This from The World Game
New signings thrill McKinna
14 May 2008 | 16:43 - SBS EXCLUSIVE: Philip Micallef
Central Coast Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna expects new arrivals Adrian Caceres and Ahmad Elrich to provide the spark that will give the Gosford club its first A-League championship.
The Mariners, who lost a controversial Grand Final to Newcastle Jets 1-0 in February, are determined to take the next big step forward in Season Four.
McKinna, who is back from a holiday in Vietnam and a short visit to sister club Sheffield United, has obtained the prize signatures of Caceres from Melbourne Victory and Elrich from Wellington Phoenix.
And the coach had no hesitation in declaring that the two wide players could be the men to give the club the coveted title.
Adrian and Ahmad will be two of the most exciting wide players in the league, McKinna said.
Both of them can play in different positions so they will give us depth.
And their skill and especially Ahmads pedigree should provide us with that spark that should get us over the line.
Weve always been seen as a workmanlike team and Adrian and Ahmad should give us that extra width and class that will enable us to play the attacking game we need to win the title.
Elrich has already started pre-season training while Caceres will be available on July 1 at the termination of his contract with Victory.
McKinna said big Dylan Macallister should be a valuable acquisition to the first-team squad that has lost four key members since the Grand Final.
Aloisi has gone to Sydney FC, Tom Pondeljak has joined Victory, Andre Gumprecht has been released and Tony Vidmar has retired.
Aloisi was fantastic for us on and off the field, McKinna said.
He was a huge plus for us but hes moved on. We wish him all the best but weve got some great attacking options now. Im sure Sasho Petrovski, Matt Simon, Macallister and hopefully Nik Mrdja (who is in the final stages of rehabilitation after a serous leg injury) will do the job for us.
McKinna said he was quite happy with the clubs off-season recruitment drive but admitted he still had a couple of holes to fill in his squad.
We still need an attacking midfielder and maybe a cover for left side, which could be either a wingback or defender. But generally we are happy with our progress so far.
We are not desperate and we want to see whos available. Thats why we are not jumping in because players might become available and you are not in a position to take them.
McKinna said the Mariners fans can expect more of the same in Season Four in terms of playing style and hunger to win.
We have been branded long-ball specialists but thats not right because Aloisi and Petrovski are not really the most mobile players around, McKinna explained.
Our game has always been to try to get on top of the oppositions defence and be very attack-minded whenever we have the ball. Next season will be the same.
We are also proud of the fact that we have the ability to grind out results when things are not going our way and that wont change either.
So, yes, we expect to win something (the title) this year because we were always there or thereabouts.
So how hard was it for the Mariners to pick themselves up after the Grand Final loss to bitter rivals the Jets?
To be honest we have not even mentioned it, McKinna said.
This is a new season and the Grand Final is in the past.
We were all disappointed. We still have not watched the game. It was not our best performance by a long shot and it was a mistake that cost us the game.
The boys are hungry again. We have retained most of last years squad so hopefully the boys will use that disappointment to spur them on.
But what about the coach himself, how did he handle the painful loss two years after another Grand Final defeat to Sydney in Season One?
I was devastated and I felt for the players, he said.
We had a great season, we won the minor premiership and on another day we could have got a few good decisions and gone on to win the match. But it was not to be.
But it is my job to keep a smile on my face and be positive. Because if I walk about doom and gloom everybody else will be doom and gloom.
Former Socceroos defender Alex Tobin, who is McKinnas development manager, is expected to be named club youth coach shortly.
New signings thrill McKinna
14 May 2008 | 16:43 - SBS EXCLUSIVE: Philip Micallef
Central Coast Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna expects new arrivals Adrian Caceres and Ahmad Elrich to provide the spark that will give the Gosford club its first A-League championship.
The Mariners, who lost a controversial Grand Final to Newcastle Jets 1-0 in February, are determined to take the next big step forward in Season Four.
McKinna, who is back from a holiday in Vietnam and a short visit to sister club Sheffield United, has obtained the prize signatures of Caceres from Melbourne Victory and Elrich from Wellington Phoenix.
And the coach had no hesitation in declaring that the two wide players could be the men to give the club the coveted title.
Adrian and Ahmad will be two of the most exciting wide players in the league, McKinna said.
Both of them can play in different positions so they will give us depth.
And their skill and especially Ahmads pedigree should provide us with that spark that should get us over the line.
Weve always been seen as a workmanlike team and Adrian and Ahmad should give us that extra width and class that will enable us to play the attacking game we need to win the title.
Elrich has already started pre-season training while Caceres will be available on July 1 at the termination of his contract with Victory.
McKinna said big Dylan Macallister should be a valuable acquisition to the first-team squad that has lost four key members since the Grand Final.
Aloisi has gone to Sydney FC, Tom Pondeljak has joined Victory, Andre Gumprecht has been released and Tony Vidmar has retired.
Aloisi was fantastic for us on and off the field, McKinna said.
He was a huge plus for us but hes moved on. We wish him all the best but weve got some great attacking options now. Im sure Sasho Petrovski, Matt Simon, Macallister and hopefully Nik Mrdja (who is in the final stages of rehabilitation after a serous leg injury) will do the job for us.
McKinna said he was quite happy with the clubs off-season recruitment drive but admitted he still had a couple of holes to fill in his squad.
We still need an attacking midfielder and maybe a cover for left side, which could be either a wingback or defender. But generally we are happy with our progress so far.
We are not desperate and we want to see whos available. Thats why we are not jumping in because players might become available and you are not in a position to take them.
McKinna said the Mariners fans can expect more of the same in Season Four in terms of playing style and hunger to win.
We have been branded long-ball specialists but thats not right because Aloisi and Petrovski are not really the most mobile players around, McKinna explained.
Our game has always been to try to get on top of the oppositions defence and be very attack-minded whenever we have the ball. Next season will be the same.
We are also proud of the fact that we have the ability to grind out results when things are not going our way and that wont change either.
So, yes, we expect to win something (the title) this year because we were always there or thereabouts.
So how hard was it for the Mariners to pick themselves up after the Grand Final loss to bitter rivals the Jets?
To be honest we have not even mentioned it, McKinna said.
This is a new season and the Grand Final is in the past.
We were all disappointed. We still have not watched the game. It was not our best performance by a long shot and it was a mistake that cost us the game.
The boys are hungry again. We have retained most of last years squad so hopefully the boys will use that disappointment to spur them on.
But what about the coach himself, how did he handle the painful loss two years after another Grand Final defeat to Sydney in Season One?
I was devastated and I felt for the players, he said.
We had a great season, we won the minor premiership and on another day we could have got a few good decisions and gone on to win the match. But it was not to be.
But it is my job to keep a smile on my face and be positive. Because if I walk about doom and gloom everybody else will be doom and gloom.
Former Socceroos defender Alex Tobin, who is McKinnas development manager, is expected to be named club youth coach shortly.
