http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1103629/Arnold-issues-contract-ultimatum
Central Coast coach Graham Arnold has given Mariners until Wednesday to match a contract offer from Sydney FC, believed to be around $400,000 per season.
Mariners players are clinging to the hope that embattled Central Coast chairman Peter Turnbull will be able to dig deep enough to prevent Arnold walking.
But with a mooted takeover from a Russian consortium understood to have fallen through and property developer Turnbull forced to last week deny that he was set to hand back his A-League license under mounting financial pressure, the prospects of Arnold receiving a 50 percent pay rise look remote.
Speaking ahead of his side's must-win AFC Champions League game against China club Tianjin Teda at Bluetongue Stadium on Tuesday, Central Coast defender Patrick Zwaanswijk told The World Game that Arnold had been up front with the players over his future.
“We know Arnie has given the Mariners a deadline of until Wednesday to come back with something which he can accept match and it’s really a situation between Arnie and the club,” Zwaanswijk said.
“He’s always been honest with us and has told the players where things are at. He’s pretty much told us that some of the stories written are true and some are not.
“The thing we know for sure is that he’s had agreed terms with Sydney but has given Central Coast another shot to offer him something that would make him stay.
“We are trying not to get involved too much because our job is to support both the club and of course the coach.”
Arnold’s situation has been complicated by unpaid superannuation and winning bonuses and all indications are that he cannot afford to turn down the opportunity to succeed Vitezslav Lavicka at the Sky Blues.
“Arnie has put his own style into the team and has done a superb job and we’ve learned a lot from him,” Zwaanswijk said. “But if he does go we feel we’re learned so much we can still be a successful team without him and with whoever comes in.”
Zwaanswijk has not given up hope of qualifying for the next stage of the ACL with Mariners chasing its first win against Teda, which has also drawn three and lost one of its four Group G games.
“It’s going to be hard now but one thing is certain, we must beat Tianjin to have any chance of qualifying for the next round,” he said.
“We have yet to win an ACL game and we want to make a little bit of history by doing that.
"After that who knows. Our last group game is away against Nagoya Grampus in two weeks and we’d also need to take something from that.”
Zwaanswijk puts Mariners’ 5-0 thumping to K-League side Seongnam Ilhwa two weeks ago down to a hangover from its A-League grand final eliminator loss to Perth Glory, a quick turnaround and a disjointed performance.
“We had to fly out straight after the Perth game and the disappointment of that was fresh in our minds,” Zwaanswijk said. “It was all so hectic and it’s true the loss against Perth took a lot out of us mentally and physically.
“The game in Korea was a case of too much too soon but we are sure we can turn things around.
"We haven't given up hope at all and we have had well over a week to rest now and there will be no excuses not to win the game.
“We want to make sure we’re in with a chance of going through going into the final group game. We know that if we can’t beat Tianjin it’s all over for us.”
Tianjin, which has scored just once in four games, leads Central Coast on goal difference with the two sides drawing 0-0 on the opening ACL matchday.
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