So how about the Melbourne Heart? The team that every A-League fan doesn’t support, usually characterised as “finding their feet”, “lacking identity”, “need to define themselves”.
As opposed to Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Brisbane who all have their roots entrenched in, um, being there first?
If you read The Roar, Fox Sports, SMH, The Age or Herald Sun , you’ll know the Melbourne Victory, Western Sydney Wanderers, Brisbane Roar and Central Coast were all title contenders.
Chuck in the fact that Sydney have Alessandro Del Piero, which brings a certain amount of ludicrous statements about Sydney’s chances, and half the competition could potentially win the league.
Australian football is really exciting at the moment, but the analysis and commentary is really quite poor (no disrespect to Roarers, who do a great job).
But cliche is the lowest form of predictions.
Wellington were the battlers from New Zealand (ninth). Adelaide have their off the pitch problems (fifth at best).
Perth Glory have a ‘youthful’ team but shouldn’t trouble the ‘big boys’ (seventh). Newcastle are the working man’s team and thus will play punt and run, so they’re at 10th.
This leaves the Heart at eighth, citing “strong recruitment”, sarcastic remarks about John Aloisi’s attire and nothing based on actual football.
The derby was “lacklustre” and “cagey” with comments about how Victory failed to capitalise – very good spin by the media (Fox Sports, I’m looking at you).
The chances were evenly spread, but Heart did have the best chances – particularly Golgol Mehbrahtu turning and shooting narrowly wide, and rounding the ‘keeper.
Victory had the majority of possession but they hardly dominated it – dominating possession isn’t 44-55, it’s 65-35. If Victory dominated, the chances to show how classy Mehbrahtu isn’t wouldn’t have been so numerous.
The fact of the matter is Patrick Kisnorbo and Rob Wielart made a pretty good defensive pairing, never allowing Heart to be cut up – especially when compared to the Adelaide game, where Victory should have scored five.
These weren’t replicated in the derby and for a reason. Heart didn’t park the bus for 90 minutes, they just have good defenders. Accept it.
Against the Central Coast , the Heart were expected to not only park the bus, but tip it over, leaving it immovable in front of the six-yard box. Again, the Heart broke away on numerous occasions and scored twice.
Central Coast were predicted to dominate, but hardly looked like reigning champs playing ninth. In the end, two penalties (and why are penalties so common in the A League?) saved Central Coast an awkward press conference.
Heart should have won, though conceding two penalties isn’t the worst way to lose a lead.
The media can now say “Central Coast comeback break Melbourne’s Heart”, but in two games now the Heart have more than equalled two of the five favourites to win the title.
The Heart have the fastest attack in the league, and as the CCM game showed, it isn’t one-dimensional around Harry Kewell. The defensive pairing is less prone to errors than Adelaide, Central Coast and the Victory have shown.
They go to Perth next week, the home team heavy favourites seemingly because they live thousands of kilometres from everyone else.
Against Adelaide they proved that even 5’5″ wingers can score headers in a crowded box, but also exemplified how difficult it is to score when you have two more players than the opposition.
Expect the Heart to counterattack early, catching Perth out of position (an A-League defender’s favourite position) and to go in 1-0.
How liberally the Heart defines the handball rule will decide the outcome, but Perth haven’t shown how they might score against the in-form defence in the league. Unless it’s from the penalty spot.
The Melbourne Heart probably won’t win the league – you’d expect most teams won’t – but they’ll make the top six.
scott
Guest
I'm sorry Johan I thought you wanted to take the debate into the realm's of identity and the the Heart's right to exist. I think you can understand that here in Melbourne it's a constant battle to explain our existence. I agree that because the Victory is based in the same geographical location, and was established before the Heart, they enjoy an advantage. However this advantage is definately not unassailable. In terms of expansion WSW has been without a doubt the leaders both on and off the field. A title as well as brilliant support...and when I talk about brilliant I mean knowledgeable. passionate and accepting. The RBB isn't split into different factions. If you want to support the wander's then simply turn up.
Johan
Guest
I suppose at least you didn’t say ‘ fifty shades of grey’. I am not attempting to ‘consider’ your attachment to Melbourne / Melbourne Heart football club which I am happy to acknowledge. My point, which you appear to have missed, is that the first club in the same geographical area would have an advantage as many, though I accept not all, football fans would have jumped on board the Victory team before the second club arrives. A fairly logical comment I would have thought. In a perfect world both heart and Wollongong could have clubs but the reality is that the only expansion that has been totally successful thus far is the WSW and so expansion is unlikely at the moment. The Heart is probably a barely pass at the moment but as we all know the gold coast and north Queensland went pear shaped fast. Ultimately time will tell I suppose and hopefully the Heart will be playing Wollongong in the A league within ten years ( with Wollongong winning of course! )
Johan
Guest
I suppose at least you didn't say ' fifty shades of grey'. I am not attempting to 'consider' your attachment to Melbourne / Melbourne Heart football club which I am happy to acknowledge. My point, which you appear to have missed, is that the first club in the same geographical area would have an advantage as many, though I accept not all, football fans would have jumped on board the Victory team before the second club arrives. A fairly logical comment I would have thought. In a perfect world both heart and Wollongong could have clubs but the reality is that the only expansion that has been totally successful thus far is the WSW and so expansion is unlikely at the moment. The Heart is probably a barely pass at the moment and as for the gold coast and north Queensland they went pear shaped fast.
scott
Guest
..and consider myself what I want? How exactly would you consider me Johan in your world view of black or white? If the world was just black and white it'd make life much easier. Unfortunately there's no black and white...just a thousand shades of grey
scott
Guest
many of those supporters were around when the Victory and the A-league was established. How exactly do you measure identity Johan? I didn't realise attachment was based purely on a time line. So if your your born in 1973 and came to Melbourne in 1993 your somehow less of a Melburnian than a person born in 1995 and raised in Melbourne?
scott
Guest
I agree that Wollongong should have a team and that if they did it would be successful. In fact I can't wait until there's a Wollongong team because it will add another element to the A-League. Wollongong is a football heartland that deserves a team. However it doesn't have to be at the expense of the Heart. You don't have to have 1 or the other. You can have both. The dynamics of Melbourne compared to Wollongong are very different. Again in the context of Melbourne it's not about geography
Johan
Guest
50 per cent Is pretty much what I expected. I suspect that many of those supporters were not around when The Victory was introduced so had no allegiance to an existing club. That was my point. As for whether you're a melburnian - consider yourself whatever you want.
Johan
Guest
The 'mistake' I referred to was not the establishment of the heart per se but rather the fact that there was not a geographic distinction and, aside from the colour of the shirts, there was also no discernible difference between the two teams. They even play at the same stadium most of the time! The 15000 figure is not plucked from thin air - it is the number of members the most recent team in Sydney have already acquired- the WSW. I decided to be generous as they actually have 16500 and I rounded it down. I think I was being more than reasonable to give Heart five years to reach that number. There were many other cities which were overlooked by the FFA, including football friendly cities like Wollongong, when the Heart was chosen. Therefore it is only fair that if they can't raise reasonable crowds in the medium term ( 5 years) then another city should be given a go.
Football United
Guest
ahh consistency, do you get a trophy for that?
scott
Guest
the other point you make Johan is that a large number of Heart supporters are from interstate or overseas. This is true for about 50% of the Heart supporters I know but exactly how does a person's origin make them any more or less a Melburnian? It doesn't. If you call Melbourne home then you're a Melburnian. I wasn't born in Melbourne but I've lived here for 9 years and I love it. I consider myself a proud Melburnian
scott
Guest
Also, where did you pluck the figure of 15,000 and why wouldn't the Heart be able to manage that over the next 5 years?
scott
Guest
I'll say it again..in the context of Melbourne geography is irrelevant. To say the Heart was a mistake is extremely insulting and to say that the Victory already covered all Melbourne football fans is ridiculous. Melbourne's a big place...do you really think 20,000 or even 30,000 Victory supporter's is the sum of football support in Melbourne?
Johan
Guest
Whilst I agree that 6500 members is fairly encouraging for you heart fans, the issue remains clear for all. There was a terrible mistake made when the Heart was admitted into the a league in that there is no geographic distinction between the two Melbourne clubs. Most people who wanted to follow the a league in Melbourne were already following the Victory so who did the Heart have as fans. I presume fairly large numbers of heart fans are interstate people who have recently moved to Victoria or migrants who weren't in Melbourne when it was just Victory. In any event the Heart needs to acquire 15000 members or so in the next five or be relocated to Wollongong.
scott
Guest
hopefully that formula's not to hard for you to follow
scott
Guest
and that's based on domestic success + consistency + continental progression
scott
Guest
...you're right. The yardstick for success is CCM.
scott
Guest
Melbourne Victory supporters come from all across Melbourne as do Hearts. As I pointed out in my earlier response to NUFCMVFC the Heart provide an opportunity for fans that have no interest in supporting the Victory. This is in no way geographically specific. Victory supporters do outnumber Heart supporters in the inner city but they also outnumber them in the outer suburbs. It’s not really surprising because you have more supporters. However this support is spread across all of Melbourne. Is a Victory supporter any less of a supporter because they come from Frankston or Craigieburn? I have a number of friends who live in Frankston and support Victory. Regardless of whether or not there’s a team in the south east the Victory is their team. I also have about a dozen mates who live in Collingwood, Fitzroy and Thornbury and support Heart. Prior to the beginning of the Heart they never went to an A-League game because they had absolutely no interest in going to a Victory game because they have absolutely no interest in supporting the Victory. To argue that football fans from the inner city have to follow the Victory simply because of where they live is completely ridiculous. At no point have I said Heart have more supporters. My argument is that you shouldn’t discount the support Heart has. Also, while there’s a huge amount of growth in the south east but there’s just as much in the south west around Williams Landing, Point Cook, Tarneit and Wyndham waters. If Melbourne’s second team was based in the south east who are football fans from this area supposed to follow if they’re not interested in the Victory? If Melbourne really was split along geographical lines then there’d be about 5 teams in Melbourne. With FFA’s slow but steady approach to expansion this probably won’t happen for about 15-20 years. What exactly are non-Victory supporters supposed to do in the mean time?
Clayts
Guest
Sorry but i completely disagree with '2nd is as good as last' when referring to Heart. If Heart were to finish 2nd, I'm pretty sure their crowds would average up over 10k and no one would be talking about their 'identity' crisis, they'd be too busy talking about how they've 'upstaged big brother' (assuming victory don't come first). Isn't that what this article was sort of about?
Clayts
Guest
Roar seemed to do ok last weekend without Berisha on the field. Scored 4 goals
Ian
Guest
.Clayts - Mwhahahaha! Does the 36 game unbeaten run count for anything? Imagine if MV had an Australian sporting record how often it would be used to deifne this most successful tag.