Roy Law
Well-Known Member
One Dimensional Mariners
The better team won on the day; there can be no argument with that. The reality of the cataclysmic loss of personnel from the Championship winning team is finally hitting home. While the Wanderers enjoy their turn to ride the wave of success the Mariners can now concentrate on saving pride and making the finals.
This was a much better display by the Mariners; some of the attacking football was very good and if momentum was with them, and not WSW, they might have taken something from the game. Wanderers’ first goal told the tale: their first meaningful shot on target just as the Mariners were getting into their stride. Flores, Sterjovski and McGlinchey were all up for this game and playing well but Juric’s spectacular but very fortunate goal was a real blow. Twice the Wanderers got the benefit of the bounce from deflections; Juric’s impressive volley was all class but on another day the ball would not have reached him.
The Mariners responded superbly and could have scored after smart play from Sterjovski set up Flores but Spiranovic’s desperate block saved the equaliser. Flores could only smile in disbelief. It was Sterjovski’s last contribution; he limped off injured to be replaced by Fitzgerald. It was a real pity as he had been playing well.
The second goal was the kind of goal the Mariners would score last season and the kind of goal they would not have conceded: a sharp break, aided by referee Delovski’s play on call, clinically executed and ruthlessly finished off. Rose was caught hopelessly out of position allowing Ono all the time to measure the cross: the kind of cross last year that heads up positional play would have blocked. But we lost our best heads up defender when Patrick retired.
The second half was an anti-climax: Wanderers, with the best defence in the competition, content to hold on to what they had; the Mariners huffing and puffing but rarely looking like breaking any walls down.
Flores, who had not been asked to continue with his drover’s dog endless running and consequently was playing quite well, was taken off at the sixty minute mark; it was a strange decision. Are we paying this guy by the hour, did the money run out in the meter? Duke, thankfully, not Mat Simon, came on in his favoured position and immediately unlocked the defence to bring a save from Covic. It was a good piece of skill and on another day might have brought reward but good fortune favours the team in the ascendancy and that is not the Mariners.
Labinot Haliti should have made it 3-0, which would have emphasised the Wanderers superiority but thankfully he is Labinot Haliti and is an erratic finisher.
The result sheets home the difference between a side that had so many unwanted departures from their great Championship winning side and one whose only departures were those it wanted to leave. The Mariners are a much weaker side; the Wanderers are stronger. It underlined the difference between being a club that has to sell to survive and a club that has its finances underpinned by Football Federation Australia.
The A League continues apace; hungry ambitious teams are taking advantage of the current Mariners. They have sussed out the weaknesses and have ruthlessly exploited them. The Mariners one-dimensional play has been outclassed by the modern pressing game of Brisbane, Victory and Adelaide, and the Wanderers are simply a class above. It is time for change.
Moss talks of being in transition and so must now make hard decisions. Hutchinson, McBreen and Simon are yesterday’s men; Montgomery is struggling; Seip is not good enough. Young Australians such as Anderson and Griffiths should be given a chance to establish themselves and we will never know if Caceres is the real deal unless he is given a fair run in the side.
For my money 4-2-3-1 has run its course and 4-1-4-1 should be the change: more on the later.
In a spirited but outclassed team Michael McGlinchey is my MoM, underlining the seriousness of our losing him to Japan with Rose giving strong support.
The better team won on the day; there can be no argument with that. The reality of the cataclysmic loss of personnel from the Championship winning team is finally hitting home. While the Wanderers enjoy their turn to ride the wave of success the Mariners can now concentrate on saving pride and making the finals.
This was a much better display by the Mariners; some of the attacking football was very good and if momentum was with them, and not WSW, they might have taken something from the game. Wanderers’ first goal told the tale: their first meaningful shot on target just as the Mariners were getting into their stride. Flores, Sterjovski and McGlinchey were all up for this game and playing well but Juric’s spectacular but very fortunate goal was a real blow. Twice the Wanderers got the benefit of the bounce from deflections; Juric’s impressive volley was all class but on another day the ball would not have reached him.
The Mariners responded superbly and could have scored after smart play from Sterjovski set up Flores but Spiranovic’s desperate block saved the equaliser. Flores could only smile in disbelief. It was Sterjovski’s last contribution; he limped off injured to be replaced by Fitzgerald. It was a real pity as he had been playing well.
The second goal was the kind of goal the Mariners would score last season and the kind of goal they would not have conceded: a sharp break, aided by referee Delovski’s play on call, clinically executed and ruthlessly finished off. Rose was caught hopelessly out of position allowing Ono all the time to measure the cross: the kind of cross last year that heads up positional play would have blocked. But we lost our best heads up defender when Patrick retired.
The second half was an anti-climax: Wanderers, with the best defence in the competition, content to hold on to what they had; the Mariners huffing and puffing but rarely looking like breaking any walls down.
Flores, who had not been asked to continue with his drover’s dog endless running and consequently was playing quite well, was taken off at the sixty minute mark; it was a strange decision. Are we paying this guy by the hour, did the money run out in the meter? Duke, thankfully, not Mat Simon, came on in his favoured position and immediately unlocked the defence to bring a save from Covic. It was a good piece of skill and on another day might have brought reward but good fortune favours the team in the ascendancy and that is not the Mariners.
Labinot Haliti should have made it 3-0, which would have emphasised the Wanderers superiority but thankfully he is Labinot Haliti and is an erratic finisher.
The result sheets home the difference between a side that had so many unwanted departures from their great Championship winning side and one whose only departures were those it wanted to leave. The Mariners are a much weaker side; the Wanderers are stronger. It underlined the difference between being a club that has to sell to survive and a club that has its finances underpinned by Football Federation Australia.
The A League continues apace; hungry ambitious teams are taking advantage of the current Mariners. They have sussed out the weaknesses and have ruthlessly exploited them. The Mariners one-dimensional play has been outclassed by the modern pressing game of Brisbane, Victory and Adelaide, and the Wanderers are simply a class above. It is time for change.
Moss talks of being in transition and so must now make hard decisions. Hutchinson, McBreen and Simon are yesterday’s men; Montgomery is struggling; Seip is not good enough. Young Australians such as Anderson and Griffiths should be given a chance to establish themselves and we will never know if Caceres is the real deal unless he is given a fair run in the side.
For my money 4-2-3-1 has run its course and 4-1-4-1 should be the change: more on the later.
In a spirited but outclassed team Michael McGlinchey is my MoM, underlining the seriousness of our losing him to Japan with Rose giving strong support.
