Mariners v Queensland Minor Semi Finals

[promdi442]

Has anyone been watching Sasho's attitude and performance at practise??

Has he been putting in the hard yards there or has his mind been elsewhere and if he has had a less than impressive week at practice maybe he shouldnt be there at all. 

 

[FFC Mariner]

Well he hasnt played recently, so why expect that to change?

 

[Alicia]

Paul O'Grady singled out as Mariners man to restrict Roar's strikers

BIG Paul O'Grady is not only playing for a new contract for the Central Coast Mariners but has been singled out as the man who can handcuff Queensland Roar's imposing striker Sergio van Dijk when the A-League finals kick off.

Van Dijk is in a rich vein of goalscoring form but Mariners boss Lawrie McKinna thinks the Dutchman might meet his match at Bluetongue Stadium on Friday.

The 185cm tall van Dijk, who finished one goal behind Golden Boot winner Shane Smeltz, is up against one of the giant defenders of the league. O'Grady stands at 193cm.

O'Grady, who will partner captain Alex Wilkinson in central defence, has had yet another frustrating season with injuries and started in only three games but McKinna says he did enough in the final match against Adelaide to warrant selection for the first leg minor semi-final in Gosford.

"I think this will be one of the great match-ups ," McKinna said at the finals launch in Sydney.

"His (van Dijk's) physical presence is a big thing and he's just Johnny on the spot. He's getting tap-ins and things are just dropping for him.

He got two against us last time."

The Mariners leaked eight goals against the top three - Queensland, Melbourne and Adelaide - in the final three weeks but McKinna hopes those defensive problems have been solved, especially with the inclusion of O'Grady.

"After his (O'Grady's) performance against Adelaide, he'd walk into anybody's team the way he played," McKinna said.

"He's set his standards. His contract is up at the end of June and he's playing for a new one. And if he continues to play like that there will be no issues over a contract."

McKinna said the Mariners would take a cautious approach in the first leg.

"I don't think we can afford to come out with all guns blazing. We have to be careful," he said.

"I think we deserve to be underdogs going into the finals and nobody is expecting us to go far."

Queensland coach Frank Farina will instruct his players to do what they've been doing all season -- attack.

"I am not a believer in trying to sit back and get a result to take home - that can bite you on the backside as quickly as anything," Farina said.

 

[blastbum]

Paul O'Grady singled out as Mariners man to restrict Roar's strikers

Well, if that's the case then he better lift, harden up and fire up because the Roar strikers and their attacking mids are super fast and Stringers is... well...

 

[typool]

slow......

 

[kevrenor]

Paul O'Grady singled out as Mariners man to restrict Roar's strikers

Well, if that's the case then he better lift, harden up and fire up because the Roar strikers and their attacking mids are super fast and Stringers is... well...

Playing with cranky Franky's mind ......

 

[Bear]

I bloody hope so Kev

 

[jarrad]

  Off topic, will be expecting a lot of noise from the bay this Friday guys.
Bring your family and friends, don't let us down.

and are you going to be in the bay to help us to be alot louder

Am there every single week, why stop now

 

[marinermick]

lawrie has not decided what to do yet but will either go:

danny
porter - wilko - o'grady - pedj
gumps - hutch - cacaeras
simon - mac - nik

or

danny
porter - wilko - o'grady - pedj
gumps - ossy - hutch - cacaeras
simon - mac


i think he will go for the second option

ossy to play holding role

 

[typool]

yeh i'd say the second looks good, time for NM to sit on the bench for a while ...

 

[northernspirit]

yeah time for 4 4 2 again, the 3 strikers clearly hasnt worked for us

 

[typool]

yeh thats so true northernspirit..
as much as id like 3 up front it just doesn't work.. ossie in a holding position isn't a bad idea

 

[northernspirit]

an extra person helping out the defense is what we need, noone is jedi but hopefully they are useful padawans

 

[john_kowolski]

Referee for Friday night is Ben Williams

Mr Breeze is not refereeing this weekend, the other game went to Strebre Delovski

Good to see, I rate both these two higher than Breeze

 

[typool]

agreed, so happy we didnt be matthew breeze.

 

[BAD BULLZ]

Paul O'Grady singled out as Mariners man to restrict Roar's strikers

Well, if that's the case then he better lift, harden up and fire up because the Roar strikers and their attacking mids are super fast and Stringers is... well...

HARDER THAN DMAC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FIRE UP I've always rated stringers With an injury free year maybe stringers could be our hard as f**k defender we all know we need and save us some money to spend on restocking our strikeforce.

 

[FFC Mariner]

danny
porter - wilko - o'grady - pedj
gumps - ossy - hutch - cacaeras
simon - mac

+1

No boogs?

 

[typool]

swap o'grady with boogs n i think that side will be our strongest

 

[mariners4ever]

danny
porter - wilko - o'grady - pedj
gumps - ossy - hutch - cacaeras
simon - mac

+1

No boogs?

not with this formation or wilko, probably on bench.

swap o'grady with boogs n i think that side will be our strongest

no thanks, wilko and boogs shouldnt play CB together

 

[Sean]

anyone up for crowne plaza shenanigans tonight?