If a football club wins a match but no one was there to see it, did they actually win? We might find out sooner or later the way Melbourne City is tracking.
It would be easy to get lost in the grandness of the City Football Group’s plans to dominate the world of football, but Melbourne City seems hopelessly lost in the quagmire of mediocrity.
City might remain on track for finals football, they might win more games than they lose, they might even produce the odd gem here and there.
But as long as they limp from week to week, producing absolute snooze-fests, they will continue to lose a dwindling supporter base.
Based in Manchester – where the group’s flagship club, Manchester City, remains in the hunt for four major honours this season – CFG have branches in the United States (New York City FC), Japan (Yokohama), Spain (Girona), Uruguay (Club Athletico Torque) and Australia.
Last week, the Group confirmed its takeover of China’s Sichuan Jiuniu, but while the machine continues to advance across borders, the Melbourne club looks lost at sea.
What purpose the club is serving as a cog in the machine remains unclear, but after another lacklustre performance – this time against Victory – the question has to be asked what good is CFG doing for the A-League and, more importantly, their fans?
Derbies are the lifeblood of the A-League, especially for clubs like City.
They have struggled since day one to achieve significant buy-in from what is left of Melbourne’s football public in the shadow of the raging success that is the Victory.
These games are a priceless opportunity to showcase an exciting product and win new fans, as well as reassure the existing ones that there is a reason to turn up.
Yet, despite enjoying the sizeable advantage of having an extra man against Victory for the majority of the game, City served up more of the same.
Warren Joyce’s team struggled hopelessly to create significant chances, outside of the passage which saw Jamie Maclaren win a penalty, and two long-range strikes from Rostyn Griffiths and Luke Brattan – which hit the post and crossbar respectively.
You only had to take a glance at the club’s mentions on Twitter to get a taste of what fans felt about the display.
With 24 goals in 20 games, Bruno Fornaroli ostracised, and just eight wins to date, it’s hard to disagree with the paying members.
By failing to live up to their potential on the field, they run the risk of failing to fulfil their promise off of it.
There are so many football lovers in Melbourne that the club could capture, although that pool will be eaten into by the imminent arrival of Western United FC.
And as the drive for a national second division continues to grow, more and more people may find their way back to the childhood clubs they played for or supported before the A-League.
With such an extraordinary network of resources behind them, the powers that be at CFG appear happy for Melbourne City to continue to go through the motions – provided the club continues to make finals, produce a few good players who can be shipped off to Europe via Manchester, and does not cost an arm and a leg to run.
But fans want to support a club, not a factory, and unless CFG acts quickly, their Melbourne branch will struggle.
Mark
Guest
They also promised to build a purpose-built football stadium for the team in NY, but the time within which they promised it has come and gone and there is still no sign of any progress with it.
Mark
Guest
How much of Cahill’s salary did CFG pay? FFA chipped in a good chunk of it. For what they did pay, my thought is that CFG overestimated the bump in interest they would get from having Cahill in the team.
Mark
Guest
The Abu Dhabi group purchased City immediately prior to the 2008-09 season, and they won the Premier League in 2011-12, so that claim is demonstrably wrong.
AR
Guest
Maybe I am simply - as the millineals would say - “speaking truth to power”.
Nick Symonds
Guest
"a look at their squad now shows a bunch of names I’ve never heard of" - I haven't heard of them either. As you say, "Essentially it’s the same stuff going on over there as here." All of these CFG franchise teams remind me of the little boxes song: Little boxes on the hillside Little boxes made of ticky tacky Little boxes Little boxes Little boxes all the same There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same The main difference from the song of course is that the CFG teams are all "City Blue". At least the little boxes in the song were different colours. It's also worth pointing out that Sydney FC were the original target of CFG, who as it turns out wear a completely different "Sky Blue". All I can say is that I'm glad CFG didn't takeover SFC. It would have ruined the A-League completely if they had been successful. - NYCFC SQUAD LIST: https://www.nycfc.com/players
AGO74
Guest
All of the clubs are just a cog in the CFG Group. The Mooy and Arzani examples (even Luke Brattan) are part of that. And it will continue. There was envy at the beginning of NYC's introduction when David Villa was their marquee, however a look at their squad now shows a bunch of names I've never heard of and their marquee's are a Paraguayan who has played once for his country, a Romanian with 6 caps and a 32 year old Argentinean. Ritchie de Laet doesn't look too bad by comparison! Essentially it's the same stuff going on over there as here.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
What makes you think that Waz?
Waz
Roar Rookie
I don’t think you understand how this works? Man City don’t need to own a club to send a player on loan, they can (and do) loan players out to clubs all over the world that they don’t own. The FFP benefits are impacted significantly if they can sign players for $0 (Brattan, Arzani Mooy etc), loan then out, and then sell them for a tidy profit. That’s why these European clubs often have 30 or 40 players out on loan at any one time, they have zero prospect of ever playing for Man City but every time they’re transferred for a profit Man City’s FFP position improves (and it’s why UEFA is considering limiting the number of loaners a club can have). And mentoring on the pitch? City can’t be faulted for their investment in coaching (Joyce aside) and the facilities offered behind the scenes – an extensive marquee won’t add to that Marquees are designed to improve crowds and ratings. Not something CFG care much about.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Looking through a certain lens CFG bought the Melbourne Heart franchise as another club in the CFG stable to on-sell players for profit. Upgrading and spending on training facilities and academy all leads to this. If Melbourne City win a few trophies along the way then that can only enhance the price tag of their players when selling. From that point of view unless CFG look at Australia as a whole and invest to develop the game in this country as a whole that benefits their players price tag, then you can't be disappointed when they do little in an obvious sense for Australian football. At this point I can't see their decisions as benefiting anyone except only their bottom line. This includes coaches, the way they play, and treatment of players.
Franko
Guest
FFP includes player wages, so if you can send a player on loan from Man City to Melbourne City you can shift costs from Manchester to Melbourne, therefore assisting Manchester in reaching their financial targets whilst not affecting Melbourne as the player would be Guest Marquee or the like. Mentoring on the pitch mate, much like ADP at SFC.
Waz
Roar Rookie
You don’t shift funds around for financial fair play, spending money in Melbourne doesn’t help Manchester (signing cheap players from Melbourne and selling them for a profit in Manchester does though). Mentoring the young players? City do that through the millions they spend behind the scenes - that’s the nursery, not aging has-beens
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Yeah i really like the idea of City going to Dandenong.
Nick Symonds
Guest
"There are so many football lovers in Melbourne that the club could capture, although that pool will be eaten into by the imminent arrival of Western United FC." - As I posted yesterday, Dandenong was where they should have gone in the first place when Heart joined. 5,200 parking places within a close walk of the proposed ground, plus a railway station. The Casey Fields training base would be used while the stadium is being constructed. This is what the weareteam11.com website says about the Casey Fields training base: The Site “Casey Fields is located 45km from Melbourne in Cranbourne East. At 84 hectares in size, Casey Fields already offers a range of elite and regionally significant sporting facilities including an AFL Boutique Stadium (home to Melbourne Football Club’s AFLW team as well as the Casey Demons VFL side), a Victorian Premier Cricket Oval (home to Casey South Melbourne Cricket Club and Melbourne Stars events), a regional athletics track, regional BMX and criterium tracks and rugby league fields.” “The Centre of Excellence will be developed in the south-west portion of the site, in accordance with the Casey Fields Master Plan.” Further – Elite Training and Administration Base “The main pitch will initially have the capacity to cater for up to 8000 spectators if necessary and will be capable of hosting W-League and National Youth League fixtures, as well as A-League games on an interim basis.” So, they wouldn’t be playing at the Casey Fields oval that’s used in the AFLW. https://www.weareteam11.com/ourvision/caseyfields/ - If SEM join the A-League as well then no one will care about Victory vs City. In the case of SEM they hope to get the whole community behind them like the Wanderers did. According to Team 11 project officer Matt Windley, “90% of people in this area come from countries where football’s the number one sport.”
pete4
Guest
Interestingly City's vice chairman Simon Pearce recently commented that it took CFG 10 years to begin winning in titles in England he gave assurances within the next several years they will begin winning them in Australia
Franko
Guest
Two reasons. 1. Shifting funds around for financial fair play. 2. Mentoring the younger players.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
You're pushing it AR :(
Waz
Roar Rookie
Why would you put a top quality marquee in a nursery club though?
Waz
Roar Rookie
“The independent structure will give clubs more control over revenue” ... ... not if the FFA have their way, their proposal this week is independent in name only with little else changing. Whether CFG stay or go now depends on the next 30 days of negotiations
Franko
Guest
I agree, they care more about the next Azarni, Mooy etc than they care about winning trophies. The lack of top quality marquee is a little disappointing though.
AR
Guest
I have never understood the appeal to support Melbourne City. It’s a privately-owned franchise; registered by a sheik a billion k’s away; bought for a song after the Heart sank; branded as “City” to comply with the larger global brand; a manufactured logo; no identity; no fans; no soul. Stirs the passion eh?