Mariners Squad - HAL 14 - 2018- 2019 - The challenge for Mike Mulvey is over

[Ancient Mariner]

At this early stage I would be looking at tying up Pain and Clisby as well and hoping for an extension for O'Neill. Early days yet for some of the others, but if things do not improve someone will have to get their skates on or it will be deja vu (all over again).

 

[BrisRecky]

Mariners welcome Andy Thomson, Head of Football Performance
The Central Coast Mariners are pleased to welcome Andy Thomson who has been appointed as the Club’s new Head of Football Performance.

The experienced Scotsman joins Mike Mulvey’s coaching staff fresh from a three-year campaign with San Antonio FC who compete in the USL Championship (USA). Thomson boasts 15 years of football coaching experience and specialises in periodisation and physical preparation. Thomson arrives on the Central Coast with an impressive track record of developing top fit teams with fewer injuries through integrating: sports medicine; sports science and strength and conditioning.

Thomson’s career includes work with the US Soccer Federation, St. Mirren FC and Georgia Utd DA as well as a role as Soccer Performance Consultant at the University of North Georgia in the American collegiate system.

Thomson commenced his duties with the Mariners on Thursday and will travel with the Hyundai A-League squad this weekend to face Perth Glory.

After his first session with the squad, Thomson spoke with ccmariners.com.au about the opportunity to work with the Mariners and the role he will undertake.

“This is a well-established club with a great track record of success,” Thomson said. “The opportunity to be a part of something special, contribute to getting this club back to where it once was and add that extra layer of success, is why we’re all here working hard. I’m very grateful to Mike Mulvey for this opportunity.

“I’ve been coaching football for 15 years so no matter what I do, football will be the starting point for everything. As a football team, we need to take everything we need from the sports science and sports medicine paradigms to ensure we have a; top fit team with fewer injuries that is performing well. We can use movement as medicine to supplement the football performance and eradicate physical limitations. We need to give all of our players every opportunity to express themselves on the pitch. Football is always ‘we’ before ‘me’, we ask that of the players and as coaches we ask that of ourselves.

“The brief from Mike was very simple – we’re here to win football games. If we can have a top fit team with fewer injuries and we keep our best players training and playing, we’re more of a chance. Very, very simple. It’s a fine line, fatigue is our friend if we know how to manage it. If the intensity is there when we’re training, our players will be properly prepared to do battle,” Thomson said.

Thomson also spoke about how a chance conversation with a friend led to his awareness of the Central Coast region. That friend is Phil Coles: Socceroos’ High-Performance co-ordinator & Senior Physiotherapist and former Head of Physical Therapy with Liverpool FC.

“San Antonio FC who I was the Assistant Coach and Director of High Performance for, are owned by the NBA Basketball team the San Antonio Spurs,” Thomson said. “Their Director of High Performance was Phil Coles who now works with ‘Arnie’ at the Socceroos.

“About six months ago we were having a BBQ at Phil’s place – he starts to tell me about how beautiful the Central Coast is. I’m thinking to myself, this sounds wonderful, paradise on earth.

“Fast forward five months and I’m getting a call from Mike Mulvey. Now I’m thinking, is this the same Place Phil was talking about? I pick up the phone to Phil, everything aligns.

“Despite how beautiful a place is – football reasons will always be number one. We’re here to win, we’re here to give everything we can for the fans, that’s number one. But the addition to all that was, there was something in the universe telling me that this was the right place to be and here I am,” Thomson said.

Does he know anything about goal keeper coaching ? One can only hope

 

[Wombat]

Nash played 15 A League games so obviously knows what it takes to make the grade. 13 games for the Scum (over 2 seperate stints) and 2 games for us.
Only Pikey in his absolutely............................. i dont care if they have all their limbs, i just want Centrelink referals or minimum wage.....would have signed this bloke.

 

[midfielder]

OK OK OK hang with me, and let me explain my reasoning, then my recommendation.

First touch and the ability to play the ball under pressure is perhaps the most important attribute of the modern footballer. Modern football demands defensive teams to step up quickly and deny space to the attacking midfield players, trying to force a turnover.

The lower the technical ability of the player the easier it is for fit players to disrupt the attack. Or in simpler terms the lower the league the higher the emphasis on fitness players over the technical player.

In the A-League the reason the 6 drops so deep to recycle the ball is that the skill level is not high enough across the board to play in tight spaces. Teams will move backward and sideways a lot more trying to find space in the attacking third. This is not a sign of bad management but rather low standard players. Most of the managers in the A-League know that the opposition just don’t have the technical ability to “play” in the final third. The amount of attacking midfielders who can hold the ball under tight marking is less than a handful.

Tommy H, by light years has the best first touch in our side, and he does not seem to have the engine of the other less technical defensive mids.

For mine Tommy, has no one to pass too who has either the touch and technical ability to hold play or transition our play in the front third. Thus we rely on fast breaks down the wings.

My brain says, play him as the 10 not the 6.

Hope that all made sense.

 

[Tevor]

OK OK OK hang with me, and let me explain my reasoning, then my recommendation.

First touch and the ability to play the ball under pressure is perhaps the most important attribute of the modern footballer. Modern football demands defensive teams to step up quickly and deny space to the attacking midfield players, trying to force a turnover.

The lower the technical ability of the player the easier it is for fit players to disrupt the attack. Or in simpler terms the lower the league the higher the emphasis on fitness players over the technical player.

In the A-League the reason the 6 drops so deep to recycle the ball is that the skill level is not high enough across the board to play in tight spaces. Teams will move backward and sideways a lot more trying to find space in the attacking third. This is not a sign of bad management but rather low standard players. Most of the managers in the A-League know that the opposition just don’t have the technical ability to “play” in the final third. The amount of attacking midfielders who can hold the ball under tight marking is less than a handful.

Tommy H, by light years has the best first touch in our side, and he does not seem to have the engine of the other less technical defensive mids.

For mine Tommy, has no one to pass too who has either the touch and technical ability to hold play or transition our play in the front third. Thus we rely on fast breaks down the wings.

My brain says, play him as the 10 not the 6.

Hope that all made sense.

I like it, Melling can still tackle his heart out and 4 out of his 10 passes may find Tom who can then set up Ross, Pain and Co.

 

[midfielder]

I like it, Melling can still tackle his heart out and 4 out of his 10 passes may find Tom who can then set up Ross, Pain and Co.

Nay, not Melling ... McGing IMO would be the better player as an 8 we would not have a 6, instead two 8's.

 

[Michael]

Nay, not Melling ... McGing IMO would be the better player as an 8 we would not have a 6, instead two 8's.

Well McGing was a centre mid until he cracked the a-league.
Absolutely dominated NYL in there.

 

[NoDiggity]

Fornaroli, Brattan & caceras all apparently being released from city in Jan. any worth chasing for mariners? Wouldn’t mind Brattan out of the three.

 

[Wombat]

Brattan is a decent player but we dont need a defensive mid we need an attacking mid. Caceras has talent but are people willing to forgive him and would he pass the no dickheads policy.

 

[Big Al]

Brattan is a decent player but we dont need a defensive mid we need an attacking mid. Caceras has talent but are people willing to forgive him and would he pass the no dickheads policy.

Absolutely need an aggressive Midfielder like Bratton.

ONeill and Bratton can do the dirty work and let Tom be more finess. Would be a great midfield.

 

[NoDiggity]

Brattan is a decent player but we dont need a defensive mid we need an attacking mid. Caceras has talent but are people willing to forgive him and would he pass the no dickheads policy.

Nothing to back this up but have a feeling Tom will be leaving in Jan, if that’s the case Brattan would be a good pickup.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Brattan is a decent player but we dont need a defensive mid we need an attacking mid. Caceras has talent but are people willing to forgive him and would he pass the no dickheads policy.

We need players with heart. He has talented feet, but not vision or mental strength. Failed here. Knew he would fail there. Don’t wish him ill, but he’ll fail where ever he goes at this level, need more than good feet.

Think it’s very unlikely we’d bring in another DMunless Tom hoes. And no way we’ll dpring for Fornaroli with 4 strikers in our books and one who’s the most expensive we’ve had in an age.

Keeper and 10 or forget it.

But not going to happen so we should just forget it.

 

[Michael]

I’d have Caceres back in a heart beat. We need a natural creative number 10 more than most positions.
I don’t like Brattan, seems like a Reddy type piece of shit. But he can play and I’d have him in the team.
Too bad we have 47 players.
Pain is the only one attracting any kind of interest. Unless Mulvey cracks it big time with any player and gives them the flick we aren’t signing any players.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

No, no and definitely not.

 

[Forum Phoenix]

I’d have Caceres back in a heart beat. We need a natural creative number 10 more than most positions.
I don’t like Brattan, seems like a Reddy type piece of shit. But he can play and I’d have him in the team.
Too bad we have 47 players.
Pain is the only one attracting any kind of interest. Unless Mulvey cracks it big time with any player and gives them the flick we aren’t signing any players.

Caceres scores once every 18 games and has a terrible assist record also.

Over 100 games at HAL level and is still not up to standard.

Like others I watched him for years as a junior, a lot of promise but never developed.

 

[midfielder]

Our weakness is in the mids and keeper...

We need in both positions a special type of player ... we need players that can lead, direct etc...

Our midfield lacks organisation, I don't see any player organising ... Keeper is the same he does not organise his backs ...

None of the MC players fit that bill... If Tommy H is going then Bratton would be a reasonable pick up ... but he is not a leader

 

[Wombat]

Nothing to back this up but have a feeling Tom will be leaving in Jan, if that’s the case Brattan would be a good pickup.

Hope your thoughts are baseless.

 

[BrisRecky]

I’d have Caceres back in a heart beat. We need a natural creative number 10 more than most positions.
I don’t like Brattan, seems like a Reddy type piece of shit. But he can play and I’d have him in the team.
Too bad we have 47 players.
Pain is the only one attracting any kind of interest. Unless Mulvey cracks it big time with any player and gives them the flick we aren’t signing any players.

CACERES ❗️Oh f**k no...he was nearly bloody useless on the coast and didn’t get any better playing for Mexico City.

 

[Antlion]

Central Coast Mariners are winless, dead last and sporting a slew of injuries. But there's little silver linings to every cloud in Gosford.
When Matt Millar says he did it the hard way, you tend to believe him.

Working through the Melbourne City youth team, making four appearances only to lose his position and return to semi-professional football at South Melbourne is a stomach blow for any aspirant footballer.

"I did it the hard way," Millar said. "I was in the youth setup but had to take a step back, work really hard with South Melbourne. But I worked and earned the step up to this level.

"I don't want to give up my position, so I'm working as hard as I possibly can."

Two years, 18 goals and 69 NPL appearances later and now, despite his club struggling for results under new coach Mike Mulvey, he's understandably positive about the future.

"We feel really good, we've got a lot of belief in the team," he said. "We've just got to find that final 10% to get the win.

"We're putting in some really good performances and playing a lot of confident, aggressive football.

No matter what happens this season at the Mariners, Millar is happy just where he is.

"A big thing is belief, we're training really hard. It's about doing the same things and getting rid of those little mistakes.

"It's a really competitive squad. It does nothing but wonders for the team. I've found a really good position at wingback, it allows me to really get up and down the pitch."

https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/millar-i-did-it-the-hard-way-516492

 

[garlo]

Wondering what the deal with Cisak at FC is - Always had big wraps on him in the UK - comes back to FC and can’t displace Redders. Based on BKs season so far if I was Mulvey I’d be having a chat to FC about getting him