The youngest club in the A-League, formed only six years ago in 2009 under former name Melbourne Heart, Melbourne City is still yet to taste success.
Reaching the finals series only twice, including last A-League season, City have plans not only to return to the finals this year, but also achieve that elusive piece of silverware. Yet those dreams are by no means out of reach.
Depth in defence
An old saying in football reads: “attack wins games, but defence wins titles”. It appears as though John van’t Schip and his staff have taken this saying to heart, significantly bolstering their defensive stocks. City have added Northern Ireland’s former captain Aaron Hughes to the heart of their defence, a player that has over 450 appearances in the Premier League to his name.
His presence and professionalism should help the club remain sturdy at the back, as well as providing young defender Connor Chapman and excellent role model to learn from. Hughes is not the only big name City have added to their defensive ranks, however, with the Melbourne-based club signing Socceroos full-backs Ivan Franjic and Michael Zullo.
Franjic joins the club after a stint with Russian side FC Torpedo Moscow, while Zullo links with City after a year out of the game following knee surgery. Both have proven in the past to be successful in the A-League, with Zullo impressing in a year-long loan spell at Adelaide United, while Franjic was a key player in Brisbane Roar’s title-winning squads. Together with Hughes, Chapman, Jack Clisby and Patrick Kisnorbo, City’s defensive unit looks to be one of the most formidable in the A-League.
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