City Views – The Review (Part One)
Finishing fourth flatters Melbourne City but it probably tells the story of the A-League this season more than the club itself.
City never reached their full potential during the season and were a continual frustration for fans. Once again the team struggled on the road, but managed to remain unbeaten at AAMI for the second half of the season.
Three Etihad thrashing at the hands of cross town rivals Victory was the true indication of where the club was at in Season 2014/15 and where it needs to be in the coming years. The season provided some highlights but sadly like every other seasons there was more disappointment than excitement throughout. City once again struggled to attract crowds even when playing attractive football.
City with a Heart?
The Melbourne City brand initially experienced some teething problems through the off season with those with strong ties to the ‘Red and White’ Heart allegiance. Some supporters were disappointingly left by the wayside but this was only a mere hiccup when Spanish Superstar David Villa was announced as a guest player. We all know what a PR disaster that was so we won’t go pouring salt into old wounds.
Some fans stuck around and City managed to break membership records but without the Villa factor City struggled to attract notable crowds outside of the Christmas Derby.
Signs were positive with newly formed supporter group ‘The Melbournians’ who managed to find their way after a slow start have plenty of work to do in the off season but at least now have a foundation to build on.
The Coach – John Van’t Schip
Was the win in Wellington enough for the Dutchman to keep his job? Probably but he will have City Football Group officials demanding a much better performance after a full off season. Injuries played their part throughout the season too but JVS must finally be able to deliver on the pitch like he can in front of a camera. At times tactically he looked lost throughout the season and was out coached on many occasions. Some of his players ultimately let him down but in football like many sports the buck stops with the coach.
The Players
Andrew Redmayne
Games – 11
A stinker in every sense of the word. Redmayne seems to be the type of player who will be first to training and last to leave but ultimately is he good enough to play in the league? Redmayne failed to keep a clean sheet in his 11 appearances and only managed two wins. Sure the defend do were at fault multiple times during the season but Redmayne must seriously weigh up his playing future at City.
Under contract for one more season he creates more problems for the club and if we are to see him remain on the playing list he will be well acquainted with the new seating arrangements.
Rob Wielaert
Games – 11 Goals – 1
An injury cut his season short back in January but Wielaert failed to justify his international visa spot. The Dutchman is sure to have played his final game at City and showed glimpses of his abilities but he will be yet another player who travelled to Australia in the final stages of his career failing to impact the league.
Conor Chapman
Games – 16
A season of two halves is how 2014/15 will be remembered. Chapman was super impressive during the first half of the season after taking 8 rounds to take the pitch. A brain explosion against the Wanderers in March derailed his season and Chapman was a defensive mess. On his day Chapman shows he can be a quality defender but was down on confidence at the end of this season.
Eric Paartalu
Games – 26 Goals – 3 (Including the Derby winner)
Paartalu is an interesting one and probably sums up the at the present time. Some weeks he is a world beater and nothing will get through him. His role in the defensive midfield is unmatched across the league, but other weeks (and more frequently) you start to wonder if Paartalu is on the pitch, he’s having so little impact. Consistency is key if Paartalu can deliver any silverware to City during his multi year contract.
Aaron Mooy
Games – 27 Goals – 7
Winner of most individual league awards, Mooy was the undisputed best player in the league. When Mooy attends the Player of the Season awards for City he better bring a wheelbarrow along because he will walk away with most awards on offer. It was personally disappointing to see Postecoglu leave out Mooy in the Asian Cup squad but it will just make him a more determined player in the coming years. City will be lucky to hold onto Mooy for more than one more season and will need to make the most of such a talented player at the club.
Iain Ramsay
Games – 19 Goals – 2
An extremely frustrating player over his time at City and I won’t be sad to see him depart. Two things are disappointing about Ramsay’s time at City; the salary he was on and the two seasons he wasted. Ramsay is quick and will probably missed by many City fans who play FIFA but on the pitch he appears to be a one trick pony who will be searching for a new club soon.
Massimo Murdocca
Games – 17
The midfield veteran was a victim of JVS packing a squad with same type players at the beginning of the season. Massimo became merely an impact player who only played the full 90 minutes on five occasions and really struggled to find any consistently in performances. It would be hard to imagine Massimo adding to his 206 a-League appearances but if he does he will always give his maximum effort when on the pitch.
David Villa
Games – 4 Goals – 2
Enough said, let’s move on shall we.
Harry Novillo
Games – 10 Goals – 2
Another player plagued by inconstancy, the Frenchman arrived as in injury replacement for Damien Duff and proved and adequate replacement. Probably more suited to an impact role Novillo was showed up defensively on too many occasions and only showed glimpses of his sublime skills when going forward. It will be interesting to see if Novillo escapes the cut in the next few weeks.
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