Convinced Joyce’s French successor Erick Mombaerts will lead City to a top-three finish this season, 54-cap ex-Socceroos gloveman Kalac - now in charge of NPL Sydney United - offered a searing critique of Joyce’s two-year reign ahead of Saturday’s season-opening derby clash against Melbourne Victory at Docklands.
Insisting he had no personal axe to grind against Joyce - who was dumped after City crashed out of the playoffs last season - Kalac said the FFA Cup finalists had no direction or discernible style during his turbulent tenure, and were destined for further mediocrity had he stayed.
“He didn’t believe in tactics, analysis or structure," said Kalac, who spent a year at City working under Joyce.
“I have nothing personal against Warren. He’s a good man but if you want to take the game forward here coaches of that type aren’t the answer.
“He was out of his depth as a manager for a club the size of City.
“I’ve worked under Carlo Ancelotti, Terry Venables, Guus Hiddink, Popa and Graham Arnold and I have an idea what it needs to look like.
“Warren Joyce was a one man band and that’s one reason why he failed.”
Mombaerts, whose CV includes Paris St-Germain, Toulouse and most recently Yokohama F.Marinos, is highly regarded within the corridors of power at the City Football Group, and is “chalk and cheese” in comparison with Joyce, says Kalac.
“Melbourne City will be good this year because they have a leader with a very good pedigree who won’t be pushed around by anybody,” he explained.
“Mombaerts is exactly what Melbourne City need. He fits them to a tee for the type of club they want to be.
“What he’s implemented already is a philosophy - all of a sudden Melbourne City have an identity. You actually know how they’re going to play.
“When was the last time they had that? That’s what we were talking about last year with Joycey ... we wanted him to leave a legacy, pick a style.
“But he was more worried about how the opposition played.
“Mombaerts puts 12 hour shifts in every day and will change the whole dynamic at the club.
“You can already see it with their performances in the FFA Cup. On his leadership and structure alone they’ll finish top three. Bringing him in is the best appointment City have ever made.
“They’ve got a weaker squad than last year but they have recruited well and are a far more effective and entertaining side now.”
With AC Milan and Perugia among his career credits, Kalac, who was involved in three grand finals as an assistant at Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers, claims Joyce’s appointment was blunder from the word go.
“One problem in Australia is we don’t respect our own,” he added. “We don’t respect Australian players who’ve worked with top managers overseas.
“We (often) prefer to listen to people who come from outside and have no idea about the system here and we take them over our people.
“I’m all for bringing in foreign coaches like Mombaerts because he’s very, very good. City are blessed to have him.
“But I’m not for bringing in guys who’ve coached in the lower leagues and have looked after kids (Joyce was in charge of Manchester United’s youth team and had a brief spell at Wigan Athletic).
“Somebody like Tony Popovic has panels on these guys and should be coaching in Europe.
“The only reason he isn’t is because he’s Australian. Coaches like Arnie, Popa, Kevin Muscat and Ange Postecoglou (who is flying at Mombaerts’ former club Yokohama) have all outgrown the A-League.”
