2014 AFC Champions League

[Gratis]

I'm pretty sure this game plan is about getting results at the pointy end after being torn to pieces from the inside this season
next pre-season will see a rejig and new plan practiced, I can't be see Mossy wanting the team to be a counter attacking highly defensive unit as a general philosophy

 

[dibo]

Have we played the same gameplan all this season? No, so why expect we'd play the same all next season? We've played it when trying to eke out a result against superior opposition. We didn't play it against Wanderers last time and I don't expect we'll be playing it on Saturday night, because there's no need.

 

[Kareem]

I think if we were playing Fresh, we would play our normal type of football!

But with some tired legs, we might possibly play defensive...
Just depends on the how the boys feel I think...

 

[Kareem]

I think it was very risky substituting a centreback midway through the game...it's so hard to adjust.

Yesterday Real Madrid had an injury to our CB, and myself as well as many madrid fans were really worried about brining on a "cold" defender.
But Raphael varane did his job...

Obviously varane is a rising star of football...so you would think he would do a better job than an a-league player...but still we madrid fans were concerned.

IMHO if Bosnar couldn't have played 90, I would have just started griffiths from the start!

 

[Jaundice]

Got Lucky. It is my wedding anniversary and the family took precedence over the game. Did not see it.

Yeh It was 90 odd painful minutes of watching the mariners fumble about and slowly be dissected. Poor Japanese finishing kept the score modest. Getting a result in that game would have been thievery.

Im not angry at the boys though, im proud of them. Were just not deserved champions league contenders this year.

 

[MagpieMariner]

Don't want to see us in this next year. Prefer to see us concentrating on just one competition.

 

[scottmac]

Don't want to see us in this next year. Prefer to see us concentrating on just one competition.

Bullshit.
Without the ACL our season may have fizzled. We rose to the occasion & gave a great account of ourselves. No other team could have given what we have this year & still compete.
We belong there like no other team does. Come on Roar. Give us another shot next year.

 

[scottmac]

Yeh It was 90 odd painful minutes of watching the mariners fumble about and slowly be dissected. Poor Japanese finishing kept the score modest. Getting a result in that game would have been thievery.

Im not angry at the boys though, im proud of them. Were just not deserved champions league contenders this year.

Again, to that last line, BULLSHIT.
I don't know what planet your on. Not deserving? Maybe you've just not worded it correctly but this team was not the team that won the right to represent us in this comp, but f**k me they did a great job.
Most definitely deserving. In fact they probably deserved to go through on the weight of all 6 games but then that's football. We didn't play sexy football but we created enough chances to win most of the games. f**k I hope we are there next year.

 

[VicMariner]

.

Bullshit.
Without the ACL our season may have fizzled. We rose to the occasion & gave a great account of ourselves. No other team could have given what we have this year & still compete.
We belong there like no other team does. Come on Roar. Give us another shot next year.

This!
Although cheering on Roar in the GF will grate a bit.

 

[yellowcake]

My understanding is (if it is again 2 1/2 places) Roar only has to win today for us to have the playoff spot. Or if Victory does win today, they still need to win the GF to get in (which would be a full spot then WSW would get the playoff for being next on the table).

i.e. if Victory wins anything less than both games, we playoff.

 

[rbakersmith]

My understanding is (if it is again 2 1/2 places) Roar only has to win today for us to have the playoff spot. Or if Victory does win today, they still need to win the GF to get in (which would be a full spot then WSW would get the playoff for being next on the table).

i.e. if Victory wins anything less than both games, we playoff.

That's all relying on the very big assumption that slots will be allocated for the 2015 ACL in the same way they were for this year's contest. The introduction of the FFA Cup throws a spanner in the works, since the AFC usually allocates slots in the following order:

• League winner
• Winner of the knock-out competition
• League runner-up

If the AFC determines that the FFA Cup is our "knock-out competition" instead of the A-League Finals Series, then the second ACL slot would go to the FFA Cup winner and the play-off slot would go to WSW - and we'd get nothing.

Unfortunately we're going to have to wait until November for the AFC to determine the structure of the 2015 ACL.

 

[VicMariner]

the second ACL slot would go to the FFA Cup winner and the play-off slot would go to WSW - and we'd get nothing.

Unless we - win the Cup!

 

[Jaundice]

Again, to that last line, BULLSHIT.
I don't know what planet your on. Not deserving? Maybe you've just not worded it correctly but this team was not the team that won the right to represent us in this comp, but f**k me they did a great job.
Most definitely deserving. In fact they probably deserved to go through on the weight of all 6 games but then that's football. We didn't play sexy football but we created enough chances to win most of the games. f**k I hope we are there next year.

Sure we deserved to be there, under the circumstances they performed admirably and leave the tournament respectfully. But the way we played we were never going to be contenders.

Im with Magpie I think a break from ACl will be good for us, in many ways. Dont get me wrong though, idealy I would love to be in it and giving it a red hot go with the majority of our fans actually caring about it.

 

[VicMariner]

Im with Magpie I think a break from ACl will be good for us, in many ways.

Next season the team will have had a full pre-season under Moss and maybe a couple of decent new signings. We are very likely to perform better next year, both in the HAL and in Asia if we qualify.
Also, constantly appearing in Asia adds sponsorship value. The head office should be making the most of it.
We are a heavy hitter in the HAL and deserve every opportunity on the international stage we can get.
We are a successful team and we better get used to juggling several commitments. It's a good problem to have.

 

[Jaundice]

I believe the acl has a long way to go in this country before its financially viable for a small club like us let alone a huge burden on our squad and domestic competition. I would much rather wait for the ACl to develop markets here and abroad atleast 1 more year and give us some relief to get our shaky house in order.

 

[scottmac]

I believe the acl has a long way to go in this country before its financially viable for a small club like us let alone a huge burden on our squad and domestic competition. I would much rather wait for the ACl to develop markets here and abroad atleast 1 more year and give us some relief to get our shaky house in order.

I guarantee you the players would be telling you politely to keep your mouth shut. Me too.
& while I post, we get a play off game for next year's ACL.

 

[MagpieMariner]

Well, even though I would rather not see us in it next season (and even though my learned fellow fan thinks my feeling on this is bullshit), I will of course cheer us on madly when we go to the playoff and I will be very disappointed if we lose.
I would point out that my preference for us not to be in Asia next season is in no way a comment on whether we deserve to be there or not. Of course we do and we are also (I think) the only club to have made it three years in succession, which fills me with a lot of pride in our club. I'd just prefer us to have a comparatively easy run to the finals for a change.

 

[Jaundice]

I guarantee you the players would be telling you politely to keep your mouth shut. Me too.
& while I post, we get a play off game for next year's ACL.

Dont get your panties in a twist scotty, this is a forum im sorry you dont apreciate my opinion but tough luck.

Im sure the players would prefer a team to play for and a dependable pay cheque then a club walking the financial tight rope haemorrhaging money in the ACL

 

[scottmac]

Dont get your panties in a twist scotty, this is a forum im sorry you dont apreciate my opinion but tough luck.

Im sure the players would prefer a team to play for and a dependable pay cheque then a club walking the financial tight rope haemorrhaging money in the ACL

Panties remain untwisted. Like I said, it's a polite intervention. There's no tough luck on my part, your opinion is valid but it will never come to pass. ***edit (in reading this back I need to clarify, we may miss out on qualifying, but our team will never prefer to miss out. Although that can not be said for the man paying the bills) *** There isn't a football person in the world who would be saying what your saying. It's like arsenal fans saying they would rather miss out on champions league to concentrate on winning the league. It's ridiculous. Every year we (Australia) participate in this will bring more understanding & better concessions for the league.

I can't see how anyone would want us not in this comp. They are Asia's best & we are among them. The more we compete at this level the better our reputation becomes. The more it infuriates the scum & SFC. We belong there. We competed this year better than any other & bested the J-League champions. No other Australian team has done that.
The ACL will not be our financial undoing.

 

[Jaundice]

Arsenal and Euro champions league is hardly comparable to the mariners or the ACL at all, you cant be serious. You seem very intent to make me out to be a villan here. Im just trying to look at the situation pragmatically, for the good health of our club. Perhaps im wrong, but please dont doubt my loyalty. Im at almost every home ACL game and will continue to be, cheering them on.

Not making an ACL campaign will not be our undoing.