The only two men to have ever managed the new Melbourne franchise meet on Friday night at AAMI Park as Brisbane Roar host City.
The situation surrounding John Aloisi’s failed tenure at the club ended with a winless streak that could not be snapped, the former Socceroo succumbing to the managerial axe, with John van’t Schip waiting in the wings to commence his second spell with the club.
The tables have since turned and it is a drama-filled script befitting any Hollywood blockbuster.
Lights, camera, managerial merry-go-round. A loss for City against Aloisi’s high-flying Roar outfit looks a genuine chance, and could spell the end of van’t Schip’s time as manager – a narrative which borrows itself to the cyclical nature of football.
It would be a lazy assertion to suggest that big moments simply fall for Aloisi. He put his hand up for that fateful fifth penalty against Uruguay in 2005 and in a far less famed, but hugely important moment, the striker’s maiden goal at the 2006 World Cup against Japan underlined his eye for a big occasion.
A win against City on Friday would represent nothing more than a job well done on the surface, bagging three big points in the process. However, given the context surrounding van’t Schip’s precarious position as manager, Aloisi could find himself at the centre of another big story by condemning his former club to defeat.
In December 2014, Aloisi commented on van’t Schip’s tenure after a barren run of results. His summation was succinct, and criticism that even the most optimistic supporter could not deny.
“They play periods where they dominate the game, they might go up or aren’t able to punish the opposition but there’s also periods in the game where you have to be able to defend and soak up the pressure and they haven’t been able to do that,” Aloisi said.
“Until they can get that right they will continue to struggle.”
11 months on, these flaws largely remain and despite a clear upturn in the quality of squad personnel, these issues continue to stunt progress.
The situation is decidedly happier in Queensland.
Despite Aloisi’s initial failings as a manager, the 39-year-old looks to have benefited from time in Melbourne Victory’s youth setup. His Roar side has surpassed all expectations this term – sitting two points clear at the top of the A-League table, an unbelievable feat considering the well documented financial problems that threatened to derail Roar’s campaign before it begun.
There is a confidence about Aloisi that has trickled down to the playing group. Brisbane Roar are by no means world beaters at this stage, but there are foundations being laid, and entertaining ones at that.
74' | GOAL @brisbaneroar Henrique chips Covic after some scintillating one touch football from Clut and Hervas. Roar 1-0. #GoRoar #BRIvPER
— Brisbane Roar (@brisbaneroar) November 15, 2015
His personality as a player, an exuberant, talented and unselfish professional is beginning to manifest in his quality as a manager, something that did not happen during his doomed spell as manager in Melbourne.
In the final weeks of his tenure in his first stint as coach at A-League level, Aloisi’s resolve was steadfast, with the club on a progressively tragic winless run, making the atmosphere at home matches toxic. The only managerial experience prior to taking the top job following van’t Schip’s resignation at the end of the 2011-12 season was gained under the Dutchman as Heart’s youth team coach.
While Aloisi said all the right things in his attempts to steady the ship following an extremely poor run of results, the playing group failed to truly buy into his message, and there could be an argument to suggest he struggled with some own internal conflicts.
These same issues look to be currently plaguing City’s Dutch manager.
Standards are now higher at the truly global outfit, and while it is clear that Melbourne is not at the top of the City Football Group’s (CFG) priorities, continued mediocrity will conclude in a matter that City’s supporters have become accustomed to.
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In van’t Schip’s defence, rarely has he been afforded the luxury of fielding his first-choice starting XI due to injury, or in the case of last Friday, losing Aaron Mooy to international duty. However, such obstacles are part and parcel of football. Managers are paid good money to navigate through football’s muddied water.
His side operating at a higher base level than in previous years, but that is to be expected when considering the vast investments made on and off the pitch. The Jekyll and Hyde facet of the club remains – a two steps forward, three steps back approach is certainly not deliberate, but seemingly inescapable.
Beating the ladder leaders would ail some of the suffering from last week’s disappointing 3-0 loss to the Western Sydney Wanderers, but only a run of consecutive positive results will begin to convince the naysayers of van’t Schip’s ability to sustain success as one of the division’s premier coaches.
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