We Are The Reds

Our midfield three kept their midfield three out of the game. Great man marking. On paper our three were outclassed, but on the field they crushed virtually every City attack before it had a chance to get started.

Played well and sniffed out city who appear to struggle at coopers.
We really should have scored a few more, Blackwood gets criticised by the commentators as well as fans, he needs to start showing consistent striker instincts because he doesn’t a lot of the time.

Tonight showed we didn't need Mauk

Tonight showed we didn't need Mauk

McGree is carrying niggles, Boland is made of glass, Troisi is out for 3 weeks, Konst is in and out of the squad. Mauk will be very handy for the rest of the season.

In addition to this, Bruce mentioned in the presser that this signing was made with the future in mind. Troisi and McGree will be transfer targets in the off-season.

However I would rather a defender tbh

Called the win and called the Blackwood goal. I am on fire!

But seriously though, we took the foot off the pedal once they had Delbridge sent off. Could have easily snagged 2-3 more goals.

It really feels like we are back in fourth gear again; not quite fifth gear, when we swept all before us in the FFA Cup, but fourth is better than second gear, which is where we were for all of December.

Halloran gets better with every match and is close to being our best, most consistent player now; McGree or Mileusnic may be technically superior, but Halloran is the most consistent, performing at his best every week now. What an asset he is; if Troisi had not taken the Australian marquee spot, then I suspect that Ben Halloran would have been it for us. Let's hope that the backroom staff can offer him a sufficiently large contract to re-sign him; my spy network tells me that he bought a house here, so he clearly wants to stay.

Mileusnic is getting back to his stellar form of a year ago, but he can be a bit up and down; his pace is electrifying, though. Sometimes he wins the ball by just outrunning whichever RB is unfortunate enough to be assigned to him. Him and Strain are now forming an understanding that is bearing fruit on our right channel.

McGree on his day is our most gifted player; the one who can simply dance around opposition players and fashion a chance out of seemingly nothing. Let's hope that we can hang on to him for another 2 seasons; I have a sinking feeling that he will leave for greener pastures at the end of this one, alas, but let's enjoy it while it lasts.

Konstandopolous is our next McGree; he has the ability and the self-confidence. He is still a work in progress, but I think he is only 20, so there is plenty still to come from him.

Boland has to get back on the park consistently to disprove his fragile reputation; he was meant to be our hard man midfielder, but if he is always injured, then he won't get another contract.

Opseth is still a work in progress; I want us to stick with him. If he can give us 5 goals in the rest of the minor round (11 - 12 matches still to go? - unsure), then we should re-sign him. He has the skill and as I said last week, he does a lot of work off the ball to open up the spaces for the other red shirts around him; all he needs is the self-confidence and I think he could be our best genuine striker since Sergio van Diyk (sp?).

The back four are finally settling down and i reckon we deserved a clean sheet; their goal was a fluky rebound that happened to fall at Noone's feet. I think that we can recognise that some days, oppositions will score despite the best efforts of our backline and that was one of those occasions. They never really looked like scoring again after that; did City even have a shot on goal at all in the second half? If so, then I don't recall it.

On current form, I reckon third is a realistic probability for us come the end of the minor round and if the Glory holes fall away, as they inevitably must at some point, then second is a real chance too. I can't see City troubling anyone in the finals; their job is to finish fifth or sixth and then lose to a side above them in the first of the finals. Life must be tough being a Melbourne City fan; you have all the money in the world and still can't buy a trophy.

It really feels like we are back in fourth gear again; not quite fifth gear, when we swept all before us in the FFA Cup, but fourth is better than second gear, which is where we were for all of December.

Halloran gets better with every match and is close to being our best, most consistent player now; McGree or Mileusnic may be technically superior, but Halloran is the most consistent, performing at his best every week now. What an asset he is; if Troisi had not taken the Australian marquee spot, then I suspect that Ben Halloran would have been it for us. Let's hope that the backroom staff can offer him a sufficiently large contract to re-sign him; my spy network tells me that he bought a house here, so he clearly wants to stay.

Mileusnic is getting back to his stellar form of a year ago, but he can be a bit up and down; his pace is electrifying, though. Sometimes he wins the ball by just outrunning whichever RB is unfortunate enough to be assigned to him. Him and Strain are now forming an understanding that is bearing fruit on our right channel.

McGree on his day is our most gifted player; the one who can simply dance around opposition players and fashion a chance out of seemingly nothing. Let's hope that we can hang on to him for another 2 seasons; I have a sinking feeling that he will leave for greener pastures at the end of this one, alas, but let's enjoy it while it lasts.

Konstandopolous is our next McGree; he has the ability and the self-confidence. He is still a work in progress, but I think he is only 20, so there is plenty still to come from him.

Boland has to get back on the park consistently to disprove his fragile reputation; he was meant to be our hard man midfielder, but if he is always injured, then he won't get another contract.

Opseth is still a work in progress; I want us to stick with him. If he can give us 5 goals in the rest of the minor round (11 - 12 matches still to go? - unsure), then we should re-sign him. He has the skill and as I said last week, he does a lot of work off the ball to open up the spaces for the other red shirts around him; all he needs is the self-confidence and I think he could be our best genuine striker since Sergio van Diyk (sp?).

The back four are finally settling down and i reckon we deserved a clean sheet; their goal was a fluky rebound that happened to fall at Noone's feet. I think that we can recognise that some days, oppositions will score despite the best efforts of our backline and that was one of those occasions. They never really looked like scoring again after that; did City even have a shot on goal at all in the second half? If so, then I don't recall it.

On current form, I reckon third is a realistic probability for us come the end of the minor round and if the Glory holes fall away, as they inevitably must at some point, then second is a real chance too. I can't see City troubling anyone in the finals; their job is to finish fifth or sixth and then lose to a side above them in the first of the finals. Life must be tough being a Melbourne City fan; you have all the money in the world and still can't buy a trophy.

Hate to break it to you, but Konstandopolous is 23 two years older than McGree. I don't see him being here beyond this contract.

It really feels like we are back in fourth gear again; not quite fifth gear, when we swept all before us in the FFA Cup, but fourth is better than second gear, which is where we were for all of December.

Halloran gets better with every match and is close to being our best, most consistent player now; McGree or Mileusnic may be technically superior, but Halloran is the most consistent, performing at his best every week now. What an asset he is; if Troisi had not taken the Australian marquee spot, then I suspect that Ben Halloran would have been it for us. Let's hope that the backroom staff can offer him a sufficiently large contract to re-sign him; my spy network tells me that he bought a house here, so he clearly wants to stay.

Mileusnic is getting back to his stellar form of a year ago, but he can be a bit up and down; his pace is electrifying, though. Sometimes he wins the ball by just outrunning whichever RB is unfortunate enough to be assigned to him. Him and Strain are now forming an understanding that is bearing fruit on our right channel.

McGree on his day is our most gifted player; the one who can simply dance around opposition players and fashion a chance out of seemingly nothing. Let's hope that we can hang on to him for another 2 seasons; I have a sinking feeling that he will leave for greener pastures at the end of this one, alas, but let's enjoy it while it lasts.

Konstandopolous is our next McGree; he has the ability and the self-confidence. He is still a work in progress, but I think he is only 20, so there is plenty still to come from him.

Boland has to get back on the park consistently to disprove his fragile reputation; he was meant to be our hard man midfielder, but if he is always injured, then he won't get another contract.

Opseth is still a work in progress; I want us to stick with him. If he can give us 5 goals in the rest of the minor round (11 - 12 matches still to go? - unsure), then we should re-sign him. He has the skill and as I said last week, he does a lot of work off the ball to open up the spaces for the other red shirts around him; all he needs is the self-confidence and I think he could be our best genuine striker since Sergio van Diyk (sp?).

The back four are finally settling down and i reckon we deserved a clean sheet; their goal was a fluky rebound that happened to fall at Noone's feet. I think that we can recognise that some days, oppositions will score despite the best efforts of our backline and that was one of those occasions. They never really looked like scoring again after that; did City even have a shot on goal at all in the second half? If so, then I don't recall it.

On current form, I reckon third is a realistic probability for us come the end of the minor round and if the Glory holes fall away, as they inevitably must at some point, then second is a real chance too. I can't see City troubling anyone in the finals; their job is to finish fifth or sixth and then lose to a side above them in the first of the finals. Life must be tough being a Melbourne City fan; you have all the money in the world and still can't buy a trophy.

Hate to break it to you, but Konstandopolous is 23 two years older than McGree. I don't see him being here beyond this contract.

Agree, it's getting to the point where you start looking at the next youth player coming up and say, is N.K. giving us anything that Brook can't give us? For less money and potentially less salary cap usage.

Just watched the post match presser from Verbeek on retaining Halloran and others for next season-

"Football players are like birds, the pretty ones you keep, the ugly ones you killl"

Love it. Said with a serious tone and a straight face, makes the threat seem credible...

Him and Strain are now forming an understanding that is bearing fruit on our right channel.

Yeah wanted to mention this - they are absolutely on the same wavelength, several times Strain played a beautiful ball through for Halloran to run onto.
Absolutely rubbish tactics from Mel C though, leaving big holes in the fullback positions up against two of the quickest & most deadly wingers in the league.

Konstandopolous is 23?? He looks about 12 .... oh well ... maybe we will lose Konsta too. :-7