A third of the A-League season is done and dusted for Melbourne City and Tim Cahill and the Club’s influential attacker says there is much more in store for himself and the side.
Eleven matches in so far, City has recorded five wins and three draws, including a Westfield FFA Cup Trophy and inflicting Sydney FC’s first loss in all competitions this season.
For Cahill and City, their league position at the important landmark could have been a lot different with a win during Saturday’s Melbourne Derby but the Socceroos legend believes the next phase will be the most important.
“I think that the biggest thing you look at, you look at the start of the season and what you want to win and where you want to be,” Cahill said.
“You say 11 games in for the first phase of the season, you want to be as high on the table as possible. We were sitting second on the table before the loss and sitting fourth now with the results and also a piece of really important silverware.
“You have to level it out, to win the A-League from what I’ve seen in the past, you have to win two thirds of the season so it’s going to be a big second phase for us. We’ve got to have belief in the depth of the squad and we have to be able to rotate and understand that it’s a tough schedule.
“I’m seeing it and feeling it now that I am here and can speak more about it. We just have to measure out the league and the season and it’s going to be a long season for the clubs, especially the ones at the top.”
That second phase starts on Tuesday with the start of the Summer of Football as City take on Perth Glory at AAMI Park and Cahill is optimistic about the period, saying it’s an important to put the first two months behind them heading into arguably one of the most important periods of the league.
“My target now is the next 10 games for Melbourne City,” he said.
“I think it’s really important for us now the next phase of development. You see the style of football we are playing and how we are improving the formation and changing the way we can adapt to games and I fell that there is always progression.
“It’s a big moment for us. For me personally, hopefully people can see the effort I’m putting in to stay on the pitch and to be involved in the A-League as much as possible and fully commit to being as fresh as possible to be able to be competitive and hopefully get the right results to win silverware again.”
City take on Perth on the Tuesday after Boxing Day at AAMI Park in a double header with the Club’s Westfield W-League side. Click here to secure your tickets for the match or sign up to our 5 Match Membership below!
