Former Socceroos goalkeeper Clint Bolton believes Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce is entirely responsible for the current stand-off between himself and star striker Bruno Fornaroli.
Fornaroli was left out of City’s matchday squad for the second consecutive week with Joyce indicating the Uruguayan's failure to meet club-imposed training standards.
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“It’s not a Bruno Fornaroli issue – this is a Warren Joyce issue,” Bolton told SEN Afternoons.
"Ultimately, when Warren Joyce fronts up to the media and gives excuses around certain players as to why they’re not playing which don’t add up, the focus should be on Warren Joyce and not Bruno Fornaroli in this situation.”
Bolton has great sympathy for City’s disgruntled supporter base who have planned a protest for this Sunday’s home match against Newcastle to vent their anger towards Joyce.
“I have the highest respect for those fans that stick by this club, because they get short-changed, it’s a club that’s promised so much, underdelivered over time and these fans keep paying to turn up and cop this,” he added.
“They’re not mugs, they understand that this isn’t a Bruno issue either. The rhetoric and the stuff that comes out of Melbourne City publicly is just garbage.
“Bruno has been a very happy content player at Melbourne City in the first couple of years, all of a sudden that’s changed, you’ve got to ask why?”
City currently sit in fifth position with seven points from their opening five games.
Listen to Clint Bolton’s chat on SEN Afternoons with Andy Maher in the player below