Melbourne City's mentality needs to change ahead of finals

Melbourne City's mentality needs to change ahead of finals

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With the A-League finals just around the corner, Melbourne City will travel to Adelaide United with hopes of putting their interstate demons to bed before having to travel again for an elimination final, the club’s first under new ownership.

The season’s final home and away game for each of these two clubs is potentially a finals preview, as Wellington Phoenix have a three-point buffer over United. However, the Nix are set to take on second-placed Sydney FC in New Zealand this Sunday, their last result against the Sky Blues ending in a 3-0 defeat on home soil.

A point to Wellington from its clash with Sydney and anything but a win to the Reds would see these two sides meet again the following week at Hindmarsh. However, a loss to the Nix could well see the Melbourne side making the trip east to take on the overseas final contender.

Both these finals contenders suffered poor defeats away from home in their last outings. Adelaide travelled to Parramatta before the Western Sydney Wanderers came from behind to defeat it 2-1, with Reds defender Nigel Boogaard handed a straight red for fouling in the box in the second half.

The Melburnians on the other hand were unable to put their travelling woes to bed when they made the trip across the Nullarbor to take on a shaken Perth Glory outfit, on the back of a third show-cause notice being handed out to the Western Australians by Football Federation Australia for salary cap breaches. Despite an early patch of dominance, City were unable to find the back of the net before young striker Jamie Maclaren scored his first goal of what proved to be a wonderful hat-trick for the Glory in an inspiring performance.

Paulo Retre will be unavailable to take on Adelaide on ANZAC Day due to being controversially sent off on the stroke of half time for two consecutive fouls, a red card which ultimately contributed to his side’s demise last Sunday.

A disappointed City head coach in John van’t Schip voiced his discontent for his side’s mentality ahead of finals after the defeat at nib Stadium, after his side squandered a plethora of first-half chances.

“We have to change our mindset, that’s clear. This was not playoffs worthy,” van’t Schip told the club’s official website after the loss.

“In the first half we needed to finish them off but if the mindset is not good, even if you get 11 or 12 opportunities, then the goal is not going to go in and when you don’t want it enough, that’s what is going to happen and the perfect example was today.”

van’t Schip was quick to dismiss suggestions that the loss could be attributed solely to Retre’s sending off just prior to half time.

“We would have got tired with 11 men as well but it could have been a lot easier if in the first half we put away those big chances,” van’t Schip said.

“With 10 men, you have to work harder, that looked okay for a short period but also towards the end, the pitch was getting stretched and the team was struggling and Perth punished our mistake and that’s always going to be hard.”

City more than doubled the Glory’s shots on target count (11 versus five and 61% accuracy), and clearly won the shot count (20-13). Despite these statistics, half of their shots on goal (10) came from outside the box.

Reds key marksman Bruce Djite has told United fans that their side will be out to prove their finals worth against van’t Schip’s men, before stating that he would gladly welcome City back to Hindmarsh in the finals.

“I certainly think we can get our form back before the finals,” Djite told the club’s official website. “We haven’t been at our best, probably for the last month or so, so that’s something that we’re working on. Now’s the time to change gears and really prepare well (for Saturday’s game) and also be ready for the finals because it’s a whole new competition, really,” Djite said.

Djite feels that Adelaide’s recent lapse in form could be a result of facing each A-League team three times a season, causing sides to improve against one another.

“The Hyundai A-League is a unique competition because you play every team three times, so everyone knows everyone very, very well and that could be a reason why our second half of the season form hasn’t been as good as the first half.”

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