Melbourne City upheaval set to continue, Tim Cahill and Fernando Brandan’s future clouded

THE upheaval at Melbourne City appears set to continue after coach Warren Joyce revealed a player will have to go in January to make way for new signing Harrison Delbridge.

THERE has already been upheaval at Melbourne City this season and it appears there are more changes to come.

Warren Joyce confirmed someone will have to be moved on in the January transfer window to accommodate new signing Harrison Delbridge.

With the Tim Cahill saga still raw, speculation will continue to mount that the Socceroos legend could be on the move next month, but Joyce also refused to guarantee the future of Fernando Brandan.

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In a revealing press conference ahead of his side’s clash with Newcastle on Saturday night, Joyce also appeared to contradict his club’s claims on Monday that the contract of assistant coach Michael Valkanis was “mutually terminated”.

W-League coach Patrick Kisnorbo will double as a men’s team assistant in the meantime, but the club will bring in a new assistant soon.

Asked why former caretaker coach Valkanis left, Joyce said “these things happen”.

Fernando Brandan is recovering from a knee reconstruction.

Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce.

“We’re just looking to build a culture here and a philosophy and we’re all working towards that,” Joyce said.

“Unfortunately he’s lost his job.

“I’m massively keen on a consistency of how you want people to be, how you want players to behave and conduct themselves, how you want them to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team - that nothing is a problem and they’re not making excuses.

“Now, it’s not an easy one, you’ve got to be consistent with it, but I think you look to all the top sporting organisations in this country and they all display the same culture, the same beliefs, the same type of people.”

Delbridge’s signing was announced on Tuesday, but he cannot play until the next transfer window opens.

Joyce said of the defender: “Yes, there has got to be maybe some changes to get him on to the roster.”

Tim Cahill has called for more game time at Melbourne City. Picture: Michael Klein

Brandan ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in March and Joyce said the Argentine was ahead of schedule in his recovery.

But Joyce also did little to dispel rumours Brandan is not part of City’s future plans.

“I think he’s got to get 100 per cent fit first, then you assess him,” he said.

“You can’t assess people when they’re only part fit or they’re not showing what other people have said they’ve shown in the past.

“He’s not showing what he’s shown in the past here.”

Delbridge’s arrival also shunts Ruon Tongyik down the pecking order, with Joyce clear the young defender has plenty of improvement in him.

“I think Ruon’s got some potential, I think he’s got a lot of things he’s got to get better at.”

Originally published as Melbourne City upheaval set to continue, Tim Cahill and Fernando Brandan’s future clouded