City rolls out big guns in Cup

NEW Melbourne City coach Erick Mombaerts has close to a full-strength squad to call on as he tries to quickly put his stamp on the A-League club and advance in the FFA Cup.

City’s round of 32 clash with South Australian NPL club Campbelltown City will mark the competitive start of the Mombaerts era after the Frenchman replaced Englishman Warren Joyce, who departed after two seasons.

The line-up for tonight’s clash in Adelaide will have a decidedly different look to the one that crashed out of the ALeague finals at the hands of Adelaide United in May.

Former United defender Scott Galloway, ex-Sydney FC midfielder Josh Brillante, Austrian defender Richard Windbichler, English winger Craig Noone and Uruguayan pair Adrian Luna and Javier Cabrera have all been named in the squad after joining the club in the off-season.

Mombaerts said wingers Noone and Cabrera, who are set to play a key role in his tactical overhaul, would start.

“They are understanding well what we want to set up on the field, with the wingers it’s special,” the coach said yesterday.

“Their physical level has increased and also they are understanding about our game principles. They should be OK.

“I’m very happy with the attitude of (all) the players about learning these difficult game principles.

“They are trying to understand and also they are doing well. Every session we have a positive review about what we have done on the field, which is good, but it takes time to have a complete style because it’s difficult.”

Mombaerts has promised a more attacking style after the goals dried up under the more defensively minded Joyce.

City, who won the FFA Cup in 2016 under John van ’t Schip, delivered on that promise in an extended practice match last week, winning 4-3 against Victorian NPL side Oakleigh Cannons.

“The feedback was positive but they know also we have to improve in some specific phases, especially defensive transition,” Mombaerts said.

“I think we also need to improve our mental strength because we played well enough in the first half but we started very badly in the second half.

“So it’s important to improve tactically, but also mentally.”