Mariners 2013-2014 season prediction (A-League inc.)

[Blair]

How good was last year and since the seasons is less then 2 weeks away i wanna put a few of my thoughts on the forum on how we and the rest of the a-league will fair in the forthcoming season.

The ladder prediction
CCM (Prob a bit bias)
Heart
WSW
Syd
Melb
Adl
Bris
Perth
Scum
Well​

Finals winner: CCM or Heart

Dark Horse: Heart

Transfers for CCM:

IN:
Matt Simon
Macros Flores
Storm Roux
Tom Slater
Liam Reddy
Marcel Seip

OUT:
Matt Ryan
Bernie Ibini
Oliver Bozanic
And my new fav player to hate Bojic aka Judas
ZWANNY (RETIRED)​

After the GF win i was very scared of a mass exodus but i dont think we have lost to much considering we were looking like loosing The gaffer and a couple other players. the player we have lost have been replace with quality Seip look good, Simon for Ibini, Reddy for Ryan :/, Flores for Bozanic. But the keeper swap they all look like a improvements.

Best Signing: Marcos Flores - Just Youtubed him (from the first season he played) and i think if we hold the same formation he will SHINE in the highlights from the 2010-2011 season he had the Dijk to hold the ball while he either push through or sat back let the winger push through. Im really excited to see if he can emulate the first season he had with United.

Flop: Reddy i hope i'm wrong and i think Pasfeild should be out #1 but i will wait and see before i start to despise him apart from Sackwacker prob the most hate player for us in the A-League imo.

Starting team: (using the same formation as last year who knows tbh)

Pasfeild

Roux Seip Sainsbury Rose

Hutcho Monty

WeeMac Flores Fitzy

McBreen
​

Looks solid to me i think dukes going to find it hard to break into the team but time will tell.

So whats your prediction?!?

​

 

[eenfish]

Your faith in Heart disturbs me. I love Johnny boy as much as any other Socceroos fan, but he has done a big bag of zero to impress me as a coach. I'm sure they'll make the finals, but trophy contenders is a bit far fetched for my thinking.

Also I'd love to put CCM on top of the list, but I am a pessimist and our defence and keepers worry me a little.

What I reckon is:
1. Melbourne Victory
2. CCMFC
3. Adelaide
4. Wanderers
5. Sydney FC
6. Wellington (I believe in Merrick)
7. Heart
8. Brisbane
9. Scum
10. Glory

Feels a tad unfair to put Glory at the bottom, but they've impressed me the least during the offseason as opposed to some of the big pickups teams like Heart and Adelaide have done.

Determining who will win the final is tough. Monkey off our back, I reckon we'll be good come finals time. I think Wanderers will find it tough to cope with ACL as well as A-League so might choke at the end of the season. Heart will be tough second half of the season when Engelaar comes back, but whether Kewell will stay healthy is another riddle all together.

 

[localpom]

Oooh hard one. I think between us and the Wanderers there won't be alot lost from last year so i expect us and them to be in the top 4 with the Roar and Victory making up the other 2 positions. Sydney 5th and Adelaide make up the 6. So maybe -
1. Brisbane
2. CCMFC
3. Victory
4. Wanderers
5. Sydney FC
6. Adelaide
7. Heart
8. Scum
9. Glory
10. Wellington

Really though......it'll take 4 or 5 games to start to have an idea. Nothing will suprise me.

 

[Blair]

I think heart are gunna make a real go at it there recruitment has been amazing but your right aloisi will be the key i think if Ange Or Arnie had that squad they would win it. IMO

 

[Muppet]

Trying to predict this years ladder is a nightmare. I think that this season will be the tightest finish ever. I have been trying to nut this out for a few weeks and so many teams have recruited well. One of the bookies have us and the Wanderers as favourites. Well here is my attempt at it.

1. Victory
2. CCMFC
3. Brisbane
4. Wanderers
5. Adelaide
6. Jets
7. Glory
8. Sydney
9. Wellington
10. Heart

Heart have not won on the road. Predicting that Aloisi will lose his job after the first five rounds.

 

[eenfish]

I think heart are gunna make a real go at it there recruitment has been amazing but your right aloisi will be the key i think if Ange Or Arnie had that squad they would win it. IMO

Totally agree. Thats why I think Victory will have the edge this year, better squad overall than ours (particular defensively even if our attack should be the envy of all the A-League), and Ange and Arnie I'd put on an even keel.

I think the bookies putting us and Wanderers at the top is a bit silly. We've strengthened our attack but our defensive end is reeling after losing out best two players, and the Wanderers have done very little in the off season which is either an indicator that they've stagnated and they'll find it tough or they're just flying under the radar so they can come out swinging and extra prepared come week 1.

 

[Arnie]

Victory
CCM
Roar
Sydney
WSW
Perth
Heart
Adelaide
Jets
WP

finals Roar 1 Perth 2
Sydney 0 (3) WSW 0 (4) [WSW go through after penalty shoot out]

Semi Victory 3 Perth 0
CCM 2 WSW 1

Final Victory 2 CCM 3

I could be wrong but I doubt it.

 

[Capt. Awesome]

I think it will be:

CCM
Victory
Brisbane
WSW
Adelaide
Sydney
Heart
Perth
Jets
WP

Victory definitely looking dangerous this year.

 

[Big Al]

Oooh hard one. I think between us and the Wanderers there won't be alot lost from last year so i expect us and them to be in the top 4 with the Roar and Victory making up the other 2 positions. Sydney 5th and Adelaide make up the 6. So maybe -
1. Brisbane
2. CCMFC
3. Victory
4. Wanderers
5. Sydney FC
6. Adelaide
7. Heart
8. Scum
9. Glory
10. Wellington

Really though......it'll take 4 or 5 games to start to have an idea. Nothing will suprise me.

Think your on the money with the Roar as for wellington I expect improvement under Merrick & they might just shock a few & i'll put them down for a finals appearance.

I think we will struggle for top 4 but definitely in the 6. We are now the hunted & lot of changes to the team. Might take us a while to find our grove as a unit. Also to many options all at the same standard could lead to increased chopping & changing of the team. Last years team pretty much picked itself with limited bench people pushing to be starters. The split squads for Sunday is an indication of this.

 

[localpom]

Think your on the money with the Roar as for wellington I expect improvement under Merrick & they might just shock a few & i'll put them down for a finals appearance.

I think we will struggle for top 4 but definitely in the 6. We are now the hunted & lot of changes to the team. Might take us a while to find our grove as a unit. Also to many options all at the same standard could lead to increased chopping & changing of the team. Last years team pretty much picked itself with limited bench people pushing to be starters. The split squads for Sunday is an indication of this.

We should make top 4, i would argue that it is harder to pick the starting 11 because the squad is stronger.

 

[eenfish]

We should make top 4, i would argue that it is harder to pick the starting 11 because the squad is stronger.

I'd argue the defence is weaker. As much as Judas' head wasn't in the game second half of last season, he and Bernie definitely had a thing going on. And we lost our best defender and our best overall player in Matty Ryan. Storm Roux and Siep look alright, but one is young and rough and the other looks rough. Roux you could argue could be a side-step or slight step up from Judas, but Siep aint not Swanny, and Reddy/JPas most definitely aint no Matty Ryan.

Attack, though, is out the wazzoo better and I look forward to seeing it go wild.

 

[dibo]

Judas?

You'd only consider it betrayal if we didn't want him to go.

I have a hunch that the club would gladly have paid the taxi fare to the SFS and sent him along with a gift card saying "Now he's your problem".

 

[nero]

Melbourne
Roar
Adelaide
CCM
WSW
SydFC
Heart
perth
WP
Jets

 

[localpom]

I'd argue the defence is weaker. As much as Judas' head wasn't in the game second half of last season, he and Bernie definitely had a thing going on. And we lost our best defender and our best overall player in Matty Ryan. Storm Roux and Siep look alright, but one is young and rough and the other looks rough. Roux you could argue could be a side-step or slight step up from Judas, but Siep aint not Swanny, and Reddy/JPas most definitely aint no Matty Ryan.

Attack, though, is out the wazzoo better and I look forward to seeing it go wild.

Agreed. I think we are stronger overall but slightly weaker defensively. One thought....could Monty be an option in defence if needed? I don't think Seip will be any less of a defender than Swanny though i doubt he has his distribution skills. Trent should improve again this season and Rosey will be his usual self. By all accounts Storm looks a decent prospect with a good engine. Ando is a very good player who will get better with more game time. I'm not worried about the defenders but slighty nervous about the goalkeeping pozzie.

 

[eenfish]

Agreed. I think we are stronger overall but slightly weaker defensively. One thought....could Monty be an option in defence if needed? I don't think Seip will be any less of a defender than Swanny though i doubt he has his distribution skills. Trent should improve again this season and Rosey will be his usual self. By all accounts Storm looks a decent prospect with a good engine. Ando is a very good player who will get better with more game time. I'm not worried about the defenders but slighty nervous about the goalkeeping pozzie.

Distribution from the back is taking a huge hit with both Ryan and Swanny lost. And I think Trent relied on Swanny a bit for direction so he might look a bit out of sorts. But overall i think you're right. Still haven't decided on Siep yet, I wan to see him in the flesh a few times before I make a judgement.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Judas?

You'd only consider it betrayal if we didn't want him to go.

I have a hunch that the club would gladly have paid the taxi fare to the SFS and sent him along with a gift card saying "Now he's your problem".

This.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Top 4 will be us, WSW, Roar & Tards I reckon

Another group of 4 will battle for 5 & 6. Sydney, Perth, Adelaide & Heart

Then Scum and Nix fighting for 9 & 10

Us v Tards in the GF I hope.

 

[yellowcake]

Predictions in a salary capped league
I see us as being up there-abouts. Still strong squad, superb coach and great culture.
I'm expecting to see Victory, Brisbane, Adelaide and SFC improve on last year (and considering Victory came third and were 48mins off a GF appearance, not much climbing room for them).
SFC will finish ahead of WSW - you heard if here first. (Actually #7 Arnie's got it).

Reddy/JPas most definitely aint no Matty Ryan

Maybe, maybe not. With JC's influence and the competition between them, I expect them both to be decent.

 

[sydmariner]

I think that the losses that we had last season (not inc hearfeild) (bernie,ryan,bojicpoo,zwanny,rogic,pellegrino,mcdonald & bozanic) far outweighs any gains we made this season imo

 

[pjennings]

Losses and gains since the beginning of last season. Keeping and defence look weakened - but attack looks stronger.

Ryan Reddy
McDonald Neill
Zwaanswijk Seip
Bojic Roux
Oates Morton
Bozanic Slater
Rogic Flores
Pellegrino
Hearfield Fitzgerald
Ibini Simon

McDonald, Oates, Pellers and Hearfield were bit players at best last season. Tommy left early and Ollie had an injury plagued season. Realistically only Maty, Patrick, Pedj and Bernie were available and played for the majority of the season. Maty and Patrick in particular are big losses and their replacements aren't as strong.

However, I would be prepared to bet we will get more goals out of Flores, Fitzgerald and Simon than we did last year from Bozanic, Rogic, Pellegrino, Hearfield and Ibini