When Melbourne City became Melbourne City, the fortunes of the southern capital’s second team appeared destined to change.
After City Football Group spent $12 million to acquire 80 per cent of the Melbourne Heart in January 2014 and subsequently negotiated full ownership in August the following year, a club with a clear and motivated future looked to have arrived.
Since, City has not missed the A-League semi-finals, yet – with six of the ten clubs experiencing post-season action every year – such a record may not be as impressive as it may sound to the untrained ear.
Much is made of the vast sums City Football Group has parted with in its attempt to establish a global presence. With considerable expenditure comes much expectation and in the case of Melbourne City, something of a misconception.
While the group’s flagship club, Manchester City, continues to surge ahead both in terms of trophies and popularity, the salary-capped Melbourne City does not.
For Manchester, there are no bounds and whenever a truly global superstar comes onto the market for transfer, City Football Group chairman Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak can raise his name in discussions with both his board and manager Pep Guardiola quite comfortably.
In essence, if the player becomes a target, the purse strings will be loosened as required to ensure that the Citizens are armed with the necessary arsenal to produce more silverware. So much so that since 2008, £1.2 billion has been spent to build the powerful Manchester machine that has now surpassed and embarrassed its cross-town rival.
Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany lifts the English Premier League trophy. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
The money has produced four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups, however a modest 47.14 winning percentage in European competition has stopped the group from achieving what is undoubtedly its primary focus, the Champions League.
It is perhaps a natural leap of faith to assume that Melbourne City should be riding the coattails of the English giant, enjoying peripheral spending and benefits.
However, with just $3.2 million permitted to be spent on playing talent outside any marquee arrangement, the salary cap does its job and keeps levels of A-League thriftiness under control.
That creates something of a misnomer: the oft and loosely used A-League term ‘big club’. Fundamentally, assets, revenue and income mean little when Australian clubs are restricted so rigidly by the binding cap.
While the 2017-18 Manchester City domestic league winning team may have cost somewhere in the vicinity of £777 million to assemble, the vast majority of the Melbourne City squad will always be worth the maximum cap value – no more, no less.
Sure, the scouting powers and resources of the group have led to many a quality player finding a new home in Melbourne, however the elixir to remedy A-League failure has yet to be found.
Bruno Fornaroli has been the most successful and notable signing, yet Thomas Sorensen, Michael Jakobsen, Ritchie De Laet and Bart Schenkeveld have also shown class. The arrivals of such players always provides great optimism for supporters, those hoping that the powers at be have finally sent them the tools they need to claim their first A-League title.
In reality, winning a championship has little to do with the size of head office’s bankroll.
Aside from the 2016-17 FFA Cup victory, Melbourne City’s cupboard is bare – and that will not change without the latest group of players forging a fresh, attacking and pro-active style under new and well-credentialled manager Erick Mombaerts.
As promising as the arrivals of Englishman Craig Noone, Uruguayans Adrian Luna and Javier Cabrera, as well as the acquisition of former Sydney FC midfielder Josh Brillante appear to be, success for City will be dependent upon far more than pedigree and fresh faces.
The squad had become a stifled and stuttering unit under Warren Joyce. Few players consistently showed their best as negativity and conservatism took root on the pitch.
The freshness for which so many fans have called has arrived in the form of Mombaerts and, despite the disappointing loss of the best defender in the league in the form of Schenkeveld, there is once again room for hope.
City Football Group has it all – well, all bar that elusive Champions League title – however, their wealth and assets mean little Down Under. It has counted for nought as Melbourne City has huffed and puffed away in semi-final series over the past five seasons, only to be extinguished on each occasion.
Changing that in 2019-20 will have little to do with money and far more to do with football.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Yes I noticed that pointed little comment and tried to ignore it as it is slightly out of place in relation to the rest of the article. I’d be inclined to say that the objective of the club is to be the dominant club in Manchester, to build a dynasty that lasts longer than the reign of SAF, to become the club that kids and future fans support by choice and generally dominate the landscape. There is a slight difference between the club and fans in outlook though. Whilst there is no doubt the club wishes to become a European powerhouse which has many other benefits, most fans want the epl title and if it comes with other silverware that’s a bonus. Fans want the title of “top of the tree” way above all else. If you have any doubts, survey a group of Liverpool supporters and ask them whether they would have traded their euro trophy for the EPL. It speaks volumes for the mindset of the majority of fans and personally I believe it gives an insight as to why a European super league isn’t as mouthwatering as it may appear at first sight.
Nick Symonds
Guest
Was VAR one of their contributions to the A-League?
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
Newcastle $175. $175 is how much they have spent in the transfer window
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
Sanitation
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I've assumed all along that those youngsters get better opportunities for development at City. I mean, better training facilities, better coaches, linked to a wider world network. Last time I looked they had, by quite a way, the largest numbers in our national age teams.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
"The aqueduct."
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
They gave the A league some mind numbing mediocrity on the field , apart from one season of comedy defending . They gave us azani , but all too briefly and if anything held him back too long , and how much of the azani product is city’s doing ? Is he not a west Sydney lad ? They also seem to have been stockpiling lots of juniors from everywhere , and what exactly do they give back to the clubs they took from ?? I would genuinely like to know
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
The author says since the takeover over 2008 city have embarssed their cross town rivals.. why pick on Stockport county like that Btw. Since 2008. Man united 3 titles 1 champions league win 2 champions league runners up 1 league cup 1 fa cup 1 Europa League and a partridge in a pear tree That’s so embarrassing right stu
Nick Symonds
Guest
GA membership adult prices by club: Perth Glory $355 Melbourne City $280 Sydney FC $270 Western Sydney Wanderers $270 Melbourne Victory $259 Brisbane Roar $255 Adelaide United $239 Central Coast Mariners $210 Wellington Phoenix $195 Western United $195 Newcastle Jets $175 GA membership Junior prices by club: Perth Glory $160 Western Sydney Wanderers $160 Sydney FC $130 Newcastle Jets $80 Brisbane Roar $75 Western United $75 Wellington Phoenix $69 Adelaide United $65 Central Coast Mariners $65 Melbourne City $65 Melbourne Victory $53 - Western United are the second cheapest in the A-League and are the cheapest of the Melbourne clubs when it comes to adult memberships, while City are the second most expensive. But City and Victory have the two cheapest junior membership prices while Western United are 6th.
Waz
Roar Rookie
To the background sound of Monty Python music and “What have the Romans ever done for us?” ... “Nothing .......” Well they have given us: A financially stable club. Created a competitive squad which Heart never had. Used their international scouting network to sign some excellent foreign players. Built a first class Academy. Developed some outstanding young players including Daniel Arzani. Revolutionised womens football in Australia. Led the A-League clubs to independence. “So what have CFG given us? Nothing!!!”
josh
Guest
Smart man Mr Rudan. Comes from the West of Sydney but has spent time in the East, so he's aware of the East-West divide. Disagree about Melbourne though, with City and Victory they're fighting over being 'Melbourne's team'. Western United are too far removed to be rivals for either - right now.
Nick Symonds
Guest
Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne City face similar questions, now there are whispers about the current A-Leagues sides favoring a new team in Auckland. - GOAL.COM "The chances of a second A-League side from New Zealand have increased with current club owners in favour of keeping Wellington Phoenix and tapping into Auckland." + "Further A-League expansion could next place in 2023 to coincide with a new TV deal with clubs from Brisbane, Canberra and Tasmania also likely to be looked at." - https://www.goal.com/en-au/news/live/a-league-and-australian-football-news-live-auckland-backed/o5scit2r0yeu14854pzr57wju
Nick Symonds
Guest
"they’ll be competitive and play in front of seagulls" - Sounds like Western United. I wonder who'll draw the bigger crowds between them? Hopefully WU have a better atmosphere at the derbies like Mark Rudan has said they will and maybe that could help build up their support. - FTBL: Rudan believes the Western-Victory meetings will overtake the established City-Victory derby, saying it "lacks a proper derby type of atmosphere". "I have watched Melbourne Victory against Melbourne City, and I don't really feel it, as opposed to up in Sydney," he said. "There is a clear divide in demographic up there.That's what we possess right now. "We are very clear on who we are and what we represent, and that's the West part of Melbourne, all the way from the West Gate bridge." https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/rudan-western-utd-will-shake-up-a-league-525608
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Quite simply because the team is secure financially and when the league does eventually make significant adjustments to the salary cap, or scraps it completely, City will be one of those clubs with the resources and funds to attract quality players. That strengthens our league, the development of our young players and will, hopefully, keep us in touch with an ever improving Asian confederation. As I pointed out in the piece, right now City are hamstrung by the cap and all their millions mean very little. However, with independence and change coming, there is great scope for City to play a key role in future growth. Whilst they are, of course, here to benefit themselves, Australian could benefit greatly from their influence in the long term.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
or maybe they don't look at NPL clubs away from their home area. This kid has shown promise since his school days, midfielder now striker, golden boot winner.
Amazon
Roar Rookie
Stuart, How does it benefit Oz Football? What have they done in their time here that would remotely substantiate that comment? Nothing in my opinion.............. remember David Villa - total contempt for the A league
Stuart Thomas
Expert
That may be true but the domestic game can benefit greatly despite City not being an altruistic exercise.
Franko
Guest
Maybe it's one thing to bang in goals against Redlands United but given his performance against A-League opposition, he's earned his call?
Amazon
Roar Rookie
Surely no one is falling the true reason this team exists? CFG is here for their own benefits ................. not for the benefit of Australian Football
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I'm waiting for their academy to deliver a few Socceroos. Last I looked they had the lions share of junior representative players in our age teams, and we keep hearing about their world class facilities. Five years in, must see some results in coming years. Meanwhile, report is that Mariners are trialing Andy Pengelly this week. Good luck to Andy, hope he makes it. He's currently with Brisbane Strikers (scored in recent FFA Cup round) but formerly team mate of good friend Wenzell-Halls at Western Pride. I often wonder why it takes an FFA Cup round for these better NPL players to be noticed.