Heart players playing for their futures following Man City takeover Catch all the goals from round 16 of the A-League. Nick Kalmar and Massimo Murdocca dat Melbourne Heart training. FINALS may not be a realistic ambition any more, but Massimo Murdocca says uncertainty about impending changes at Melbourne Heart will ensure players complete the season under pressure to perform. Only the most dramatic turnaround would result in bottom-placed Heart bridging the 12-point gap between it and the top six in the remaining 11 games of the A-League season. But Murdocca, who admitted he was still coming to terms with news that English Premier League giant Manchester City had bought the four-year-old club, said he and his teammates could ill-afford to simply go through the motions for the rest of the season. It's not just off the field where the City takeover will be felt. Sweeping changes are expected to a roster that includes 12 players out of contract at season's end. What's lying ahead for the club? It doesn't necessarily mean you're secure in your spot even if you do have a contract," said Murdocca, whose deal at Heart expires in 2015. I think that's a good pressure to have. It's good for the club and players to have that kind of pressure. That type of pressure is what wins you championships, when you're always on your toes and you're always thinking, 'Geez, if I don't perform, if I don't improve then I'm in trouble'. That's what everyone needs at this club. It's the wake-up call that we all needed and having won a championship or two myself (at Brisbane Roar) that's exactly what you need. You need pressure each and every week and I think we'll get that now. Murdocca said news of the City takeover had "come at a great time." "It probably wouldn't have helped us if it came at the end of the season," he said. I think it came at a good time for us to sort of say, 'OK, we've got to pull our socks up and start working'. That's what's keeping everyone up at the moment, it's keeping everyone positive. When your future is bright you usually are bright every day. Everyone's happy, but at the same time uncertain. A 2-0 loss to Sydney FC at AAMI Park in Round 6 will go down as one of Heart's most disappointing performances of the season, according to Murdocca. The midfielder said he hoped another home clash with the Alessandro Del Piero-inspired Sky Blues would illustrate the improvements made by Heart. "All we're trying to do is improve and I think this game will be a good indication of whether we have," he said.