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Draw for the last 11 games

eenfish

Well-Known Member
Nix and AU are both on pace to make some serious finals run. And with Roar losing to Heart (who also beat Welly 5-0), everything is a bit topsy turvy. We are at risk of missing the finals, but it is not all doom and gloom if we knuckle down, show some desire, and stop shitting the bed when we concede.
 

Big Al

Well-Known Member
I think we dirty the sheets when we concede because we find it so hard to score. It's not like Oh we will get that back, it's oh crap we scored our one goal already.
 

Gratis

Well-Known Member
By MICHAEL COCKERILL
The champions will be dethroned, the only
question is when.
Phil Moss is keeping the faith, as he should,
but only the most optimistic Central Coast
Mariners fan - and they seem to be
increasingly thin on the ground - can see
them making it back-to-back titles. Selling $4
million worth of talent over the past couple of
years has finally caught up with the A-
League's serial over-achievers, who are now
very much back with the pack. Priority No.1
is to simply to make the finals, and with only
two of their last five fixtures at home, that's
no guarantee.
The Mariners still have some decent players,
but they're not yet the sum of their parts. The
challenge for Moss is to extract the best out of
his artisans, and more from his artists.
Graham Arnold's obsession for detail, tactical
nous, man-to-man management skills and -
not least - his sense of humour, created a
culture of excellence and an esprit de corps
which drove the Mariners to unprecedented
heights. Last season's title was the high
watermark for a club which has always
floated near the top.
Needs better service: Mariners import Kim Seung-yong.
Photo: Getty Images
Moss observed all this from close quarters as
the No.2. Now he has to recreate the vibe in
the infinitely more difficult role as No. 1.
After a long apprenticeship in state league
football and his time as Arnold's understudy,
there is much to admire about the way Moss
has dealt with the pressure of expectation.
Yet in terms of this season, he's going to run
out of time.
On the field, the period of transition has been
understandably challenging. The hugely
successful "Arnold Doctrine" began with
secure possession from the back. But there's
no Mat Ryan - the best keeper we've seen in
the A-League with the ball at his feet - no
Patrick Zwaanswijk, whose diagonal passes
turned around opposing fullbacks with
monotonous regularity, and now no Trent
Sainsbury, who relished carrying the ball into
midfield. It's not that the new-look Mariners
defensive unit doesn't have potential - Liam
Reddy has been reborn, while both Zach
Anderson and Storm Roux have big futures -
but the foundation isn't set. The structure,
mostly 4-2-3-1 but sometimes with a diamond
midfield, hasn't changed all that much, but
the quality of the possession, and the ball
speed, has. It's incumbent on the likes of John
Hutchinson, Nick Montgomery and Antony
Caceres to play forward more often, and
more quickly, if the Mariners are to
overcome perhaps their biggest problem - a
lack of goals. Too much time on the ball, and
a lack of vision, is closing the passing
channels for the forward line.
It's not all doom and gloom, of course, and
the front four which started against
Melbourne Victory last weekend - Kim Seung-
Yong, Mitchell Duke, Bernie Ibini and Nick
Fitzgerald - has the mobility and pace to
worry any defence. The key is in the service,
particularly to Kim. With Marcos Flores on
the long-term injury list, the South Korean
playmaker has assumed the role of game-
changer, and there have been some
encouraging glimpses, not least from the dead
ball.
But a player who spent long periods of last
year on the bench at Ulsan Hyundai clearly
lacks match fitness, while the adjustment to
the more physical elements of the A-League is
taking more time than Moss can afford. In
that context the supporting cast needs to get
him plenty of ball while his legs are still
fresh.
Moss continues to work hard at what he can
control, and as long as Hutchinson is around -
only Kevin Muscat has ever rivalled his
passion for the cause - be assured the
Mariners will not give up without a fight. The
issue is what the team and the coaching staff
can't control - a lack of stability around the
club. Every time new owner Mike
Charlesworth talks about shifting games to
North Sydney, or Brookvale, he chips away at
the raison d'etre of the Mariners. This is a
group of players which draws motivation and
inspiration from its symbiotic relationship
with the Central Coast community.
Does that make players sprint quicker, jump
higher, tackle harder and run longer? You bet
it does. Successful teams generally know what
they stand for. These days, too often, the
Mariners look like a team which has lost its
way.
 

bikinigirl

Well-Known Member
. cockerill has turned to the forum for his material again ... good work peoples

. not so keen on his opening remarks though ... he must have written that part himself
 

midfielder

Well-Known Member
5 home 6 away ... 7 points clear of 7th placed team...last two matches away ...

17 Away Brisbane

18 Home MV

19 Away AU

20 Home Nix

21 Home SFC

22 Away MV

23 Home Scum

24 Away Heart

25 Home WSW

26 Away PG

27 Away Brisbane


Our last four

24 Away Heart

25 Home WSW

26 Away PG

27 Away Brisbane

That's a tough run home
 

style_cafe

Well-Known Member
By MICHAEL COCKERILL
The champions will be dethroned, the only
question is when.
Phil Moss is keeping the faith, as he should,
but only the most optimistic Central Coast
Mariners fan - and they seem to be
increasingly thin on the ground - can see
them making it back-to-back titles. Selling $4
million worth of talent over the past couple of
years has finally caught up with the A-
League's serial over-achievers, who are now
very much back with the pack. Priority No.1
is to simply to make the finals, and with only
two of their last five fixtures at home, that's
no guarantee. etc etc..

Dear Mike Cockerill,
You may not rate us,but we don`t care.
Regards
Style_Cafe
 

Big Al

Well-Known Member
Our last four

24 Away Heart

25 Home WSW

26 Away PG

27 Away Brisbane

That's a tough run home

Heart - Last chance for them they need 3 points this week as well as others to fall over including us. So massive game.
WSW - Falling apart (prob not), stagnating yes - Could over take them finally. The biggest game of the 4 maybe.
PG - Can we get them while they are in trouble - Should win but those games are dangerous
Bris - Hopefully have switched off by then & rest a few for the finals - not as dangerous as it could have been but still will be very hard.

Need to win 3/4 or 2 & a draw at worst IMO
 

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