Valkanis deflated by City A-League exit
Apr 24, 2017 - 4:26 AM Melbourne City boss Michael Valkanis won't speculate on his A-League coaching future but has promised a thorough review of the club's season after their meek finals exit.The most costly squad in A-League history was bundled out of the finals on Sunday night at the hands of Perth Glory, capitulating 2-0 to Kenny Lowe's side.
Valkanis confirmed after the match it was the last appearance for Argentinian marquee Nicolas Colazo and veteran Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen in City colours, with more departures and arrivals to follow.
For a season that began with such promise with a 4-1 belting of Melbourne Victory in round two, followed by success in the FFA Cup final, it was a poor way to go out.
"We didn't show up," Valkanis said.
City conceded both goals inside half an hour, went into half time to a chorus of boos, and couldn't save the game in the second half.
"We were impotent going forward and we did not defend well," he said.
City can't hide from their post-FFA Cup slide, winning just six of 20 games after lifting the trophy in November.
The exit clearly flummoxed City's players.
Captain Bruno Fornaroli was one of a number of senior players that brushed off media after the match, making straight for the AAMI Park exit door.
Valkanis refused to blame City's system for their woes but hinted that some players didn't want to win enough, pointing to the tireless efforts of Glory pair Diego Castro and Dino Djulbic.
"Were we desperate enough to block Castro's goal?" he said.
"Djulbic prides himself on blocking goals. We probably didn't have any shots on target because he probably blocked three or four.
"That's the difference.
"Is it the type of the players that we are missing have that aggression, that want, that desire, that winning mentality and want to win the ball?"
Valkanis, handed the job until the end of the season after ex-coach John van 't Schip's mid-season departure, refused to comment on his own future.
"That doesn't concern me at the moment. The bigger picture is Melbourne City not me," he said.
"We're going to take some time off, review everything and see what we have to do as a club to be better," he said.
"The club is already planning the future. It's not going take a final (for us) to realise there is a problem."
Source: AAP
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