R13: Mariners vs Melbourne Heart (5/1/14)

[sydmariner]

MH are always a difficult team to break down.
The combination of a new coach for them + us loosing Flores will make it even more difficult.
I`m hoping we can send Weemac off on a winning note..

It depends if Harry has a good game he needs 1 cos the WC is only 6 months away

 

[true believer]

after the rest of the round results this is a monster game.
come on you yellows

 

[pjennings]

It depends if Harry has a good game he needs 1 cos the WC is only 6 months away

I'm all for Harry having a good game and indeed a good season .... starting next week.

 

[BrisRecky]

the one bloke who scares me @ the hearts is one D Williams...he was making way to much ground in the last game, as he does most games, as for Harry, well.. I think he is really starting to slow down...and i doubt Ange will pick his team on who was selected 2 WC ago...mind you on his day Harry can be the goods, hope it aint today

 

[tsd]

the one bloke who scares me @ the hearts is one D Williams

Agreed. If he played for the other Melbourne team everyone would be talking about him as a WC contender

 

[greenlig]

Weemac out due to illness, Caceres on the bench

 

[Gratis]

damn, really wanted to see him off with a hurrah, one of the greatest mariners ever

 

[greenlig]

Not even at the stadium apparently!

 

[shipwreck]

Gonna be a long gamme

 

[sydmariner]

Not even at the stadium apparently!

Well I'm sure he's probebley whatching the game on tv

 

[style_cafe]

Well I'm sure he's probebley whatching the game on tv

He would have turned the TV off at half time

 

[Gratis]

we need a playmaker. immediately. full stop.

 

[BrisRecky]

remember the old days , when we used to bomb down the wings and pass to the centre?...now we dawdle down the middle and pass to the wings who dont seem to have any fkn idea...this game was the largest puddle of drizzling shits Ive ever seen the boys produce...and we cant even blame that pedantic arse Gillett.......as for MoM...no fkn idea

 

[Kareem]

Thought Trent was alright
Probably give MoM to roux though!

I would love to drop the following players after that performance
Mcbreen, Fitzgerald, duke, sterjovski and hutch

One of Simons better cameos as well

 

[eenfish]

Roux got my vote for MOTM, Trent did solid as always.
Good summary Kareem, I'll agree with all that. Duke was hopeless until about 3 minutes left in the game, had half a dozen chances to attempt on goal and never took any. Fitz showed nice moments but also some pretty poor mental mistakes.

We need a play maker. We need our midfield to hold onto the ball a bit better. We need a fix.


Also, someone from Bay 16, what was the go with the cops and the blokes waving the Rangers/North Ireland flag? Were they trying to start something? They moved to where I was sitting with my mum and stood near some Celtic fans who seemed to get along with them.

 

[style_cafe]

That would have to be the worst perfomance since the Lawrie days!
Crap, uninspiring football.
From heroes to zeroes in 6months. I can`t believe how bad they were, it was like watching their very first training session.
The combinations were cumbersome & disjointed,there was no leadership & no inspiration.To be honest we were lucky to be playing the shit Melbourne team.

Ready 6 - Had little to do but his distribution today was erratic.
Storm 6 - Played like he had zero confidence in Sterj.He failed to get forward,didn`t take on the defence & sadly looked very tired.
Sains 7 - Went through the motions but lacked the spark & drive of previous games.
Ando 7 - Solid but thats about all . The highlight was he lasted the whole game
Rose 5 - His hand will be shaking on payday.Missing Weemac already. He could have scored the winner but as so often happens with him nhe scooped it
over the bar
Sterj 3 - He won`t have to clean his boots this week ,as he did nothing to take the shine off them
Monty 8- He played his heart out trying to motivate the team,even getting forward with a diving header that narrowly missed.He was rewarded for his
efforts by being subbed.WTF!
Hutcho 5 - Never gets out of second gear.
Fitzy 6 - Tried hard but his lack of pace & skill today showed that he is not at A League level
McBreen 3- Back to the form of 2 seasons ago.The loan spell in China has killed his season & probably his career.
Duke 6 - Tried initially but gave up when the service & support was crap

Matty- not half the player he was before he went overseas
Caceres - came on far to late

Mossy- The flat 442 will see us killed by the good sides.
He didn`t try to fix the problem, which I think was the transitions to attack, but took the soft option of taking off Monty.
With Flores out & Weemac gone there`s no spark to the attack.
Caceres is the only shining light.Groom him as a 10 for the rest of the season.

 

[Roy Law]

Lack of Ambition hurts the Mariners​

Take a look at the A League ladder and commit the Mariners’ third position to memory because on this showing it will be the last time you see it this season. A terrible season for the Mariners got worse as following the season ending injury to Marcos Flores they lost the little magician Michael McGlinchey for what would have been his farewell game, struck down by a virus. Fitzgerald came in as his replacement. You get the feeling that it was one blow too many for the players and the coach; the lack of heart [sic] and ambition was obvious. If this is what life is like without Flores and McGlinchey then the second half of the season is going to be a very tough ride.
Heart, who have never beaten the Mariners and have yet to win a game this season, were the ideal opponents for the Mariners coming after the impressive win against Perth, but the utter lack of ambition meant that this was two points lost instead of the expected three points gained.
The wind and the warm conditions did neither team any favours and it was the Heart who shaded the first half: the permanently offside ‘Maltese Messi’ Michael Mifsud somehow hitting the post when Sainsbury’s missed tackle set him free. All the Mariners had to show for their efforts was a tame shot from distance by Storm Roux comfortably taken by Andrew Redmayne.
I wondered at half-time how the Mariners could win this? Why were we giving so much respect to the Heart? Why wasn’t Sainsbury pushing forward, where were our trademark attacking full backs?
But in the early stages of the second half nothing changed, Mifsud brought a sprawling save from Reddy with a deflected shot, and you got the feeling that Heart could go on and win this.
It wasn’t until the hour mark that the Mariners showed signs of life, McBreen collecting Redmayne chasing Sterjovski’s intelligent curling cross. Redmayne was hurt, but it was accidental, and McBreen apologised and they shook hands.
Monty then had us out of our seats when he drove forward, cleverly fed Duke and went forward for the cross, glancing his header just wide. It gave hope that the Mariners may at last lift and take the game and they really should have been ahead when Rose skied the ball over the open goal after great approach work inspired by Matt Simon who had now replaced Sterjovski. The chance fell to Rose’s wrong foot and he definitely got it all wrong.
Caceres came on for Monty who was probably unlucky to be replaced after his improved performance in the second half. He at least was showing the drive needed to rescue the game. We have heard a lot about Caceres, the next big thing, but we are still waiting; he was efficient but seems to lack the belief he can change things. And, of course, it is a tough gig to carry the weight on your shoulders of Flores and McGlinchey.
With minutes to go Duke finally sparked into life with a cut inside and fierce right foot shot which went just wide but Heart continued to press and as the minutes ran down they won corner after corner until finally, in the closing seconds, Simon was inches away from Duke’s cross from the right. It was 0-0 at the finish; the two lowest scoring teams in the A League had lived up to their reputations.
From a lacklustre bunch I would give MoM to Nick Fitzgerald who worked tirelessly throughout without reward; Sainsbury and Anderson were ok at the back, Sterjovski occasionally skilful and Montgomery tried his best to lift the team. I think it is Phil Moss who must take the brunt of any cristicism: you get out of life what you put into it and Moss was far too negative in his outlook today.

 

[BrisRecky]

someone said the lady security boss wanted a voovoozuela(?) someone had and they werent forthcoming...methinks it was an FFA edict to step on everyone & everything

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Caceres is the only shining light.Groom him as a 10 for the rest of the season.

Gave the ball away twice and gave away three free kicks in 10 minutes, shone like the rest of the team.

 

[sydmariner]

Roux got my vote for MOTM, Trent did solid as always.
Good summary Kareem, I'll agree with all that. Duke was hopeless until about 3 minutes left in the game, had half a dozen chances to attempt on goal and never took any. Fitz showed nice moments but also some pretty poor mental mistakes.

We need a play maker. We need our midfield to hold onto the ball a bit better. We need a fix.


Also, someone from Bay 16, what was the go with the cops and the blokes waving the Rangers/North Ireland flag? Were they trying to start something? They moved to where I was sitting with my mum and stood near some Celtic fans who seemed to get along with them.

Not the 1st time that's happened some guys similar to them did the same thing a few years ago & got kicked of the train @ Gosford