There are no certainties in football, but for the past five seasons the second team in Melbourne, whether they were Heart or City, have almost always been inconsistent.
Expectations have followed the club since their inception as Heart, and intensified to a level out of this world with their rebranding as City.
There has always been a focus on the second team in Melbourne but more so on their time as Melbourne City, and with good reason. The new money, new facilities, new look and name were expected to create something bigger than the Heart could have ever been. They were given the chance to become more than the little club that could, younger sibling to the might that is Melbourne Victory, to the little club that did.
But their first season as City still had a lot of heart-with-a-capital-H about it. A mid-table finish, glimpses of brilliance, small bursts of what could be and the inevitable poor displays and lacklustre performances.
The expectation of success that followed the club under both its names was soon replaced with the expectation of inconsistency.
Melbourne City were following right on from the see-sawing results of Melbourne Heart.
For every complete performance, there was one that was simply below par. For every big scoreline that went in their favour, there was that exact same scoreline inflicted upon them.
But now, almost halfway through their second season under their new name, it seems the false dawns are set to be replaced with the real City, the consistent City, the City capable of winning championships; the City everyone expected.
This City has always been there, on the cusp of existence, showing themselves in small bursts and small victories. Making it to a semi-final after a comfortable win over Wellington Phoenix in the elimination final kicked it off.
The success of their recruits has brought their standard of play to a whole new level with the likes of Harry Novillo, Bruno Fornaroli and Aaron Mooy setting the league alight.
And most recently their impressive run of results with three consecutive, emphatic wins – totalling to a goal difference of +12 – has forced the league to take even more notice of the club.
All the signs are there to suggest that City’s time is finally here.
But a sole win against their cross-town rivals and the reigning A-League champions will not unlock the real City.
The expectation of inconsistency is so big that even a win, in a similar vein to their last three results, over the Victory will still leave a question mark hanging over City and whether or not they are the real deal. There is still an expectation; fans are waiting for the inevitable fall, for the 4-0 result to be inflicted on them rather than by them, for their run of brilliant performances to turn into a run of average ones.
However, a win over Victory will begin to erase that question mark fully.
And City do have cause for optimism, not just against the Victory but for the season as a whole.
The navy side of Melbourne enters the derby off a mid-week trip to Perth, without their captain and with a less than desirable recent run of form; three consecutive losses.
Meanwhile, City currently boast a side with the league’s best player in Mooy and have found a brilliant foreigner in Fornaroli. They have the form, they have the attacking prowess and they have the belief and confidence within the squad to know they are more than capable of winning every game they play – and winning well.
2015-16 is the season Melbourne City can fulfil the expectations of success placed on them, and show the A-League exactly who they are.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
