Fan Focus: Escape To Victory Part 2

Without further ado we bring you the second half of our fan focus chat with the revolutionary Steven Chang. insidetheboxFC would like to thank Steven for taking the time to answer our questions with such thought and passion. We applaud what you are doing for homosexuality in football in Australia, make sure you all get out to Kevin Bartlett Reserve on October 5th.

You can find Steven on Twitter @Gixibyte he also runs @MVFCNEWS a page dedicated to all things Melbourne Victory.

Continued.......

11. Speaking of Heart Harry Kewell now plays for them, will you boo him come round 1?

I'll definitely boo Harry Kewell in Round 1! For several reasons. First and foremost, simply because he's a Melbourne Heart player. But I also feel he's been needlessly bitter since he signed for Heart. He has no reason to be contemptuous towards us but has said that he hopes to ruffle our feathers and piss us off at the derby.

12. His spell at the Victory was kind of an anti climax - why was that?

Kewell's mediocre performances with Victory were largely to do with a combination of his age and lack of pre-season preparation. This is why I wish he had stayed for a second season. I'm always curious about how things might have been different if he'd settled down at Victory and got a full pre-season under his belt.

13. As was Marcos Flores - are you glad to see him off the books ?

I'm not glad to see Flores off the books. He was a spritely character, always full of life and humour. Not to mention the fact he was and is a fantastic player. He didn't reach his potential with Victory. Similar to my thoughts on Kewell, I wish Flores had been able to stay for a second season. Maybe he would have returned to the form and flair he demonstrated during his time with Adelaide United? 

Ultimately I think his underwhelming stint at Victory came down to his place in the team. Flores thrives when he is given a free role. I think he felt that Ange placed too many tactical limitations on him. Central Coast are also a structured side and I'm curious to see if Flores will find things any different under Graham Arnold.

14. We've seen two big name signings come close to singing with Victory but both chose to stay in Europe - who would you like to see come in? 

Well, now we know that Kosta Barbarouses and Pablo Contreras have arrived at Victory, and James Troisi too on loan. I would have liked to see one of Victory's Greek or Italian targets (such as Seitaridis, Miccoli, or Karagounis) arrive at the club. But it wasn't to be. Nevertheless, the squad looks well-balanced now.

15. We've seen a lot of players leave Victory in the off season but not many to come in are you worried ?. The season kick of is getting closer ?

This question is also kinda irrelevant now :P But I think we have a very strong squad now. One of the strongest in the A-League, as things stand. We lack a dazzling marquee to pull the crowds in, but by virtue of the size and popularity of the club in Melbourne, exciting performances will be enough to attract large crowds. 

16. You're coach revolutionised the A - League in terms of style he plays - what are you're thoughts on the Ange Postecoglu era

Ange has done what I expected him to do. Our play is so much more fluid and attractive than before Postecoglou arrived. Our striker-less system is quite interesting. We now have a plethora of attacking forwards at the club, I wonder if we'll see them play wide like Archie Thompson and Marco Rojas last season, or whether we'll see them play as more traditional strikers...

The longer Ange stays at Victory, the more he'll stamp his influence on the club's footballing philosophy. His revolution is not one that can be achieved overnight. It's taken him time to pull together a squad capable of implementing his style. He still has a long way to go and, knowing Ange, he won't be happy until he lifts the A-League trophy for Victory at an A-League Grand Final.

17. What are you expectations this season?

After the nightmare season we had under Mehmet Durakovic and Jim Magilton, I've learnt to temper my expectations. Last season I said I'd be happy with finishing anywhere in the top six. This time I'll adjust those expectations - I'll be happy with a top four finish. I won't say we'll definitely finish in the top two like some others do - anything can happen in the A-League, even with a strong squad a top-notch coach like Postecoglou.

If we measure expectations in terms of youth development too, I expect one or two of Victory's youngsters to really step up and become key players in the squad. I suspect Ange would share this expectation, as youth development is clearly a critical goal for him, judging by his football philosophy and his young signings.

18. Is it a failure if you don't win the league?

Ange has explicitly stated that failure to win the A-League title is a failure, in his eyes. In my own opinion, a failure would be failing to achieve finals qualification.

19. You're a proud homosexual - Robbie Rodgers recently came out and has since returned to football with LA galaxy, is this a breakthrough moment ?

Not sure I'd label myself "homosexual". I think sexuality is a spectrum, so I don't really believe in "gay" or "straight".

But anyway - yes. Robbie Rogers' MLS return and coming out process was a breakthrough moment. Let's consider this: the only other players to have come out or been outed in professional football are Justin Fashanu (who later killed himself, partly due to the pressure of dealing with his sexuality publicly, and also due to accusations of sexually assaulting a teenage boy) and Anton Hysen who plays in the Swedish third division.

The reality is, for all the strides forward society has made in regards to LGBT people, homophobia remains a serious issue in football. I have no doubt that there are scores or hundreds of LGBT professional footballers who find themselves unable to come out of the closet because of fears about homophobia. Justin Fashanu's suicide is a telling story. Even if an LGBT footballer were to be accepted by his or her teammates and a club's supporters, relentless media speculation and rumours would inevitably have an effect on their mental headspace. 

If I may, I'll just make a quick plug here for Australia's inaugural Pride Football Australia festival, which takes place on October 5 at Kevin Bartlett Reserve. I believe it is Australia's first ever LGBT football festival. We will honour the memory of Justin Fashanu with the annual Justin Fashanu Cup between rivals Melbourne Rovers SC and Sydney Rangers FC, who will face off against each other in the centrepiece event for the day. Both the Rovers and Rangers are Australia's premier LGBT football teams. I played briefly for Melbourne Rovers' "sub-football" (Google it!) team once! 

20. If an A-League player was to come out how do you think it would be received ?

I'm not sure how a gay footballer would be received in the A-League. For all the talk about how accepting and open football is, I've found homophobia to be quite common in the stands at A-League games. I have no doubt that an openly gay A-League player would receive torrents of homophobic abuse in the stands. Having said that, I also have no doubt that thousands of other football fans would also stand up for that player's rights to be free from bigoted taunts too. Most A-League fans I've met tend to be socially progressive, even if they aren't necessarily as politically left-wing as I am.

21. Finally in 10 years Melbourne Victory will be ....

 ......folded, wildly successfully, or both? No. I honestly don't know. Ten years is a long, long time in football. Especially in a league that doesn't possess the financial, political, and cultural clout of established codes such as the AFL. 

Ange Postecoglou and Anthony di Pietro have, at times, suggested that it would be possible for Victory to reach a membership base of 30,000 or more. They may well be correct, and I certainly hope that turns out to be true. For several years now, Victory has had no issues reaching a membership total of 18,000. This season, our official target is 23,000 members. In this context, a target of 30,000 members within five or ten years is not unreasonable. 

I'd like to confidently assert that we'll win a glut of championships over the next decade. But football is crazy and anything can happen! So who knows. One thing I can assure you, though, is that Melbourne Heart will be in our shadow forever ;)

LET'S BE FRANK.

In Brisbane's Newspaper The Sunday Mail (September 22), an article looked at Frank Lowy and how he had apparently jeopardised Australia's chances of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The article went in to great detail about how his so called failed attempt, cost him (and Australian taxpayers) $43 Million in total. While some will argue Lowy's Ill conceived plan is what harmed Australia's chances, one must look at the bigger picture of why this (The 2022 World Cup Hosting rights) was always destined to fail, and the reason for this failure comes down to one man.......Sepp Blatter.

Blatter is no stranger when it comes to courting controversy; even his appointment to the role as FIFA President back in 1998 caused controversy as it was alleged he'd bribed an official for his vote. Farro Ado, then Vice-President of the Confederation of African Football, claimed Blatter had offered him $100,000 for his vote during the 1998 FIFA Presidency election. From that moment onwards there have been a myriad of controversies surrounding Blatter, from the 2006 World Cup comments about FIFA Referee Valentin Ivanov, to the Bribery scandal in 2011, which gifted Qatar the hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup. These, and many other things, have proven time and time again why Blatter is a Cancer to Professional Football. To say he should have been out of a FIFA job years ago would be putting it mildly. And the fact he still has a Job at FIFA, after his handling of the 2022 World Cup Bribing incident, is a complete disgrace. Football (Or Soccer as it is known in some parts of the World) already has a tough time trying to uphold its reputation as a legitimate Sport in the Football codes, no thanks to the constant diving and play acting, but to have this buffoon (Blatter) as FIFA President, only makes it harder for us fans to defend this great game of Football. So today, rather than go on and on about the failings of the 77 year old FIFA President, Inside the Box will instead opt to look at the Top 5 Decisions (made by Sepp Blatter) which made any true Football fan hang there head in shame:

THE LUIS SUAREZ/JOHN TERRY INCIDENT:















Following two incidences of Racism between the months of October/November (2011), Sepp Blatter had the chance to front up to this ugly and unwanted part of our game, Racism. Instead, Blatter opted to smooth things over (or at least tried to) by saying any disagreement between players can be resolved by a handshake, even if it's an act of racism. Well done Sepp, someone should remind Blatter that a handshake is also made when two people make a grubby deal.

WIDENING THE GOAL POSTS:

Back when Sepp Blatter's legitimacy and reputation was still intact, The Fifa President had toyed with the idea of widening the Posts on the goal frame (as if it wasn't already hard enough for Goalkeepers to protect there goals). Thankfully the idea never progressed further than being a toy and the Goal posts measurements, which have served the game well for the last 145 years, remain the same.

VALENTIN'S DAY:













During the 1998 World Cup Sepp Blatter laid down the law to all participating World Cup referees after a string of incidences went unpunished. These referees were publicly ridiculed throughout the tournament, after they were forced (by Blatter) to wear more dressing gown style Referee tops. A warning from Blatter not to disobey his orders and a firm reminder to take every foul in the game seriously. So 8 years later Russian referee Valentin Ivanov did just that and dismissed 4 players in a single match during the 2006 World Cup match between Portugal and Holland. What followed was a backlash by Blatter who publicly riducled Ivanov by saying "He (Ivanov) should have given himself a Yellow Card for his poor performance during the match". Blatter later regretted these words and promised to formally apologise to Ivanov. 7 years on and the apology still hasn't happened.

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL:













While championing the future of Women's Football back in 1995 by saying "The future of Football is Feminine", it seemed like all systems were go for Women's Football when Blatter became FIFA President 3 years later. Though In 2004 (In true Blatter fashion) he made a gaffe when he suggested Female Footballers should "Wear Tighter Shorts and Low Cut Shirts to create a more Female Aesthetic". This caused some Minor controversy with Female Footballers but drew Major Laughs from the Media.


THE QATAR INCIDENT:

I'm not one to look in to the Crystal Ball and tell you the future, but I had a really good feeling about the Year 2022. Don't ask me why, but when I heard Australia would bid for the hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, I knew this was our time. Having hosted 2 Olympic Games (1956, 2000) and 5 Commonwealth Games (1938, 1962, 1982, 2006, 2018), It was surely Australia's time to step up and claim FIFA World Cup 2022 as our World Cup. However all of the bidding efforts proved futile as Qatar came up trumps with the Votes. In would later be revealed Sepp Blatter had been bribed by Qatari officials for his vote, along with other FIFA delegates. And as the saying goes, you reap what you sow. In the 2 years since this crazy announcement (Qatar hosting the World Cup) all of these bizarre decisions have come out of the Woodwork. It has now been revealed that the Air Conditioned stadiums (which were initially promised) can no longer be put in to the Stadiums and, on top of that, Blatter has made it know the World Cup may very well have to be played in December/January as opposed to the traditional June/July. And any person who is fond of the occasional Beer will find it especially difficult seeing as Qatari venues (being a Muslim nation) will most likely NOT be selling Alcohol.


Australian fans need not be so hard on Frank Lowy for Australia's failed attempt at securing the 2022 FIFA World Cup, for you see, the writing was on the wall from the beginning (in the form of a Greedy 77 year old Swiss Fraud). And in closing I say this, Sepp Blatter was never a Footballer himself, never once did he lace up the Boots or trod out on to the Park as a Junior/Senior Footballer. Never once did he share locker room banter with Mates or Kick a Ball around from Dusk til Dawn. As a person who never really grew up with an appreciation and love for the game (Blatter), how could he ever run a game that he himself has never been familiar with. It is now time FIFA appoints someone to run Football out of love for the game, not as a Second hand unreliable Business. There's an old saying which goes "To know it, is to love it". Sepp Blatter never knew the game of Football as a young man, so in turn he could never truly love it for what it really is; The Greatest Game on Earth.


Written by Alex Stilianos.

FAN FOCUS: ADELAIDE UNITED.

In continuing with our Fan Focus series, we've decided to head down to Adelaide to speak with resident Adelaide United fan Edward Trinh, to get his thoughts on a range of topics from the club's future to its supporters.

Describe last season as a Reds supporter?

First half of the season the team were cruising, and as a supporter it was great. Once all the coaching dramas occurred, it all went down hill from there. A season of ups and downs.

Some would argue John Kosmina's treatment of Sergio Van Dijk and Zenon Caravella were the catalyst for his demise. Would you agree?
 
Van Dijk and Caravella weren't getting game time. All pro footballers want game time, so they moved on. Whether Kossie had animosity towards the two, I don't know.

Should Michael Valkanis have gotten the job?

No. Mickey V was a stop-gap solution until a permanent coach was found.

Let's look forward to this season. What are your expectations for your team?

Finals participation and at least a 4th or higher placing at the end of the season. Of course I want to win trophies, but I'm being realistic.

Josep Gombau has come in; are you confident he won't become another Rini Coolen?

Depends how he manages the players throughout the season. So far, it looks all good from the outside. Give him time is what I urge everyone to do.

He's stated that he could have the power to bring Barcelona to The City of Churches for a pre-season tour. Would the people of Adelaide embrace this?

Of course. But what we as a city and state need is money to actually get them here.

He's been very vocal of his desire to play a Barcelona-style of football, is that what the fans want?

We are a very football-savvy city so what we want to see first-and-foremost is an attractive, attacking style of football. Of course results matter too, so hopefully he gets the team playing a winning brand of football too.

What do you think of his off-season recruiting? Isaias has a decent CV.

Both Isaias and Cirio have very good CVs. What Gombau has done is provide further depth to the team. The Catalan players will have a wealth of European experience as well as high technical ability to play Gombau's new style of football. They will complement Jeronimo and Carrusca very well. Elrich also adds A-League experience to the team. Zullo adds much needed competition on the left hand side. Lustica comes back to the A-League with some European experience under his belt, but is still very young.

Dario Vidosic is a big loss, who would you like to be his replacement?

Dario is very big loss, there's no hiding that. I'm confident in the current squad to plug his absence in midfield. We have a wealth of attack-minded midfielders.

Let's talk about your club's owners. What do you make of Greg Griffin and the board?

Greg was perhaps in the media spotlight a bit too much early on where he should have left football matters to the footballing side of the club. This has improved over the off-season. The board has just been expanded to include various other members of the South Australian community with ties to Asia, political influences and grassroots. This can only be a benefit to the club.

What area could they improve on and as a paying fan what would you like to see change?

Like I have said, they're listening and they're engaging more with the members and supporters now. This is a step in the right direction. What I would like to see in the future is further strengthening ties with Asian clubs and leagues.

They toyed with the idea of moving away from Hindmarsh which we thought would've been a disaster, is this where AUFC belong?

Yes.

You've had stadium security management problems like other A league teams - was the silent protest a success?

You're better off asking a member of the Southern End active supporter groups.

How big of a brand is Adelaide United in a generally AFL city?

We're a minor player in the sporting landscape in Adelaide. The two AFL clubs receive the most attention here but I'd say we're closing the gap steadily.

You have a great set of supporters, but we want the league to grow. What can the club do to build its supporter base?

This is not really a club issue, but an issue with the FFA. At the moment, active support areas are allocated seating. What we would like to see is general admission to the active support areas.

Our favourite question to put to fans: who has been the best player for Adelaide United?

Travis Dodd.

And the worst?

None.

In 10 years, Adelaide united FC will be...

The only Australian club to have participated and won the AFC Champions League final.

THE WRITING'S ON THE WALL.

          


Saturday Night's encounter between the Socceroos and Brazil was less shocking than it was expected. An uninspired Socceroos outfit made the long journey to Brazil only to be handed a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Seleção. Brazil pulled out all the stops in this goal fest and the matched ended with the Socceroos goalless. Not much needs to be said about Brazil, as they are quite clearly the strongest Footballing nation in the World at the moment. This became evident back in June/July at the 2013 Confederations Cup when they disposed of Spain quite comfortably in the Final. But as we turn our attention to the Mighty Socceroos, it was inevitable that (following the jubilation of the Iraq game in June) reality would soon kick in. 

After a lacklustre Qualifying campaign, which saw the Socceroos lose to Jordan and draw twice with Oman, the Socceroos scraped through the Qualifiers with there dignity still intact but with the National team in tatters. Olger Hosieck no doubt has a huge task ahead of him with the 2014 FIFA World Cup approaching in 9 months. And, on the back of a mediocre qualifying campaign and a 6 nil pounding at the hands of Brazil, it is all uphill from here for Osieck and the Green and Gold. Part of the problem with this Socceroos side is the lack of depth in the Squad. Australia does not have a consistent Starting 11 team that can take the field every time they play an International match. And with the exception of Tim Cahill (who will soon retire) and Josh Kennedy, there is no clear cut Striker to bang in the goals on a regular basis. Gone are the days where players like Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Jonh Aloisi would lead the attack. So as the 2014 World Cup looms and Australia gets ready to join the rest of the 31 nations involved, I say crack open the Champagne bottle now and start celebrating, because this right here (Qualification) will be as good as it gets.

Written by Alex Stilianos.

Fan Focus: Melbourne Heart with Aidan Nuhanovic

This week's fan focus takes us to the Red & White part of Melbourne with Heart fan Aidan Nuhanovic. We've heard from the big brother of Melbourne football its now time for the little brothers turn to state their case. There is always lots to talk about with Melbourne Heart and in this case Aidan didn't disappoint. From the South Melbourne takeover bid to superstar Harry Kewell we cover the past, present and the future. If theres one thing for sure, Aidan certainly #Heartbelieves.

1.     Thank you for taking the time to take part in our fan focus interview, last season describe it as a Melbourne Heart supporter?.

Many words and feelings come to my mind when I think back to last season, Many of those words are not exactly “PG”. Season 2012/2013 was the most frustrating season as a Melbourne Heart supporter and I was very pleased when it finally ended. The experience was worse than a young boy going to the dentist for the first time, it was horrific. 

2.     Where do you think it all went wrong?.

It all went wrong from the word go. Last season we lacked leadership and commitment. Captain Fred being injured all the time did not help at all but even if a captain is down, someone is expected to stand up. No one stood up last season, maybe with the exception of Richard Garcia, and that pains me to say that.

There was also no commitment by the players. I’m not sure if John Aloisi told the boys that in a football match, there are 90 minutes. For the majority of the season we played the first 45 minutes of the game and then dozed off. They went home.  

3.     What do you think of John  Aloisi as a manager, have u been satisfied thus far?.

I rate Rebecca Black more as a singer than I rate John Aloisi a manger. We all know he was a great player but that does not always mean they will be a great coach. This is a time where his ability as a manager and his ability as a player are both at different ends of the scale.

Going off the last paragraph, if you haven’t figured out if I have been satisfied with John Aloisi or not, then I suggest you go and see your local GP.

4.     We love JA but we think Ante Milicic should’ve got the job over him would you agree?.

Honestly, at the time that JA was announced as our manager, I was quite pleased. Yes, he only had a short time coaching the Youth team but it was JOHN ALOISI!

Fast forward a year or two, it ended up being a horrible decision. Results have not gone our way (Look at our interstate record) and he has not performed well enough in my opinion to keep his job.

But I do not agree that Ante should have gotten then job over JA. We cannot guarantee that Ante would have done a better job or not because he has not been able to be in the position that JA has been in. 

5.     Ian Ramsay is one of the buys of the of season in our opinon what do you make of the new additions to the Heart squad?.

Not being bias, but I would give Melbourne Heart an A+ for the signings of the current season. A lot of people do not agree with the amount of 30+ year olds that we have signed but age should not matter if they are performing, because in the end, all that matters is how well you compete.

Harry Kewell has been a massive signing for Melbourne and is playing for the world cup, this signing was a stroke of genius by the club.

To be honest, I had not heard of Rob Wielart until he signed for Heart but his CV speaks for itself.

Getting Aziz back on loan this year will boost our chances of playing finals this year as he has always played a massive part. I cannot fault the additions to Melbourne Heart.

6.     Last season the Heart released a lot of players including inaugural players  Thompson & Colosimo, was this the correct decision?.

Releasing these players was the correct decision. They were simply not performing well enough to compete. They were also not performing well enough to justify their wages. The clock had struck 12 by the time the season hit half way. Matt Thompson and Simon Colosimo were meant to be our “leaders” on field, the only thing these two led were yellow cards and foul count. On field performance was terrible so they paid the ultimate price. 

7.     One of the reasons the football department gave was it was because of there age, but then they have signed Engelaar , Kewell and Wielaet who are 34 or there abouts, have they been good signings?.

The difference between the players we have the released and Kewell, Engelaar etc. is that the latter are simply better. There is no other way I can answer that question.

8.     Speaking of Harry he has been announced as the captain of Melbourne Heart Football Club which we agree with, was he the right choice?.

The club could not have picked a better player to captain Melbourne Heart. He is a role model who has something to prove, knowing this; he will make all his teammates strive for the very best. He has something to play for and he cannot achieve that without his team, which tells me, he will get the very best out of everyone this season so he and his teammates have the best chance of flying to Brazil and flying to the championship. 

9.     How will this go down with your fellow fans seeing as he did play for your bitter rivals?.

I know the Melbourne Heart family are a bunch of intelligent people. They will know that he is the right choice judging by what he is playing for. We want a leader, and that’s exactly what we are going to get.

  

10. What about Orlando Engelaar, he looks to be out for 3 months maybe longer, its devastating news not just for you guys but the league also?.

To be honest, none of my mates including myself knew who Orlando was. Going by that, I do not see it being a massive blow to the A-League, in fact I do not see it dent the league.

But yes, it will affect Melbourne Heart. JA had openly said that he made a team that would benefit Orlando’s style of play more so than his own. Since he has been injured, it does not look good at all. 

11.  Overall have you been happy with the recruiting the Heart has done since the club’s birth?.

Yes I have been. Bringing up youth has been massive for us which has meant we have been less active around transfer season but when we have needed to make crucial recruiting decisions, they have done well in luring players.

12. John Van’t Schip has returned to Melbourne in the back rooms, is this a good move?.

Its great to have our inaugural coach back. He will not be here very long at all but what he is trying to do with the Johan Cruff Academy is amazing. He loves the club as much as we love him. He is giving up his time to help us excel and be ready for the future which I love.

13. Was his time in the hotseat as success?.

We are still competing in the A-League so yes his time was a success.  Fans do not usually love someone as much as we do with JVS if he has not done well. He has pretty much made our club what it is today.

  

14. The Heart has a big job in trying to succeed in the tough Melbourne sporting market, what needs to be done to get more members and people to games?.

The club needs to continue advertising and really push what they are doing to help the community. The fans job is crucial as well and that is where we try and bring along our mates. We had a ‘One Melburnian’ campaign and that worked a treat for the club. The club needs to give the fans more opportunities on match day and offers through our sponsors also.

15.  How can the club attract fans to the red and white part of Melbourne instead of crosstown rivals Victory?.

We are the peoples club, we help the community. We also see ourselves as a family friendly club whereas the other team in Melbourne is most certainly not a family friendly club. We attract families because of our safe environment.

16. Lets talk about the South Melbourne attempted take over, are you glad its fallen through?.

We are ‘Melbourne Heart’ we are our own club, that’s the way I want it, that’s the way everyone wants it. I think I can speak for every Melbourne Heart member/supporter and say that we are 100% glad it had fallen through.

17.  What would it mean if South Melbourne actually took over, what would change and would the current fan base embrace it?.

What it would mean is that the club would be completely different. I see ‘Melbourne Heart’ slowly fade away. It would also mean the club would lose a lot of their supporter base, including myself. I support MELBOURNE HEART no one else.

18.  Take the emotion away from this question if you can, we desperatly want it to happen but can Melbourne Heart succeed in the A – League?. 

Taking the emotion away from it almost takes everything away from it but bias aside; I 100% KNOW that Melbourne Heart can succeed by themself.

19.  Who’s been the best player to don the red & white jersey?.

That is a very hard question. But the biggest is Harry Kewell and I think he is the best player to don our jersey.

20. And the worst?.

There’s only one Jason Hoffman. He used to be shite, and let’s be honest, still is. Every club has this kind of player. He is someone every can get along with outside of the stadium, but once in the stadium, you wish he was never there. No words describe how bad he is.

What position does he play? I don’t think he even knows!

21. In 10 years the Melbourne Heart will be?. 

Not run by South Melbourne, Still in the A-league and competing well on and off the field. I see our supporter base being one of the most passionate.

A CARNEY IN NEW YORK.

David Carney's Footballing career has been sporadic and at times stagnant since signing with Everton FC as a 16 year old back in 1999. After failing to make a single appearance at Senior Level, he didn't get his start until 2004, when he played for Halifax Town in the English Lower Leagues. Carney, who turns 30 later this year, has been restricted to 109 Senior Matches throughout his 11 year career, where he has played in countries like Holland, England and Australia, for clubs like FC Twente, Sheffield United and Sydney FC. Following a disastrous 7 month stint in Uzbekistan, Dave Carney spent a year on the sidelines before signing with MLS club The New York Red Bulls on August 8, 2013. Carney made his debut for the club on August 31, in a 2-1 victory over D.C. United. And while he played the entire 90 minutes, it's clear there is still work to be done for Carney as he fights to keep a permanent spot in the starting 11. American Soccer analyst Dan Dickinson, who regularly keeps New York Soccer fans updated via his Twitter account https://twitter.com/GothamistDan gave Inside the Box FC this analysis on Carney's debut.

"I'd call Carney's first 90 minutes for the New York Red Bulls a general success. Filling in for Roy Miller, he did a decent job at left back. He made a couple of great tackles in the first half and his crossing ability was impressive. That said, he definitely showed a little rust, and was burned pretty badly on DC United's one goal, as Nick DeLeon turned him badly enough to send him to the ground and then blasted a shot in from close range. He (Carney) is going to have to shake the rust quickly if he wants to continue getting minutes this season. While Carney will get a few starts while Roy Miller is injured and/or off for World Cup Qualifiers, he'll have to wrestle the position away from him." While Dickinson believes it will be an uphill battle for the Australian Midfielder, Red Bulls coach Mike Petke was seemingly pleased with the 29 year old's debut.  "I was very happy with him. He puts himself in good positions offensively. I think you saw a little bit of rust defensively here and there, and that was very much expected. But overall, I thought he did a solid job and we're happy with his performance."

Written by Alex Stilianos.