For all those who have been on this site for a while. You know i have preeched for Ernie Merrick to sign Matthew Spiranovic to the Victory, not just as a sqaud boost, but for financial reasons in the future. Kids with ability can be sold for millions of dollars in the future, and as a former VIS instructor i would have thought he would have picked up arguably our best young up and comer, and for me, i said it was going to nip him in the butt, and it seems it has. Ernie Merrick, you moron. And for those on here like MVFC who said he wasnt good enough for a spot over the existing players like Leijer, your a moron too, because as much of a Victory fan as i am. Nurnburg >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Victory Congrats to him, and im sure you will see this kid in the G & G senior side very very soon.
Maybe if he'd told Merrick he was Brazilian he might've got a contract....???? Good luck to the kid, I hope that it makes him a better player for the National Side. Who knows, when he's 33 in fifteen or so years he might come back to Melbourne "to give something back to the Aussie game"
Has he been capped at U17s yet. If hes like Josip Simunic we should cap him early so we dont lose him.
Hes played alot of games for the 17's & u/20's, was playing for the under 20's as early as 16 years of age. Will be in the Olyroo's team i would think, at 18 he has 2 olympics left in him.
To be fair, both Merrick and Bleiberg both went for youth over experience last year and we know how they went. It is a huge shame this guy wasn't picked up as I haven't heard anything but good things about him, but if your job is on the line you have to go with the best chance of getting a result and they haven't done too bad. And if he is as good as he is supposed to be, well he was always going to end up overseas anyway and I doubt they would of paid that much for him.
Yep, i like the fact that he has gone to a good overseas club, i hope he plays for Australia though!!
The only other country he is eligible to play for is Croatia and I believe Croatia approached him and offered him a WC squad place to lure him over to the dark side, which as far as I am aware, he promptly told them to shove
What I don't like is that Coaches go for player X who is better than player Y. They don't look for the future.. they look for who's going to do a better job next year. Of course they want to win the league, but I reckon they need to have an eye for the future as well. After a few years I think clubs will start looknig to the future... With Clubs expanding etc.
AHAHAHHAHA Code: Team P W D L F A GD Pts [B]1. Melbourne Victory FC 7 7 0 0 17 4 13 21 [/B] 2. Queensland Roar FC 7 3 3 1 13 7 6 12 3. Sydney FC 7 3 3 1 12 8 4 12 4. Adelaide United FC 7 3 1 3 12 9 3 10 5. Perth Glory FC 7 3 1 3 8 9 -1 10 6. Central Coast Mariners FC 7 1 2 4 3 8 -6 5 7. New Zealand Knights FC 7 1 1 5 1 11 -10 4 8. Newcastle Jets FC 7 0 3 4 6 16 -10 3 You = moron. Merrick = amazing football coach and recruiter. Stop having a whinge then if he has come gone to a better club And, you don't sound much of a 'supporter' to me. More a bandwagon, armchair 'fan' that has very little idea. I doubt you have even see the kid play. Now, lets look at the facts. Melbourne Victory coached by the amazing Merrick has a 100% record after 1/3 of the season, 7 games/7 wins. We play a 3412 system we 3 defenders. The 3 center backs are: Daniel Piorkowski, Adrian Leijer & Rodrigo Vargas. Piorkowski (22 years of age) and Adrian Leijer (20 years of age) are two of the best very best defenders in the A-League and two of Australias finest defensive prospects. Leijer trained with Australia under Hiddink and whilst Piow, finally over his injuries (before hand he was outstanding in the NSL) problems has blossemed into a rock. Both future Socceroos and both getting a chance under Merrick - have taken that chance and are two of the leagues finest and future Socceros. Rodrigo Vargas (28) is the best defender in the league. Signed by Victory after getting his body fit again he has been amazing. Nothing more needs to be said. He has cult following from Victory fans because he is a beast. I like Spiranovic but he is not good enough to get a gig @ Victory. Good luck in Germany. Merrick moron? no. Merrick God? yes. Merrick = developing Australias finest talents (Sarkies, Leijer, Piorkowski, Lia, Caceras) while taking the League by Storm. Stick that where the sun don't shire. Forza MVFC!!!
Merrick still has a ton of youth in his squad: Theoklitos, Galekovic, Piorkowski, Pantelidis, Byrnes, Leijer, Alessandro, Caceres, Lia, Sarkies, Ferrante, Fred, Claudinho. He was the head of the VIS for many years, knows a thing or two about developing kids. Maybe Adelaide and Sydney 'no, you can't play for us unless your 33+' should take note.
I've just left bits of your big Merrick buggering post, but then I should point out this thread here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=294938&highlight=merrick I suggest people have a look. Your stance has done an amazing 180 degree turn on the back of 7 a-league games. Whilst I admit Melbourne has been impressive and the lead they have on the ladder well earned, I've never had a rant about Merrick in the way you did above. In fact I'd be tempted to say that you were the one being a bandwagon, armchair fan supporter.
I fail to see the "amazing" part. Merrick does poorly - he gets bagged. Merrick does well - he get praised. I'd be very intersted in your definition of "bandwagon" and "armchair" and how I am one.
DannyD. Thanks for the reference! I joined a few forums to increase my knowledge of football, but this antithetical stance over 9 months is hilarious, more like good comedy! I agree Merrick has done a good job this season to date and needed to be persisted with from last year, like Nick T. should be at Newcastle, who have been an incredibly unlucky side in the matches I've watched them play this year.
Officially, utterly and precisely ROLLED! I was going to do the same thing because i can blatantly remember the same comments earlier this year. MVFC... you idiot.
I have been posting here for well before this season, and have always said im a Victory fan, but i try to refrain from blind biased comments. I thought i would bump this, as yet another young gun has slipped through Merrick, the so called "talent scout" fingers. Absolute joke at this stage, Melbourne has lost probably 2 of the top 10 players under 20 years of age in this country, overseas, because Merrick frankly doesnt have the aggot's to sign them. I would of thought a man of his history would have done the complete opposite, and probably reflects, on what was a poor career at the VIS, if you have a look at the talent we have produced compared to say the NSWIS. MVFC - On Piorkowski, Leijer and Vargas comments, let me throw a few other names in on that list: Mark Byrnes Geoffrey Claeys Steve Pantelidis Obviously Spiranovic cant get on the list over these superstars? And you also realise, Matthew Spiranovic, would currently hold a market value higher than the whole MVFC? Just because he was signed to a profesional club. Now they have lost Giannou, but of course he couldnt get a spot over Ferrante and Vince Lia. Poor recruitment on Merrick's part, Poor finincial prospectus by the Board, and just ********ing stupidity on the whole part of the club. As a supporter i would much prefer to see the likes of Leijer paired with Spiranovic and Giannou in the guts, and at their age, imagine the excitement, expose them in the AC.League, and sell them to an overseas club for a high profit. Melbourne Victory = Tunnel Vision And to MVFC, you are the ultimate bandwagoner on this forum, kick them when they're down, love them when they're up, and you too have the Merrick disease, apart from stupidity, your only looking to the end of this year, rather than building a dynasty for the next 5.
My response exactly. Pretty much why I said what I said MVFC. You don't really warrant any further justification to be honest. I don't completely subscribe to your idea of throwing Spiranovic or Giannou straight into a Victory team though EPL4life. Vargas and Leijer have done an outstanding job for Victory this season - just because Spiranovic could be one of the most outstanding young defenders potential wise that we have produced in yonks does not mean that he is ready to step straight into professional football. When Merrick let him slip through the fingers as far as I'm aware Spiranovic was 16 and probably not ready for the physicalities as a defender in the A-league. Now, at 18 Spiranovic has much better options and, it would seem, suitors. With Leijer and Vargas doing so well at Melbourne- why wouldn't Spira decide that it was better to go to Germany where if he wasn't playing for the first team, at least there is the reserve/youth league to continue his development. I agree that he would probably make at least the bench but do we now know the full story as to what offer came from where and how? In the Giannou case I doubt Merrick can't really be blamed at all- it was Merrick in the first place that spotted Gianou and got him the scholarship at the VIS. He was a part of Merricks plans from what I've read but I reckon since we have only one tier in the league, surely signing a 16 yr old with the risk that he plays no football for 1 or 2 years is not worth taking with a talented young player. Things might turn out differently if we had a youth or reserve league where clubs could sign 'potentials' and give them run outs, with the options to bring them into the first team when they see fit or even a system where the clubs had secondary teams in their respective state leagues. I actually think it is responsible practice to avoid the risk of leaving Australia's most talented young players without regular football.
I don't agree with you. I think you really need to look at your research properly before posting your opinion about MV's coach. It is a fact that he has coached the club to 8 consecutive wins. It is a fact that you are jealous of how good MV are.
If you are a member then why are you complaining all the time? I think it might be time for you to grow up and let the team succeed as it is doing. It's not Merrick's fault that you don't like him. It is your's and because you are racially abusing the MV coach that makes you look silly.