Mariners Squad - HAL 12 - 2016 - 2017

[style_cafe]

Maybe Finnish football is his thing?

Sitting there in the wee hours watching plucky Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho bring a maiden title home to the Seinäjoen keskuskenttä, debating with friends whether the goals of Akselvi Pelvas or the gloves of Mihkel Aksalu were the difference in their first-ever first division triumph...

And insisting they play a four-four-f**king-two of course.

.Ya gotta luv google!!

 

[Atomic]

.Ya gotta luv google!!

I don't know... I typed "four-four-f**king-two" into Google and I got images of line ups that I've never seen before!!!

 

[Rowdy]

I typed in "four-four-f**king-two" & got an image of the all-time greatest Manager of England .........

Mike Basset!

 

[McGrime]

For Me: Andreu
Always looks to have so much time on the ball never in panic mode.
Reminds me of Patrick Zwaanswijk with his distribution and positional sense.
And at 33 he's got a few good seasons left in him.
Play him with Monty & we might get away with a back 3 behind them.
Where ever he plays he would be an improvement to a defensive unit that had more holes than John Dillinger's Jacket.

 

[sydmariner]

I typed in "four-four-f**king-two" & got an image of the all-time greatest Manager of England .........

Mike Basset!

Basset in Walmsley OUT

 

[garlo]

Few players released by FC
Naumoff would be a good pickup IMO!

 

[Rowdy]

Victorian minnows mount bid for Thompson:

Whittlesea Ranges secretary Sergio Costanzo said the Victorian National Premier League 2 outfit were “very serious” about wanting to sign Archie Thompson and were preparing an offer to try to attract the former Melbourne Victory star to join their campaign for promotion.

“We’re getting the gloves out in the next week or two and if there’s a chance to get him we’re going to fight hard to do that,” Costanzo told The World Game.

“Right now I’m putting something together to try to make it interesting for him, as other clubs are doing at the same time as well, and I would say this will probably play itself out in the next week or two.

“If he decides he wants to keep playing in the A-League somewhere, then we would back off. If not, then I’d say a little bidding frenzy would develop, wouldn’t it?”

Thompson, 37, played his last game for Victory in their AFC Champions League round of 16 second leg away game against Korean team Jeonbuk Motors on Tuesday night, with the Victory beaten 2-1 and eliminated 3-2 on aggregate.

The former Australia striker, whose A-League contract runs out on 31 May, has indicated he wants to play on rather than retire.

There have been suggestions one or two of the weaker A-League clubs, including the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets, could make him an offer for next season, but there is no hard evidence that either have gone down that track at this stage.

But the interest from Whittlesea is very definite. The club is second on the table midway through the NPL 2 season and the team that finishes first past the post is automatically promoted to the top tier of the NPL next season.

The second-placed team also gets a chance to go up via a two-game playoff series.

“The facts are that, yes, we as a club are interested in Archie, and, yes, we do have the contacts that are also the major sponsors of Melbourne Victory, in La Ionica and Oliana,” Costanzo said. “They are also sponsors of our club.

“What we’re saying is if he’s going to play at a lower level we’d love to get him to play at our club.

“I do know my co-director, Sam Cuteri, had a coffee with Archie before he played those final two Asian Champions League games. Sam is from La Ionica and he would talk to Archie on a regular basis, at games and functions.

“We respect Archie’s situation at the moment, in that he’s just finished the Asian Champions League and also I do believe he may have a small offer from either Central Coast Mariners or Newcastle Jets.

“It all depends on where he wants to go from here, but we’re looking at something after he’s finished playing football as well. We’re looking at a coaching or mentor role and he would probably have something like that through Victory as well.

“We’ve got a close working relationship with Victory. Their youth team are now playing from our home ground at Epping Stadium.

“We’re very serious about this. All of the NPL clubs are trying to bolster their playing ranks at this time of the season and we’re pushing for promotion, so what we do right now is very important.”

There have been suggestions that the Victory could employ Thompson in a club ambassador role, but it remains to be seen whether, if that was on offer, he would want to move out of Melbourne to keep playing in the A-League.

Playing for an NPL 2 club with ambition could be a handy alternative that could link up with a possible new career direction at Victory.

Costanzo said the club would need the help of sponsors to make an offer attractive enough for Thompson to consider.

“Absolutely, you’d have to look at some kind of package,” he said.

“But it depends on whether discussions are going to become a bit more serious. I’ll leave that to my co-director to establish.

“I’ve heard rumours about possibly Bulleen Lions, South Melbourne, a few clubs here and there being interested in him. He’s 37, but the way he has finished off in the A-League his body is still up to it.

“And if he’s still up to playing A-League, then he’s more than up to playing in the NPL or NPL 2. He would be a superstar at that level, even next year at the age of 38.”

 

[Rowdy]

 

[JoyfulPenguin]

Victorian minnows mount bid for Thompson:

Whittlesea Ranges secretary Sergio Costanzo said the Victorian National Premier League 2 outfit were “very serious” about wanting to sign Archie Thompson and were preparing an offer to try to attract the former Melbourne Victory star to join their campaign for promotion.

“We’re getting the gloves out in the next week or two and if there’s a chance to get him we’re going to fight hard to do that,” Costanzo told The World Game.

“Right now I’m putting something together to try to make it interesting for him, as other clubs are doing at the same time as well, and I would say this will probably play itself out in the next week or two.

“If he decides he wants to keep playing in the A-League somewhere, then we would back off. If not, then I’d say a little bidding frenzy would develop, wouldn’t it?”

Thompson, 37, played his last game for Victory in their AFC Champions League round of 16 second leg away game against Korean team Jeonbuk Motors on Tuesday night, with the Victory beaten 2-1 and eliminated 3-2 on aggregate.

The former Australia striker, whose A-League contract runs out on 31 May, has indicated he wants to play on rather than retire.

There have been suggestions one or two of the weaker A-League clubs, including the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets, could make him an offer for next season, but there is no hard evidence that either have gone down that track at this stage.

But the interest from Whittlesea is very definite. The club is second on the table midway through the NPL 2 season and the team that finishes first past the post is automatically promoted to the top tier of the NPL next season.

The second-placed team also gets a chance to go up via a two-game playoff series.

“The facts are that, yes, we as a club are interested in Archie, and, yes, we do have the contacts that are also the major sponsors of Melbourne Victory, in La Ionica and Oliana,” Costanzo said. “They are also sponsors of our club.

“What we’re saying is if he’s going to play at a lower level we’d love to get him to play at our club.

“I do know my co-director, Sam Cuteri, had a coffee with Archie before he played those final two Asian Champions League games. Sam is from La Ionica and he would talk to Archie on a regular basis, at games and functions.

“We respect Archie’s situation at the moment, in that he’s just finished the Asian Champions League and also I do believe he may have a small offer from either Central Coast Mariners or Newcastle Jets.

“It all depends on where he wants to go from here, but we’re looking at something after he’s finished playing football as well. We’re looking at a coaching or mentor role and he would probably have something like that through Victory as well.

“We’ve got a close working relationship with Victory. Their youth team are now playing from our home ground at Epping Stadium.

“We’re very serious about this. All of the NPL clubs are trying to bolster their playing ranks at this time of the season and we’re pushing for promotion, so what we do right now is very important.”

There have been suggestions that the Victory could employ Thompson in a club ambassador role, but it remains to be seen whether, if that was on offer, he would want to move out of Melbourne to keep playing in the A-League.

Playing for an NPL 2 club with ambition could be a handy alternative that could link up with a possible new career direction at Victory.

Costanzo said the club would need the help of sponsors to make an offer attractive enough for Thompson to consider.

“Absolutely, you’d have to look at some kind of package,” he said.

“But it depends on whether discussions are going to become a bit more serious. I’ll leave that to my co-director to establish.

“I’ve heard rumours about possibly Bulleen Lions, South Melbourne, a few clubs here and there being interested in him. He’s 37, but the way he has finished off in the A-League his body is still up to it.

“And if he’s still up to playing A-League, then he’s more than up to playing in the NPL or NPL 2. He would be a superstar at that level, even next year at the age of 38.”

We really do not need a 37 year old injury prone striker who has relied on his speed his whole career. I really can't see what Archie would add to us.

 

[nebakke]

They all f*****g think all of the off-contract players have a bid from us. I mean faaarkkk... a forward at any age is about the only type player we probably haven't needed. .. Need that #10 though but much as i like Archie, I don't think he's it.

 

[Big Al]

I admire his competitive spirit and I'd be the same until no one wants me it's not over but this year was bad enough, he should have quit last year and next year would be plain dumb of anyone else to sign him no matter the cost.

 

[true believer]

As much as i love archie .
Father time has lapped him

 

[MagpieMariner]

I admire his competitive spirit and I'd be the same until no one wants me it's not over but this year was bad enough, he should have quit last year and next year would be plain dumb of anyone else to sign him no matter the cost.

I hate to have to agree on this. Without injury worries, I'd have Archie in a flash, even at 38. But not now, after 2 injury-hampered seasons, too risky to invest in another Mrdja.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I take your point re Archie's knee. But I don't think it's fair to mention his name in the same sentence as Mrdja.

Archie put in a lot of great seasons and was of great value both on and off field. Great ambassador of the game.

Mrdja... Only if you paste it all together could you say he contributed 2 good seasons.

Off field... he did not work hard on his recovery once injured. He was content to deplete the local fish supply and the Mariners coffers, while the only thing he gave back was suspect dance moves.

 

[Wombat]

I take your point re Archie's knee. But I don't think it's fair to mention his name in the same sentence as Mrdja.

Archie put in a lot of great seasons and was of great value both on and off field. Great ambassador of the game.

Mrdja... Only if you paste it all together you could even say he contributed 2 good seasons.

Off field... he did not work hard on his recovery once injured. He was content to deplete the local fish supply and the Mariners coffers, while the only thing he gave back was suspect dance moves.

Allegedly Disco swelled the coffers of the local black market.!

Archie still has merit but I'd say no.

 

[dibo]

Gallifuoco is on the market. That's a better bet for us.

 

[JoyfulPenguin]

Riley Woodcock could be decent if Josh Rose is being pressured to retire. Good competition for Neil for cheap.

 

[MagpieMariner]

I take your point re Archie's knee. But I don't think it's fair to mention his name in the same sentence as Mrdja.

Archie put in a lot of great seasons and was of great value both on and off field. Great ambassador of the game.

Mrdja... Only if you paste it all together you could even say he contributed 2 good seasons.

Off field... he did not work hard on his recovery once injured. He was content to deplete the local fish supply and the Mariners coffers, while the only thing he gave back was suspect dance moves.

Yes, I didn't put that as well as I'd have liked. I didn't mean to insinuate Archie is/was/will be a slacker. I meant that there was a chance we'd sign him and he'd spend his time with us injured, not playing.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Yeah gotcha. Thought that's what you probably meant.

 

[Rowdy]

Gallifuoco is on the market. That's a better bet for us.

Wished we'd signed him when he was clubless, from being cut loose from EPL Swansea.

Alas, Melb.Victory's Kevin Muscat signed the Olyroo instead- most likely using the sweetner of the chance to be playing in the ACL .

Giancarlo however, spent the majority of the HAL season on the bench playing 4th fiddle to Delpierre, Ansell & Broxam. Which would have left him very frustrated- probably pissed-off now that Musc##t's cut him loose just when he thought he'd have an opportunity with Delpierre retiring.

And with that CCM would be an attractive opportunity for him with the chance i.e 'sales-pitch' of playing/cementing a 1st team spot much more likely.

I'd be starting "GG" over Ascroft and McGing all day - everyday !!! ( both of whom I think are better suited to DM roles)