The official dead wood thread

[Blair]

Mrdja - Go. Please. NOW.

Owens. So much promise when signed, injuries interrupted 2007/08 season but hasn't bounced back this year either. Very slow in NYL games. No wonder Lawrie never played him in the senior team this last season and ACL. Go.

O'Grady. Very surprised he wasn't terminated when he crashed the car and found to be pissed behind the wheel. He can consider the last season or two of employment, as being lucky as a result. Made one valiant effort at the close of this season, and I suspect he's capable of being better value than as a general for the NYL team. Did anyone else find it a little embarrassing to see a guy with his experience only being good enough to run the backline for the NYL team? One good game does not warrant a contract extension. Go.

Nash. Surplus to requirements if Danny stays. Maybe keep on an injury cover retainer?

Clark. Conditioning coach, Sports Science. Not as a player anymore at this level despite some heroic efforts.

Gumps. Lovely guy. Heap of respect. Has time come for him to stop playing at this level? Good for handy 20 minutes of high intensity at end of game, possible game breaker as he sets up some great crosses. Unless we sign above him in the midfield he's handy to have around but maybe he could lean towards being a general on the NYL team to show the youngsters how it's done, and possibly line up a coaching gig thereafter? Would be sad to see him cut ties with the club, but it may well happen.

D'Apuzzo. NYL player and see if he can hit the straps. Only for this season. May make some senior team appearances if he can find form and speed.

Heffernan. Needs to step up this season. Suspect his technical deficiencies are being found out by more knowledgeable and stronger opposition. If he cannot overcome this for next season what is the point of keeping him on? Either he improves to the level required or goes back to State League.

Boogaard. Slow. Caught out in defence by faster attack players. Either needs to learn better positional play to compensate for his lack of 'off the mark' speed, or goes. Give Tony Vidmar a call, Nigel and ask him how he did it.

Hutchinson. Not a fan. Too many indecisive moments and milking for free kicks with whoopsy falls and gamesmanship. This ain't WWE wrestling Hutch, it's Football, so stop trying to be the bloody showman and just play the ball intelligently. Less and less sparkle as the season go by, and am prepared to let go if someone better found. If his form drops through young Lewis in or put Porter in the middle and send a message to Hutch he's not untouchable.

Wilkinson. Move out to RB and see how he plays. If no better at RB, then prepared to let go.

Make Huke captain and let the broom sweep through to coaching level. Now that Tobin isn't coaching NYL team he has no excuses for sloppy organisation of defence line in senior team (he is the defence coach right?), and I want to see the NYL team firing.

Lawrie must be on last notice -  the team hasn't won in how long?

The Board should also be looking at giving themselves an uppercut. They were the guys who probably thought they could get through the ACL without any major signings, and it would have been twice as bad if Huke wasn't a surprise success.

It's as bad as a manufacturing company wanting to manufacture X sort of product but use cheap parts to compete with top quality. In the end it gets found out! Football clubs work off the ethos of being competitive and hopefully winning some matches. We were barely competitive, and didn't win. Memo to Lyall and Peter: the Community will not engage YOU if YOU don't provide a product that is perceived as having quality attached to it. Get rid of the cheap players who are happy to strut around town saying they are "Mariners" (Knowing damn well they won't get a playing gig in any other A-League club) and get the guys that may cost a  little more but prepared to win games and have the goods to do it.

+1 to u great job

 

[FFC Mariner]

Top post Clarence

 

[dibo]

For all those wondering about who to let go, restrict your thoughts to those coming off contract. they're the only ones we have the option with. Otherwise we pay the player out plus probably some compensation and I believe all of that comes out of the cap so you're left with one less payer and even more out of the cap.

So the options for releases are as Deej said:

Well players coming off contract are :

Gumps
Clark
O'Grady
Osman
Owens
Mrdja

I'd be a little surprised if any of them stayed on as players to be honest.

Clark will be with the club as strength and conditioning coach presumably (though the squad's looked dead on their feet of late... what's doing there?). If we've got some pennies left over, a spare spot and no bright eyed bushy tailed kid to put in it, I can't see why not...

Gumprecht may have some coaching role though there's a limit to how many spots you can create for old boys in the club. He's got his badges though so he's certainly looking to a future in that area.

Osman's already gone.

If Mrdja is re-signed I'll call the mental health people in on McKinna and Gorman because they would have to be out of their trees.

O'Grady would also likely be on his way. Has had little time, is inconsistent when on. If he can't bust his way into *that* back four, then we've got issues.

Owens is as close to confirmed as an unconfirmed departure can get. Again, if he couldn't get a gig over anyone in that midfield, we've got issues.

That's the players off-contract dealt with, there are obviously a bunch of players with one year left who are on notice. the Manager has to produce too. His contract still has two years on it I believe, but with each passing day the compensation payable on termination drops...

***********************************

That's the oldies taken care of.

The big issue we have is youth. We don't have kids coming through. We're not punting on good kids from the state league. We're paying mid-career wages for a bunch of players who are known quantities but who we also know can't be world beaters.

The players this club can be proudest of over the years are Danny, Mile, and Matty. All of them were essentially at state league level until they got to us and are now successful at national level (except for Mile who's obviously gone well beyond that).

Why aren't we searching far and wide for more of these kids? Where are the kids coming through from the development pathways?

I get that we've got no cash, but a few sparky, bright eyed kids on minimum wage are not much of a gamble, and a much more attractive gamble than many imports because the bet is small for the potential return. In turn, the money saved can buy us some quality at the top and keep it all inside the cap.

For the talk of new managers there has to be a question over who would replace Lawrie should he be punted or quit. Aside from DV's refrain of 'get a foreign coach', with which I have documented my issues elsewhere, there's not been any real alternative floated.

A certain native of the former East Germany is one possibility, but while he's badged he's got no experience. That won't do, but other names are hardly leaping at me.

 

[marinermick]

I am in no way advocating Lawrie's departure because I am in the "on-notice" group but I will throw three alternatives out there:

- Damian Mori
- Paul Okon
- Ange Postecoglou

 

[dibo]

Ange would certainly be an option I would think.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Gumps to player coach to gain the experience he needs at running a team day to day would seem to make some sense.

He may have the drive and mongrel we lost when Fergie went.

Ready made successor too.........

 

[David Votoupal]

For the talk of new managers there has to be a question over who would replace Lawrie should he be punted or quit. Aside from DV's refrain of 'get a foreign coach', with which I have documented my issues elsewhere, there's not been any real alternative floated.

Because my primary concern has been the growth and development of football in this country? I like progressive ideas and I'm sure you'd want CCM to be at the forefront of progressive ideas.

 

[dibo]

i've made my arguments before, i'm not rehashing them here.

 

[FFC Mariner]

i've made my arguments before, i'm not rehashing them here.

Oh come on, we are all waiting for 47 pages discussing unknown albanian 3rd division coaches

 

[David Votoupal]

More to the point, I don't see how an argument can be put down when one side has irrefutable proof to back up their claims.

 

[marinermick]

More to the point, I don't see how an argument can be put down when one side has irrefutable proof to back up their claims.

actaully you do not for the a-league

 

[David Votoupal]

actaully you do not for the a-league

Football needs to be seen in a wider, global context and that's where examples can be referenced from

 

[dru]

Lets face it we don't have the money for an overseas coach, how about we bring in some of the people that helped draft the new National coaching Curriculum. If not as a replacement for Lawrie as someone to help out and bring a different philosophy.

In Les Murray's latest piece on the world game site he mentions an Alistair Edwards. If every club just employs foriegn coaches the local coaching stocks don't improve, as a country we do need to bring in some but not replace all.

 

[dibo]

i've made my arguments before, i'm not rehashing them here.

Oh come on, we are all waiting for 47 pages discussing unknown albanian 3rd division coaches

My points were made most recently from about here on.

 

[marinermick]

actaully you do not for the a-league

Football needs to be seen in a wider, global context and that's where examples can be referenced from

and a sweeping generic statement like this is "irrefutable proof"?

 

[Jimmy]

I was expecting the following when I read the thread title...
Top show might I add.

 

[Sean]

Good show that.

 

[bjw]

cant comment as i've never seen it.

 

[MrCelery]

Brilliant script!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348914/quotes

Al Swearengen: You want a blow job while I talk to you?
Judge: No.
Al Swearengen: I wasn't offering personally.


Al Swearengen: Be in my joint in two hours, we're forming a f**kin' government.


Swearengen: Get a f**king haircut. Looks like your mother f**ked a monkey.

Swearengen: God rest the souls of that poor family... and pussy's half price for the next 15 minutes.

 

[fedelta]

Mrdja, you utterly shameless c*nt.  Thanks for NOTHING

(Should this be a Tifo of its own?)

f**k OFF MRDJA parachute imo