Start of Pre-season Training

[FFC Mariner]

id be worried about losing mcandrew. valuable and promising under 20...

Have you seen him play for Lightning before?

Yes and its an experience I would rather forget.

 

[Jocwa08]

didnt think he was that bad.
in another thread for a new
sheffield friend it says were
in alliance with inter milan
now, wouldnt mind some of
their youth players ..

 

[Pete]

id be worried about losing mcandrew. valuable and promising under 20...

I haven't seen him play yet, but his attitude sucks. Valuable and/ or promising and under 20, or not, I don't care.  : :

Maybe there is a Sheffield young gun that will come out and replace him. Or with a nationwide search going on for the youth squad Lawrie may unearth a prospect from there.
At the practice session I watched last week he was the second player to quit the Yo-Yo beep test, after Danny quit first (as you would expect from Danny). But a young under 20 midfielder to fall flat without as much as a whimper doesnt say much about his character. He hasnt prepared too well for the pre-season. If he was so hopelessly out of nick he should have done something about it before the first session.

Sounds like the previous person who wore number 4. Mariners #4 = Dud?

Oh and before I start getting hate PMs from Ian and/or his mates, I'd be ecstatic if I'm proven wrong in my summation of his stature within the squad, and he went out and played some fantastic football.

But all I've heard, read and seen of his attitude suggests otherwise.

Which is disappointing, as there are other young players in Lightning and elsewhere, who would have given their eye teeth to have been involved with a Premiership winning team at the highest level this country has to offer in domestic football for a full season. You would think the experience of all that training, all the inside info he would have been able to see & learn first hand from the likes of Vidmar, Clark, Pondeljak, Aloisi & co.,would have made him driven to get onto the pitch and be more a part of the team.

Instead, from what I observed myself, he was quite content to wear the Mariners trackie gear into the stadium, have folks look at him, get to wander where he wanted to - unhindered, and puff his chest up and say he's in the squad. Gave little respect to older followers of football (hint Ian: don't call men much older than you 'mate', 'sir' is more appropriate until you've earnt your place), and made fun of those who were yelling their lungs out for his team.

Prove me wrong Ian, prove me wrong......

 

[Paolo]

hahahaha, geez spud, you have to be joking???

How inappropriate of a bloke to call another bloke "mate" in australia: *puts face in hands in gordon ramsey style* f**king hell

p.s if you think he was content to just wear his tracksuit and not play, you dont really know him well

 

[Aden]

Ur f****** jokin arent ya spud .

 

[marinermick]

hahahaha, geez spud, you have to be joking???

How inappropriate of a bloke to call another bloke "mate" in australia: *puts face in hands in gordon ramsey style* f**king hell

p.s if you think he was content to just wear his tracksuit and not play, you dont really know him well

on the exterior it appears that spud's could be comstrued as true, but those who know him would suggest otherwise

i had a nice chat to him at the leaguesy on anzac day

while i was well on my to being to being pickled he was sober and told me all the extra work he has been doing in the off season in readiness for the first session that monday

i think he knew his position was shakey and he seemed very motivated to be part of the mariners outfit

 

[Pete]

hahahaha, geez spud, you have to be joking???

How inappropriate of a bloke to call another bloke "mate" in australia: *puts face in hands in gordon ramsey style* f**king hell

p.s if you think he was content to just wear his tracksuit and not play, you dont really know him well

I would add that I introduced myself to him and told him my name, but he decided to just say 'yeah mate' and not bother - or it would seem that way - to hold my name in his head for a minute. Those sort of things do stick in folks' craw. And no I wasn't drunk, obnoxious or anything like that.

And no, I really don't know him, and judging by Mick's comments above I may well be wrong. And that's fair enough.

But Ian and other players have to realise that first impressions count.

If one was to talk to someone just by 'yeah mate' it implies disinterest (particularly after you've just told them your name). Remember, he's in a PR role there, whether he likes it or not.

And if someone tries to get into the Leaguesy when they were underage by flashing the tracksuit - and hoped he wouldn't have to be signed in, bags out the supporters group, bags out the radio commentary team, and have his mates put sh*t on folks who have been yelling loud and proud from day 1, then the bad impression I have is going to stick.

I stand by my first impressions and hope he impresses other folks better.

 

[Paolo]

hahahaha, geez spud, you have to be joking???

How inappropriate of a bloke to call another bloke "mate" in australia: *puts face in hands in gordon ramsey style* f**king hell

p.s if you think he was content to just wear his tracksuit and not play, you dont really know him well

And if someone tries to get into the Leaguesy when they were underage by flashing the tracksuit - and hoped he wouldn't have to be signed in,

Where are you getting your info from. He turned 18 well before he signed for the mariners

 

[Pete]

hahahaha, geez spud, you have to be joking???

How inappropriate of a bloke to call another bloke "mate" in australia: *puts face in hands in gordon ramsey style* f**king hell

p.s if you think he was content to just wear his tracksuit and not play, you dont really know him well

And if someone tries to get into the Leaguesy when they were underage by flashing the tracksuit - and hoped he wouldn't have to be signed in,

Where are you getting your info from. He turned 18 well before he signed for the mariners

Someone had to sign him in, if he was 18+ then he must not have been a CCLC member or something like that. He was in full Mariners tracksuit with his friends, and he was stopped from going in & made to have someone sign him in. The impression (again an impression of him) was that he tried to walk in, when he should have asked instead.

 

[priorpeter]

he's my age. he is over 18 - just not a member

 

[bikinigirl]

. a few obervations of my discussions with ian at mingy after the gf:

.. seemed genuinely grateful for the opportunity given to him by the mariners, but also seemed in awe of his team mates - both could be holding him back a bit

.. was honestly still coming to terms with his role as an ambassador/pr type - and remember he is still a kid (despite being able to get into the leaguesy)

.. does seem to drop 'mate' and nicknames into conversation with regularity, which is also reflective of the points above and not uncommon

.. could very well fall back to being a typical 18 (ish) year old when surrounded by his mates (who have practically no responsibilities)

.. a drop back to the youth team without the accompanying senior squad salary could be the kick up the bum which could make or break him as a footballer

 

[Aden]

He is definately over 18. He is a mate of mine  were in the same year at school and  was  at his 18th party which was when he had just left  wyoming premier league  and was layin for lightning and campeltown quake  in  indoor  . so  ur info is wrong he  just mustnt be a member

 

[Ursus]

hahahaha, geez spud, you have to be joking???

How inappropriate of a bloke to call another bloke "mate" in australia: *puts face in hands in gordon ramsey style* f**king hell

p.s if you think he was content to just wear his tracksuit and not play, you dont really know him well

And if someone tries to get into the Leaguesy when they were underage by flashing the tracksuit - and hoped he wouldn't have to be signed in,

Where are you getting your info from. He turned 18 well before he signed for the mariners

Someone had to sign him in, if he was 18+ then he must not have been a CCLC member or something like that. He was in full Mariners tracksuit with his friends, and he was stopped from going in & made to have someone sign him in. The impression (again an impression of him) was that he tried to walk in, when he should have asked instead.

Mate, you are probably misinterpreting and just being a typical grumpy old bastard. There seems to be a few around.  ;D

 

[promdi442]

while i was well on my to being to being pickled he was sober and told me all the extra work he has been doing in the off season in readiness for the first session that monday

i think he knew his position was shakey and he seemed very motivated to be part of the mariners outfit

Well all I can say is that if he did some extra work in the off season in readiness for the pre-season then he has totally underestimated what was required for the start of pre-season and failed pretty dramatically.

And I would add that it was one of his own team mates (who was not doing the Yo-yo) who nominated he would be in the first three to drop out. And that was only after a couple of minutes into the beep test. Obviously this player already knew his fitness capabilities or lack thereof.

Let's hope that he really wants to be in the first eleven and not just a squad member.

 

[Pete]

1) The CCLC thing I saw was weeks after I had spoken to him and only added to my first impression.

Yes, you are right Ursus, I may have misinterpreted and yes I am a grumpy old bastard.

But folks nitpicking about whether he was or was not 18+ miss my point. The incident (if it could be called that) showed him in bad light -whatever the situation was, it looked like he was trying to simply walk in without even as much as asking.

2)Bikingirl's observations are very good about McAndrew's situation - if the club has tried to give him assistance in dealing with becoming a more 'public' person it doesn't seemed to have worked very well, and they may need to assess what sort of PR training they give the Academy boys and youth squad members in the future. But I don't buy the 'only a kid' excuse, as he obviously has the brains to get to where he got in the first place.

Maybe raw and unused to dealing with the attention he may have got, and been in close quarters with players who were many moons more mature than him - and yes maybe in awe of Aloisi and Vidmar, but the club should help the guy get used to the situation instead of letting him loose and having him possibly stuff up.

Last post on this -
[size=20pt]I'm OUTTA HERE![/size]