Melbourne City caretaker coach Michael Valkanis admits his side is not making it easy for themselves

WHY can’t Melbourne City kill off A-League games?

TIMMY TO THE RESCUE: Cahill double spares City blushes
It’s a question clearly on the mind of the club’s fans, who have seen the all-star side limp over the line in several games this season.
Since the Melbourne derby, won 4-1 by an inspired side, each of City’s five wins have come at home by a solitary goal.
Captain Bruno Fornaroli scored the winner in a trio of 2-1 wins over Adelaide, Newcastle and Wellington prior to their FFA Cup success.

Melbourne City edged home but were frustrated by the Mariners.Source:AAP

Since then, the club’s 1-0 win over Western Sydney and Thursday night’s 2-1 triumph over Central Coast have been earned in spookily similar fashion.

An early red card to the opponents comes with City in the ascendancy, but the home side - playing under caretaker boss Michael Valkanis - hasn’t been able to find a killer blow.
Valkanis acknowledged the edginess from the AAMI Park crowd, admitting it was contagious.
“We want that third goal as well,” he said.
“The boys want the third goal. The coaches on the bench want the third goal. I’m going to lose all my hair if we don’t score a third goal.
“But when we’re winning all the stats ... the only one we need to improve on is scoreboard pressure.”
Valkanis said those indicators - which included a 26-2 shot count against the 10-man Mariners on Thursday night - would see the club right.

City press conference

“We’re definitely playing very well,” he said.
“We’re getting into the box many times and today we had many opportunities to score - clear cut opportunities to score.
“It would be a problem if we weren’t getting into the box and we weren’t scoring goals.
“I think in the future something is going to click. Someone will cop a battering because the team is playing very well.”
The other commonality between the club’s two wins under Valkanis is a sense of loss.
The Wanderers win was earned in the shadow of long-term coach John van ‘t Schip’s departure.
The Dutchman left his post to return to The Netherlands to care for his terminally ill father, Joop.

Michael Valkanis says his team is ‘ready to click’.Source:News Corp Australia

Hours before kick-off on Thursday, Joop died, and the club wore black armbands in tribute.
“We’re saddened at the news,” Valkanis said.