Missed the game last night. Cannot see a thread on the game.

How did Engelaar go?

So DMac has gone - this leaves a spot for a striker (if van't Schip wants to do something positive). We have no spaces for a Visa player, so it has to be an Australian. Any suggestions?

Mine (and he could be a bolter for the World Cup, if he can do something) is Richard Porta. I know he keeps being bought up and people are critical of what he can or cannot do, but this will give us an opportunity to see how he does in a comparison to the A League strikers. At worst, he plays out the season, does nothing and we continue with the same problems we have. But from all videos (even more recent ones) one thing he seems to be able to do is put the ball into the net from close range/one on ones - something which we have wasted so many times this year.

Apparently Trollger started the paperwork to make him eligible for the Socceroos - he is Australian, though a bit 'left of centre' as an option. Any other ideas? Could Scotty Mac return to Australia?

Edited by canehdrian13: 18/1/2014 08:06:17 PM

Missed the game last night. Cannot see a thread on the game.

How did Engelaar go?

Please, no Scotty Mac, I'm over diminutive strikers, or I'm a bit jaded with him.
How long is Porta's contract, didn't he sign on last year?
Personly this year is shot, I would like as many of our youths getting a go before we sign someone, who knows they might surprise us (Garrucio cirtainly looked lively for his ten minutes or so), including our forwards. We have a unique situation where we can put them in and test them, the pressure is off, as most of our supporters would give youth leeway and as I said, it's unlikely we will get to the finals and win the thing.

There is talk of Jesus, I realy like him and he can play with his feet.

Please, no Scotty Mac, I'm over diminutive strikers, or I'm a bit jaded with him.
How long is Porta's contract, didn't he sign on last year?
Personly this year is shot, I would like as many of our youths getting a go before we sign someone, who knows they might surprise us (Garrucio cirtainly looked lively for his ten minutes or so), including our forwards. We have a unique situation where we can put them in and test them, the pressure is off, as most of our supporters would give youth leeway and as I said, it's unlikely we will get to the finals and win the thing.

The guy is so light-footed he could walk on water.

Agreed. If we sneak a few results, they get the experience, some astute recruiting and we go in next season with momentum.

Watching the Heart Jets game on NITV now.

I do have to say you're new strip is delisious.

Manchester City CEO promises good football as Heart to become the 'noisy neighbours'

MANCHESTER City chief executive Ferran Soriano has promised that Melbourne Heart will pursue playing good football as the surest route to establishing a successful identity, even if initially it comes at the expense of results.

Revealing why City had chosen to invest millions in Australia, Soriano predicted that Heart would become "noisy neighbours" to Melbourne Victory - the patronising label Manchester United applied to City when they began to challenge their cross-city rivals.

City's takeover of Heart was completed this morning, with Soriano keen to sketch out how the A-League entity would be refashioned to match the identity of its mother club and also New York City FC, the parallel MLS venture.

TS: Heart have been criticised for not carving out a distinctive enough identity, other than being "not" Victory. How can you counter that?

FS: I can say now that we will work very hard to play good football. Everything starts and finishes with that, and if we are able to play good football then we will win and attract fans and develop an identity.

In football, there's little space for marketing tricks - it's about playing good football. People will come to the stadium if we do and entertain them. The whole idea, in Manchester, New York and here, is entertaining people.

To date we have scored 106 goals in the season in England, this is what we want. Here, it might take more or less time, but it's important - we don't want to win and then play good football. We want to play good football and if then takes a bit longer to be successful, that's fine, because we want to get to the place we are in England right now.

TS: Why have you chosen Australia?

FS: We were looking for places in the world where there's potential for football and the fans love it, but also and equally important, where there is a league that is well organised, with some history. We found both of those things here.

You can compare it with the US, there is growth and a league that is well managed. There are other places in the world where the growth potential might be higher, but the league is not developed enough.

TS: What does Australian football get out of it?

FS: We think that by doing all this, we create a platform for Australian football to develop and flourish. We will give them [players] coaching methodology, know-how and experience so they can maybe develop.

We're very convinced we can do this, for instance by putting our experience together in apps, so a coach of ours in Melbourne gets access to the same knowledge as in Manchester.

TS: What does the sale mean for Melbourne Victory, hitherto seen as the best-run club in the league?

FS: For them, maybe it's the same as for Manchester United. They were saying they had some noisy neighbours ... But at the end of the day, for the league and in this case for Victory, to have a strong local rivalry is a good idea.

Maybe also, when you have a talent here who leaves immediately to play for example in the Championship, in the second division in England, then he has a chance to stay here and play seriously for a bit more, then maybe make the jump to the premier league directly. I think having good teams here is very good for Australian players but the market has to be open.


Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/football/manchester-city-ceo-promises-good-football-as-heart-to-become-the-noisy-neighbours/story-fnk6pqot-1226808692282#ixzz2rDOhkZWV

Can Heart now buy Melbourne’s love?

Following the demise of the North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United, fellow expansion club the Melbourne Heart became the A-League’s biggest concern.

With newest arrival the Western Sydney Wanderers firing on and off the pitch, Melbourne Heart’s weak crowds, poor on-field performances and lack of off-field firepower relative to the Melbourne Victory left Melbourne’s second club in an incredibly vulnerable state.

But that looks set to change with the arrival of new investors Manchester City, in a consortium that also includes the National Rugby League’s Melbourne Storm.

With the investment it desperately needed to carve out an identity that differentiates from the Victory and win over hearts and minds in the Victorian capital, the Heart can truly make inroads in Melbourne and the A-League.

Manchester City can’t buy success for the Heart like it did in the English Premier League, with the restrictions of a salary cap, but the added investment will help in a number of areas: a better and deeper squad, more marketable and efficient marquee players, a bigger marketing spend to really chip away at the Victory, and an improvement in facilities and structures.

This will help carve out a better identity than the Heart enjoyed. The expansion club faced what appeared to be a mission impossible, in entering the league and going head-to-head with a same town rival that had become the benchmark team in the A-League.

The Heart had no geographical point of difference to the Victory, and by the time they came into existence their cross-town rivals had an average crowd of 20,000-plus, the biggest membership base in the league and had won two championships and premierships.

Melbourne Heart survived because of some sound leadership, the belief that there was a demand for more sport and weekly A-League fixtures in the Victorian capital, and the Melbourne derby, which had an incredibly positive impact on the league.

But those factors were never going to be enough to see the Heart grow into an A-League powerhouse to match the Victory.

This season’s poor results, last round’s league-worst crowd of 5046 and a poor crowd average inflated by a Melbourne derby only highlighted the limitations, particularly at a time when the Melbourne Victory continued to wield its power with the recent acquisitions of Tom Rogic and Besart Berisha and blockbuster pre-season matches against the likes of Liverpool.

The new ownership gives the chance for the Heart to grow into something more, helping to overcome the lack of geographical differentiation that would never have come had the club remained in Melbourne and resisted relocation.

And with a name change to Melbourne City seemingly on the horizon, doing away with the Heart brand that never really caught on, the new-look club can create a buzz and identity it desperately needs with a focus on inner-Melbourne.

The bandwagon-effect will truly kick in if the City influence is manifested into a successful football club that can continue to attract non-Victory fans to the A-League.

And like Manchester City relative to Manchester United, there will be a new point of difference between the two Melbourne clubs: the new money of Heart/City versus the established powerhouse that is the Victory.

Described as a seminal moment for the A-League given the fact a giant of the European game has invested in Australia, this development looks to have saved Melbourne’s second club.

And with Football Federation Australia set to offload the Western Sydney Wanderers in the coming days, the two-team structure in both Melbourne and Sydney looks set to underpin the A-League.

FS: I can say now that we will work very hard to play good football. Everything starts and finishes with that, and if we are able to play good football then we will win and attract fans and develop an identity.

Heart find their place in the City

Optimism within football in Melbourne has been significantly skewed to one side of the city this season; for the the last four A-League seasons, in fact.

While Melbourne Victory have thrived as one of the league’s top guns, with major signings and results to boot, their little brother has sat quietly in the corner in a place where no press is good press.

An early injury to marquee man Orlando Engelaar and the sacking of coach John Aloisi, as a result of the mind boggling winless run, compounded Melbourne Heart’s woes this season.

But for once, there is a buzz in the red and white towers after it was announced English Premier League side Manchester City have acquired an 80% stake in the struggling club.

While the news has been greeted with great shock, it comes as no surprise that City’s Australian partners have bought into the A-League after their mooted interest in a takeover of the Wanderers last year.

Although Heart will be seen as the greatest beneficiaries of this move, City are equally buoyed, now holding teams in Manchester, New York and Melbourne.

The ownership of New York City FC, which will enter the Major League Soccer competition in 2015, means City are truly on their way to becoming a global force in football and it is a ride that Melbourne Heart would have been more than happy to jump on.

Even the most cynical of followers will have difficulty finding a flaw in this deal. A club that has infamously struggled for identity has now had one forced upon them, and that ain’t such a bad thing.

Heart may already be an “established” club, but City essentially have a clean slate similar to the New York franchise.

Aloisi’s side hit rock bottom on the pitch this month, which could have potentially been a blessing in disguise. It was the most evident sign that a total overhaul is required and City are best placed to take Heart in a new direction which they so desperately crave.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the takeover is the financial stability Heart now possess.

For too long there have been doubts over the future of the club. Will there be adequate support from the owners? Are top shelf marquees a possibility?

With the 2011/12 English champions – who increased their revenues by $78 million according to the latest Deloitte Football Money League report – now on board, Heart’s financial problems take a much needed pump.

More worrying than the off-field dramas at AAMI Park this summer has been Heart’s state of play. Aloisi suffered much conjecture during his tenure for failing to instil a rigid structure in what appears to be a talented squad on paper.

In a promising sign for the embattled club and its fans, it appears football is firmly on the minds of City’s consortium – not always a guarantee in 21st century football.

New York’s inaugural coach, Jason Kreis, left his six-year stint at MLS outfit Real Salt Lake for the opportunity to head City’s newest project, purely because he was enthralled by the style and tactics he was encouraged to integrate into his new side. While it is a tad extreme to expect New York and Melbourne Heart to replicate Manchester City’s efforts, it is apparent that the employers will do their best to create a uniform playing style.

“The philosophies that they have implemented fall right in line with the way I see things,” Kreis said, according to the New York Times, adding: “I wouldn’t have come here had it been any other way. It’s a perfect fit.”

Any sort of input from Manchester City Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain – the former Barcelona player and director – could hardly be harmful.

Winning in a “special style” is his key objective, with Heart’s football philosophy in dire need of an overhaul.

Further encouragement can be sourced from City’s state of the art football academy currently under construction in Manchester. Complete with a 7000-seater stadium for youth matches, 12 pitches dedicated for players aged eight to 21 and an injury and rehab centre, it is testament to the focus of City’s operations.

Although Heart youngsters by no means have a free ride into English football, they will have some intelligent football minds watching over them and a path that promises quality career development.

A key talking point following the announcement was the ability of Heart to attract international quality. Heart are yet to make a statement on the marquee front. Although Fred was a great addition on the pitch, fans still yearn for a player of Del Piero’s stature, which was certainly not delivered by the signing of Orlando Engelaar.

No, Heart will not be signing Sergio Aguero; Patrick Vieira won’t be making a comeback. But there is suddenly something much more alluring about Melbourne Heart, with the cash now more likely available to back lofty ambitions in the transfer market.

Couple this with the prospect of Manchester City touring Australia in the future and there is plenty of reason to keep an eye on things at the Heart. The arrivals of Liverpool and Manchester United on our shores last July provided a platform for exhibition matches and we could do much worse than have City’s stars in Australia.

Melbourne Heart are far from rescued, but they have been handed a significant lifeline that could revive the fortunes of a struggling club and maintain the force of Australian football.

Melbourne Heart became the A-League's richest club overnight after Manchester City's $11.25m takeover

STRUGGLING Melbourne Heart has become the A-League's richest club overnight after Manchester City's breathtaking $11.25 million takeover.

Heart will almost certainly become Melbourne City next season as the new owners, backed by the English Premier League giant's billionaire owner Sheik Mansour and a 36-man global scouting network, declared they "will not save a penny'' in their bid to become an A-League powerhouse.

City heavyweights - chief executive Ferran Soriano, football director Txiki Begiristain, academy director Brian Marwood and board member Simon Pearce - signed off on the deal at Football Federation Australia headquarters in ­Sydney on Wednesday.

The raiding party flew to Melbourne on Thursday to tell Heart players of the sale before they trained at Epping.

Plans are also under way to bring Manchester City to Australia this year, either in May or August during the Premier League pre-season, while Heart is likely to spend some of its pre-season at City's state-of-the-art $190 million training base in Manchester. The record sale is a watershed moment for the A-League, with Heart's owners understood to be walking away having made a $5 million profit after entering the A-League in 2010.



City has 80 per cent share in the A-League club while Melbourne Storm owners Bart Campbell and Gerry Ryan have bought the remaining 20 per cent.

Soriano said the new owners wouldn't spend for the sake of it but backed by Sheikh Mansour's estimated wealth of $37 billion declared that they would invest whatever they needed while retaining AAMI Park as the home ground.

"Everything starts and finishes with the team, we want to play good football and to do that we need very good coaching and good facilities and on that we will not save a penny,'' Soriano told the Herald Sun.

"(We will spend) as much as is needed but the ones appropriate to the size of the team and the league, so don't expect us to come and throw money that is not needed.

"The resources that will come here, money and people, will be to build that. Luxury investments is not what we are about.

"We were working on this for a year, once the New York (MLS) project was going we thought the next step would be Australia.

"We actually fell in love with the Melbourne opportunity because when you look at the numbers, we understood very well that Melbourne is the sports capital of Australia.

"Because if you look at the number of football fans in Melbourne it is evident there should be enough to fill this stadium every week so this is how we came to it.''

The Melbourne City name has been registered but the new owners claimed a name change "was not pre-determined''.

They said no changes would be made until the end of the season, spending the next few months "listening" to what the fans want.

"It's day one. As we did in Manchester and New York we will listen to the players, coach and also the fans and have a good understanding before deciding,'' Soriano said.

"Maybe (this year). We will. We don't know when yet, but this is in the plans. We'll find a way to bring an English team here.

"For us today is day one, so we need a bit of time and our plan is to listen, understand, learn about everything that's going on here then come up with a plan.

"As an example we have a network of 36 scouts around the world, many of them in Latin America. So this organisation provides services to Manchester City, New York City and will provide services to our Melbourne club.''

David Gallop would be 'happy' to discuss rebranding Melbourne Heart with new owners Manchester City

FOOTBALL Federation Australia CEO David Gallop says Manchester City could rebrand Melbourne Heart following the EPL giant's headline-making takeover of the A-League club.

After the new broke on Thursday morning, much of the speculation focused on whether City would set about rebranding Heart in its image.

The name "Melbourne City FC" has already been trademarked and although the new owners refused to comment, it seems likely the five-year old club could undergo a significant identity change, something Gallop said FFA was willing to discuss, but said any rules changes to the salary cap system to allow big-name signings were unlikely.

"We would be happy to look at that," Gallop told Fox Sports News. "There are hurdles need to be jumped, in terms of intellectual property and the safeguards in place for our system, but we'll be happy to have that conversation.

"Obviously we've got the salary cap in place to make sure we have unpredictable, stable competition and we're confident it will continue that way. We want a comp that's even and where fans can go with genuine hope in their heart every game day."

Gallop also hailed the takeover as a move that could bring some of the expertise of the Premier League into the A-League.

"Manchester City will bring world-class technical knowledge as well as top-class commercial nous," he said.

"We talked to the City guys about their academy system and being able to tap into that, going both ways, and it will bring great opportunities for footballers in this competition."

Although the announcement stunned many in the Australian football landscape, Gallop revealed discussions with City had been going on for more than a year and that the sale illustrated the potential for growth, both on and off the field, within the domestic game.

"The process started about a year ago; Frank Lowy met representatives of City in New York and talked to them. It's been a big negotiation process with previous owners of Heart, and we're just pleased it's all come to fruition.

"Our place in Asia is important; they look at this as a competition that is on great growth trajectory. They've already made an investment in the US, and they want a global presence. Melbourne Heart has a great potential for growth and they're interested in that.

"It's another sign that we are being noticed in world football."

Manchester City take over Melbourne Heart: Key questions and answers

1. Will the name change?

It's understood Manchester City are keen to rebrand Melbourne Heart as Melbourne City, a transition that should take place at the end of the season. Given the club's failure to resonate with the broader Melbourne sporting public, it may be a relatively painless transition.

2. Will their colours and emblem change?

As part of the rebranding, Manchester City would like to have their clubs playing in the sky blue colours of the parent club. However, with Melbourne Victory in navy blue and Sydney FC being in sky blue, that market is crowded. An emblem update appears certain.

3. Will the squad change?

Those Melbourne Heart players without a contract for next season will be nervous. In particular, expect agents from around the world to be competing feverishly to fill the club's five visa spots. With the club's links to City, it makes Heart a prime shop window for ambitious players.

4. Should we expect to see Man City's stars playing in the A-League?

Not if they're in contention for the first-team squad. But as for players returning from injury and young players needing first team football, absolutely. It's also possible players could be shared between Heart and New York City.

5. What will Melbourne Storm's influence be?
Not much. The involvement (20per cent) of the rugby league club appears more symbolic than functional. Like the co-ownership of the Newcastle Knights and Newcastle Jets, it is unlikely to prove a boost or hindrance to either sport.

6. What will happen to the staff?

It is unlikely that many existing senior staff, especially in strategic roles, will retain their jobs — not least because of the club's poor on-field performance. The football department, and coaching staff, appear set for a complete overhaul.

7. Will City be visiting?
It would seem only a matter of time before Manchester City and Melbourne Heart square off at Etihad Stadium (Etihad are City's major sponsor). Also possible is a pre-season friendly tournament involving Man City, New York City and Heart, which could be staged in Abu Dhabi.

8. How will the takeover affect other clubs?

The salary cap will limit Heart's ability to dominate but that won't stop them from buying up the league's best talent — just as Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC have done. They'll also compete feverishly for international and local marquee talent.

9. Will more foreign investment be coming?

It's rare that football clubs look to buy other football clubs — unless they are bankrolled by billionaire owners with global ambition, like Sheikh Mansour. Some companies may see Australia as a possible expansion target.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/manchester-city-take-over-melbourne-heart-key-questions-and-answers-20140123-31bur.html#ixzz2rEVzG3xF

How has Dugandzic been playing the last few weeks?

Would not sign him based solely on that mullet. :lol:

I grew up around guys called Poida, Ferret, and Shazza, Kez, so in my mind Mullet>Beard.