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Mariners Squad - 2020-2021
- Thread starter pjennings
- Start date
Forum Phoenix
Well-Known Member
I think we really need to learn our lessons or again be cellar dwellers - you cannot hope to compete with sub par strikers. End of.
In Kuol we already have a development prospect with some ability - who has to be getting minutes behind a quality starting striker or he’ll never develop. Then we have Matty as additional back up.
If we were wealthier or maybe in another year I’d argue for an additional striker as well. But even then I’d want someone at least proven at this level. Or a hit young prospect to develop and on sell. But right now it’s obvious any all funds should be going to defence after we secure a quality striker.
People don’t seem to appreciate that Australia’s defenders are typically of a higher caliber than the forwards we produce. So the step up for most young strikers in the HAL is clearly too big. I remember watching Gibbs play, and I’d be very surprised if he was stronger for us than Murray. And Murray proved he is at least not yet, a Hal level starting striker.
In Kuol we already have a development prospect with some ability - who has to be getting minutes behind a quality starting striker or he’ll never develop. Then we have Matty as additional back up.
If we were wealthier or maybe in another year I’d argue for an additional striker as well. But even then I’d want someone at least proven at this level. Or a hit young prospect to develop and on sell. But right now it’s obvious any all funds should be going to defence after we secure a quality striker.
People don’t seem to appreciate that Australia’s defenders are typically of a higher caliber than the forwards we produce. So the step up for most young strikers in the HAL is clearly too big. I remember watching Gibbs play, and I’d be very surprised if he was stronger for us than Murray. And Murray proved he is at least not yet, a Hal level starting striker.
midfielder
Well-Known Member
I think he`s moved beyond NPL status.
At least give the guy a trial, I think he`s earned one on the strength of his overseas performances.
He may be a late bloomer like Daniel McBreen....
Just on McBreen... and no disrespect intended in this post..
But he played with an amazing midfield behind him and had for the most part the best tactical coach in the league at the time...
The defense was not half bad either.... with a very quick keeper...
Also he played a lot as a 10...
Open question ...
Lets take as read we are down a quality CB and a quality striker...
Assume we have limited spending power.
We have three clear options.
1] Buy a CB & Striker both average.
2] Buy a descend striker and rely on Rowles & Ziggy
3] Buy a quality CB to partner Ziggy and hope the kids can score goals...
Ironbark
Well-Known Member
Wish I knew our spend.
16 players and it does look as if we should be saving coin on last season.
Assuming our budget is the salary floor how much do we think there is left to spend?
Again, potential sale may be a spanner here.
16 players and it does look as if we should be saving coin on last season.
Assuming our budget is the salary floor how much do we think there is left to spend?
Again, potential sale may be a spanner here.
Forum Phoenix
Well-Known Member
Maybe, I'm not sure, I'd need to see more. From what I have seen he just looked full of beans and super excited so he was zipping all around the front as opposed to being more centrally focused etc. For myself I liked his work rate and had enough speed and athleticism to cause problems it looked like going forward.
Not to say I can't see him doing a job for us out wide, but always a worry given it can definitely hamper or even destroy the development of some young strikers. I really want us to develop talented young Australian strikers. It's where the biggest on sell fee can come from. But also for Aus football in general, it's been one of our biggest development failings in no small part because our national league relies largely on foreign imports upfront.
Anyway, with our presumed lack of depth, he's bound to get his chances you'd think.
pjennings
Well-Known Member
2] Buy a decent striker and rely on Rowles & Ziggy - (not sure that I would have Rowles). With a Ollie and Nisbet in front I think they will be better protected. Let's face it Kim played as CB last year and O'Neill the year before.
pjennings
Well-Known Member
I'd be interested to hear how he operated in NPL2 because I must admit I didn't see him live there much.
style_cafe
Well-Known Member
I`d go 2) but the decent striker needs to be tough and robust.
Any injury to him is going to end our season.
Matty just isn`t a dependable scorer any more,as much as I like his tenacity he just can`t score the required goals per season we need .
I still think he`d be better in defense rather than attack at this stage of his career.
Players like Kuol, Hall and Hatch may make the grade eventually as they have talent but to expect them to jump from NPL 2 to A-league in one season is a big ask....
Forum Phoenix
Well-Known Member
Yeah that’d be good. Stats are: he Scored 28 from 47 appearances for GV Suns who finished 4th and 5th across those two seasons. So he was in a good side but not a completely dominant one.
Can watch his highlights, but even better is if anyone has watched some of those games?
With MC assume the floor which is not much compared to before. We are probably already close to the floor hence the delays with Simon and Ziggy. We kept hearing there are more signings but I feel that was always referring to the two I mentioned. I don’t expect any further signings of quality or experience as we don’t have the cash. Any word on members numbers, I suspect these will be down on last year so that also restricts the purse strings. We will be battling for the spoon until MC moves on I’m afraid.
finally retired
Well-Known Member
you like living dangerously don't you Style?I`d go 2) but the decent striker needs to be tough and robust.
Any injury to him is going to end our season.
Matty just isn`t a dependable scorer any more,as much as I like his tenacity he just can`t score the required goals per season we need .
I still think he`d be better in defense rather than attack at this stage of his career.
Players like Kuol, Hall and Hatch may make the grade eventually as they have talent but to expect them to jump from NPL 2 to A-league in one season is a big ask....
Matty was always guaranteed 1 (or 2) yellows or a red in his games (even when he played 10 mins only).... can you imagine the same if he's defending in our box for the full match? Personally...I LIKE the idea, but have a LOT of concerns
style_cafe
Well-Known Member
you like living dangerously don't you Style?
Matty was always guaranteed 1 (or 2) yellows or a red in his games (even when he played 10 mins only).... can you imagine the same if he's defending in our box for the full match? Personally...I LIKE the idea, but have a LOT of concerns
WHO DARES WINS Mate
I think he`s been played out of position all his life, but he`s record is not that bad actually.
44 yellow cards in 217 A league games,once sent off for double yellow and one send off for straight red.
That`s actually pretty damn good on the restraint side of things (although he did get subbed a few times on and off the field)
If you look at the plus side though, there`s not to many A-league players that like to play against him,they all say his rough,tough and bloody hard to play against.
At 188cm (6`3") he`s also good in the air (albeit the direction is questionable).
If he was to be played in defence I`d go 3 at the back with Matty in front of them (to keep him out of the box ) as much as possible
4 midfielders and 2 up front ie. 3 1 4 2.
That would solve the CB problem, and opens the striker position up for an import.
He could even keep the captaincy for that matter and still "bite some legs"!
Give it a go in the trial matches and see what happens, with 4 out of 5 wooden spoons what do we have to lose?...
ps. I`ve got my helmet and body armour on so i`m ready for it.
3 goals in 7 games in NPL2 this season in a side that won the league and GF - that made him our 5th top scorer behind Matt Cahill, Damian Tsekenis, Harry McCarthy and Mikey Katsoulis, and equal with Jordan Smylie and Max Ballard. 2 of those goals were pens. I was a big fan of signing him for the NYL and he had a good season there with 5 goals, but was very disappointing during the NPL season and his A League appearances were quite frankly underwhelming. He is strong, reasonably quick and can finish but his work rate is poor (compared to the other NPL strikers) and his game awareness and tactical nous is non-existent. On the plus side - at least he is not DRD.
Please sign a top striker so that Alou and the other young guys can learn and benefit from their experience and we can use Matty as an impact player off the bench without putting the pressure on him to lead the line for 90 mins.
Striker has to be the first priority IMO. Might sound a bit obvious but if you don’t put the ball in the net your best case is 1 point. We averaged 1 goal per game so there were enough games where we weren't even getting 1, if in those games we score 1 we have 7 more points and finish in front of Victory.
Then again if we conceded one less in every game we finish 14 points higher by my quick count. Still 10th just a bigger margin. But its a big ask to keep that many clean sheets when it only takes one small mistake or moment of brilliance to let 1 in and we've found that hard to recover from for too long.
Then again if we conceded one less in every game we finish 14 points higher by my quick count. Still 10th just a bigger margin. But its a big ask to keep that many clean sheets when it only takes one small mistake or moment of brilliance to let 1 in and we've found that hard to recover from for too long.
priorpeter
Well-Known Member
Just the 1 pen - in the GF. His other goals came in open play against Hakoah and Bonnyrigg (in the SF).
I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt in that he only came back into the NPL side at the back end of the season, and he was also playing a bit deeper with Cahill or Tsekenis generally leading the line.
Agreed he has much to learn though, is very, very raw.
Ancient Mariner
Well-Known Member
When he was on the field Matty was the most useful player on the park defending corners.WHO DARES WINS Mate
I think he`s been played out of position all his life, but he`s record is not that bad actually.
44 yellow cards in 217 A league games,once sent off for double yellow and one send off for straight red.
That`s actually pretty damn good on the restraint side of things (although he did get subbed a few times on and off the field)
If you look at the plus side though, there`s not to many A-league players that like to play against him,they all say his rough,tough and bloody hard to play against.
At 188cm (6`3") he`s also good in the air (albeit the direction is questionable).
If he was to be played in defence I`d go 3 at the back with Matty in front of them (to keep him out of the box ) as much as possible
4 midfielders and 2 up front ie. 3 1 4 2.
That would solve the CB problem, and opens the striker position up for an import.
He could even keep the captaincy for that matter and still "bite some legs"!
Give it a go in the trial matches and see what happens, with 4 out of 5 wooden spoons what do we have to lose?...
ps. I`ve got my helmet and body armour on so i`m ready for it.
true believer
Well-Known Member
ok i haven't had people throw rocks at me for a while .
but what's happening with Dylan Ruiz-Diaz ?
but what's happening with Dylan Ruiz-Diaz ?
As far as I know, still clubless and training on his own/with mates. Bit of a shame really. Despite his apparent bad attitude is a very good prospect that could develop in a very good player imo. Staj was evidently a big fan but something has 100% happened there, maybe the arrogant attitude. A bit of clarity would be nice given multiple football media outlets reported he was still with us and the club never actually said otherwise only to not put his name in the current contracted player list.
Tsekenis, Cahill, Ballard and katsoulis should all be given scholarships at very least.
Who were the lads that we loaned OS again? Anyone got an update? My memory is foggy.
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