Aloisi To Pull On The Boots    

By Mark Humphrey

What a headline that would be and for the Melbourne Hearts coach he would probably do better than the current crop of strikers in the club.

On a perfect Melbourne summer’s evening cellar dweller A-League teams Melbourne Heart and Wellington Phoenix went head to head in a contest that had the potential for far reaching ramifications if the Heart were to lose. All around the stadium the general consensus was that if the Heart lost to Wellington then Aloisi would be gone. In the wash-up it should not be Aloisi who is under the spotlight, instead a couple of the Heart’s front men should now be seriously under the pump to retain their positions.With Kewell back in the side, strikers Mifsud and Williams needed to do more.

Master tactician Harry Kewell set up David Williams with the first cross of the night that was a touch long for Williams but signalled quickly that Melbourne Heart were in for business. All through the night Kewell’s attacking play would set up multiple scoring opportunities with his sublime footwork skills. Looking at Kewell you get an idea of what it would be like to witness an EPL game with skills that are a cut above the general A-League standard. At one stage Kewell lifted the ball in a pass so it would bounce by a Phoenix defender reaching the target of a Hearts team mate. Little feats like this were a game highlight that otherwise seemed to lack any inspiration.Kewell showed classic skills on the night

For the visitors Muscat and Hernandez were busy early and provided plenty of play up forward. With the Phoenix coming off a win last out it was important to back up the performance against a team that was trying to find some direction.

Heart’s Jason Hoffman had started the game well and was active through the centre of the ground providing numerous openings for his forwards. A pass to striker Mifsud was headed to Williams whose shot went high and wide. Williams followed up quickly with a long range shot that was kept out by a diving Moss. Moss the Phoenix goal keeper would be kept busy for most of the night as the desperate Heart attack tried to find the goal that would break open their season.Phoenix goalie Glenn Moss was busy for most of the night.

Phoenix striker Jeremy Brockie had a shot that pushed wide and then Carlos Hernandez followed up with a strike that beat Heart goalie Andrew Redmayne only to hit the upright post and deflect back into play. With 10 minutes gone in the match both teams had missed scoring opportunities that were difficult chances but never the less were chances.Carlos Hernandez takes a free kick early in the match.

Phoenix controlled the play for the next 10 minutes or so until Mifsud got on the end of a pass coming out of the defensive half. On-side and clear Mifsud ran the ball down the right side and crossed perfectly to Williams who was several metres out from goal to the left. Williams had Phoenix goalie Moss on toast and only had the guide the ball the two or three metres into the back of the net. Unbelievably Williams missed the shot continuing on the season trend of how not to play a striker’s position. This might be a bit harsh on David Williams but fair dinkum half of the little league players playing in the half time break would have put that one away. I would go as far as to say that if coach Aloisi was there he would have put that one away for sure. It seems criminal that people are calling for Aloisi’s head when paid professional footballers cannot execute the simplest shots on goal. This has been a trend all season between Williams and Mifsud who between them have missed numerous scoring opportunities. Even if you give these guys the benefit of goal pressure, the Melbourne Heart team should not be winless on the bottom of the table. Long-time supporter of Heart and match day regular Alias believes that Aloisi’s game plan is all wrong with the kick it long tactic not working at all. Alias commented “what about trying to set it up rather than kicking it long into the forward line”. He went on to say “how can you expect to kick goals with a 5’ 4’’ striker if it’s just kicked in long. A tall defender can easily push past a small guy”. Melbourne Hearts supporter Alias manages time for a joke during the match

Maybe Alias’s comments have some merit but the underlying fact is that throughout the season both Williams and Mifsud should have converted numerous attempts using the current game plan. Regardless of how the ball got to them and what game plan is being used, once they are in a position to score they should score. I’m sure that if these guys were doing their job then the view on Aloisi’s coaching would be supported by the general population.

2 minutes later after a corner was defended by the Phoenix the ball was sent back into the danger area for Heart. Williams with a solid strike found the boot of Phoenix keeper Moss who at this point had been caught out of position several times. Mifsud like Williams last week was having an excellent game setting up the ball in the forward line creating plenty of open space for the forwards.

27 minutes into the match and Heart were awarded a free kick just outside the box. Williams just blazed away at the goals and was well wide and high. It felt like the Heart strikers were just hoping to luck a goal rather than take the time to set up. 2 minutes later Nic Kalmar was on the end of a Williams cross. A solid strike by Kalmar just goes high but Heart with a solid patch of attacking football looked to be in control.

A Hernandez free gave Phoenix forward Stein Huysegems a shot on goal which he was unable to control. Both Brockie and Huysegems were busy for the Phoenix but didn’t give the impression that they would bust open the game with explosive speed or footwork. With 35 gone in the match it looked like neither team had a way to win and was consistent with 2 teams on the bottom of the ladder.

Murdocca fired one away at the goals and in keeping with the night’s tradition never looked like going in. Murdocca’s shot would be the last shot on goal in the first half as both teams went into the break locked at nil all.

Second half football started off with Phoenix going immediately into attack. A Jeremy Brockie strike sailed just over the cross bar. Heart’s Aziz Behich had been busy in the first half and after negotiating 3 Phoenix defenders fired away at the goals with a solid strike that was kept out by Moss. It was fantastic play by Behich to initially navigate past the Phoenix defenders but like his team mates the finishing off work was lacking.Aziz Behich past 3 defenders and on the way in.

Heart keeper Redmayne was also kept busy by Phoenix goal attempts knocking away several shots early in the second half. A Hernandez deflection sailed past an outstretched Redmayne but was wide of scoring.Heart goalie Andrew Redmayne was kept busy through the night.

With 56 gone in the match Behich put in a perfect cross to Mifsud who was metres out directly in front of goal. Pressure from the Phoenix defenders deflected the ball in the Williams direction. Williams directly in front watches as his strike goes sailing over the cross bar for yet another regulation shot that is missed. With Behich active across the ground it wouldn’t be long before he had set up another scoring opportunity this time with Harry Kewell. Kewell’s long range strike had Moss beaten but was just wide enough to miss scoring. Since the break Heart had done the majority of attacking and followed up Kewell’s attempt with a pin point cross that was just out of Mifsud’s reach.

Behich who had been important for Heart with his attacking football now found himself having to defend a series of attacks by the Phoenix forwards through his corridor.  Phoenix through Hernandez, Brockie and Riera kept the pressure on the Heart defence with a wave of attacking football. Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick sensing the surge substituted Tyler Boyd into the game with an immediate impact. Boyd with his fresh legs broke open the Heart defence with sheer pace and crossed to Huysegems who slotted it in for a Phoenix goal. Phoenix took a 1-0 lead with 75 gone in the match. Merrick looking to add more run replaced Hernandez with Hicks who like Boyd had an immediate impact on the game with hard running.Phoenix's Tyler Boyd & Stein Huysegems celebrate the goal.

With 83 gone in the match Aloisi subbed in Mebrahtu and Migliorini looking for the same affect that the Merricks substitutions had. Sub Tyler Boyd was all over the game and set up a cross that was kept out by the Heart defence. Moments later Boyd was on the end of a cross 6 metres out and in front of goal. A solid strike was brilliantly kept out by a Wielaert boot saving the home team further embarrassment.

By now Aloisi could sense the urgency and was up and about encouraging his troops as injury time approached. With 3 minutes of injury time called it was anybody’s guess at what lie ahead. Finally the whistle blew to signal the end of what was an uninspiring game played by two teams struggling to find any sort of rhythm or purpose. Neither team capatilised on their scoring opportunities with Melbourne Heart the principle instigator.

One wonders what fate awaits John Aloisi as the Heart supporter group belted out the tunes of “we’re not going to take it” and “Aloisi out”.Chants of "Aloisi out" and "we're not going to take it" rang from the supporter group after the match.

It seems everyone has an opinion on Aloisi and the Melbourne Heart. Alias thinks the game plan is wrong, Ben from Melbourne thinks they lack class up front with the team, Richard from Bentleigh said that since Aloisi has taken over the team has lost and Mary from Richmond said the club is hopeless. Whatever your thought is on the current situation the fact remains that Melbourne Heart is winless this season and don’t look like winning a game. This week it was Williams who missed simple conversions, next week it will be Mifsud or maybe Williams again. If Aloisi was directly responsible for recruiting the current squad of players then he should go but I suggest this is not the case. Yes Aloisi is under the pump and rightly so but surely the blame can’t be solely rested on Aloisi’s shoulders. Even if the game plan is the worst in A-League history as some would have you believe, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the Heart forwards have been wasteful in their scoring attempts this season. If the ball arrives at your feet in front of goal with a clear shot you should make it regardless of how the ball got there in the first place. If the Melbourne Heart forwards had been doing their job then Aloisi’s job would not be in question as they would not be perched on the bottom of the ladder and that’s a fact. Maybe it is time for a change but not Aloisi. What have they got to lose by running with Mebrahtu and Migliorini up front in lieu of Williams and Mifsud? Both Williams and Mifsud have been constructive up the field and on times set up team mates perfectly but they don’t kick goals. With Kewell now fit and playing inspiring football the team needs players who can finish off his work. The long range shot by Migliorini a couple of weeks ago was sheer class. Sure there may have been some luck involved in having a clear passage to goal but who else could have taken that shot?

Whatever the scenario is, one thing is certain and that is that the current forward structure has not capatilised on the work done up the ground thus far.

For the Heart they now have to re-group for the road trip to the Central Coast while the Phoenix is once again on the road this time to Western Sydney.

HEART V PHOENIX IMAGES