Round 4 vs Brisbane Roar - Match Thread.

[FFC Mariner]

Lewis isnt ready IMHO and neither is Brady

not getting anouther striker has hurt us IMHO

352 is about the only way I can think of the get Travis and Wee Mac on the pitch at the same time

 

[elevated position]

And i thought the sydney game was bad.  Sorry the only thing we need now is a coach who has the palayers confidence.. LM's lost his magic or his Australian has improved and the players see his dribble!!!!

 

[Sym]

I doubt it's due to fitness seeing clarkey is still around
man is a machine

 

[fedelta]

FIGHT THE POWER

respekt.

 

[Razorback]

In all, a dire performance from the Mariners. Maybe it was the heat, I've heard it has been hot up there, by  seasonal comparison, and maybe they felt it a bit more than what the Roar did?

+1, top post. Agree with all your comments ......

I think it was about 30 deg. yesterday in Bris ... if heat was the problem, they may as well not even bother to go to Townsville .... sorry, still fuming this morning.

I hope all the players that didn't turn up yesterday read these posts.

I think that that is terribly unfair to blame or even mention the heat as a reason for yesterdays ineptude (did i just make up a word). Brisbane played in the same conditions and I feel our fitness was superior to theirs judging by the finish to the game.

Changes are needed at our club and we need to start with the gaffer

 

[clarence]

In all, a dire performance from the Mariners. Maybe it was the heat, I've heard it has been hot up there, by  seasonal comparison, and maybe they felt it a bit more than what the Roar did?

+1, top post. Agree with all your comments ......

I think it was about 30 deg. yesterday in Bris ... if heat was the problem, they may as well not even bother to go to Townsville .... sorry, still fuming this morning.

I hope all the players that didn't turn up yesterday read these posts.

I think that that is terribly unfair to blame or even mention the heat as a reason for yesterdays ineptude (did i just make up a word). Brisbane played in the same conditions and I feel our fitness was superior to theirs judging by the finish to the game.

Changes are needed at our club and we need to start with the gaffer

Razorback, I'll give you the respect of a proper answer - you've used my previous post.

Firstly, I didn't accept that the heat was the reason for the woeful performance, I was merely offering it up as a reason?

Secondly, there is often a multitude of reasons for why the team has slipped in performance.
Maccalister wasn't in the side - was he a last minute withdrawal? They looked like they had to play Mrdja - particularly if the Big Mac was out. Most of us didn't appreciate Mrdja's performance (see Sack Mrdja Thread as a result of his contemptous display), and Matty was unsettled out on the RW.

Porter came into the match on an injury worry, Elrich is STILL trying to get match fit. Travis hadn't had much game time.

So as you see, it may well have been a case of fielding the fittest team on the pitch and devise strategy around their strengths, rather than using past formulas that had been successful.

Thirdly, I don't think replacing McKinna now would be be good for the club. If there was any replacing to be done at that level, you have to look at who he has working for him and if there's something better to assist Lawrie.

Then you have to have done that change SIX months ago, when the ACL campaign hadn't started and used the ACL as a working in phase. Too late now.

Changes HAVE been made at the club. McCabe has come on board more, Lawrie HAS brought in new players and discarded a few too.

A little patience to see what Lawrie can do when he has everyone fit, is more a test of where he's at, as a manager.

 

[Razorback]

I think your jumping the gun there mate. I was merely refering to a lack of respect to the opposition by mentioning the temp.

As far as not having everyone fit. Doig, huke unavailable ok, but defense has been quite sound so far this season. Playing travis off the bench, not playing Caceras at all and a general inability to create chances and score goals is the worrying thing. I just think that he has taken the core group of players a far as they can go.

 

[clarence]

I think your jumping the gun there mate. I was merely refering to a lack of respect to the opposition by mentioning the temp.

As far as not having everyone fit. Doig, huke unavailable ok, but defense has been quite sound so far this season. Playing travis off the bench, not playing Caceras at all and a general inability to create chances and score goals is the worrying thing. I just think that he has taken the core group of players a far as they can go.

Tend to agree with the points you raised there, but isn't Caceres injured, or at least listed as being injured? Maccalister was MIA yesterday and I'd like to know why - was he injured or sick or something? Big Macca would have got a run ahead of Nik, Nik is unreliable to play a full 90 and that must surely be your first criteria for selecting players for a starting lineup?

The core players you are probably referring to (Let's see: Wilko, Boogs, Hutch, Kwassi, Danny, Porter, Heff, Clark...) some of them had pretty good games, I mean, we'd had been history without Danny in goals and Boogs scraping in last minute tackles yesterday.

I am not a fan of Porter at RB, but Lawrie prefers to run him there ahead of Clark, because Clark is winding down his playing career & Lawrie has to prep someone or buy an established RB or RWB.

Heff and Wilko have been playing well. Heff pwned Danning, who everyone was screaming up as the new messiah til last week, and Wilko has been in very good form, particularly so when he has Doig there with him.

Hutch's performances are always going to cause comment. I'll pass there, but he's been doing alright since he's had Bojic (as a partner to assist him) AND McGlinchey, who is prepared to track back more than Caceres would ever dream of.

Kwassi is, well, Kwassi. I've previously mentioned I thought he is uncomfortable playing in and around Nik the Bludger. Kwassi will however, track right back down to the six yard box if he has to and take the ball right up to the opponents' byline! His work rate is very high, IMHO. If we can get Porter in RM or see if Travis has the motor to do that job, we will ahve a very baclanced and hard working wing combo.I cannot expect a team that has gotten used to Kwassi's workrate on the LW suddenly performing better if Caceres was to replace him, even though technically, Caceres is a better player.

When Huke gets fit and is available, Lawrie will have the ability to shift Pedj or Huke around in between midfield or fullback roles. With Doig there too, the defence will a lot stiffer and disciplined.

 

[elevated position]

within 30 minutes of the Sydney game I saw Caceres at the botterlo in Erina seemed fairly lively then. However Clarence you are right when you say we need help in the coaching staff, something I have thought for a long while but the fact we have not replaced anyone for 12 mths makes me think that if LM bought someone in now and the team then improves LM's fragile coaching credentials would be under increased scrutiny.

 

[clarence]

within 30 minutes of the Sydney game I saw Caceres at the botterlo in Erina seemed fairly lively then. However Clarence you are right when you say we need help in the coaching staff, something I have thought for a long while but the fact we have not replaced anyone for 12 mths makes me think that if LM bought someone in now and the team then improves LM's fragile coaching credentials would be under increased scrutiny.

Bit different walking around the streets to playing a game of Football I think. And you can still be a pretty happy boy even if injured..... just ask Nik.

As for bringing someone in, again, it should have happened prior to the ACL with a chance to try out the new assistant coach in a short campaign before committing to a full season. TBF to the club though, they have relieved Tobin of the Youth Team coaching AND our defence HAS improved (which is what you'd expect with Tobin having more time with them).

Even if the salary cap doesn't apply to manager and staff, you'd still have to pay out someone who didn't fit the bill, and that's money that could be better spent elsewhere.

As for Lawrie's credentials, I think he has current qualifications, but his practical record is successful both in this comp. and the NSL. I don't think it'sd fragile by any means, in comparison to Australian standards. Obviously, if he was managing in a comp. against Jose (the Special One) Mourinho or Sir Alex, he'd be a poor comparison......

 

[Donnie]

I think your jumping the gun there mate. I was merely refering to a lack of respect to the opposition by mentioning the temp.

As far as not having everyone fit. Doig, huke unavailable ok, but defense has been quite sound so far this season. Playing travis off the bench, not playing Caceras at all and a general inability to create chances and score goals is the worrying thing. I just think that he has taken the core group of players a far as they can go.

What is it with people wanting Caceras to play injured. He's not the best fully fit so I'd hate to see him play at 80% FFS

 

[bjw]

FIGHT THE POWER

Love your work.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Caceres is goooooooooooooooone so why discuss him?

 

[bjw]

Caceres is goooooooooooooooone so why discuss him?

NZ?

 

[Jazzie]

Caceres is goooooooooooooooone so why discuss him?

NZ?

Yep

 

[goingtoadisco]

Really ?

 

[Deej]

Really ?

Yes

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Ahhh all this fuss about the heat.
Clarence I think you slipped and left out the R...

With all due respect, in no way was yesterday about fitness or conditions... it was clearly about heaRt and the heartless. Our captain was quiet. Our key fiery striker was absolutely comatose... and Nick was ... well he was Nick wasn't he. 

While most of the squad were lacking in various ways, it only takes a couple of heartless players to massively impact on a teams spirit and performance on the park. It may have felt entire, but it wasn't, probably hence the 1 nil not 10 nil.

As to the Lawrie out sentiment again...
What utter garbage. That was not a performance based on coaching issues. It was 100% squad performance based. And I'm sure the players would agree where all the blame lies.

Like to know what's going on behind the scenes...

The questions are... Where was D'Mac?
Pissed off because we are bringing another striker in? I hope so.
Otherwise where is our other striker going to come from?
Matty has clearly grown tired of carrying all the weight.
Who is replacing Adrian and when?
And finally what formation do you play to start both Travis and weemac who clearly deseve to be there, without disrupting the one thing taht has been working very well for us, our defense - that includes our DM's.

Answer those, and we will be looking quality again.

But start the get rid of Lawrie bullshit again and your talking about destabilizing one of the best advantages we currently have... our stable and clearly capable coach who is passionate about his job, highly respected by his players and entrenched in the community and club. Sacking Lawrie would be a total disaster and just talking about it is counter productive to the team and club support.

If we are wooden spoon at the end of the season, which we won't be, then by all means get your knives out then... thats the time. But when we were sitting third on the table until that pathetic "team" performance yesterday...  Under the coach who has taken us to a premiership (Nothing minor about it) and two GF's...  Why you can't extend your trust beyond one game or even several poor games for that matter, without turing into panicking blame merchants is just beyond me.

:

 

[Jerem]

our critical error in set pieces and corners, no one moves!
i think i saw one man really move, and nothing at weemac but what the christ is he doing
on front post?i couldnt have stopped that for quids.

Roy Law:the A league IS improving, but unfortunately not in our 20%, saw bling vs kiwis and jets vs goldcoast, were pretty darn good!

Forum:we can only hope.
till friday

 

[Jerem]

And finally what formation do you play to start both Travis and weemac who clearly deseve to be there, without disrupting the one thing taht has been working very well for us, our defense - that includes our DM's.

Answer those, and we will be looking quality again.


:

travis on the wing, wee macc just behind simon