two goals against them? Must have been doing something right.

It's a bit like Paul Okon saying the Mariners dominated Sydney FC but losing 4-0. Real egg on face with anyone can try to defend losing 4-0. Obviously the tassie game wasn't of that magnitude but some credit has to be given if a) they won and b) put 2 goals past City. Can't just say they got played off the park because ultimately they easily had the last laugh.

They were trying to play it, but were just not good enough at it!

Of course I was supporting Tassie.

City also had territorial domination, right up to the penalty box.

It was just one of those games where the better team couldn't convert. So many shots went into players bodies or legs, or the final pass was just fractionally overhit or centimetres too wide.

The Tassie keeper, a Canadian import, really impresses Bozza too. He is a very good shot stopper.

Take a bow Melbourne City

^^^I'm sure it will pay for itself too.

Eventually it will. Is there any club in the country that has facilities for women such as this? I'm talking of both clubs exclusive to women and joint men/women sports (netball, AFL etc.)

So, who is rebecca may anyway?

Shes a good sort, a lara bingle type lol

Glad so see this thread resurrected!


ATM I think City have a big problem playing Cahill as an attacking mid. To me he has almot no value to the team apart from the penalty box. If City played with two central strikers, they would be a little undermanned in midfield.


If City needs to play both Fornaroli and Cahill, i think Fornaroli could be more useful as a number 10. I think he could be a player  more useful than Cahill as number 10. He brings players into the game more than Cahill, who is an out and out goal poacher these days.

Try this for a 1-4-3-3- defensive midfield triangle:


........................................Bouzanis

Franjic.................Tongyik..............Jakobsen..........Colazo

.................Kilkenny...............................Malik
.......................................Fornaroli

Kamau.............................Cahill...........................Brandan



Even though Brattan is an excellent player on the ball, and Caceres is a good all round player, against SFC the other day, Kilkenny, Colazo and Brattan missed heaps of potential  physical duels that could be contested, or lost 1v1 physical duels, that tough tackling midfielders Jedinak, Milligan, Malik, Rostyn Griffiths, Holland, Brillante and O'Neill would win or force a contest.

I think City need Malik as a midfield enforcer above the technical qualities on the ball of Kilkenny, Brattan and Cacares. He really puts himself about. Other teams are really trying to upset City recently  by making games a physical battle to put superior technicians off their game. Glory, Roar and SFC have done this with varying success.




The other option is to play 3 at the back and go to a 3-5-2. This is with w twin strikers Fornaroli and Cahill. 

Or 3-5-2 in possession and 4-4-2 flat midfield in BPO.

The reality is they just need to leave Cahill out.  Fornaroli is wasted as a #10, he's too dangerous at the tip of the spear.  Shoe-horning Cahill in for the sake of his name and a few set-plays is more trouble than its worth.

It seems like a bizarre scenario that Australia's most prolific striker is a bench player in the HAL! 

ATM, IMO that is his best position.

One thing I agree with you about on quality of Oz players, is the lack of reasonable quality central strikers given how few are playing regular football.

It needs more  specialist coaching. Moreover, players need to work harder individually on top of regular training and  with another  player or two to hone those  striking skills.

........................................Bouzanis

Franjic.................Tongyik..............Jakobsen..........Colazo

.................Kilkenny...............................Malik
......................................Caceres

Kamau.........................Fornaroli...........................Brandan




Caceres gets a gig in front of Brattan, because his  off the ball work rate is more effective. On the other hand, Brattan is probably more useful with the ball at his feet.

Given the spite and physical nature in recent games with Glory, Roar, SFC and MV , I think City need Malik's enforcing qualities in central midfield over Brattan's creativity and skill. The recent midfield of Colazo, Brattan and Kilkenny won little ball.

Brattan could also play instead of Kilkenny, but Kilkenny doesn't fade out of games like Brattan.

I'm also playing Colazo at LB because Rose just isn't technically good enough. He frequently loses the ball from a poor first touch when under pressure. His greatest strength is fast ball carrying in the attacking half. I'd prefer Muscat's rugged physicality.

Jakobsen has made a massive difference.

Don't know what other City supporters think?


I think the recent games City has played against MV ( to be expected), Roar, Glory and SFC, have lifted to a new level of spite on the pitch in the HAL.

I'm a bit surprised City seem to be the recipients of such spite, apart from Fornaroli and Brandan trying to deceive refs. Kilkenny is also a poor sport. Cahill is sneakily dirty.

The rest of the team seem to be be pretty accepting of ref's decisions. There is no Kevin Muscat in the team. Malik, Chapman, Manny Muscat, Tongyik and Jakobsen, are usually hard but fair. 

TBH Cahill should've gone to a team like Jets or CCM, even WSW, who are far more in need of a central striker.

No one, bar Melb City, would pay $4 million a year for a player that is over the hill.

Cahill only goes where he gets the ca$h.

Manny muscat is a big hack. i wouldn't call him fair. and its more about your clubs fight ball/ref favouratism MO that is annoying everyone and making the comp look like a sham.

Muscat is a tough, resolute, hard nosed, experienced defender.

Technically, he, Rose and Fitzgerald are well behind their team-mates though. 

I find  it hilarious that you dont claim city have 6 imports because  manny is a maltese international and cant play for Australia .  or is that only reserved for mvnand georgie despite both being aussie 

I'm going to admit that Cahill was a strange signing at first from a footballing perspective at City, but he adds far more value than meets the eye.

Yes, we already have a main striker option in Bruno but Cahill adds another dimension in his determination and drive that we have been lacking.

It's certainly a huge investment though but in many ways it is no where near the failure some would like to paint it as.

This, what the guy adds off the pitch in terms of his mentality and professionalism has clearly benefited the playing group, you could see it in the first two derbies of the season against victory, his determination to win, his aggressiveness, even the arguably 'dirty' street smarts he brings (dat elbow on Alan Baro lol) helps push the boys around him. i think its the first time that heart/city has had one of those players that can genuinely lift the players around them with just their presence and attitude, unlike Mooy who could often disappear when the pressure was on 

Good posts.
Isn't he also going into some kind of coaching deal after his 2 years? Could be a good long term initiative, having him hanging around the club.

Yeah, he will go under the cap next season and then move into a coaching role after that, i hope we bring in a quality coach that he can learn under during his coaching time here, similar to how Arteta is being mentored by Pep right now at Man City and how Vieira was brought through the CFG ranks to end up coaching in New York City. 

Sounds good to me, as long as he doesn't follow the Aloisi pathway, but I reckon CFG will handle thing better.