Melbourne City FC missed an opportunity to keep in touch with A-League pace setters Brisbane Roar and Western Sydney after going down 2-1 to Newcastle Jets on Sunday evening. We take a look at the key Quotes and Notes to come out of the match at Hunter Stadium.
Quotes
City Head Coach John van’t Schip
Thoughts on the performance…
“We let ourselves down today. Not taking away the penalty, it was a big influence on the game. It was a deliberate handball but if you see someone turning his back to the situation having his arms attached to his body and not seeing the ball coming from a metre, I don’t see how you can call that a deliberate handball.”
“Overall, we didn’t perform the way we expect. That is something we have to get right and if we want to make a chance to achieve something this year, then we have to look at ourselves in the mirror. It doesn’t take anything away from the win of Newcastle – it has to do with our own performance.”
On the team’s mentality against Newcastle…
“We always come to expect to win, that’s our goal. We go out there to play and win, but to do that and to achieve that, you have to have a spirit and urgency in your way of playing and then the quality can rise above.”
“Today that was not the case and that is not just for our team, that’s for every team. You have to work and fight and then the quality you have will decide a lot of games. Today that was not the case.”
Looking ahead to this week’s Melbourne Derby…
“That’s the next one. We have to improve a lot if we want to have an impact next week. I still have the confidence and the quality in the team is there, but if we don’t work together and don’t fight together and think it’s going to happen from itself because we have some quality, then it’s not going to work.”
“We have to do it all together. Everyone has different qualities but everyone has to work in a certain way and I think that is something we have to improve if we want to have a chance next week.”
Newcastle Jets Head Coach Scott Miller
Thoughts on the win…
“I knew bringing Morten (Nordstrand) here and stabilising the central midfield with Steven (Ugarkovic) would add that quality. I think what you are seeing now is people stepping up rather than relying on one person.”
“It’s funny sometimes players take the accolades for the team environment and that’s not what I’m about, it’s about the team and as good as players have been, I think the goalkeeper and back four were outstanding dealing with a front three that are arguably the best in the league.”
Thoughts on the penalty and the red card…
“I think John (van’t Schip) will be very disappointed, but there’s no point sitting here. We take the rub of the green today and we move on from it. I think it is unlikely that it was a penalty, but you’ve got to take it.”
“The sending off was last man. Morten was on the inside shoulder and he had the line of goal in sight, so I think it was a sending off for sure.”
Notes
- Bruno Fornaroli continued his incredible goal scoring season with a brilliant 80th minute against the Jets. The Uruguayan currently leads the Golden Boot standings with 15 goals, one ahead of Melbourne Victory striker Besart Berisha.
- Despite registering the fewest shots on goal of any team this season prior to Sunday’s fixture, Newcastle recorded a total of 17 shots on Thomas Sorensen’s goal, two more than Melbourne City.
- Substitute Nick Fitzgerald registered his first assist for the Club with a well weighted cross for Bruno Fornaroli’s 80th minute header.
