Mathew Leckie’s early season form has flattered to deceive – and getting up to speed with the intricacies of the Melbourne City system may be the cause of his stuttering start to life at the reigning Isuzu UTE A-League champions.
That’s the verdict of his former Socceroos teammate Mark Milligan, speaking on Paramount+ after City substitute Nathaniel Atkinson spared the blushes of City’s misfiring frontline with a last-gasp winner to snatch all three points from a clash with the resolute Perth Glory at AAMI Park on Wednesday night.
The 88th-minute winner came after Leckie, Jamie Maclaren and Andrew Nabbout went goalless as a strike force for the third time in four games to start the 2021/22 campaign.
MATCH REPORT: Atkinson snares City late win over Glory
Leckie took two speculative shots in 68 minutes against Glory before being substituted for Florin Berenguer.
Dissecting City’s performance post-match, Paramount+ football analyst Milligan said the Leckie he’s seen thus far in the 2021/22 campaign is not the one he knows his former teammate can be when firing on all cylinders.
“Mat Leckie is an extremely intelligent footballer,” Milligan said. “Yes, the system might be complex and it may take a bit of time, but I think it’s more about the combinations.
Leckie doesn’t entirely look like himself to me, I’m not entirely sure why. But make no mistake about it, he’s still one of the best Australian players going around.”
Playing on the left of a front three, with Nabbout looking the busiest of the City frontmen coming in off the right, Leckie drifted in and out of the contest as a consistent Glory back three of Jonathan Aspropotamitis, Kosuke Ota and Daryl Lachman blanketed the attacking threat for the majority of the contest.
A late breakthrough from Atkinson gave City reward for endeavour; a deserved three points for a dominant display against a Glory side which held resolute before the dam wall burst.
Central midfielder Connor Metcalfe played a heavy hand in the late winner, getting in behind Glory’s valiant back three to head a wishful pass toward the right-hand goalpost – where a hungry Atkinson was steaming in on goal.
The reigning Joe Marston Medalist has been desperate to make his early impact on City’s fortunes after a disjointed start to the current campaign, and the Tasmanian flyer put his hand up for selection in Round 5 after impacting off the bench with an authoritative headed finish.
But where would he fit in the starting City side? It’s a conundrum which has surfaced often in regards to Marco Tilio early doors this season, who seemed to slide back down the pecking order after Leckie’s arrival.
Kisnorbo elected to hand Tilio his first start of the season in place of Berenguer against Perth as the most attack-minded midfielder operating in and around the preferred front three.
Leckie will continue to receive opportunity to show his wares, with Metcalfe insisting a patient approach is required as the Socceroos star gets acquainted with the physical and mental demands of Kisnorbo’s intricate City system.
“It’s a hard system to learn,” Metcalfe said post-match. “We’ve been doing the same system and the way we play for a long time. We know it like the back of our hand and for players who come in it’s quite hard to learn and get used to.
“It’s only Round (4), so we’ve got to give it some time.”
Metcalfe cut a grateful figure in the aftermath of the slight City win, admitting one overriding emotion came over him as he looked up from his hopeful header to see Atkinson steaming in to decide the contest in City’s favour.
“Relief,” said an exasperated Metcalfe post-match. “After about 85 minutes of pure domination we just needed the ball to go into the back of the net.
“Thank god Nate was there. I didn’t know where he was at the time, so thank god it went in. We needed it, and the fans definitely needed it as well.”
Milligan was quick to pick up on the message contained in Metcalfe’s post-match demeanour: “The first thing I take from that interview is his reaction to when he gets asked about the goal, saying it was relief.
“I think when you dominate games that much you have a feeling, you expect to score and feel a goal coming.”
