In a column for the Fox Sports website, Slater believes Melbourne City and new coach Warren Joyce are in "big, big trouble" for the upcoming 2017/18 season. 

City will be without star striker Bruno Fornaroli reportedly until the new year, and are not looking at bringing in a replacement for him. 

Their off-season signings include the likes of Bart Schenkeveld, Marcelo Carrusca, Marcin Budzinski and Eugene Galekovic, but Slater does not think that's good enough. 

City are already out of the FFA Cup - the competition they won last season - and their performance against Sydney FC in the quarter-finals is cause for concern, according to Slater. 

"When City Football Group bought Melbourne Heart and turned them into Melbourne City, we were promised an aspirational, exciting club that would revolutionise the game here," he wrote in his column for Fox Sports.

"They’re not doing that at all. In fact, looking at their squad ahead of the 2017-18 season, and having watched them in the FFA Cup against Sydney FC last week, I think they’re in big, big trouble.

"Right now, I can’t see them making the top six.

"That’s an indictment given the noise that was made when the new ownership thundered into Australian football.

"On the park, they looked confused, and without a plan against Sydney FC last week. Warren Joyce has his hands full, and judging by post game comments on Fox Sports by Stefan Mauk, the players weren’t convinced by the game plan they were sent out to do.

"Off the park, they announced on Monday the signing of Marcin Budzinski as marquee. Sorry, who?

"I understand that some clubs use the marquee spot to spend a little more to get an import with pedigree here, who might not be a name yet, but have the quality to become one.

"But Melbourne City, with all the funds at their disposal … really? A 27-year-old who has never ventured out of Poland’s top flight, as a marquee?

"You can and ought to do better than that."

View the full column here.