Mariners Squad - 2019-2020

[ashman89]

Gonna be very upset should biraz accept any offer from these deep discussions with the bulls

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Staj (the club) has a good chance to clear and re-use some decent coin for the 20/21.

What would be your feelings if we sit last/second last in March 2021?

For me the 20/21 season is the absolute make or break. It will decide the clubs future as a whole.

I would say that it would be a disaster and would lead to a return to square 1. Where this would lead I cannot guess. Extinction would rank high and could possibly only be avoided by the powers that be thinking it is worth having a team on the Coast. Alternatively being dumped into a second division could be an out. Basically at this point failure is not an option.Good recruitment will be vital. FP's post gave some excellent thoughts on this.
I expect the whole structure of football in Australia to be on the path to a very different structure. At the moment we are starting to see ideas floated. Many more will be aired. Some will have merit and some will be ridiculous floated with a view to self interest rather than the good of the game overall. Interesting times.
If sensible decisions are not made football will remain on the bottom of the ladder in Australia where it has been for many years longer than the us.

 

[Wombat]

Excellent post FP. Agree 100%.

I am seeing good progress this year and was happy with last night's showing, which actually has given me more hope for the future than I have felt for the last 5 years.
Points on the board are very important but I think some here see 3 points as the be all and end all. This season was about rebuilding from a train wreck of a base. If we ended up in the middle of the table it would have been a bonus and a great plus in keeping fans happy. This is understandable as points on the board is an easy measure of progress.
Unfortunately the points have not come. Some of our wins have been flukey as have some of our losses. I see the luck that way as being balanced, and the points on the table as being a fair measure of our position against other teams at this time. It is a sign to all of us that the task is much bigger than we dared hope.

Many are calling for MC to open his wallet. That would make life easier. But facts have to be faced. M.C. has decided how much he is willing to spend and has given the Club a budget in which to operate. That is the hand we are dealt and we have to play it. No one is going to buy an A-League Club in the present climate. Get used to it. Just be thankful that MC has funded the overs when they have happened.

Why am I optimistic and what is has changed?
Basically I am seeing a solid foundation being put under the Club that is being rebuilt from the ground up by the present management.
1) We now have Anton. He has been appointed as a director with decision making authority, which was lacking before this year. He is a football person who lives the game. He is putting a significant amount of money into youth development, rumoured to include the scholarship wages.
2) We now have in place good coaching staff in A-League, youth and goalkeeping who are able to work together without egos getting in the way and petty dislikes getting in the way.
3) We now have a recruitment committee with experience rather than leaving it to the coach.
4) I do not think anyone has disagreed with any of the re-signings that have happened so far this year. Hopefully no more TBTs, Lachy's or Millars in the future. We definitely need excellent recruiting before next year but I am hopeful this has a better chance of success now.
5) I am starting to see a decent competitive core of a squad on the field and a team that is not throwing in the towel and leaving nothing on the pitch despite the results.

I have been wondering why I feel this way today yet others here are threatening to bail. I love a win, and get as excited as everyone else. However, at the moment with where the Club is, I am happier to see an excellent an excellent performance against the best team in the league by far than a lucky win against another "also ran" after playing poorly. Obviously these priorities will change when we are fighting for silverware in the future.
I am seeing the Club building rather than going for a one season quick fix.
It would be nice to think that if we spent money we could buy success. Look at the money behind City. Sure SFC have money, but their success is due to a team that has been built over time in a Club with solid foundations.

I am seeing no reason to preach future doom or gloom. Wins are not the only indication of successful progress. I am here for the long haul. No more instant fixes thank you.

Good post but I dont see any cultured building project.....rather a decent coach and Anton adding some experience.....apart from that its shitsville CCM as usual.

 

[Wombat]

Article in the SMH indicating discussions are happening re the prospect of 5 visa players being outside the cap (with the cap for AU players) in the independent league. CCM has queried whether it could sell exempt visa spots to other clubs as this would provide a revenue stream and also keep more AU players in the A-League.
My initial read on that, if this were to occur, the competition could become incredibly lopsided with our club really struggling to compete on the field at least!
Thoughts anyone?

It shows why we will never be anything under the Auspices of Pikey. Other Clubs are looking to bolster, Pikey is looking to make money out of an new rules and couldn't give a flying f**k if we come last again. (It not like the stars of your movies Mike.....its actually good to come first)
The quintessential wide boy......

 

[Ironbark]

Good post but I dont see any cultured building project.....rather a decent coach and Anton adding some experience.....apart from that its shitsville CCM as usual.

Yeah this.

We could easily go back to the Okon years and literally have the same discussions about how we played well against the best teams, dominated even, but just couldn't quite score, didn't get the rub of the green, the luck wasn't on our side, but the team were good, 13 points, clean out next season will help, if the coach just had the right players, rebuilding season, make or break next season... honestly what's different about the conversations we're having now beyond one or two small details? I can't see a substantial difference or any reason to believe that difference is coming.

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Agreed. Im tired of the excuses. Results ARE everything. Every year we've had a handful of players we can build the core of a team from. Every year we CAN play well enough to match the best teams.
Every year is the first stage of a rebuild.
I don't care about potential changes. ACTUAL changes only thanks.
The only thing thar has changed is our fitness and last year was an anomaly. Everything else is wishful thinking.
More points than last year isn't relevant at all - I'm sick of hearing that excuse.
And we don't even have the faintest whiff of an attack.
All the optimistic and hopeful comments on here and from the club- heard it all before. Every single one.
Still last.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Ok, maybe I am being optimistic. But, if you follow any sporting team you have to remain optimistic or there is no point.

Whingeing, complaining and posting abusive comments about the owner when we are down achieves nothing except making yourself and others here more miserable and can be totally counterproductive.

Too many Hanrahans here.

I think my position is clear.

 

[Blackadder]

Ok, maybe I am being optimistic. But, if you follow any sporting team you have to remain that way or there is no point.

Whingeing, complaining and posting abusive comments about the owner when we are down achieves nothing except making yourself and others here more miserable and can be totally counterproductive.

Too many Hanrahans here.

I think my position is clear.

I don't think anyone here is talking about not following the Mariners.
That said it doesn't mean we have to tolerate Management running our team into the ground.

 

[Big Al]

Ok, maybe I am being optimistic. But, if you follow any sporting team you have to remain optimistic or there is no point.

Whingeing, complaining and posting abusive comments about the owner when we are down achieves nothing except making yourself and others here more miserable and can be totally counterproductive.

Too many Hanrahans here.

I think my position is clear.

We are back at the same point Okon had us. Competitive but losing.

If Staj has the gumption (I think he does) he will hang around and improve us further unlike Okon who cut and ran.

Staj would be learning alot him self and building a squad would be part of that.

While SS has gone off the boil he had him doing good things. He’s done great with Miller and now Nizzy is showing his worth along with Steinssness.

So Staj can go and draw up better recruiting strategies knowing who he can count on.

That gives him a base and he can see week in week out what the other teams are dishing up and see he should aim for similar.

It sucks for Australian football but you need two quality imports to lead your attack

Ninko and Le Fondre
Castro and Fornaroli

And a top winger to go with that and your on your way.

Ideally we don’t want to waste a foreign spot on a keeper and then we need

Proper CB
Keep Kim or same in Mids
Winger 10 and 9

That will get you wins if you get those right.

The improvements are there providing we keep moving in the same direction and learn from our errors. No weemac’s.

Simon has his place for the right money ou need experience and a coastie certainly helps. The fact he’s a fighter just makes it more worthwhile

 

[FFC Mariner]

Not sure that Okon cut and run - when your boss comes to your house to sack you, you dont have much choice ;-)

 

[pjennings]

Not sure that Okon cut and run - when your boss comes to your house to sack you, you dont have much choice ;-)

The story I got was that if he stayed he would not have sole control over recruiting after the Asdrubal debacle. Basically for him to be of a recruitment committee similar to what Staj is part of now. He of course would have known that the writing was on the wall. He didn't want to live with those conditions and took the opportunity to "consider his options" Sounds very much like he was presented with the gun and ammunition and he was encouraged to 'make the correct decision" Whether that is the truth of the matter I guess we will never know.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Okon could organise a team to keep possession. But he could not organise an attack nor build the kind of speed and fluency essential, and then there’s plan B. Or the lack thereof.

Mulvey was dire.

Cap’n, we have a significantly better coach, fitter, better organised, better youth, a better board, better support staff (video analysis) improved scouting, and youth structure.

What we don’t have is a good enough attack or better results yet. I don’t think I’m just being optimistic, to me it’s obvious we’re heading in the right direction. But will it be in time? Everyone is sick to death of paying money to watch us lose. Personally I largely think we need a serious 10 and 9 and we’d be in the mix. Without them, forget it, Australia is producing better defenders than it is attackers.

And now we’re going to almost certainly need to replace a quality keeper. But I think this can all be done.

 

[Big Dog]

I've noticed during our last few games when we lose possession Kim pretty much immediately drops between both CB's, which seems odd to me. Anyone have any thoughts on why?

 

[jacobsfl]

I've noticed during our last few games when we lose possession Kim pretty much immediately drops between both CB's, which seems odd to me. Anyone have any thoughts on why?

It's been like that since we first adopted the three at the back. It's mainly because we only have one HAL level CB (Ziggy) and one squaddie (Ruon).

 

[jacobsfl]

I don't think anyone here is talking about not following the Mariners.

The moment we do, that's when the club is history.

 

[Insertnamehere]

I've noticed during our last few games when we lose possession Kim pretty much immediately drops between both CB's, which seems odd to me. Anyone have any thoughts on why?

That's his defensive position. Essentially its a gap filler if someone is up field (clisby / miller ) to maintain at least a back 4. If we have 5 he's the extra man to move to an attacker between the lines.

 

[Big Dog]

It's been like that since we first adopted the three at the back. It's mainly because we only have one HAL level CB (Ziggy) and one squaddie (Ruon).

Fair enough, didn't look like a traditional back three to me. I'm used to seeing CB's being able to man mark and the #6 controlling the passing lanes to opposition strikers. We're often left with one of the three backs, in line, marking no one and losing second balls to their midfield. Just an observation.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I've noticed during our last few games when we lose possession Kim pretty much immediately drops between both CB's, which seems odd to me. Anyone have any thoughts on why?

Allows cover when our wing backs push up the park and also lets Kim begin the play/ distribution instead of our more limited CB’s.

 

[FFC Mariner]

The moment we do, that's when the club is history.

I know a lot of people who now wont have anything to do with CCM.
These are people some of who were S1 members who have walked away in disgust. Thats why the "core" is approx 3k (if that)

 

[Forum Phoenix]

The moment we do, that's when the club is history.

And PLENTY of people are doing more than just talking about it already.